Teachers Teaching Teachers in Fayetteville Classrooms

Holly Smith, an instructional facilitator with Fayetteville Public Schools, works Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, with students in Anne Garrett's class at Root Elementary.

Holly Smith, an instructional facilitator with Fayetteville Public Schools, works Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, with students in Anne Garrett's class at Root Elementary.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

— Emily Poole is a first year geometry teacher at Fayetteville High School.

She knows the principles of teaching but, as a new teacher, the practical applications have been a challenge.

At A Glance

College, Career Readiness

ACT Inc., known for its college admission and placement test, defines college readiness as the level of preparation a student needs to be ready to enroll and succeed in first-year, credit-bearing courses at a postsecondary institution. ACT, Inc., further defines career readiness as the level of knowledge and skills needed in the work force training programs and is considered comparable to that needed in first-year college course work.

Source: act.org

Superintendent Vicki Thomas described it as, “I’ve gotten the job as a teacher, now what?”

Enter Ellen Johnson, director of math for the school district. She heads a team of four math coaches who work with teachers to introduce new strategies in the classroom. Another team of instructional facilitators work with teachers at all levels, with a primary focus on literacy strategies.

Johnston is spending time observing in Poole’s classroom.

“We’ll collaborate on what happened in class and plan what to do next instructionally,” Johnston said.

The overarching goal is to prepare students for the new Common Core assessments, coming in the 2014-15 school year, and to prepare students to be college and career ready when they leave high school, Thomas said.

“It’s good to have Ellen here,” Poole said. “It will only make me a better teacher.”

On one particular day, the class works on a problem to calculate the height of a lamp post by using the length of other references in a photo appearing on an interactive white board. The students sat at tables of four, allowing them to collaborate.

Students apparently notice a difference in their teacher’s approach to geometry, too.

“Earlier in the year, it wasn’t going as well,” said Blake Power, 16. “Now, it’s more in-depth and I have a better understanding.”

Catherine Pinter, 16, said Johnston brings up different ideas.

“That’s a good thing,” Pinter said. “She creates a different environment.”

Holly Smith was one of the first instructional facilitators the district hired eight years ago. She might have stayed in the classroom had she not seen a need among teachers and felt a personal need for additional coaching in her own classroom.

Education is changing, Thomas said, particularly with the implementation of Common Core State Standards. The changes have created a need for stronger teaching practices.

One way to achieve that is by coaching teachers in math and literacy in new practices.

Smith said she has found, through research, a teacher is less likely to apply information she learned at a conference to her classroom while a teacher who receives site-based professional development is much more likely to implement new strategies or techniques.

Fayetteville had one instructional facilitator in 2005. The program was introduced originally in Title I schools — those where at least 35 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced-price meals. Federal money was available to Title I schools to hire additional teachers or coaches to work with at risk students.

The district has 19 instructional facilitators, formerly literacy coaches, in addition to the math coaches.

The National Student Lunch Act money allowed the district to hire additional coaches. The program will continue as long as money is available.

“The crux of the work by instructional facilitators is literacy and helping other teachers understand the importance of reading and writing,” said Kay Jacoby, executive director of curriculum, instruction and accountability. “These are valuable, valuable positions.”

Smith and colleague Katy Seifritz said their time is divided between keeping up with research on best practices and collaborating with teachers on the best practices to meet the needs of students in that school. They also co-teach and model some new strategies.

Smith works in several elementary schools while Seifritz is assigned to McNair Middle School. Others are assigned to specific schools or specific populations, such as English language learners or special education students.

“We’re reaching kids better and earlier,” said Smith, who once taught first- and third-grades at Washington Elementary School. “I was concerned that kids weren’t reading. Intervening earlier helps.”

“When I reflect on this job, I keep hearing teachers say they love the collaboration,” Seifritz said.

“They are a game-changer, in terms of providing stronger curriculum and new learning strategies,” said Mike Mason, principal at Holt Middle School.

Principals now wear so many hats in managing a school they have little time to provide the academic leadership they once did.

“They have moved curriculum and instruction forward in our building,” Mason said.