The Big "E"
Utilizing Support Staff for Student Enrichment
Activity #1
Participants will begin to analyze the various views of collaboration represented within the group.
Participants will begin to examine collaboration through a collective lens providing a more succinct and explicit definition of true collaboration.
Participants will analyze research driven suggestions for successful collaboration between classroom teachers and school support staff.
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards:
Teachers lead the teaching profession. Teachers strive to improve the teaching profession. They contribute to the establishment of positive working conditions in their school. They actively participate in and advocate for decision-making structures in education and government that take advantage of the expertise of teachers. Teachers promote professional growth for all educators and collaborate with their colleagues to improve the profession. Teachers should: • Strive to improve the profession; • Contribute to the establishment of positive working conditions; • Participate in decision-making structures; and • Promote professional growth.
Teachers help students work in teams and develop leadership qualities. Teachers teach the importance of cooperation and collaboration. They organize learning teams in order to help students define roles, strengthen social ties, improve communication and collaborative skills, interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds, and develop leadership qualities. Teachers should: • Teach the importance of cooperation and collaboration; and • Organize learning teams in order to help students define roles, strengthen social ties, improve communication and collaborative skills, interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds, and develop leadership qualities.
Teachers communicate effectively. Teachers communicate in ways that are clearly understood by their students. They are perceptive listeners and are able to communicate with students in a variety of ways, even when language is a barrier. Teachers help students articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively Teachers should: • Communicate clearly with students in a variety of ways; and North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards • Assist students in articulating thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively.
Activity #2
Participants will be exposed to teacher and student perceptions of Enrichment Clusters, and are challenged to think about how they might implement this principle in their own setting.
Participants will compare two examples of Enrichment Clustering and brainstorm ideas for how they could implement Enrichment Clusters in their own settings by utilizing available support staff.
Participants will brainstorm how to use Enrichment Clustering to meet diverse learning needs and interests of students.
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards
Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. Teachers collaborate with the range of support specialists to help meet the special needs of all students. Through inclusion and other models of effective practice, teachers engage students to ensure that their needs are met. Teachers should: • Collaborate with specialists; and • Engage students and ensure they meet the needs of their students through inclusion and other models of effective practice.
Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students. Teachers know how students think and learn. Teachers understand the influences that affect individual student learning (development, culture, language proficiency, etc.) and differentiate their instruction accordingly. Teachers keep abreast of evolving research about student learning. They adapt resources to address the strengths and weaknesses of their students. Teachers should: • Know how students think and learn; • Understand the influences on student learning and differentiate instruction; • Keep abreast of evolving research; and • Adapt resources to address the strengths and weaknesses of students
Activity #3
Participants will effectively utilize the school level media specialist and instructional technology facilitators to create a unit that integrates research driven strategies for Enrichment Clusters that accommodate diverse learning needs and interests of students.
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards
Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. Teachers collaborate with the range of support specialists to help meet the special needs of all students. Through inclusion and other models of effective practice, teachers engage students to ensure that their needs are met. Teachers should: • Collaborate with specialists; and • Engage students and ensure they meet the needs of their students through inclusion and other models of effective practice.