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Location:

CCN

About Me:

Program Manager, Progressive Learning

Always interested in thinking better to create and improve education. It's all about support.

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At 4:03pm on September 30, 2008, Mark_Abrahams said…: See 'Portrait of a Young Urban Teacher'

via http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2008/09/24/03tln_sacks.h20.html?tmp=522540291

At 1:28pm on September 20, 2008, Bill Abramovitz said…: Hi, Barabara,

I'm back from MIA-dom and just wanted to say "hi." I hope you're summer has gone well. If you should find yourself bored, I can put you to work for right (I mean left) political candidate I've been volunteering for.

Cheers!

Bill

At 5:25pm on August 26, 2008, Hal Portner said…: Hi Barbara.

I’m sorry but I'm not the one to address your request: “Can you give me a short description that could describe a senior lecturer’s working day experience in US?” since my personal working day includes very little in the way of senior lecturing. Perhaps another Hubbite can.

I would like, however, to piggyback on your observation that creative thinkers move on “to the next great idea without finishing the one they just unleashed.” I’ve always considered ‘self preservation’ to be a necessary goal (along with continuous improvement) of any worthwhile enterprise. The 'worthwhile enterprise’ to which I devote most of my professional energy and passion (at least until a better way is created) is through the development and retention of high quality teachers. The induction and mentoring of new teachers is the medium through which, for the most part, I address this desire.

Over the past two decades, many of us involved in new teacher induction and mentoring have gained a number of insights during the course of planning, implementing, and evaluating a variety of programs.
Foremost among the lessons I have learned is that although well conceived and executed induction and mentoring programs have proven to be fundamental
to the development and retention of new teachers, the induction and mentoring process itself must be ingrained into the culture of a school in order for it to continue to serve its purpose over time. It is the application of the following three principles that I have found form the framework for successfully embedding teacher induction and mentoring into the culture of a school or district.

Principle 1: An embedded induction and mentoring program consists of both internal and external relationships. Not only do the components within a program interact with each other, but the program itself
invariably interacts with a surrounding array of related programs. Application of this principle calls for systems-thinking.

Principle 2: Leaving the responsibility of inducting and mentoring new teachers to assigned mentors only is short sighted and a prescription for failure. There are many other people who need to be actively involved. Application of this principle calls for collaborative-doing.

Principle 3: An embedded induction and mentoring program thrives on informed dedication and purposeful nurturing. Resources such as time, money, and people are essential, of course, but more important are motivated and proactive leaders who guide the transformation of their schools’ cultures to the point where communal support of induction and professional growth of beginning teachers is the norm. Application
of this principle calls for committed-leading.

The lesson is clear and applicable to worthwhile endeavors in general: unless and until that endeavor becomes a part of an organization’s everyday routine—is both taken for granted yet highly valued—it runs the all-too-real risk of becoming just another fad of the month. Successfully embedding a worthwhile endeavor into everyday routine requires the efforts of visionary leaders who understand how components of their programs interact and who provide for and support the active participation of committed people.

At 10:17pm on August 24, 2008, John Yeo said…: Hey Barbara,
Pardon my ignorance, your profile states you are located in CCN- am I right to suppose it stands for Canada or is that Cincinanti?

What is progressive learning, the 'progressive' bit excits me!

At 10:01pm on August 24, 2008, John Yeo said…: Hi Barbara

Thanks for the hook-up. Indeed as an educator, its a great way to see how online network can push our thinking, thus WELCOME. I totally agree and wish to establish the same permission- to have a little more time to respond. Though I need preface that its not because I am 'inactive' but I guess, strategising time is a major concern for me. Mark has been an excellent 'thought provider and stimulator' and our correspondence is really been highly constructive for me and I am certain we can learn more from one another. Like the rest, I too am looking forward to sharing our thoughts and building this community.

p.s. I read from Hal's note that you are the 100th person... woo hoo!!!

At 3:18pm on August 24, 2008, Tracy Koehler said…: Hi, Barbara.

I look forward to getting to know you, on some level, in whatever ways we manage to make time for! (I know what being busy with life can do to one's "Hub time." And, sure, this goes to levels of finding time to really consider the subjects we discuss on The Hub...not simply adding stock responses, but really considering the subjects and the things we say about them...which does take extra time, but is always worth it in the end. When, of course, we find the time to do it. Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day...but neither are truly meaningful discussions and talking points!)
Hopefully, our friendship can follow the same principle, and can be built up over time. No hurries, no worries!
By the way, on the subject of Mark, even though I know he's "listening," I believe you made an excellent choice in your selection of him as a husband. Just don't be afraid to clout him upside the head if said head starts to swell!

All the best,

--Tracy

At 7:42am on August 17, 2008, Mark_Abrahams said…: Hi Friend,
How's about squeezing out a little time to respond to our friends on the Hub?

At 8:53pm on July 16, 2008, Tim Hurson said…: Hi Barbara. Welcome. So nice to see someone who's not just a filament. I look forward to your perspectives on this often unwieldy subject.

At 12:39pm on July 16, 2008, Hal Portner said…: Welcome, Barbara. How pragmatically creative of you to have become the 100th HUB member! Do you get a prize?

Please tell us a bit about "Progressive Learning." Also, I'm especially interested in what you mean by "It's all about support" in relation to education.

Cheers