Monday, August 30, 2010
Under Construction!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Committed!!!!
Who said teachers are apathetic? I don't believe them. Today four district mentors went to work on a Saturday at 6:45 am and 15 new mentor teachers braved 8 hours in an 80 degree classroom to hone their mentoring skills!
Our first of four Foundations in Mentoring Class for Central District took place today. New Mentors learned about one another and gained important skills to work successfully with their new teachers. They especially enjoyed the role-playing activity to practice using mentoring language.
Kahikukala was happy to meet the new mentors and work with them. They're a great bunch and we're excited for a new year!!!!
Can't wait until our next Seminars in October!! Until then, use your Collab logs and talk Mentor Language!!!
Here's some comments from the participants:
Our first of four Foundations in Mentoring Class for Central District took place today. New Mentors learned about one another and gained important skills to work successfully with their new teachers. They especially enjoyed the role-playing activity to practice using mentoring language.
Kahikukala was happy to meet the new mentors and work with them. They're a great bunch and we're excited for a new year!!!!
Can't wait until our next Seminars in October!! Until then, use your Collab logs and talk Mentor Language!!!
Here's some comments from the participants:
- The role playing was really helpful, even though I didn't want to at first.
- I feel more comfortable now and am a little more confident to meet and help my mentees and how I can grow from this.
- Lots of great strategies! I am excited to share these with my mentees. The Phases of New Teacher was validating for me. I am also interested in PRAISE. But here's the million dollar question: How do you create intrinsic motivation? It's difficult to develop this in teens and sometimes even more difficult with adults who are "burnt out!"
- Fantastic Team!!! It's great to have leaders who are positive and work well together. Thank you in sharing your knowledge and experiences.
Friday, August 27, 2010
New Mentor Trainings
Kahikukala staff will be holding trainings for mentors new to the Central District Teacher Development Program. During the first session of a series of four on the Foundations of Mentoring, mentors will receive training on: Induction, Mentors Roles and Functions, Building Trusting Relationships, Phases of New Teacher Development, Mentor Conversation, and using a Collaborative Log. Hope to see you at the training!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
It's Time for the Central District New Teacher Development Program Orientations
Coming soon are the Orientations for this year's Central District Mentoring Programs! Lead Mentor Teachers at each Central District school site will be contacting new teachers and inviting them to sessions to learn about our program.
Once Orientations have been attended Mentors will set up initial meetings with their new teachers to begin relationship building, assist as needed, and schedule classroom visitations.
It's going to be a fabulous year!!!
Once Orientations have been attended Mentors will set up initial meetings with their new teachers to begin relationship building, assist as needed, and schedule classroom visitations.
 |
| Attend and learn about our program!!!! |
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Resources & Professional Organizations
An important aspect of teaching is keeping up-to-date on curriculum and instruction. From time to time we will review educational publications, literature and studies as well as link websites that may have important information.
International Reading Association (IRA)
www.reading.org
The mission of the International Reading Association is to promote reading by continuously advancing the quality of literacy instruction and research worldwide
Below are some links that we would like to share with you.
Association for Supervision of Curriculum and Development (ASCD)
www.ascd.org
ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is a membership organization that develops programs, products, and services essential to the way educators learn, teach, and lead.
www.ascd.org
ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is a membership organization that develops programs, products, and services essential to the way educators learn, teach, and lead.
National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
www.nctm.org
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a public voice of mathematics education supporting teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development and research
www.nctm.org
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a public voice of mathematics education supporting teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development and research
National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE)
www.ncte.org
The Council promotes the development of literacy, the use of language to construct personal and public worlds and to achieve full participation in society, through the learning and teaching of English and the related arts and sciences of language
www.ncte.org
The Council promotes the development of literacy, the use of language to construct personal and public worlds and to achieve full participation in society, through the learning and teaching of English and the related arts and sciences of language
International Reading Association (IRA)
www.reading.org
The mission of the International Reading Association is to promote reading by continuously advancing the quality of literacy instruction and research worldwide
Friday, August 6, 2010
How Mentors Shaped my Teaching...by AP
From time to time we will blog about topics close to our heart. Today I'd like to share my personal thoughts on how mentoring impacted my life.
I knew I wanted to be a teacher since the first grade. Mrs. Makekau, with her engaging teaching style and warm heart captivated me. Being the daughter of two educators was also a strong influence. From the moment I began telling the world that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up, different mentors began molding me into the educator that I am today.
My mom and dad would be my first Mentors in education. I would often go to my mom and dad's schools and absorb the culture. As I grew older I would have conversations with them about my philosophy of education. I remember one such conversation that I had with my dad about grades and how they hurt kids' learning. It was long before I was in the classroom and my Dad told me that I needed to remember the conversation when I had my own classroom. When we began standards-based grading and I read Ken O'Connors work for the first time it brought me back to that talk with my dad.
My mom would set up classroom visitations for me and I would sit in her friends' classrooms. I learned a lot from these visits and would file what I learned in my head and heart in hopes of one day being a great teacher. I remember Sheri's kindergarten class where the 5 year olds were reading picture books to one another and Sha's class where she had an amazing rapport with the 6th graders. In all of those visits I always vowed that I wanted join the "family business " and be a teacher like so-and-so some day....
Before I began teaching I was lucky to have to teachers in high school whose different teaching styles also influenced my own style. Mr. Greenhill exhibited a true love for teaching and his students. He took a genuine interest in our lives and connected to us in ways that made us think of him as more than a teacher. Years after I graduated from high school he surprised me at one of my college soccer games in Washington because he had heard that I was playing. I was stunned!! Talk about going beyond the call of duty!!! Today my former students who are now adults themselves thank me for attending their football, soccer, and basketball games when they were in elementary school.
Another teacher, Mr. Masunaga exhibited a true love of Mathematics. Prior to his Geometry class in 10th grade I struggled with Math, in fact I HATED math. However, he made math fun, applicable to life and amazingly EASY! I went from barely passing to getting an A! He brought in manipulatives, games, showed us mathematical equations in art and real life and suddenly I actually had confidence in my mathematical ability. Years after I graduated from high school I brought my third grade class to a Hawaii Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference to hear him speak about Tesselations. I'm not sure who was more excited--my students, or I. I ran into Mr. Masunaga at a reunion last night and told him about my new job. True to form he and I began talking about how he could help me mentor our new Mathematics Teachers. We'll be setting up a meeting soon. I am so excited!!!
When I began my teacher education coursework I was blessed with amazing professors. To name a few: Royal Fruehling, Kathy Au, Margie Maaka, Julie Kaomea, and Joe Zilliox. These professors shaped my thoughts on curriculum and instruction as well as issues such as empowerment and ownership in education. To this day I contact them when I have issues that I need help with. They give me great feedback and guide me to make choices that affect my students and colleagues positively. They served as role models that I aspired to be like and they showed me that teaching wasn't just a job, it truly was a profession and that educated teachers who were up to date on issues, studies, and curriculum, as well as educators who collaborated with others and continued to learn and grow would become the best of the best.
I was also blessed with two amazing cooperating teachers. Lani Carson at Miliani Uka and Judy Cramer at Kamehameha Schools. I would say that more than 50% of the routines and rituals that I implemented in my classrooms were learned from these two amazing teachers: Friday Folders, Student Portfolios and Conferences, Tribes...I know I am blessed to have been able to work with two fantastic teachers who mentored and coached me with honesty and love while empowering me by giving me autonomy in their classrooms. By allowing me to take risks without fear they enabled me to fly early on in my career.
I have a number of colleagues who have also served as mentors in my teaching career. I think of Linda Uehara, Clayton Kaninau, and John O'Brien who inspired me in different capacities but always through skilled teaching and strong leadership. I loved to watch Clayton and Linda teach. They were always very deliberate in their teaching to maximize student learning. I would always try and copy what they did after observing a lesson. John O'Brien and I would talk for hours about data analysis and educational reform. He was a good advisor to me in helping me with my career choices. I made him a promise that I would pursue my doctoral degree some day...and I know I need to get on that because I wouldn't want to let him down.
Pat Lopes was a supervisor in the College of Education and she was one of the first people to make me think that I had potential to be an educational leader. She saw something in me and pushed me to hold seminars for pre-service teachers and eventually, along with Kathy Au, to teach at the college level. She was strict and old school--no lesson plans no teach and was the epitome of tough love. And her tough love got results because she loved and believed in us. I mirrored her tough love when I taught fifth graders. We lost a great educator in her.
Finally, probably the biggest influence in my teaching career and the one who has mentored me in my different roles throughout my career is Kathy Au. She has guided me as a student, as a teacher and as a resource teacher. She leads by example and through action. She has helped me become the thoughtful, confident educator that I am today. Her quiet leadership inspires me and makes me always want to do the right thing no matter how difficult. Just the idea of having someone so brilliant and esteemed believe in me has carried me to places I never thought I'd see!!!!
So, with this post I thank you to all of you who have coached and mentored me so that I am where I am today. As I begin this chapter in my career I am excited to meet new people, learn, grow, and find other colleagues who will serve as mentors. This year I also hope to become a mentor who inspires!!!!
Now tell me, who were your mentors?
I knew I wanted to be a teacher since the first grade. Mrs. Makekau, with her engaging teaching style and warm heart captivated me. Being the daughter of two educators was also a strong influence. From the moment I began telling the world that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up, different mentors began molding me into the educator that I am today.
My mom and dad would be my first Mentors in education. I would often go to my mom and dad's schools and absorb the culture. As I grew older I would have conversations with them about my philosophy of education. I remember one such conversation that I had with my dad about grades and how they hurt kids' learning. It was long before I was in the classroom and my Dad told me that I needed to remember the conversation when I had my own classroom. When we began standards-based grading and I read Ken O'Connors work for the first time it brought me back to that talk with my dad.
My mom would set up classroom visitations for me and I would sit in her friends' classrooms. I learned a lot from these visits and would file what I learned in my head and heart in hopes of one day being a great teacher. I remember Sheri's kindergarten class where the 5 year olds were reading picture books to one another and Sha's class where she had an amazing rapport with the 6th graders. In all of those visits I always vowed that I wanted join the "family business " and be a teacher like so-and-so some day....
Before I began teaching I was lucky to have to teachers in high school whose different teaching styles also influenced my own style. Mr. Greenhill exhibited a true love for teaching and his students. He took a genuine interest in our lives and connected to us in ways that made us think of him as more than a teacher. Years after I graduated from high school he surprised me at one of my college soccer games in Washington because he had heard that I was playing. I was stunned!! Talk about going beyond the call of duty!!! Today my former students who are now adults themselves thank me for attending their football, soccer, and basketball games when they were in elementary school.
Another teacher, Mr. Masunaga exhibited a true love of Mathematics. Prior to his Geometry class in 10th grade I struggled with Math, in fact I HATED math. However, he made math fun, applicable to life and amazingly EASY! I went from barely passing to getting an A! He brought in manipulatives, games, showed us mathematical equations in art and real life and suddenly I actually had confidence in my mathematical ability. Years after I graduated from high school I brought my third grade class to a Hawaii Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference to hear him speak about Tesselations. I'm not sure who was more excited--my students, or I. I ran into Mr. Masunaga at a reunion last night and told him about my new job. True to form he and I began talking about how he could help me mentor our new Mathematics Teachers. We'll be setting up a meeting soon. I am so excited!!!
When I began my teacher education coursework I was blessed with amazing professors. To name a few: Royal Fruehling, Kathy Au, Margie Maaka, Julie Kaomea, and Joe Zilliox. These professors shaped my thoughts on curriculum and instruction as well as issues such as empowerment and ownership in education. To this day I contact them when I have issues that I need help with. They give me great feedback and guide me to make choices that affect my students and colleagues positively. They served as role models that I aspired to be like and they showed me that teaching wasn't just a job, it truly was a profession and that educated teachers who were up to date on issues, studies, and curriculum, as well as educators who collaborated with others and continued to learn and grow would become the best of the best.
I was also blessed with two amazing cooperating teachers. Lani Carson at Miliani Uka and Judy Cramer at Kamehameha Schools. I would say that more than 50% of the routines and rituals that I implemented in my classrooms were learned from these two amazing teachers: Friday Folders, Student Portfolios and Conferences, Tribes...I know I am blessed to have been able to work with two fantastic teachers who mentored and coached me with honesty and love while empowering me by giving me autonomy in their classrooms. By allowing me to take risks without fear they enabled me to fly early on in my career.
I have a number of colleagues who have also served as mentors in my teaching career. I think of Linda Uehara, Clayton Kaninau, and John O'Brien who inspired me in different capacities but always through skilled teaching and strong leadership. I loved to watch Clayton and Linda teach. They were always very deliberate in their teaching to maximize student learning. I would always try and copy what they did after observing a lesson. John O'Brien and I would talk for hours about data analysis and educational reform. He was a good advisor to me in helping me with my career choices. I made him a promise that I would pursue my doctoral degree some day...and I know I need to get on that because I wouldn't want to let him down.
Pat Lopes was a supervisor in the College of Education and she was one of the first people to make me think that I had potential to be an educational leader. She saw something in me and pushed me to hold seminars for pre-service teachers and eventually, along with Kathy Au, to teach at the college level. She was strict and old school--no lesson plans no teach and was the epitome of tough love. And her tough love got results because she loved and believed in us. I mirrored her tough love when I taught fifth graders. We lost a great educator in her.
Finally, probably the biggest influence in my teaching career and the one who has mentored me in my different roles throughout my career is Kathy Au. She has guided me as a student, as a teacher and as a resource teacher. She leads by example and through action. She has helped me become the thoughtful, confident educator that I am today. Her quiet leadership inspires me and makes me always want to do the right thing no matter how difficult. Just the idea of having someone so brilliant and esteemed believe in me has carried me to places I never thought I'd see!!!!
So, with this post I thank you to all of you who have coached and mentored me so that I am where I am today. As I begin this chapter in my career I am excited to meet new people, learn, grow, and find other colleagues who will serve as mentors. This year I also hope to become a mentor who inspires!!!!
Now tell me, who were your mentors?
2010 Teacher Development Program Summer Symposium
About Kahikūkalā
Vision
Kahikūkalā envisions the development and retention of highly qualified and effective teachers positively impacting student achievement.
Mission
Kahikūkalā: a collaborative mentoring system, will develop and retain highly qualified and effective teachers to promote student achievement.
Goals
• Assist teachers in becoming Highly Qualified
• Improve the effectiveness of beginning teachers and thereby improve student learning
• Promote the personal and professional well-being of beginning teachers
• Increase teacher retention
Target Group
Non-Tenured teachers:
• Probationary
• Code W (State Approved Teacher Education Program completed, but Praxis incomplete)
• Code 5 (Bachelor’s Degree, but State Approved Teacher Education Program incomplete)
Tenured teachers
self-referred or referred by principal.
Program Description
Non-tenured teachers new to Central District will be assigned a mentor who will provide differentiated support to meet his or her needs. Teachers will receive assistance in these areas:
• Attaining Highly Qualified status
• School protocol and procedures
• Information regarding professional development
• Professional and Emotional Support
• Classroom Management
• Instructional strategies
• Content and Curriculum Resources and Support
Program Support Services
• Highly Qualified Professional Development Plan
• Licensing and PRAXIS information
• Summer Induction Symposium for New Teachers
• Classroom Observations and Conferencing: Plan, Teach, Reflect Cycle
• Visitations to veteran teacher classrooms
• School level seminars
Teacher Expectations
• Develop a Highly Qualified Professional Development Plan and work towards completion and attainment of HQ teacher status
• Meet regularly with mentor
• Allow mentor to assist with appropriate support and assistance in the classroom
• Attend school level seminars and other appropriate activities
• Complete all teacher Development surveys
• Ask for assistance when needed
Download our Brochure
Kahikūkalā envisions the development and retention of highly qualified and effective teachers positively impacting student achievement.
Mission
Kahikūkalā: a collaborative mentoring system, will develop and retain highly qualified and effective teachers to promote student achievement.
Goals
• Assist teachers in becoming Highly Qualified
• Improve the effectiveness of beginning teachers and thereby improve student learning
• Promote the personal and professional well-being of beginning teachers
• Increase teacher retention
Target Group
Non-Tenured teachers:
• Probationary
• Code W (State Approved Teacher Education Program completed, but Praxis incomplete)
• Code 5 (Bachelor’s Degree, but State Approved Teacher Education Program incomplete)
Tenured teachers
self-referred or referred by principal.
Program Description
Non-tenured teachers new to Central District will be assigned a mentor who will provide differentiated support to meet his or her needs. Teachers will receive assistance in these areas:
• Attaining Highly Qualified status
• School protocol and procedures
• Information regarding professional development
• Professional and Emotional Support
• Classroom Management
• Instructional strategies
• Content and Curriculum Resources and Support
Program Support Services
• Highly Qualified Professional Development Plan
• Licensing and PRAXIS information
• Summer Induction Symposium for New Teachers
• Classroom Observations and Conferencing: Plan, Teach, Reflect Cycle
• Visitations to veteran teacher classrooms
• School level seminars
Teacher Expectations
• Develop a Highly Qualified Professional Development Plan and work towards completion and attainment of HQ teacher status
• Meet regularly with mentor
• Allow mentor to assist with appropriate support and assistance in the classroom
• Attend school level seminars and other appropriate activities
• Complete all teacher Development surveys
• Ask for assistance when needed
Download our Brochure
Aloha!
Aloha, and welcome to our blog. We are the Central District New Teacher Development Program. In school year 2010-2011 we adopted the name Kahikūkalā . Kahikūkalā is a Hawaiian word meaning, “to rise higher, of the sun, to a stage between dawn and noon.” Kahikūkalā embodies the Central District Teacher Development Program as new teachers begin their teaching profession by collaborating with their mentors to seek new heights. We hope you will enjoy reading our blog to learn more about our program, we, the mentors, and mentoring in general. Please feel free to visit often and leave comments for us.
Contact us:
Central District Teacher Development Program Office
Phone: (808) 627-7303 ext. 256
Email: kahikukala.central.district@gmail.com
Mail:c/o Mililani Uka Elementary School Rm C-201
94-380 Kuahelani Ave
Mililani, HI 96789
Contact us:
Central District Teacher Development Program Office
Phone: (808) 627-7303 ext. 256
Email: kahikukala.central.district@gmail.com
Mail:c/o Mililani Uka Elementary School Rm C-201
94-380 Kuahelani Ave
Mililani, HI 96789
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