There Was a Good Teacher
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CMU is an AA/EO institution (see www.cmich.edu/aaeo). 13861d 1/05 Official Publication of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators 30 Years of Professionalism 1975-2005 Vol. 27 No. 3 www.pageinc.org May/June 2005 OFFICERS CONTENTS President Dr. Diane Ray President-Elect FEATURES Ken Russell 04 Teachers Do the Darndest Things— 4 Secretary Vickie Hammond On Their Summer Vacations Treasurer by Lee Raudonis Hosie Waters Past President Deena Hoch DEPARTMENTS DIRECTORS 02 From the President: Reflection at This Time of District 1 District 8 Year is Imperative—How Will Next Year be Different? Tronya Fulcher Kathy Corwin District 2 District 9 03 From the Executive Director: Applause for the Vickie Joiner Catherine Strickland Session May Be a Bit Premature District 3 District 10 Raymechia Smith Judy Teasley 10 Foundation News District 4 District 11 Tim Mullen Lamar Scott PAGE Foundation Names 2005 PAGE STAR Student District 5 District 12 and Teacher Mary Carzoli Richard Thomas 2005 STAR Teachers—System Winners 10 District 6 District 13 Mike Smith Luann Avery Gwinnett County’s Berkmar High School is State 2005 PAGE District 7 District 14 Georgia Academic Decathlon State Champion David Brown Jan Godwin Former Governor Joe Frank Harris is Keynote at FEA in GA Day on Capitol Hill EDITORIAL STAFF PAGE Foundation to Celebrate 20th Anniversary Editor Tim Callahan 19 Professional Insights: Professional Learning Associate Editor Erica Driver Communities: Nurturing Teacher Leadership and Assistant Editor Improving Student Achievement Lynn Varner Report from the Capitol NEW SOUTH PUBLISHING 23 Legal: President Legislative Wrap-up for 2005 Larry Lebovitz 26 Publisher 26 Members In The News John Hanna Editor-in-Chief 26 PAGE Planner Riley McDermid Graphic Designer 26 PAGE Letters Jack Simonetta Production Coordinator NEWS & INFORMATION Mike Johnson Account Executive 27 TRS Introduces New Online Member and Retiree Treacy Gledhill Account Management Desktops Advertising/Sales (770) 650-1102, ext.128 28 Educational Field Trips Consultant Susan Thompson Lewis 30 There Was a Good Teacher On the cover: 2006 Georgia Teacher of the Year, Dr. Brenda Shuman-Riley. 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DIANE RAY Reflection at This Time of Year is Imperative— How Will Next Year be Different? Have you chool is out or almost out for educators through professional learning opportunities. I evaluated the throughout the state. High stakes test had to look at doing a few things differently. impact of your Sresults are back, performance evaluations Will you look at implementing different are completed, we have had training on the new instructional strategies next year for greater most effective Georgia Performance Standards, and we have student learning? instructional learned new terminology as we unpack the Analyzing tests or assessments means setting strategy? standards. With all these demands, have you aside some powerful ego issues. Many times my carved out the time needed to reflect on instruc- initial response after identifying the items or Have you seen tion, assessments, accountability and, most criteria missed by the majority of students is, improved test importantly, student learning? Have you evalu- “Well, I taught that, they just didn’t get it!” Upon ated the impact of your most effective instruc- further reflection, however, I recognized that results, and more tional strategy? Or better yet, have you pin- effectiveness in teaching is not defined by what importantly, do pointed the strategies implemented that have we do as teachers, but rather by what students you know the had minimal impact on student achievement? are able to do. Have you seen improved test results, and more Assessments provide immediate feedback to story behind the importantly, do you know the story behind the students, and to us as teachers. Equipped with numbers? numbers? Yes, it is time for a little reflection. constructive feedback from assessments, I can After all, we need to know if our time and ener- make changes in curriculum, teaching and gy made a positive difference. And after this learning that are necessary to improve achieve- reflection it’s time to focus on how next year will ment of students. Have you analyzed the type of be different. assessments you give to your students? Next If we single out instruction within our class- year will you give common assessments to stu- rooms, we must determine the specific instruc- dents in each grade level? Will you collabora- tional strategies in teaching that are directly tively score these assessments, or will you use linked to improved achievement. Take a look at rubrics for measuring student success? What the test scores from one of your favorite units. will be different? Will assessments be used to What strategies helped your students master guide your instruction? the content? Many teachers are astonished to Accountability for all educators demands the learn that they can be poor judges of what study of practices that yield successes at other worked and what didn’t work in their teaching. schools. Lessons from other schools have a In my own teaching, I have been taken by sur- major purpose—that is to prompt educators to prise. There have been times when I thought validate actions already in place that are produc- my presentations were truly inspiring. My ing results, and consider what is not in practice delivery was animated, my examples clear and at this time but should be. Possibly studying and my insights were razor sharp. At the conclusion replicating the actions of those who are success- of the instruction, I regretted that I wasn’t being ful could lead to greater student achievement. observed or videotaped, because I thought it After all, it is our responsibility as professionals was truly one of my finest presentations. Later, to know how to gain positive results. Thus, when I asked a question about the ideas or con- resolving to increase success for students may cepts I introduced during that stellar presenta- require us to do a few things differently. tion, few could answer correctly. Our challenge is to learn from others and rec- After squelching my impulse to blame my ognize transformations that have been made DR. DIANE RAY students, I realized that it is I who must make and those that still remain to be made. If we are some changes. I took a closer look at serious about improving student learning, we researched strategies that would provide my have to move beyond our reflection of this year students with greater mastery. I tried to imple- and commit to making instruction, assessment ment some strategies that I had learned and accountability different for next year. ◆ 2 PAGE ONE May/June 2005 From The Executive Director | DR. ALLENE MAGILL Applause for the Session May Be a Bit Premature t the conclusion of this year’s historic ses- to require teaching in “high needs” schools in sion of the Georgia General Assembly order to earn the additional stipend. What Previous leaders in A many leaders (and a few pundits) were replaced this program was a vaguely worded Atlanta were quick to heap praise on the new leadership. In Master Teacher plan contained in legislation that criticized—rightly, fact, some leaders didn’t wait for the pundits but doesn’t begin to take full effect until 2007 and began patting themselves on the back before the expires in 2009.