Job: Teacher Development Coaches for Pre-service Training - Denver Teaching Fellows

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Jobing Description

Denver Teaching Fellows: Help Us Change Outcomes for Students in Denver
Seeking Teacher Development Coaches for Pre-service Training
Exceptional educators working in high need schools are demonstrating that great teaching is enough to outweigh the negative effects of poverty on student learning and close achievement gaps. Yet despite this growing body of research, poor and minority students continue to be the least likely to be taught by skillful teachers.
As an effective teacher in a high-needs school, you have seen the effects of this disparity in your own classroom, and have worked tirelessly to increase your students' achievement. You have seen the rapid acceleration of your students when they're challenged with rigorous content, and you've been inspired by the growth possible for all students in nine short months. We suspect, however, that you've felt frustrated knowing how easily the progress you've made with your students can be lost. How can you ensure that your students will effective educators that will continue to support their academic success?
You've Helped Students to Succeed, Now Help Teachers Do the Same
The Denver Teaching Fellows program (DTF), which recruits, selects, and trains high-achieving mid-career professionals and recent college graduates from all backgrounds to teach in high-need schools, shares your commitment to students in Denver, CO. DTF works to increase student achievement and secure positive life outcomes for students by increasing the concentration of effective teachers working in high need schools. By becoming a pre-service training team member, you can help ensure that Fellows are ready to increase student achievement as soon as they enter the classroom.
The program is currently seeking experienced educators for the seasonal position of Teacher Development Coach to help prepare a new cohort of effective teachers who will begin teaching full time in the 2012-2013 school year.
DTF's Fast Start Pre-service Training
The goal of DTF's five to seven week pre-service training (PST) is that every Fellow is prepared to achieve immediate, measurable success with their students in the fall. Our Fast Start approach to training focuses on a small number of 'key launch skills” that we believe Fellows must master before the first day of school to have a strong start to the school year and be prepared to master more advanced skills more quickly. In DTF's pre-service training, Fellows will rehearse these skills, receive coaching on them, and practice them with students; and Fellows must demonstrate proficiency in these skills in order to successfully complete pre-service training and become a teacher of record in the fall.
1) (Deliver Content) Teacher communicates academic material clearly.
2) (Maximize Time) Teacher ensures that class uses time well and almost never wastes time.
3) (Engage Students) The teacher ensures full and purposeful student engagement at all times.
4) (Manage Student Behavior) The teacher ensures that student behavior is positive, respectful, and productive.
During PST, Fellows' time will be comprised of four primary components: Field Experience, Coaching Sessions, Skill-building Cycles, and Peer Collaborative Planning Groups. Fellows will gain content through these four components; all aimed at promoting mastery of the Fast Start launch skills.
* Field Experience: Fellows will be paired with a peer and charged with leading instruction from day one of the Field Experience in a district summer school classroom. Fellows will be observed at least twice a week by their Teacher Development Coach, and will be expected to implement feedback on launch skills regularly and consistently.
* Coaching Sessions: Teacher Development Coaches will pull small, flexible groups of Fellows for joint coaching on specific key launch skills.
* Skill-building Cycles: Launch Skill Instructors will facilitate sessions in which Fellows will observe models of key skills through the instructor or video, analyze how to effectively launch those skills with students, and then rehearse new skills with peers before practicing them with students, receiving real-time feedback throughout.
* Peer Collaborative Planning Groups: In groups of four, Fellows will provide critical feedback to one another on specific aspects of teaching practice and skills. For example, a Fellow may present a video clip highlighting a class transition in order to obtain peer feedback to incorporate into his next lesson.
Role and Responsibilities
DTF's pre-service training (PST) will establish a community of educators committed to our mission and will consist of activities designed to give Fellows a strong foundation in teaching. DTF is committed to ensuring that only the Fellows who demonstrate mastery of essential teaching skills enter classrooms, and DTF pre-service training team members play an integral role in evaluating Fellows throughout training to determine whether they should start the school year as teacher of record.
The Teacher Development Coach plays the most significant role in developing Fellows' teaching skills, managing a group of 12 Fellows towards mastery of the key launch skills throughout PST.
Specifically, the Coach will:
* Actively develop Fellows toward mastery of key launch skills through:
o Observing and providing specific, actionable, on-the-spot feedback to individual Fellows at least twice per week on their teaching performance in a summer school classroom (i.e. Field Experience).
o Planning and executing daily, one-hour, responsive skill-building coaching experiences for Fellows that are based on performance data and offer opportunities for Fellows to practice key launch skills and receive immediate feedback.
* Evaluate and track Fellow performance by:
o Accurately assessing Fellow proficiency in the key launch skills in order to identify the highest priority development areas
o Using data to identify trends in teacher performance for individuals and group
o Formally evaluating a second group of 12 Fellows on their proficiency in the key launch skills at specific points throughout PST
* Keeping accurate records of Fellow performance in DTF's data system, TeacherTrack 2 Establish a culture of achievement that drives Fellows to ensure that all students achieve at high levels by:
o Influencing, coaching, and motivating a group of 12 Fellows to reach ambitious goals with students during summer school and beyond
o Promoting analytical self-reflection in Fellows in order to accelerate growth and student achievement
* Contribute to the PST team by:
o Implementing interventions and support structures to ensure all Fellows improve their teaching practice
o Meeting with other PST team members to plan meaningful training activities and norm on Fellow performance standards
Pre-service Training team positions include five phases of work, during which the hours and responsibilities vary:
Phase I (Upon Hire): New Hire Orientation
Possible Activities: Read program training materials, Attend orientation session
Phase II (Spring): Teacher Development Coach Training
Possible Activities: Attend and participate in Training sessions (approximately 3 days)
Phase III (Late Spring): Individual Preparation
Possible Activities: Planning for summer work
Phase IV (Summer—7 weeks): Full-Time Role (40+ hours per week)
Possible Activities: Observing & coaching Fellows during their Field Experience, implementing individualized interventions for teachers, evaluating Fellow performance, collaboratively planning with other PST team members, conducting data collection & analysis
*All dates are approximate and have not yet been finalized.
Exceptional Educators Needed
Successful candidates for the Teacher Development Coach position will have a proven record of academic success working with students in high-need