Job: Instructors 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 Launch Skills Instructors 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 Launch Skills Instructor 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 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.
Launch Skills Instructors are experienced and successful teachers who guide Fellows as they learn DTF's launch skills that will set Fellows up for a strong start to the school year. The Launch Skills Instructor plays an integral role in the success of PST by leading skill-building cycles, in which Fellows see specific teaching skills modeled, then practice and receive feedback on their performance before using the skills with students in the summer school classroom.
The responsibilities of the Launch Skills Instructor include, but are not limited to, the following:
Pre-PST (Fellow Enrollment Period) activities:
* Monitor Fellow performance in introductory online course and provide feedback on Fellow assessments
PST Activities
* Plan and facilitate skill-building cycles for a group of Fellows based on a protocol, including:
o Planning daily skill-building cycles based on DTF launch skills
o Expertly modeling discrete components of launch skills so that Fellows understand both the essential components of the skill and the impact on student learning
o Leading Fellows in analyzing the skill and in preparing to practice it with peers
o Providing targeted, actionable feedback to Fellows on their rehearsal performance
o Maintaining high levels of session rigor through skillful facilitation
* Identify and communicate trends in Fellow performance by:
o Keeping accurate records of Fellow performance in skill-building cycles
o Communicating performance trends to Teacher Development Coaches, who work with smaller groups of Fellows to develop launch skills in the Field Experience
* 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
o Facilitating additional sessions or workshops as needed
* Establish and reinforce a culture of achievement that drives Fellows to ensure that all students achieve at high levels through all interactions with Fellows and other PST team members
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): Instructor Training
Possible Activities: Participate in PST Instructor training (approximately 3 days)
Phase III (Late Spring): Enrollment Period Course Monitoring
Possible Activities: Provide feedback on Fellow assignments during the introductory online course
Phase IV (Summer—7 weeks): Part-time Instructor Role (20-25 hours per week)
Possible Activities: Plan for and facilitate skill-building cycles, participate in team meetings, lead additional sessions on instructional str