A recent survey of students taught by Arkansas Teacher Corps fellows found that students' self-reported grit, self-efficacy, and emotional regulation have increased since September 2021 when the survey was previously administered. Students also reported notable growth in classroom learning and their teachers’ personal investment in their learning. However, students also indicated a decrease in growth mindset and self-management.
Archive for tag: Teacher Development
ATC Receives $131,250 Grant to Support Fellows
Arkansas Teacher Corps was awarded a grant totaling $131,250 by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) in March 2022. Grant funds will provide additional supports for fellows in the areas of teacher licensure, wraparound support, and social-emotional learning for the 2021-22 school year.
Virtual Coaching Model Sees Greater Fellow Growth
Arkansas Teacher Corps made a quick pivot to virtual coaching when COVID hit Arkansas schools in 2020. Since then, our team's focus on continual learning and improvement have led us to formalize a technology plan, fully implement a comprehensive virtual coaching platform, and see our teacher-fellows make unprecedented gains: increased teacher satisfaction, retention, and growth.
Embracing Joy, Appreciation at 4th All Corps PD
On April 2, we welcomed the ATC family back to our last All Corps of the 2021-22 school year! This PD focused on helping our fellows to finish the year strong academically, find joy in the small wins, and show appreciation for themselves and each other.
Why We Teach Our Teachers to Meditate
John Hall, ATC’s director of partnerships, has been a long-time believer in and utilizer of mindfulness meditation, but over the past two years this practice has turned into an everyday commitment that fuels his well-being as both a person and professional. He earned his certification as a Koru mindfulness facilitator in 2020 and since then has offered a series of free classes for ATC teachers and other educators from ATC’s partner schools. As he prepares to begin a new course for ATC fellows on March 9, John took a moment to reflect on his journey with mindfulness and the impact that mindfulness meditation can have on students and educators alike.
Fellows Grapple With Vulnerability at 3rd All Corps PD
The Arkansas Teacher Corps came together on Saturday, February 12 for the third All Corps event of the 2021-22 school year, a day of professional development focused on our core value of brave vulnerability. This year has been really difficult in schools with constant changes due to COVID and we wanted to give fellows time to process that the year was not what they expected.
Fellows Report Feeling More Connected to ATC
This past fall we administered our semi-annual culture survey and saw growth in responses for ALL questions compared to the same time last year. Our largest growth occurred for the question “I feel connected to the ATC family”, a priority for our team this year as we have structured our PD days around connectedness and worked on creating more-connected coaching cohorts and content groups.
TESS Data Suggests Focus on Discussion, Assessments
The ATC Teacher Development Team completed the remainder of fall TESS evaluations in January and has now set a direction for PD and coaching this spring--one centered on discussion techniques and formative assessments with an emphasis on teachers' emotional resilience.
Students of ATC Fellows Report Higher Engagement
A recent survey of students taught by Arkansas Teacher Corps fellows found that students' self-reported class engagement has increased since September 2019, the last time the survey was administered. However, students also indicated a decrease in grit, or the ability to persevere in order to achieve a goal. These results suggest that students may be excited by the return to in-person learning but may struggle to stay on task.
Fall Workshops Focused on CFUs, Teacher Wellness
Once a month, our fellows meet with their coach in regional cohorts for small-group professional development workshops focused on teaching skills and emotional resilience. For the 2021-22 school year, these sessions have focused on formative assessment and teacher mindfulness specifically.