Teachopedia

Many things can wait; the child cannot. Now is the time his bones are being formed, his mind is being developed. To him we cannot say tomorrow; his name is today.

- Gabriela Mistral

Table of Contents

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………….

Classroom Management
Ask Ms. Gerson
By Jessie Gerson…………………………………………………………..

Ethical Education
Conditioned But Not Determined: Race and Class Relations in School Culture
By Sarah Yost ……………………………..............................................

Lesson Planning
· The Importance of Backwards Planning
By Sarah Yost ……………………………………………………………

Grading and Assessment
· Fair and Sane Grading and Assessment Strategies
By Katherine Greybeal, Emily Voit and Jessie Gerson…………………..

Literacy
· Literacy: Helping Students Achieve as Readers and Thinkers
By Jessie Gerson…………………………………………………………..

Exceptional Child Education (ECE)
· Special Education: It’s the Law!
By Ruth Chaffee…………………………………………………………..

Practical Resources
· Louisville Resources
By Amy Bigelow………………………………………………………….

When the Going Gets Tough
· Personal Issues
By Casey Held……………………………………………………………

· Surviving Your First Week
By Lisa Smith…………………………………………………………….

Building the Community of Knowledge

When Rowan Claypool started Teach Kentucky in 19--, he had the vision of bringing young, talented college graduates to the public school systems of Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding areas. He knew that youth in Louisville’s public schools deserved the caliber of education on par with that of private schools or generously funded public schools in the Northeastern United States. He also knew that Kentucky deserved an influx of bright young minds, to educate others and share their privileged education, and thus to counter what some have dubbed “the Brain Drain” out of the state. He therefore began recruiting students from highly selective universities and colleges, and brought them here, to the Bluegrass State, to teach.

Although he faced many obstacles and red-tape, Rowan designed Teach Kentucky in partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools and the University of Louisville’s College of Education and Human Development – specifically, the Alternative Certification Program.

One of the most rewarding aspects of Teach Kentucky is the tightly woven community of alternative certification teachers in various stages of development, mentors, community leaders, and experts in education that come together to form a community to support the teachers as they support the children of this area. This resource binder is intended as a continuation of Rowan’s vision of collaboration.

Where once there was only one route to the teaching profession, a Bachelors in Education or a Masters Degree in the Art of Teaching, more and more people teachers are arriving at there vocation through alternative routes of certification. Since 2003, 43 states as well as the district of Colombia offer some form of alternative certification for those wishing to teach. In 1983 this was true of only eight states. The people who are streaming into America’s schools, filling the vacancies left by experienced retirees are from a broad swath of American society; fresh from college they bring with them a deep commitment, enthusiasm, and resilience. However, because many of us are learning on our feet in the classroom, rather than pre-training through an regular MAT program a community of knowledge is paramount. This resource binder is a compilation of the knowledge and skill of Teach Kentucky teachers based on hard earned classroom experience that they wish to pass on to those cohorts to follow. Ultimately we hope that those who benefit from this resource book go on to enrich it with their own experiences, creating a tangible artifact of our community of knowledge.

The first year of teaching is a deeply trying, challenging and (hopefully!) rewarding experience. This is, perhaps, doubly true for Teach Kentucky teachers who come fresh to their classrooms often with little but high hopes, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn on their feet. While some in the field of education have expressed doubts about the alternative certification track suggesting that its recruits are under-qualified, this resource itself serves as a testament to how quickly and how thoroughly one may begin to may learn the ropes of teaching through dedication and immersion. The resources gathered here were written and compiled by young alternatively certified teachers just entering their second year in the classroom and about to begin KTIP. We hope that this will inspire Teach Kentucky cohorts to come: it can be done! You can swim!

In our education classes we learn that the higher the expectations, the higher the achievement. The pressure that is put on alternative certification teachers to achieve and to achieve immediately is one of the reasons for our impressive gains in skill and strength. In some ways the high expectations for the alternative certification teacher can be paraphrased as follows: you will teach, you will teach well, you will teach now. It is a fine slogan for a fine program.

––– Jessie Gerson and Sarah Yost

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To return to the Field Guide page with other sections and printable files with images, please click the link: Teaching Field Guide