Signing Day for Teachers
CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS
Many athletic teams hold celebratory events when they sign new members to the roster. So why not do that for new teachers? That was the idea behind Hamilton County School District's New Teacher Signing Day, held this summer. As reported in the Times Free Press, teachers joining the Tennessee district for the first time this fall had their names called out as they walked through a line of celebrating cheerleaders. This was also a chance for all the new teachers to meet each other and the district's administrators.
A Good Deed Can Go Unpunished
Worried that mentoring a student teacher will lower your own evaluation score? Fear not. A working paper from Brown University suggests that serving as a cooperating teacher can actually improve observation ratings and student achievement. After reviewing data on more than 4,500 educators in Tennessee, researchers found that the teachers' observation ratings were significantly better during years they mentored student teachers than in years they did not—suggesting that helping a newbie can also help you.
Time for Your Slang Test
A group of students were featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer recently for giving their teachers some homework for a change. The high schoolers created a handbook filled with "Philly Slang," terms aimed to educate new teachers on the area's language. From iconic food such as cheesesteak and jimmies (ice cream sprinkles) to more obscure terms such as ocky (fake or inauthentic), the book aims to make new educators feel part of the community.
