Roxbury Township Public Schools

School Home Alliance for Reaching Excellence
S.H.A.R.E.

Essential Elements of Teaching

With the start of the 2006-2007 school year, a number of new staff members were welcomed into the Roxbury School District. 

In order to help these individuals feel confident and secure in their new positions at Roxbury, the Supervisors of Curriculum and Instruction - Mrs. Lily Chang, Supervisor of Technology, preK-12, Mrs. Eva Gale, Supervisor of Humanities, 6-12, Mrs. Jane Feret, Supervisor of Applied Sciences, 6-12, Mrs. Danielle Lynch, Supervisor of Humanities, preK-5 and Mrs. Phyllis Prestamo, Supervisor of Applied Sciences, preK-5, under the supervision of Assistant Superintendent, Mr. Ed Hade, designed a series of workshops entitled, Essential Elements of Teaching.

The rationale behind the Essential Elements of Teaching series is to allow staff new to the district to:

  • Acquire knowledge of the school and community

  • Establish relationships with colleagues and administrators

  • Develop confidence in the classroom

  • Enhance the formal mentor program

  • Provide a forum for professional collaboration

This year, new staff were invited to a three-day training session on August 30, August 31 and September 1, 2006.  During this portion of Essential Elements of Teaching, the staff were engaged in a series of activities which reinforced planning and preparation, classroom environment, professional responsibilities and communicating, engaging, questioning and responding.  The activities, which supported these professional practices, were designed and delivered with a differentiated instruction model in mind.  This approach to instruction allowed the Supervisors to model effective teaching strategies and in turn have staff experience instruction that addressed their individual needs.

In addition to these first three training days, new staff will be released from their classroom duties for an additional three days.  During these additional trainings, the new staff members will be engaged in dialogue and activities that focus on:  instruction of all students,  practical applications of Differentiated Instruction, lesson planning, assessment and closure to the school year.

Feedback from the first series of workshops was very positive.  Following are some of the comments from staff members who participated in this year's training...

  • "Everything was extremely helpful! I had many questions going into the course, and I received all the answers and more. It was very thorough and I feel much more confident starting on Tuesday."
     

  • "My favorite activity was Procedure Potpourri because I was able to get to know and work with colleagues in my building. They had some great ideas for procedures that I had not thought of. The collaboration was very helpful."
     

  • "I felt is was most valuable to get to know the Roxbury web site - there is critical info there, and the scavenger hunt made it fun."
     

  • "Everything was fantastic! Alternating between sitting and being active (group activities) is great. It keeps our attention and keeps us motivated. Varying the group leaders and types of activities prevents boredom. Thank you for everything! I am so excited to be working for such a supportive and helpful district."
     

  • "Thank you for your hard work and the genuinely caring fashion it was presented. You were terrific models for us."