The role of advisors is described in this report as providing professional and personal support to teachers. Advisors and teachers in this program work together on such topics as curriculum development and implementation, classroom organization, specific skills development, materials and acquisitions, and relationships with parents, principals, and colleagues. Advisors work with teachers at the teachers' request and have no evaluative or supervisory function. (JD).
A program of faculty development that uses peer consultants to interpret classroom processes to the teachers, rather than giving advice, is described. Among significant benefit were improved faculty relations and increased guest lectures among faculty. (MSE).
In Oklahoma, every new teacher is assigned to a committee which is responsible for assisting, guiding, observing, and evaluating the beginning teacher. While the Committee may recommend granting or withholding a certificate at the end of the first year, its primary function is one of support and helpfulness. The beginning teacher remains in close contact with Committee members and is kept fully informed of evaluation comments. The teacher may call upon any member of the Committee for assistance. Some areas of concern for this newly-instituted program are projected. Details of committee functions are described and evaluation instruments are appended. (JD).
Colleague consultation is a form of peer-delivered clinical supervision incorporating the principles of team building with direct observation and conferral among teachers. Through cooperative efforts, teachers can draw on each other's experiences to develop new skills. Participation also helps build commitment to the overall goals of the school. (PP).
A Macomb Country, Michigan school district trained a cadre of local teachers to lead stress reduction workshops at individual schools. The program's effects at several schools are described, along with suggestions for using the "training of trainers" approach with other topics in education. (PP).
Highlights of a panel discussion on advisory work and how it relates to teacher centers and in-service education programs are contained in this transcript. The role of an advisor in a teacher center is to act as a helper, counsellor, confidant, and supportive professional to teachers who seek their service. An important function of the advisor is to provide linkage between the theory of in-service study and the realistic world of school teaching. Advisors are, as a rule, individuals with special talents and experience in the classroom. This panel discussion focuses on the relationship between teachers' and advisors' methods of operating, and typical problems in the classroom and ways of solving those problems. (JD).
This description of the Partners in Encouragement (PIE) program and the methods used to implement the program provide a model for school counsellors to combat teacher burnout and improve morale. A discussion of the preliminary planning needs focuses on ways to inform prospective participants of the program, and outlines the introduction to be presented at the first group session. Topics covered in the weekly sessions, as well as the theory and rationale, are presented. Activities include building helping skills, becoming more non-judgmental, learning to evaluate personal skills, and sharing experiences through the encouragement process. Partnership meetings are also described, in which two teachers meet for a one-hour encouragement session once a week, with each person acting as both an "encourager" and an "encouragee." Program results, teacher responses, and the application of PIE to other settings are also provided. (NRB).
A peer counselling training unit for pre-service teachers can increase participant empathy level and listening skills in a relatively short period of time. (JD).
This paper describes training innovations.
This article describes a method developed by the authors to strengthen support and problem-solving for teacher groups. Sponsored by the British Columbia Teachers' Federation, teacher leaders from school districts throughout the Province were trained in group skills and a step-by-step group task model and then returned to their districts to act as support group facilitators. Preliminary and anecdotal reports conclude the training was effective and the support groups helped teachers combat burnout, isolation and discouragement, the three major symptoms of stress.
Describes the Peer-Assisted Leadership (PAL) program of the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development. PAL provides practicing school administrators with an opportunity to analyze their own leadership behavior and that of a peer partner in a nonprescriptive and nonjudgmental manner. A history of PAL is given and the training program is detailed, including the core concepts of shadowing and reflective interviewing. Findings from the first year's effort with two groups of principals (N=19) indicate that participants learned new skills that were extremely beneficial to their work as administrators. Future possibilities are proposed for PAL, including improved teacher supervision methods and preservice training. (Psyc Abstr).
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Support teams can be an effective mechanism for professional development and problem solving in the school. These teams provide systematic support and assistance on the teacher-to-teacher level and on the group problem-solving level. This article discusses team membership and operation in detail. (SS)
As a result of conducting case studies of effective principals, Far West Laboratory staff members translated research methods and findings into a professional development program for principals. This program, referred to as Peer-Assisted Leadership (PAL), allows principals to use direct observation and interviews to build case studies of one another. This article begins with a brief outline of the program's origins, followed by descriptions of the operation of the PAL program, of the way in which a case study is created by principals, and of the reactions of principals to this type of inservice training. (Author).
(Not available for Abstract).
The need has been recognized for development and use of innovative, potentially effective approaches to assist school psychology practitioners in professional growth and development activities. Despite the expressed need, few approaches of this kind have been reported in the literature. The peer support group represents a promising means of meeting the need to facilitate professional development. In this article, the notion of the peer support group is described and illustrated through presentation of an actual case example. Discussed herein are the goals, structure and composition, activities, and professional outcomes of this kind of approach. Strengths and limitations of the peer support group are analyzed, and key elements of an effective group are delineated. (Authors).
A training model for prospective teachers of cooperative learning involves teachers creating a cooperative classroom for themselves in a workshop setting. The model combines experience, perception, cognition, and behavior. (MLF).
Surveys peer coaching literature and tackles areas such as (a) differentiating peer coaching from peer evaluation, peer assessment and peer review; (b) noting outcomes of studies of peer coaching effectiveness; (c) outlining the conditions required for coaching and the skills needed; and (d) highlighting some of the coaching programs in place. The article concludes with the effect of peer coaching on school culture. (NPC).
Outcomes of peer coaching in two Ann Arbor, Michigan schools show that the 41 teachers became comfortable with the process and found it useful in improving collegiality, experimentation, and student learning. (MLF).
Teachers at a Calgary, Alberta high school are pooling their talents and expertise within peer support groups to aid one another's professional growth. Evaluation of the program's pilot year indicated enthusiasm for collegial support groups. (MLF).
Based on the author's personal experience and surveys submitted from 70 educators from across Saskatchewan, this guide for educators interested in peer coaching is designed to be concise and easy to use, and provides suggestions for implementation, with difficulties and solutions pointed out. Included in its contents are the driving and resisting forces for the implementation of peer coaching; the issues of choosing a partner, trust, supporting roles and skill development; and preparing staff and oneself for peer coaching. The guide includes worksheets and lists of resources. (Author/NPC).
Summary findings from a meta-analysis of 133 research studies of adults comparing the relative effectiveness of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic efforts show that cooperation among adults promotes achievement, positive interpersonal relationships, and social support, and self-esteem. The authors relate this specifically to teachers. (MLF/CKS).
This brief article describes how new teachers can be assisted by a trained mentor and buddy who are chosen from among their peers. Mentors can provide instructional assistance and supervision while buddies can assist by offering emotional support and encouragement, helping secure resource materials, and providing tips on how to communicate with parents, select and develop diagnostic and assessment tests, and manage their classes. (RKY).
Cooperative professional development is a process by which teams of teachers work together for their own professional development. Types of cooperative development described include the following: (1) professional dialogue, (2) curriculum development, (3) peer supervision, (4) peer coaching, and (5) action research. (MLF).
Describes a high school English department's successful efforts to define and shape their own peer assistance program. The program succeeded because it is voluntary, has received administrative support, and has evolved slowly and naturally. The program has communication, rehearsal, and awareness benefits and calls for a new kind of professional responsibility. (MLH).
Teachers at a Larchmont, New York school have developed an approach to self- analysis through videotaped observations. All participants said the program met their needs for professional growth, and interview data suggest that the program can alleviate some of the isolation that plagues teachers. (MLF).
At a time when our Nation's schools are being pressured from various directions to improve the quality of education while resources remain static or are reduced, there remains one untapped resource, the ability of teachers to identify and solve school problems. This paper describes the process of implementing a model of participative management, the quality circle, in a Baltimore City school. Problems are identified and solutions suggested. Problems range from the identification of a potential site to the training of the circle personnel and ultimate independent functioning of the circle.
This paper summarizes some of the issues and skills identified in setting up and carrying out a peer appraisal process. The impetus behind wanting to share this with colleagues was two-fold: first, that participation in the process had actively changed our own behavior; and second, relating to the theme of the conference, "Asserting psychology in the market-place," we could identify the specific skills we had to offer. (Author).