YEPMEA
inspire. Young Education Professionals of the Maine Education Association
It’s All About You! Introducing a special publication for early career educators
Inside: Parent Teacher-Conference Tips | Understand Your Evaluation | Roadmap to Membership Facebook “f” Logo
Winter 2016 Vol. 1 • Number 1
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YEPMEA Young Education Professionals of the Maine Education Association
You’re Invited...
As a young education professional of the Maine Education Association you are welcome to attend a variety professional development and social events designed specifically with you in mind. YEP-MEA events are not typical “sit and get” events. YEP-MEA works to engage early career educators in professional development activies that will help them in their work. Professional development is important to you, and it’s important to the MEA which is why YEP-MEA exists-to give you a chance to learn and grow in your profession in an environment that is unique to you. Keep up with new opportunities by heading to our website and checking your email!
Learn more at: www.yepmea.org
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Editor’s Note We’re Paying Attention There is no truer statement than ‘you are the future of both the profession and the Maine Education Association.’ Forty-five percent of MEA members are 52 years-old or older, and in the next five years Maine schools will lose 18% of all staff to retirement. Numbers don’t lie. The good news-in these numbers there is opportunity. The MEA realized it needs to tailor professional development to your needs. It needs to reach early career educators to show them the value of our association. That’s where the birth of the Young Education Professionals of the MEA came from. YEP-MEA is a growing, active group of members who are interested in being part of the changing face of the profession and the association while having fun. There are social events and also trainings. I’m a big believer in laughing-out-loud and having fun while you’re learning. I’ll admit, I am no longer young. Pushing forty, with two kids my days and thoughts are mostly focused on asking myself ‘do we have hockey or swim tonight, and did we run out of milk, again?!’ So, that’s where you all come in. We need to hear more from you about what you want and what you need so we can make sure you’re getting the most out of your membership. This new online publication is a first step. As the Communications Director and editor of MEA publications I hope you find this useful, and hope you let me know what you need and want from the MEA. Your membership is important and your role and voice in the association and its work, including professional development opportunities, is crucial. Don’t hesitate to reach out and share your thoughts, ideas and opinions. Thank you for reading and for being a member.
Giovanna Bechard Editor gbechard@maineea.org
The kids that keep me busy-Louis, age 4 & Johnny age 7
Inside This Issue: 4 5 6 8 9 10 12 13
Perspectives: Does Homework Really Help Learning? The 123’s of Student Learning Objectives Three Strategies to Make the Evaluation Process Meaningful to You as a Professional Picture Perfect Parent-Teachers Conferences Know Your Students So You Can Be Their Best Advocate 8 Ways (and more) to Engage the Village Mirror, Mirror Roadmap to Membership
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Does homework really help learning?
S
PECTIVE S R E
Five reasons why I rarely give homework 1. In the "real" world, most people try not to bring work home; the goal is to do one's job during normal working hours and then have what's left of the day to do whatever one desires. 2. I cannot monitor who is doing their own homework vs. who is getting "help"; in the past, I have had students who have been Diane P. Kew, English Teacher tutored by well-meaning Lewiston High School individuals who end up doing the work—and the learning—in place of the student...this is counterproductive, although students do not care because they are predominantly focused on passing the class, not learning the material. 3. If half the class has not done the homework, then those individuals are already behind. Additionally, if they are struggling learners the level of challenge has just increased significantly because they have not had the exposure to the material that the others have. 4. The 9th graders I teach are just below grade level in reading and/or writing. Many of these students come from families that do not have the resources necessary to help their children with their homework, either due to their transient status, their lack of English-speaking skills, their need for help with chores and childcare, their work schedules, their own inability to earn a high school diploma, and/or their personal issues. 5. By having students do most of the work in class, I can see where they are struggling and can jump in quickly to guide them in the right direction so they are less likely to get overly frustrated and give up.
Daily Practice As a math teacher I do assign homework. I call it daily practice. I do not count it as part of the grade. I often give students practice sheets with answers included. A list of answers is now obviously unacceptable. I must see how the students arrived at the given answer. They know what questions to ask the next day. I try to keep a list of homework completion in Infinite Campus, so that parents can see Pam Crabtree, Math Teacher Bonney Eagle High School if practice is being completed on a regular basis. Students who do not do the practice are rarely successful on any of the assessments. I don’t know of any endeavor where practice does not improve performance.
Consider Outside Factors
We have gone around on this in my district. At this time, I give homework to my honors students and check it, as part of their work habits grade. I do not give regular homework to my non-honors classes. Why, you ask? Well, we are teaching in a culture where education is not valued over sports, jobs, chores or responsibilities. And there are many homes without parents who have Donna P. Walsh, Chemistry/ the time or take the time to make Physical Science Teacher, sure kids do their homework. We New Teacher Mentor Massabesic High School were finding that most students never did their homework anyway. So, grading homework only helped the A students get A+ and D students end up getting F's. We all believe that practicing (meaningful homework), especially in languages, math, many subjects, leads to improved knowledge. We have been told that we need to recognize that many of our students have little to no resources at home and terrible home lives, therefore, they are not concentrating on our homework. They have tougher things to focus on in life. So, no homework unless it's to just finish up something that they did in class. However, I give my Honors classes homework almost every day. Most of that is practice work that we no longer have time to do in the classroom. Often it is reading, notes, lab reports (I am a chemistry teacher) or projects. I try to help them learn skills other than chemistry that they will need in college as well.
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Defining Student Learning Objectives and How to Write One By Paul Hambleton - MEA Deputy Executive Director Have you ever planned a thematic unit for your students? You might have planned a unit on salmon migration in Maine’s rivers for 3rd graders, or a unit on “survival” for middle school English Language Arts students who are reading young adult novels. Thematic units are a tried and true way for teachers to plan lessons focused on academic skills such as reading, math, science, or other subjects in the context of interesting themes to capture students’ attention and help them apply new skills and knowledge. Good unit plans always include assessment. Student Learning Objectives (SLO) are a new tool developed to focus a teacher’s planning on student growth. SLOs are a requirement of most teacher evaluation plans in Maine. As with great unit plans, when quality, classroomfocused SLOs are created and implemented, students will benefit.
SLOs include: • • • • •
Characteristics of learners Academic goals Instructional strategies Assessments Measurements of student growth over time
Unit Plans VS. SLO—What’s the difference? SLOs are a more formalized method of unit planning that ensures a focus on student growth rather than simply a focus on the content of the unit. A Student Learning Objective is the implementation of a long-term academic goal or set of goals created by a teacher or group of teachers using data about students and their learning over a defined period of time. SLOs are being used as a component of teacher evaluation in many states, including Maine. SLOs promote teacher collaboration, a focus on student learning, and encourage teacher reflection on the influence of classroom practice on student learning.
Writing a Good SLO Creating an SLO is simple to start with, but gets more complex as you work into the details. SLOs can vary considerably, depending on district requirements, learning goals, the assessments used, and the length of time covered by the SLO. See the sidebar for a simple stepwise process for developing an SLO. SLOs are created on special forms and templates that have been developed to capture and formalize the process of SLO development. SLOs can be aligned with school and school district goals, and may include a variety of assessments from teacher-created to performance measures to state-required tests. SLOs can be for one teacher or groups of teachers and may involve small numbers of students or fairly large cohorts. In some ways, SLOs resemble the Individual Education Plans (IEP) used by special education programs. If they are set up right, and administration is supportive, then teachers can collaborate to take control of their practice through mastery of
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The 123s of SLOs:
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SLOs. If SLOs are seen as prescriptive and mandated by administration without regard to teacher input, SLOs will not be successful. Teachers have been planning lessons and developing units for many years. SLOs are a way to formalize that planning and focus on student learning. Mastering SLOs in your classroom will take time, study, and practice. Your school district is required to provide professional development for teacher evaluation, and SLO training should be part of that. MEA can provide assistance with local training and will offer ongoing training at MEA conferences and regional meetings.
7 Steps of Creating an SLO Step 1: Who are your students? Every class is made up of individual learners with their own special characteristics. This information is essential to developing learning goals and instructional practices. Step 2: Decide on the length of time covered by the SLO. Is it the length of the course, a semester, a full year? Often SLOs cover a full course of study, but that may vary, depending on the district or situation. Step 3: Establish the appropriate standards and content covered by the SLO. Step 4: Choose the assessments you will use to measure student learning. Step 5: Establish growth targets for students in the cohort. The student growth should be based upon baseline data or a pretest and potential growth in learning. Use a growth model that includes all students’ growth, not attainment of a single growth target. When a target is used, it may not account for growth under the target or beyond the target. Step 6: The teacher develops rationale for the growth targets using knowledge of the students, their circumstances or special needs, and the content. Step 7: Develop instructional strategies that will best support students in their learning. April 2015 • www.maineea.org
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News You Can Use
Three strategies to make the evaluation process meaningful to you as a professional By Stefani Hite, Ed.D.
I left the advertising industry to become a teacher. The transition brought an intensive year of graduate school, student teaching and credentialing exams. In a very short time, I went from a luxurious office in Manhattan to a roomful of five-year-olds, just outside Philadelphia. Culture shock is a polite way of describing that change. As I acclimated myself to the demands of teaching, friends and colleagues from my previous life in advertising would ask about my new job. When I explained that I was teaching kindergarten, the response was almost always the same: “Oh! You must be having so much fun!” Well, yes, I enjoyed the work. But that’s not what they meant. In their minds, I was sitting on the floor with adorable kids, playing with building blocks, singing songs, and skipping home at 3:25 every afternoon. In reality, I was learning what experienced educators know very well: teaching is an unbelievably demanding job. It is physically exhausting. It is emotionally draining. And it’s incredibly challenging on an intellectual level.
The reaction from folks outside of education is woefully predictable. Teaching kindergartners is intellectually challenging? Well, yes, if you do it right. It relies on knowing content in four major disciplines deeply enough to develop relevant objectives for five-year-olds, while understanding pedagogy deeply enough to relate complex information to young children. My story uncovers a fundamental and crucial problem: those with limited experience in education have very little understanding of the complexity and demands faced by teachers and school leaders. In fact, many policymakers and public critics believe they know quite a lot about teaching simply because they once went to school. “How hard can it be?” they muse. Sadly, these are many of the same folks who have developed policies around teacher evaluation.
“I was learning what experienced educators know very well: teaching is an unbelievably demanding job.”
So, what exactly should you do? Take the following actions so that the evaluation system can be successfully implemented in a fair and productive manner.
Article reprinted with permission from New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) and modified to reflect Maine law. 8
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Maine Educator • June 2015
News You Can Use
1. Deeply understand the model
2. Learn about the role of student achievement
3. Find your professional voice
Everyone—that means everyone—in the system needs to fully understand the evaluative criteria and rubrics that will be used to assess practice. It is not uncommon for districts to focus training on supervisors or a handful of teachers who are expected to inform their colleagues. It is not sufficient to simply select a model (whether it is Danielson, Marshall, Marzano, etc.) and have an in-service day; all teachers and administrators must learn the model and the rubrics deeply enough to apply them in practice. Whether using Webb’s Depth of Knowledge or Bloom’s Taxonomy, applying concepts is a higher-level activity. Therefore, it is not enough to have basic recall of the model and rubrics. It must be something all participants can make meaning with, and relate to, their complex work.
Student learning objectives (SLOs) should be one of the most teacher-driven aspects of the evaluation system. According to Maine law, teachers have the ability to collaborate and develop SLOs. SLOs are meant to reflect the growth and performance of a specific group of students, based on their particular abilities and academic needs. It is inappropriate to set goals that are district-, school-, or even department-wide, since such goals would not reflect the needs of the students for whom a teacher is responsible. There are two important steps within the SLO process that prove to be challenging; the first involves assessment. The law defines multiple measures as both formal and informal measures and includes in the definition examples of performance assessments, portfolio projects, problem-solving protocols, and teacher-based assessments. These should not be overlooked in favor of standardized or published assessments, particularly if those do not accurately reflect the curriculum being taught throughout the year. The second step relates to developing baseline information. Since it is important to have an accurate understanding of students in order to develop meaningful goals, a simple pretest given the first week of school often yields insufficient information for setting an appropriate goal. Rather, a collection of information, including grades in past classes, assessments of prerequisite skills, scores on assessments in late September and October, some measure of student engagement including homework completion, class participation, and attendance might all be used to develop goals for a group of students. Best practice would indicate collecting data from multiple sources in order to set goals for students that are both ambitious and achievable.
We know our students deserve great teachers. Teachers and school leaders deserve a system designed to foster greatness. This can only be accomplished with a collaborative effort to create systems of transparency and fairness. The purpose of teacher evaluation models is to provide common vocabulary and expectations that put a focus on high quality instruction— highlighting it when it’s observed and supporting it when it needs improvement. Teachers and school leaders must participate in dialogues for learning. This means that the data gathered during an observation or a teacher portfolio of behindthe-scenes work are opportunities to have meaningful conversations about teaching—and not just as fodder for a final “score.” Working together, we can make the evaluation process work for us, and more importantly, for our students.
Crowdsource Your Teaching The idea of crowdsourcing, asking for help or money from an online community, isn’t new. It’s gained attention recently with major news stories having a crowdsource or crowdfunding angle—think of the online ask for the public to pitch in and pay for the Patriots’ ‘Deflategate’ fine. Now, think of how crowdsourcing can help teaching. Members of the Westbrook Education Association are piloting a program that allows teachers to leverage the collective insight of teachers from around the world by connecting classrooms through video and the internet.
"I really think this could revolutionize teacher evaluation and would be an awesome benefit that we could offer our members,” said Shannon Belt, Westbrook EA President. Belt researched the program, called ImproveClass, and the local association is paying for the pilot project for its members. Here’s how it works: teachers record themselves teaching a lesson with a phone or iPad, upload the video to the ImproveClass website, and then ask for feedback from the online community. The video is shared within a community of the same kind of teacher (math to math, for example) and the submitting teacher receives
an email alerting him/her someone has something to say about the video. Through email, both teachers now have the opportunity to have an open conversation about the lesson and ways to improve. ImproveClass cofounder Bradley Krugh says the idea came out of the thought—how can you really provide honest feedback to a colleague without consequence. “We think there is additive feedback when you open it up to this network in an anonymous way. It’s a safe environment that is outside of what is considered a performance review,” said Krugh. For more information, click here. June 2015 • www.maineea.org
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News You Can Use
Picture Perfect Parent-Teacher Conferences This is what your parent teacher conferences look like, right? Both mom and dad, present, smiling and super excited to see you, presumably agreeing with everything you say. If the stock image of what the internet says “parent-teacher conference” looks like, and yours are perfect then please continue to the next page. If the image makes you smirk then please use this advice from MEA and NEA members and experts to improve your parent-teacher conferences in the future.
Getting Parents to the Conference “I offer the students a free assignment coupon if their parent comes to see me. I give the parents the coupon to take home and give to their child. I’ve found that kids will go home and beg their mom or dad to come in, even if it is just to talk to me. The coupon can be used for an assignment that students have not completed, don’t want to complete, or to replace their lowest grade of the quarter with full points. I have many graded assignments so the coupons don’t affect their grades much, but they sure do work hard to get their parents to see me!” Julie Woletz, a business education teacher at Cambridge High School in Cambridge, Wisconsin.
Sharing Success “I video as many activities as possible. ‘Readers Theaters,’ students reading their written weather reports, news reports about a volcano erupting, poems etc. These are scored for reading fluency, writing, speaking and listening standards. The students view, score themselves on rubrics, and set goals for the next opportunity. The parents really enjoy seeing them at conference time. After the initial embarrassment, the students are proud of their performances. Parents only have words of praise for their child. It is an enjoyable way to conclude a conference.” Debbie Melvin, SAD 29 EA
Flip the Conference “I did student-led conferences this year and it was SUPER!! During the conference the children talked to their parents about the learning that has taken place thus far in the school year, showed them some of their work, and talked about their goals,” said Rachel Bourgeois, Eastern Aroostook EA. Bourgeois says she changed the dynamic in an effort to support the learning of each child with their parents, showing that education is a collective effort.
Preparing for Angry Parents Before the conference:
Talk with others who work with the child and find their success in other subjects if they’re not doing well in your class. Jerry Newberry, co-authored NEA Health Information Network's Can We Talk?/ Conversamos? says this may help a parent feel less defensive when you 8
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Maine Educator • March 2015
describe the performance in your class. Document the child’s problem and your conversations about it. “A lot of kids, if they are not doing well, will hide information from their parents,” says Newberry.” So the parent is missing information. The parent's tendency is to defend the child and assume the teacher is wrong. Then the teacher gets defensive. The solution is concrete evidence.”
At the conference:
Start on a positive note. “Always start the conference with something positive. Try not to make p/t conferences the first time you meet a parent especially if you have concerns,” says Special Education teacher Cyndy Fish, Bangor EA. “I have a Glow and Grow sheet for every kid that parents can take with them. Glow a positive fact or piece of info; grow one area and focus to improve.” This is your chance to be the teacher who shares something positive to change the mood/tone of the conference to a positive one. Use 'active' or reflective listening. “I hear you saying ______. Is that correct?” That's how Diane Postman, an early childhood special education teacher in Gloucester County, Virginia, summarizes this very effective technique, which lets the parent know you're sincerely listening. It also makes sure you understand. “Often, the angry person is part right and part wrong,” notes Postman. “If you begin by agreeing or acknowledging what they are saying, they will calm down.” Don't propose your solution first. If the teacher lays out a plan, there's a good chance the parent will come back with, “We tried those things and they were an utter failure,” says Newberry. Instead, he advises, ask the parents to explain what's been done in the past and whether it worked. “Often a meeting fails just because the teacher talked first,” he says. Share your parent-teacher
TAlk conference tips: facebook.com/ To US maineea or tweet us @maineea
Advocacy
Know your students so you can be their best advocate
2.7
HOUrS
Z
Z Z
The average amount of sleep that adolescents lose on school nights as a result of their biological clock pushing them to later sleep/wake cycles Source: Education Commission of the States
Average Amount of Weekly Homework Assigned in Hours
3.5 Middle School (6-8) 3.2 Elementary School (K-5) 2.9 High School (9-12)
Source: University of Phoenix College of Education
23.1%
of students watch 3 or more hours of TV on a typical school day
12,000
Number of Maine children who lack health benefits Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation Releases 2014 KIDS COUNT Data Book
20.6%
& 24.2% of Maine students
report being electronically bullied (e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, websites, or texting) and bullied on school property, respectively. Both of these figures are greater than the national average. Source: Maine Youth Risk Behavior Survey
More than
1 in 4
Students who felt sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 or more weeks in a row. Source: Maine Youth Risk Behavior Survey
More than 200 Source: Maine Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Approved public preschool programs in Maine serving thousands of children
Source: Maine Department of Education
January 2015 • www.maineea.org
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Ways to Engage the Village
increasing parent and community involvement in local schools is key— you know that—but there’s always the question of how. What works, especially for parents of at-risk students? The following are ideas from Ann luginbuhl, MEA member and 2014 Washington County Teacher of the Year. luginbuhl was a moderator at a recent symposium on fostering parental and community involvement in local schools where participants and luginbuhl suggested the following ideas. Shift your mind set: Make yourself believe parents are doing their best. Even when their behavior seems incomprehensible or completely opposed to their children’s interests, parents really do want to do what is best for their children. We, outsiders, have no idea what challenges and struggles are influencing their behavior. Do your level best to project a feeling of respect and support, for people always do their best when they feel others believe in them. Bring back board games: Put fun family games in your library to be borrowed by students and played at home with their families. An excellent source of inexpensive board games is Goodwill or other re-sale shops.
Ann luginbuhl Charlotte EA
Communicate: Promote regular meaningful contact with parents. Focus this contact on positive comments. Consider how many good things happen every day in your classroom— how many do you share with parents? A quick note home is the easiest way to share. Students will give positive notes to their parents! Don’t forget to include separated or divorced parents. Paper newsletters, phone calls, face to face contacts, school and classroom websites, email, text messages and even some forms of social media are also vehicles to increase communication. Be especially wary of online communications as many are governed by school board policies. Check with your principal about your school policies concerning online communications. Survey: Want people to be involved? Ask parents and citizens about ways they might be interested in participating in the school. Welcome visitors: Make sure your parents and community members feel welcome. Invite them to participate. Call or write EVERY parent and invite them to participate. Consider having students write their parents to ask them to be involved. Encourage parent volunteers and chaperones. Project a feeling that volunteer support is needed and appreciated. Expand the types of volunteer activities to include things like playground clean ups or other outdoor work. Remember to thank your volunteers after they have helped. Use interactive assignments: These are assignments that include adult involvement. For example, an older student might be required to interview an adult about how society has changed since he/she was in high school. A primary student could be asked to go on a number hunt with an adult and list ten places in their home where they found numbers. The simplest form of this can be a requirement that an adult check and sign a homework paper. 16
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Maine Educator • March 2015
News You Can Use
More Ways to Engage the Village School family nights: Design activities at school that include parents, like game nights or movie nights. Many schools now own the audio visual equipment to present high quality movies. To avoid copyright violations be sure to purchase movies that allow for large audience viewing. Submit news about your school to the local newspaper: Many papers love to print the good news from schools—honor rolls, fun events and awards given. Older students can learn to write these columns and experience the thrill of a byline. Invite an audience: Organize an evening when your students can present a culminating project. Have part of the project be to create invitations to adults they will invite. These can be science fairs, public speaking projects, individual learning projects or social studies presentations. Just remember to invite a broad audience. Shift parent teacher conferences to student led conferences: Instead of meeting with parents alone hold student led conferences. Allow the students to share what they are working on, what goals they have and how they might need help to meet those goals. Studies have shown that participation increases dramatically when students are involved in conferences. Open House: Hold an open house the night (or several nights) before school opens. Let students come, choose their desks, fiddle with their lockers, stash their back-to-school materials and meet their teachers and friends. Not only is this a great way to meet families and community members it cuts down on the loads students have to carry in that first day of school. Collaborate with your parent organization: Consider having a staff member assigned to attend these meetings. This assignment could represent another “duty” and fulfill the teacher’s duty requirement. Offer child care for important events: When it is very important to have your families attend events, like town meetings where budgets are discussed, set aside a room in the building where out of town teachers and older students can entertain younger children. Collect resources to loan to parents: Many organizations offer free brochures that could be gathered to share with parents or citizens. Books on parenting, child psychology and teaching methods may also interest some in the community. Teachers and schools have many of these resources that could be gathered and added to a lending library. Help meet basic needs: You may be able to collaborate with local food pantries and develop a backpack program for families in need. This provides bags of basic foods that are carried home by students in backpacks to help stretch tight food budgets at home. Share your MSLN connection: Make the school’s internet connection and some computers available in the evenings for parents and community members to use. Many families are not able to afford an internet connection or a device to connect to the internet.
March 2015 • www.maineea.org
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Mirror, Mirror
Can U se
Resilience. It’s a key word for Special Education teacher Leeanna Cloutier (Megunticook TA) at Camden-Rockport Elementary School. In her resource room she’s working with students at a range of reading levels; some barely speak, so finding a way to encourage and motivate each child was crucial. That’s when Cloutier introduced “the mirror.” “I got the idea from a friend who I was visiting. She is battling cancer and she became bitter. So, I thought—what can I do with my kids, who sometimes struggle to learn, to make them not bitter,” said Cloutier. Now, when each student walks in the room she asks them to sit down, look at themselves in “the mirror” and read a phrase taped to the top out loud. The phrases are all motivational, including ‘Today, I am fabulous’ and ‘Today, I am happy.’ Cloutier changes the phrases everyday, and sometimes more than once in a day to try to inspire and meet the needs of each individual. “When we first started doing it the kids said ‘Wow, I'm fabulous?’ Nobody tells them. We have to tell them. School has become much more than an education system. We have become the lifeline. They won't be ready to learn if we don't have their emotional and physical needs met,” said Cloutier. “My favorite word is focused,” said 1st grader Lucas. “I say it and it helps me. It makes me feel kind of good; it makes me feel focused for the day. I like focused because it helps me learn.” In the two months since “the mirror” has been in class Cloutier says she’s learned to redirect her students to it when they’re stuck on an assignment, adding the mirror has changed, in a positive way, the manner she teaches. “This empowers kids to think more positively about themselves. We can tell them how great they are but if they don't feel it, it falls on deaf ears. We need to be more thoughtful and ask ourselves how can we make these kids feel good about themselves so they can go on and be more productive citizens. This simple mirror helps do all of that,” said Cloutier.
Cloutier’s Mirror Phrases
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January 2015 • www.maineea.org
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Your Roadmap to MEA Membership
Mem
bers
hip D
Next exit SUCC : ESS
rive
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MEA supports you along the way, each year… and throughout your career Whether you’re a first-year member or veteran educator, balancing life and work is always a challenge. The help you provide children and young adults each day matters but you can’t forget to help yourself and learn what benefits are available to you as a member. If you think of your career like a roadmap—with so many different stops along the way—changes in education policy, district shifts, new students and new challenges, you will see there are many ups and downs. All along the way, the constant is your MEA membership and how it helps guide you on your journey with useful tips, resources and strategies.
Watch for: When you see the drop pin read about an interesting fact or service that the MEA offers members.
BONUS
Where the Journey Begins While you’re working hard in the classroom, cafeteria, school bus, kitchen or elsewhere in a school district, university or college, you need to remember the ground rules for your work and working conditions are set forth by the terms of your contract, bargained by your local MEA association and your school district or other governing body. When you are an MEA member you are not “in it” by yourself— there are nearly 24,000 members statewide. Within the union, your local association executive committee and your building representative are your first points of contact. From there MEA staff are always available to assist you, provide resources, or defend your contract. You can rest easy knowing not only are you part of the largest union in the state but the largest in the nation. As a member of the MEA you are also part of a much larger family at the National Education Association, which has more than 3 million members nationwide—1 in every 100 Americans is an NEA member. A fellow association member is never far away!
My association represents me as a professional and helps all educators bargain for better wages and working conditions. The Association also connects me to a group of intelligent, passionate educators and professionals that are dedicated to improving the craft! My association offers invaluable professional development and consistently provides accurate information about the changes we face in education. This is the group of educators I want to align with and want to work with—MEA members will shape the face of public education for the future!
Samantha Garnett Sias Lewiston EA Access to MEA staff who are always a phone call or click away.
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BON
US
Advancing Your Career When you’re an MEA member you automatically have access to a variety of professional development opportunities to support your professional work. The MEA offers its members multiple learning opportunities ranging from two large statewide conferences a year to smaller regional trainings on a variety of hot education topics, including student learning objectives, teacher evaluation, ELL training for educators and implementation of Common Core, to name a few. In addition, for those interested there are multiple leadership opportunities for members to take the lead in the profession at the local, state and national level. Through membership you are able to apply for teaching and learning grants to help fund school projects and continue your education to better the profession. As a member you also have access to an online network of free lesson plans and a network of educators to discuss key issues that impact the profession.
Grants to fund education related projects for members and MEA scholarships for students
!
Bookmark these sites: betterlesson.com Find more than 16,000 complete Common Corealigned lessons created by Master Teachers nationwide. Classroom-ready lessons are available for grades K-12 in multiple subjects including ELA, Math and Science.
donorschoose.org Have a school project but don’t have the money to fund it? Post it on this site and ask the public to chip in.
maineea.org/grants Look for the latest grants and scholarship information on the MEA website. This page is changing constantly with new opportunities for you and your students.
gpsnetwork.org BON
US
NEA’s Great Public Schools network connects educators from around the nation. Any member can create a group and begin a conversation about what interests them or what they have questions about.
BONUS
Help with implementation of work related issues, like evaluations, dealing with administrators or discipline.
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Your Voice BONU
The power of a collective voice is far more powerful than a single voice alone. MEA voices recently impacted change to a flawed testing system, revised the rules of restraint in the classroom and charted a new direction for the teacher evaluation system in Maine. Fellow MEA members from your local association may serve on a number of different committees and groups at the local, regional or state level, including representing your interests at the MEA Representative Assembly, the decision-making body of the MEA which sets the course for the beliefs and work of the association for the year.
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Help maintaining and negotiating your collective bargaining agreement to safeguard working conditions, salaries and benefits.
At its core, MEA has a commitment to protect the rights of its members and improve the power of their voice in their workplace while reaching out to the community to improve the lives of students.
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Advocacy work to make sure state and national policies directly benefit students and educators.
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Social Time You can connect with MEA online through social media. Check out the latest pins on the Pinterest page, a funny cartoon on Facebook, or discover new colleagues on Twitter.
Facebook.com/maineea @MaineEA Pinterest.com/maineea
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Advocates for Children and Education (ACE): MEA member driven program to help students and the profession.
Advocating for the Profession As Seen on TV
There really is no part of your job that is somehow not impacted by local, state or national policy makers. Everything from how much funding your school receives to how many hours are in a school day to the standardized test used—it’s all decided by someone other than you, the educator. MEA advocates for its members and students at the state, local and national level to make sure the policies that impact your work are helpful and beneficial to students. Those policies, though, are only as good as the candidates who are elected into office—having a pro-public education school board and legislature is crucial to the success of our schools, colleges and universities. That’s why the MEA works to make sure your voice is heard in your local communities, in Augusta and in Washington D.C.
Inspiring Educators The MEA works to inform the public about the great work of our members. In television ads across the state, the MEA showcased its members as inspiring educators who help our students achieve great things in life. The MEA continues to work to restore and maintain the respect the education profession rightfully deserves through public service campaigns including food drives, book giveaways, and scholarships to students in need.
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The MEA is the strongest and most effective advocate for public education and the profession in the state.
MEA believes in community outreach— as a member you have an opportunity to take part in projects to improve the lives of your students and your community.
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Your Rights Public image campaigns to highlight the success of members.
An important protection only members receive is your right to have a union representative present if you feel you need one in matters legal or otherwise. Know your Weingarten Rights and keep this copy (red box below) close by as a reminder of this important member benefit.
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Understanding Your Collective Bargaining Agreement
Understanding your CBA (collective bargaining agreement) is a necessary pit stop in your career journey. Your CBA dictates everything from how many hours you are contracted to work each day to any planning periods you may receive to the amount of money you may be eligible for if you opt-out of the health insurance plan. Everything from teacher evaluations and discipline guidelines can be found in your CBA. Your membership, in part, helps fund people who work to ensure members have fair working conditions and employers are upholding their end of the CBA. Without your CBA and the collective influence of MEA members to help shape policies, procedures and legislation your career would be at the whim of administrators, school boards and politicians.
Don’t forget this
Weingarten Rights “If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative, officer, or steward be present at this meeting. Until my representative arrives, I choose not to participate in this discussion.” 18
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Award winning magazine, Maine Educator, highlights important education issues and shares member success stories.
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Free death and dismemberment coverage for eligible member and liability insurance
Your Online Guide - www.maineea.org
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WHAT’S BEHIND THE TAB? 1. News You Can Use - Find the online Maine Educator archive with helpful tips and policy information. 2. Teaching and Learning - Professional Development—learn what’s available now and how to sign up. 3. Member Benefits - Links to discounts on everything from appliances to clothes to restaurants. 4. Advocacy - Learn more about the legislation and policies that will impact your work. 5. Members Only - Find MEA organization documents and bargaining resources.
HAVE QUESTIONS? EMAIL - MEAWEB@MAINEEA.ORG
Exclusive: Your Member Benefits
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When it comes to your personal life and saving money, the MEA and the NEA have worked to secure great discounts and programs that focus on your health and the well-being of you and your family. • • • • • • • •
MEA Benefits Trust 24/7 Nurse Line Discounted Home and Car Insurance through Horace Mann NEA Credit Card, with cash back rewards Summer and winter amusement discounts, including Funtown and various ski resorts MEA Benefits Trust Future Moms Program NEA Click & Save (variety of vendors, including national and local stores and restaurants) NEA Magazine Service (magazines for as little as $5/yr) NEA Auto Buying Program (members have saved thousands)
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MEA Offices MEA HEADQUARTERS OFFICE 35 Community Drive, Augusta ME 04330 Tel. 622-5866 or 1-800-452-8709 Fax 623-2129 EXECUTIVE STAFF Executive Director: Rob Walker, Ext. 2227 Deputy Executive Director: Paul Hambleton, Ext. 2203 Administrative Assistant: Linda Heaney, Ext. 2218 Administrative Assistant: Tammy Simpson, Ext. 2221 Assistant: Jenna Vendil, Ext. 2211 BUSINESS & FINANCE Comptroller: Ian Deming, Ext. 2215 Assistant: Judith Metzger, Ext. 2214 Assistant: Ellen Hendricks, Ext. 2212 Technology Coordinator: Lee Pullen, Ext. 2234 LEGAL SERVICES General Counsel: Andrew Mason, Ext. 2219 Assistant: Ginger Girard, Ext. 2216 PROGRAM STAFF Collective Bargaining & Research: Charles "CJ" Betit, Ext. 2209 Assistant: Cynthia Fabbricatore, Ext. 2210 Communications: Giovanna Bechard, Ext. 2205 Assistant: TBD Allison Coombs, Ext. 2206 Government Relations: John Kosinski, Ext. 2217 Assistant: Jenna Vendil, Ext. 2211 Training & Professional Development: Dan Allen, Ext. 2223 Assistant: Cynthia Fabbricatore, Ext. 2228 MEA UNISERV CENTERS AND STAFF SOUTH PORTLAND Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 14 29 Christopher Toppi Drive, South Portland ME 04106 Tel. 774-6133 or 1-800-750-8801 Fax 774-9786 UniServ Directors: District #1 - Judith Beverage, Ext. 2506 District #2 - Gregory Hannaford,Ext. 2504 District #3 - Rob Olson, Ext. 2503 District #4 - Becky Fernald, Ext. 2505 District #14 - Stephanie von Glinsky, Ext. 2307 Assistants: Cathy Hogan, Ext. 2502 Gail Poirier, Ext. 2501
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AUBURN Districts 5, 6 201 Main Street, Auburn Mail: PO Box 368, Auburn ME 04212 Tel. 784-4006 or 1-800-649-9017 Fax 784-3628 UniServ Directors: District #5 - Rose Mahoney, Ext. 2101 District #6 - Nicole Argraves, Ext. 2102 Assistant: Jennifer Britting, Ext. 2103 AUGUSTA Districts 7, 8, 9 35 Community Drive, Augusta ME 04330 Tel. 622-5866 or 1-800-452-8709 Fax 623-2129 UniServ Directors: District #7 - Joan Morin, Ext. 2237 District #8 - Lee Libby, Ext. 2213 District #9 - Krystyna Dzialo, Ext. 2230 Assistants: Erin Noyes, Ext. 2228 Lindsay Davis, Ext. 2208 BANGOR Districts 10, 11, 12, 13 1349 Broadway, Bangor ME 04401 Tel. 942-2907 or 1-888-942-2907 Fax 942-0531 UniServ Directors: District #10 - Aymie Walshe, Ext. 2308 District #11 - Misty O'Leary, Ext. 2309 District #12 - Elizabeth Peterson, Ext. 2310 District #13 - John Bracciodieta, Ext. 2306 Assistants: Casey Crocker, Ext. 2302 Amy Clark, Ext. 2304 Jo-Lynn Leithiser, Ext. 2303 CARIBOU District 15 128 Sweden St., Suite 2 Mail: PO Drawer 310, Caribou ME 04736 Tel. 498-3191 or 1-800-281-3191 Fax 498-3032 UniServ Director: District #15: Lou Willey, Ext. 2401 Assistant: Dianne Leighton, Ext. 2400
MEA LEADERSHIP Lois Kilby-Chesley, is president of the MEA. The president serves full time representing the Association, working with the officers and Board of Directors, and coordinating the implementation of MEA policies. She may be reached at MEA headquarters in Augusta by calling 622-4418 or 1-888-622-4418, ext. 2220. Grace Leavitt is a Spanish teacher at Greely High School in SAD 51. She is the Vice President of MEA and National Board Certified.
Denise Simoneau teaches 6th grade math, reading, and science at the James F. Doughty Middle School in Bangor. She oversees the budget and financial operations of the Association as treasurer.
Mike Thurston is a Social Studies teacher at Winslow High School. He represents the MEA at meetings of the National Education Association’s Board of Directors as Maine’s NEA Director.
MEA Board of Directors District A Robert “Bo” Zabierek District B Suzen Polk-Hoffses District C Jesse Hargrove District D Beth French District E Ken Williams District F Jill Watson District G Aaron Greene District H Jim Thornton District I Samantha Garnett Sias District J Terry Martin District K Bob McCully District L Amanda Cooper District M Deborah Butler District O John Messier District P Neil Greenberg District R Crystal Ward District ESP Gerry French
Houlton to St Agatha Bar Harbor to Calais to Mariaville Dixmont to Greenville to Millinocket Bangor to Ellsworth to Searsmont Palermo to Northport to Windsor Augusta to Rangeley to Jackman China to Athens to Monroe Livermore to Newry to Poland Gardiner to Windham Woolwich to Cumberland Portland to Scarborough Saco to Stoneham to Newfield Kittery to Sanford AFUM ACSUM, UMPSA MEA-Retired Education Support Personnel Statewide 21
