All day, I kept returning to a sentence from the new Richard Powers’ novel, Bewilderment. The narrator, Theo Byrne, an astrobiologist, says:
Watching medicine fail my child, I developed a crackpot theory: Life is something we need to stop correcting.
I don’t know why that sentence resonated, but I think it has something to do with the tenuousness of living 18-months during a pandemic and how sustained stress worries a body, a kind of erosion of the spirit. There is a grace though that comes from simply saying aloud: This is the best I can do at this moment.
As September comes to a close, I hope you know your students better and that you have taken time to hear their unique stories. I hope you have slowed down, laughed together, and built a classroom where you and your students can enjoy and savor each new moment. We have all the time we need.
This week, I am sharing one article with you: Principles of Instruction by Barak Rosenshine (2012). I imagine some of you may have read this before. It was in American Educator, a publication by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and has been reprinted in any number of publications and referenced in many teacher education courses for nearly a decade.
Rosenshine’s article highlights ten research-based principles that give rise to excellent teaching. Rosenshine looked at the intersection of cognitive theory, research about the practices of master teachers, and research on cognitive supports that help students learn complex concepts. All of the research indicated that 10 practices make the greatest difference for learners.
10 practices. Just 10.
During the next month at one of your PLCs, please read the article with your colleagues. I’ll be sharing the same article with every principal later this week and with all VPs in early October. If you get a chance, let me know what you think of it. I’m always interested in your insights.
Achievement is a point-in-time measure that evaluates how well students perform against a standard. In contrast, progress is measured by how much growth students make over time, typically over the course of the year or from one year to the next.
The Guidance Memo outlines how to construct teachers' Student Growth Outcomes (SGOs) as part of the Individualized Professional Development Plan (IPDP) process. In SY 2021-22, teachers set SGOs based on student growth metrics, when available, to determine teachers' SGO score for this school year.
Contact: Julianne Bello,Office of Extended Learning Time Email: jbello@nps.k12.nj.us
The Office of Extended Learning Time is seeking high school counselors with 1:1 FAFSA experience to support parents and students in completing the application during the evening hours. These virtual afterschool opportunities will support our parents and students in meeting this district high school graduation requirement.
Ignite curiosity and engage students this year by incorporating some of Discovery Education's most popular science resources . Login to Discovery Education via Clever to access.
Where is Mystery Science? Access Mystery Science via Discovery Education's Digital Learning Platform. See attached for details. Be sure to use these interactive resources that inspire students and promote curiosity.
The October New Teacher Development session will take place on Wednesday, October 6th between 4pm - 6 pm. Teachers who are new to Newark (regardless of previous experience) are expected to attend 7 of the 10 monthly sessions.
The Office of Special Education will facilitate this session which will focus on “What General Education Teachers need to know about Connecting IEPs to Instruction: Components of an IEP”.
Mentor orientation and training will take place on Tuesday, October 5th at 4 pm. Anyone serving as a mentor, but not participating in NTC training, is required to attend.
Contact: Margaret El, Visual and Performing Arts Email: mel@nps.k12.nj.us
Create a 22 x 28 inch poster depicting any area of SUD (Substance Use Disorder) and Veterans. Reasons Veterans have a slightly higher rate of being diagnosed with SUD, treatment modalities for Veterans, ideas on preventing Veteran from SUD or other area.
See attachments for further details including drop off or pickup of posters. Winners will be announced at the Essex Health and Wellness Recovery Center’s 4th Opioid Awareness Walk on Saturday, October 23rd at noon at First Baptist Church, 259 Bloomfield Ave, Caldwell.
The Office of Special Education seeks to support school leaders and teachers regarding the Teaching and Learning Instructional Shifts. Teachers of special education should attend PD sessions alongside their peers in general education.
Program Specialists and OSE Program Development initiatives will provide professional learning and coaching to special education teachers on strategies to support students who are exceptional learners. Please see attached for updates on OSE program initiatives, DLM Assessments and PD opportunities.
The Newark Board of Education continues to create a district-wide culture of continuous learning for all to support the growth and development for all district personnel. We are excited to announce that Montclair State University Network for Educational Renewal is currently offering a series of free professional development opportunities for our instructional personnel.
Please use the link to register for the professional development sessions that best meets your needs.
Contact: Timothy Nellegar, Office of Teaching and Learning-Educational Technology Email: tnellegar@nps.k12.nj.us
The Office of Educational Technology will host Office Hours on Tuesdays from 3:00PM - 3:45PM.
This is an opportunity for you to come and learn about the latest strategies, platforms and resources. Please follow this link to the session. We look forward to seeing you there.
We understand the need for intentional moments to disconnect, regroup and ground ourselves for ongoing inner strength. To help alleviate challenge with locating support and managing a busy schedule, NBOE and OSL will continue providing a Staff Support Group (Spa) in the Fall from September 15th - December 22nd.
Sessions will run biweekly on Wednesdays from 5:15pm - 6:15pm. This is an opportunity for employees to learn more about topics that can impact overall mental health and well-being. It is open to all staff and will be facilitated by an outside licensed clinician.
News from the Office of Extended Learning Time(New)
Contact: Julianne Bello, Teaching and Learning/Office of Extended Learning Time Email: jbello@nps.k12.nj.us
The Office of Extended Learning Time is launching after-school programming for students in K-8 on October 4th. Please click here for more information on elementary and high school offerings.
The Office of Teaching and Learning is hiring teachers to work the Homework Hotline Program. These educators will field calls from students on Monday-Thursday from 3:30pm - 5:30pm to help students who have questions with their homework.
We are in need of educators in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Biology and Bilingual Education from K-12. If interested please complete this form. If you have additional questions, please reach out to Tim Nellegar (tnellegar@nps.k12.nj.us).
The Office of ELA is offering the following after school sessions for teachers. Please click the link below for topics and Webex links. ELA office hours will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00PM - 3:45PM.
Tuesday, September 28: Grades K-8: Reciprocal Teaching Grades 9-12: ELA Curriculum Overview
Thursday, September 30: Grades K-8: How to Administer and Analyze Informal Assessments Grades 9-12: ELA Curriculum Overview
Verifying Gradebook Categories and Grade Calculation(New)
Contact: Darren Watsky, OPPET, Student Information Services Email: dwatsky@nps.k12.nj.us
The district grading policy requires a minimum of nine assessments for each grading period. Student performance both during as well as outside of class time are additional components to the student’s overall grade. PowerTeacher Pro settings are established at the district level to align with the Board grading policies. Gradebooks should be configured as described in the linked document.
Contact your supervising school administrator if your gradebook is not configured properly.
For details, see NBOE Grading Policies and PowerTeacher Pro Gradebook Setup (here).
The Office of Mathematics will be hosting monthly office hours the first Monday of each month to support teachers’ implementation of curriculum, pedagogy, and measuring learning in the field of mathematics.
Office hours begin at 3:30PM and end at 5:00PM. Emphasis is on students’ conceptual understanding, representation, and resources for student engagement. Teachers and coaches will have an opportunity to engage in a question-and-answer session.
Contact: Dr. Reilly, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning Email: m1reilly@nps.k12.nj.us
The Office of Teaching & Learning will provide quarterly updates through the Teaching & Learning Newsletter. Stay up to date with the most recent news and information from each department.
The National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. Delta Pi Chapter presents the annual Teach-A-Rama event. See attached flyer for registration link to this inspiring and motivating event!
Office of Health & Physical Education Office Hours
Contact: Krystle Rhett, Health & Physical Education - Office of Teaching & Learning Email:krhett@nps.k12.nj.us
The Office of Health, Physical Education and Athletics will be hosting office hours for teachers. During the months of September and October, we will cover the following topics during the sessions in addition to discussing best practices and providing resources to support student achievement:
- Health & PE Curricular Guides Review and Implementation - K-12 SPARK PE Curriculum - KidsFit
Sessions will be as follows:
Elementary H/PE Teachers Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-3:45
High School H/PE Teachers: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00-3:45
Please use department Google Classroom Link to join all sessions.
Persons interested in the Newark Board of Education Principal Pipeline are encouraged to read the attached description and complete the survey link below.
On October 6, 2021 from 4:00pm to 5:30pm, the Office of Student Life will host students and parents in grades 5-8 to learn about the different pre-college opportunities for the 2021-2022 school year!
Please share the attached flyer with students, parents and stakeholders.
On October 7, 2021 from 4:00pm to 5:30pm, the Office of Student Life will host students and parents in grades 9-12 to learn about the different pre-college opportunities for the 2021-2022 school year!
Please share the attached flyer with students, parents and stakeholders.
The Office of Student Life will host FAFSA Parent Workshops in both English and Spanish to support our families with the completion of the FAFSA. The Webex Link, Meeting ID and Password are provided for easy access (excluding the September 15, 2021 workshop). All workshop sessions begin at 5:00pm. Our partner in this process is the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.
If you have any questions regarding the fall series, please contact Vernon Pullins Jr., Supervisor, Student Support Services, Office of Student Life at vpullins@nps.k12.nj.us
The purpose of the "All Kids to Calculus" program is to provide elementary school teachers a minimum of 30 credit hours of higher level mathematics courses at the university level.
This enables you to provide Algebra 1 to grade 8 students in all of Newark Board of Education schools, thereby ensuring all students have the opportunity to reach Calculus in high school. This program is 6 semesters (3 years). Note that the tuition and textbooks are paid for by NBOE.
If you are interested in this opportunity, fill out the Google Form (here).
Visual & Performing Arts Teachers NBOE Arts Guidebook 2021
Contact: Margaret El, Visual and Performing Arts Email:mel@nps.k12.nj.us
Welcome to a new school year!
Please review the NBOE Arts Guidebook 2021 for important information for the 2021-2022 academic year. Music teachers pay close attention to page 22 for Music Guidelines & Resources including details for instrument inventory which is due October 1. Look forward to greet everyone at the September 1st - Arts Professional Development.
Teacher Talk will be delivered every other Monday.
The submission deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.
NPS Mobile App!
The district's NPS Mobile App is now available for download for both Apple iOS and Android. With this app you, can:
• Receive Push Notifications when there is inclement weather and school closings
• Track news feeds (powered by your school web site, Facebook and Twitter accounts) at the district and school level
• Look up commonly-sought information directly from the mobile app
Contact Us
To support and encourage highly effective instruction, Teacher Talk synthesizes information and resources that will help NPS teachers meet the expectations of the framework for effective teaching. Teacher Talk is typically published every other Monday. Please open the form with Firefox or Chrome in order to add attachments.
