Cotsen mentors and fellows share the highlights of their Cotsen experience in this compilation video.

Judy Johnson, Executive Director of the Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING, to Retire

Jerry Harris appointed as new executive director 

Four years ago, Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING selected Whittier City School District to participate in the ART of TEACHING program. Since 2009, the ART of TEACHING has been active in several elementary schools within the district, including Andrews, Hoover, Mill, Orange Grove, and Phelan and has directly worked with more than thirty teachers from the district.

The Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING congratulates Whittier City School District for its accomplishments and for their emphasis on collaborative, ongoing, teacher development in support of student learning.

Jandella Faulkner crouches beside a table of busy third graders in Jennifer Larsen’s class at Edison Elementary School. The students have pencils in hand, outlines spread around them, and a story about penguins and otters in progress.

Faulkner stands to call across the room: “Loving how this group is already talking, Ms. Larsen.”  Then she swoops down on another table of young authors.

Jandella Faulkner is a teaching coach in the Long Beach, Calif., school district. Her job is to train a select group of teachers at Edison Elementary, including Jennifer Larsen, in a new literacy curriculum called Write From The Beginning. It’s part of a district-wide training system that relies on teachers working with each other to improve classroom practices. So, with Faulkner’s help, Larsen and the other site coaches at Edison train their colleagues at the school how to use Write From The Beginning in their own classrooms. Continue reading…

Judy Johnson, the foundation’s executive director, was on hand to offer encouraging remarks to the newly certified teachers, applauding them for obtaining the advanced credential and demonstrating excellence in the craft of teaching.

“You tested yourself against a set of national standards for what accomplished teachers know and should be able to do, and you met that test,” remarked Dr. Johnson to the teachers in attendance. “You are now part of the top three percent of teachers who are nationally recognized for exemplary knowledge and skills.”

Other speakers included Ron Thorpe, President and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; Dr. Andrew Furedi, Executive Director of the Talent Management Division – LAUSD; Warren Fletcher, President, UTLA; Peggy Taylor Presley, Director Teacher Support – LAUSD; Dr. Scott Mandel, Chairperson NBC Standing Committee, UTLA; and Susie Chow, The Support Network.

Currently there are 1,840 teachers who have certified within LAUSD. Among LAUSD’s Class of 2012 board certified teachers were two first-year ART of TEACHING fellows, Sachiko Miyaji and Pamela Kramer, both from Melrose Elementary. In total, there are 40 current and alumni participants of the ART of TEACHING who hold National Board Certification.

Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING values many of the same practices recognized by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), which offers National Board Certification to the very best teachers across the nation who complete a rigorous certification process. By meeting the standards set forth by NBPTS, teachers are demonstrating their dedication to the pursuit of teaching excellence.

Great teachers are not born — they’re taught. That philosophy is the impetus behind a two-week teaching lab held annually at the University of Michigan’s School of Education, where the teacher and her methods are under study by educators, policymakers and others who hope to learn more about what makes a great educator.

Every day for two weeks, a special mathematics class for underperforming upper elementary students from Ypsilanti Public Schools is taught by Deborah Loewenberg Ball, an experienced elementary school teacher who is also dean of the U-M School of Education.

The 2 1/2-hour class is conducted in a format similar to a surgical theater, where Ball performs a live teaching lesson with about two dozen students who have been asked to solve math problems individually and as a group.

Cameras tape the experience and microphones record student answers and Ball’s techniques. A short distance away, adults watch, take notes and study Ball as she engages children in math. Continue reading…

In our Fall 2012 issue of Inside the ART of TEACHING, you will see artful Cotsen teachers who have committed themselves to perfecting their craft each and every day. You will also read about the types of professional development opportunities we provide our teachers to help in their pursuit of excellence during the course of their fellowship and beyond. Lastly, within these pages, we offer a glimpse into the ever-growing Cotsen community and the continued dedication of our alumni, who serve as a reminder that teaching excellence is not a destination. It is an ongoing journey powered by the belief that if students are to reap the benefits of a great education, they must be taught by great teachers. Click here to download your copy
 

This year, Erin Kominsky, Principal at Weaver Elementary in the Los Alamitos Unified School District and alumna principal of the ART of TEACHING program, was named a 2012 National Distinguished Principal.

In October 2012, Ms. Kominsky represented the state of California in Washington, D.C. during a two-day celebration that included a black tie dinner hosted by the United States Secretary of Education at which she received her award, a formal reception at the National Archives, and a tour of the White House alongside honorees from other parts of the United States.

Under Ms. Kominsky’s leadership, Weaver Elementary has been offering Cognitively Guided Instruction in mathematics since 1998 and continues to receive high scores in various assessments. Named a California Distinguished School three times and awarded the National Blue Ribbon in 2005, Weaver, among other things, offers Writing Workshop, the M.I.N.D. Institute, Socratic dialogue, total physical response, and innovative versions of math and language walls. A collaborative environment, Weaver is also home to teachers who implement cutting-edge best practices.

In 2005, Weaver Elementary became a participating school in the ART of TEACHING program, graduating in 2007. Today, Ms. Kominsky and Weaver Elementary remain as active as ever in the efforts of the ART of TEACHING, as many current mentors and fellows continue to visit the school and observe Weaver teachers demonstrate excellence in the classroom. Weaver continues to host workshops and school-based institutes in CGI, language arts, and science, featuring Cotsen alumni teachers and their colleagues doing classroom demonstration lessons and extensive debriefings for current Cotsen mentors and fellows. All in all, Weaver hosted nearly 500 visitors in the previous academic year, making the site a great resource for teachers and administrators.

By Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING – In this video compilation, various Cotsen teachers demonstrate the effects of teaching excellence on student learning. You will see students articulating their thinking, developing arguments using logic and evidence, working productively with their peers, and finding joy in their own learning.

After years of debate and discussion, supporters of a new master teacher credential in California find themselves largely back at square one following a veto this fall of a bill promoting the concept. Continue reading…

This article discusses the continued interest in roles master teachers can play in school leadership, and includes a description of the Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING, as well as quotes from Executive Director Judy Johnson on the value of mentoring. Continue to article…