Reality 101: CEC's blog for new teachers

The Benefits of Explicit and Systematic Instruction

By Bill & Bobbie Donelson

Welcome back to our May blogfest for new teachers! After you have taken a careful look at what has worked and what has not worked across the school year, you may have to consider new strategies. Some of the most powerful intervention techniques involve the application of explicit, systematic instruction. The National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum (NCAC) and National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) provide some excellent guidance in these areas.

The fundamentals of explicit instruction, also referred to as direct instruction, have evolved across the past 40 years. Explicit instruction has involved the marriage of research from effective schools and the science of behavior analysis. Extensive research in these areas supported the link between explicit instruction and positive outcomes for students (Hall, 2002).

End-of-Year Student Self-Evaluations

By Bill & Bobbie Donelson

Just as we have asked you, as teachers, to take the month of May to evaluate your efforts across the school year, this is also a good time to encourage your students to engage in the same self-reflection. Have students consider the things they did well this year and the skills they still need to develop.

You can also tie this into a positive classroom awards event. Once you have led each student through a self-evaluation, you can create class awards to highlight the strengths of each student. This demonstrates an appreciation of diversity and the positive characteristics of each student (e.g., wonderful math problem solver, extremely organized student, friendly smile award, good sense of humor medal). Dr. Bob Brooks, a noted author and speaker from Harvard, challenges us to find the “island of competence” in every child.

Putting the Finishing Touches on 2008-09

By Bill & Bobbie Donelson

What a challenging year we have all had! Politics, economics, and histrionics have plagued society and touched the schools in many ways. Veteran teachers and school staff have seen cyclical issues such as educational funding woes impact school systems for years. However, we are particularly concerned about the impact this is having on new teachers.

New teachers are particularly vulnerable when there is talk of layoffs or restructuring. However, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama on Feb.17, has saved jobs throughout the education sector. We hope that your job is secure and that the threat of such worries has not been a major burden to you this year.

Introducing the May Blogging Team

Hi folks! We are Bill and Bobbie Donelson, your May bloggers for CEC’s New Teachers Blog. Special thanks to Maureen Gale for recommending us to carry the “blogging torch” this month -- and kudos to you readers for choosing such a challenging and rewarding career!

May is a month to put the finishing touches on your efforts with students, to reflect on what worked and didn’t work across the past year, and to plan for next year. We will share practical strategies that work in the schools. We will also encourage you to be energized and focused in this last leg of the 2008-09 school year.