Professional+Development

toc =**Overview**= Professional growth at New Hampton takes many forms. From peer observations, college classes and self-studies. The paramount areas of emphasize: the professional growth portfolio, as well as additional resources and references.

=NHS Portfolio= Academic Mentorship: Creating a Community of Professional Growth and Support

Department Head
Roles and Responsibilities
 * Serve as a pedagogical and content area resource
 * Maintain open, honest and clear expectations for academic questions
 * Provide a variety of perspectives and ideas
 * Serve as the “go-to” person
 * Model analytical and reflective practice
 * Implement protocols and curriculum as established by the academic leadership
 * Keep department members informed about academic initiatives
 * Engage colleagues in welcoming, supporting, and collaborating with new department members
 * Evaluate department members performance using constructive, goal oriented feedback to focus on the growth of the individual
 * Model professionalism and best teaching practices at the leadership level

Department Members
Roles and Responsibilities
 * Seek out help when needed
 * Observe other teachers: teaching, planning, reflecting and assessing
 * Ask why things are done the way they are
 * Self-assess and self-adjust as data dictates
 * Set professional goals then reflect on and analyze the accomplishment of these goals
 * Gather and discuss student feedback
 * Participate in professional development opportunities
 * Demonstrate a willingness to collaborate
 * Share experience gained from educational and professional development venues

Professional Evaluation
The continuous improvement of the "instruction" of our students in the academic area of school life is the central mission of New Hampton School's academic professional development process. New Hampton School supports and expects the continuous professional development of its faculty. We embrace this goal with time dedicated during faculty orientation and professional development days as well as funding dedicated to the continuing education of our adult community. The NHS Academic Professional Growth Calendar provides the vision and framework for our professional development program.

The first semester of the 08-09 academic year will be dedicated to class observations and dialogue surrounding the implementation of the newly revised Foundations of Learning. Goal setting, peer and administrative observations/feedback will focus upon the delivery of these skills. Additionally, given the addition of a laptop fleet for all teaching faculty, professional development training in technology will be required.

**FOL Implementation**
The Foundations of Learning: A Continuum of Skills for 21st Century Learners assures a strong academic foundation to support New Hampton’s skills-based, globally relevant curriculum. Goal Setting Observable: Peer and Administrative Examples of Student Work or Assessments

Professional Growth Calendar
2008-09 Academic Year All information listed below must be included in the required Professional Development Portfolio (PDP). Portfolios are due to your Department Head on January 12, 2008. Formal, evaluative meetings will occur during the month of January with the academic department head and shared with the Director of Studies.. Plans for improvement, if necessary, are documented at this time and supported throughout the remainder of the academic year. If efforts to correct problem areas fail or if it appears that intervention is not likely to produce enough progress in teacher skills to warrant continuance, the suitability of the faculty member is brought into question.

1. Syllabi: Returning faculty must have year long syllabi prepared and submitted to the academic office as well as academic department head on or before September 2, 2008.New faculty will provide the academic office and academic department head with syllabi for the first semester and lesson plans for the first two weeks of classes on or before September 2, 2008; please provide second semester syllabi by December 1, 2008 to the Academic Office and Department Head. Please electronically forward all syllabi to Gina in the Academic Office for web posting by September 12. 2. Goals: All faculty should develop three teaching goals during opening faculty meetings. These goals should be forwarded to the Director of Studies and appropriate Department Head on or before August 29, 2008. A third copy should reside in the faculty member’s Professional Development Portfolio (PDP). The Goals should be revisited and commented upon prior to submission of portfolio in January. 3. Student Feedback: All faculty must distribute student feedback forms near the end of the first semester on departmentally assigned days. Once collected, each faculty member is expected to digest the information then provide a written response to his or her students addressing the comments, setting goals, and citing adaptations derived from the feedback. These self-initiated responses will be included in the faculty member’s PDP. 4. Professional Development in Technology: All faculty must provide summaries of learned information from three technology workshops attended. 5. Professional Review: All faculty must include their Commendations and Recommendations report provided by Department Head. 6. Peer Observations: All faculty are expected to visit two classes of colleagues during the first semester. The visiting faculty member will complete a peer observation form and share copies with each peer observed. The visiting faculty member should place one copy of the form in his or her PDP and provide a copy for the teacher observed.

New Faculty Members will be visited twice by appropriate Department Head and once by the Director of Studies and Global Curriculum Coordinator during the first semester. These are formative visits to assist in the development of practical teaching skills: classroom management, differentiated instruction, and curriculum standards. A formal observation and evaluation by the department head will occur during the month of December.

=Resources= =References= =Professional Development Forms=