This page provides an overview of the program and results. It contains information created for the Start UP! application for SFU’s Cmolik Prize for the Enhancement of Education in BC in 2015, with some updates to 2016.
Start UP! Board members: I’ve created this MS Word version of our Comlik Application that is easier to read.
Start UP!-Ray Myrtle Final Comlik Application1.docx
Update:March 2016.
We are updating our strategy. We are working to create online video versions of our workshops to enable new elementary teachers in BC to get practical support anywhere, anytime.
Here’s a preview sample of the first video of Ray Myrtle’s workshop. The full workshop is 99 minutes in 6 parts, supported by the 33pg. First Week of School booklet and downloadable blackline master here on this website (see Start UP! Units)
To access the full video – contact Ray through our website or directly at ray(dot) myrtle (at) gmail.com
Start UP! Workshops Sample Flyers with illustrations of the 3 kinds of workshops.
A Start UP! Your Class workshop- (this workshop is the introduction and is often during the year).
Surrey13Nov15a.pdf
B Start UP! Series workshop descriptions:
What does a Start UP! workshop look like? Watch 2 short segments from two workshops:
Elaine Jaltema explains some opening activities she uses to help students work as an effective group, and share pair to learn; and Jennifer King and Fiona Morrison demonstrate the teaching of reading strategies:
Start UP! Has been implemented by is not yet widely used.
Request 15-16 request to myPITA and report of 2015 (shows workshop events & numbers):
Start UP 15-16 request.doc
Section 4.a Start UP! Results
It is very difficult to prove cause and effect in education. But for a decade everyone involved has agreed, this program is needed:
i. Workshop leaders:
Tamara Sengotta is an SFU school assoc and mentor in SD43 and led our K-3 Start UP! Series in Surrey:
Tamara Sengotta reference letter.docx
ii. New teachers and more experienced teachers with a new assignment who participated in Start UP! agreed:
Complete testimonials from:
Jaime Acker SD41 re: Start UP! helped me survive the first year
& Heidi Ravenel SD39 re: mix of assignments & value of Start UP! (referred to as PITA workshops)
Jamie & Heidi testimonials2015.doc
Elisabeth Macmillan SD44 attended both primary and intermediate series:
Elisabeth.doc
See also support in the next section
iii. An external evaluation found Start UP! was “filling a gap in the specific elements of teaching”
“These results suggest the … program is filling a gap in the specific elements of teaching. Overall beginning teachers may feel prepared and confident, but at the level of teaching a subject/topic or setting up their classroom they are much less so.”
The Start UP! improved teachers’ confidence about their preparation for a specific subject/topic, see p.15
YPS_Final_Report_July-8-2009.pdf
The Start UP! was formerly called the YPS (for Year of Professional Support)
Section 4.b
The Issue: It is difficult for many new teachers to prepare properly for their classes.
i. Universities cannot provide the specific preparation for every possible teaching job, so new teacher need additional preparation before they begin. Shannon like many new teachers was offered widely differing assignments on short notice without specific preparation.
Kim Boechur is on the district staff in SD59 (Ft. St. John).
She describes the situation in a northern district for new teachers from a district point of view.
Challenges for Beginning Teachers Graph
The most frequent challenges for beginning teachers are due to preparation:
Challenges & difficulties for beginning teachers1.docx
Examining the challenges listed, we think the top two challenges (60%) are largely a result of difficulty of preparation. If you examine the remaining challenges they are difficult, but not nearly as time consuming. It was from an article presented at the BCTF’s New Teachers Conference, and referenced a BCTF Survey, however years passed before Ray asked Charlie Naylor for the reference and neither of us can find it. Nevertheless, we believe it fairly represents the reality in BC.
Section 4.c Impact of the Start UP! on the school and community
Generational Change is an Opportunity for BC
There will be a very large turnover of BC’s teaching force the next decade or so. The success of our induction and the attitudes and skills they develop from that will significantly affect education for decades!
See this PowerPoint from Charlie Naylor (BCTF) describing the number of teachers hired in next decade or so..
2015-08-24 Demographics–Part 1–S Conf 2015–to print.pdf
Attitudes are largely set by experiences early in one’s career.
An article in Harvard Business review in Feb. 2005 by Monica Higgins is the best source, but this link is free. This article talks about how business leaders were strongly influenced by the ‘culture and practices’ of the business they BEGAN in.- ie. looking backward in time. When Ray read this, he realized that the early career experiences influenced them throughout their career, and that the same should be true for teachers.
(See http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/how-career-imprinting-shapes-leaders)
Part of a System of Support
This article suggests that new teachers in the OECD are often assigned more challenging classes.
This stress and the resulting lack of time might be why most new teachers do not participate much in mentoring and Start UP! programs.
The Start UP!, mentoring and other ProD would benefit if they were linked conceptually so new teachers can see where to go for help in their case.
Supporting New Teachers OECD.pdf
Teaching in Focus: Supporting New Teachers OECD
Section 5 How can the Start UP! be replicated:
MARCH 2016 UPDATE:
We are shifting our strategy to utilize online video. The Cmolik prize will enable us to create video our workshops. See the sample at the top of this page. Cost/workshop is about $5000 ea (2015)
There is a major difference between access and participation in mentoring and induction programs in OECD countries. Participation is the major challenge for expanding the Start UP! to a system for all new teachers (see last bullet on the last page).
Supporting New Teachers OECD.pdf
This is the report to myPITA describing our events in 2015, plans for 2016 and finances.
Start UP 15-16 request.doc
THE END.