The teachers at the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning receive far more professional development (PD) than is typical for staff at other New York schools.

Most training takes place via workshops led by our professional development team and outside consultants. Almost all of our training focuses on some aspect of the subordination of teaching to the learning, including Gattegno Mathematics and Words in Color. Teachers are also fully trained in Responsive Classroom. In addition, teachers in Kindergarten and 1st Grade are trained in learning centers, and teachers in Grades 2-5 receive extensive training in Writer's Workshop and Reader's Workshop.

Professional development activities include:

- 12 days of pedagogical training for all teachers over the summer
- 5 additional days of summer training in Responsive Classroom for new teachers
- Weekly 90-minute institutes on how the subordination of teaching to learning plays out in English language arts and mathematics
- 2 or more grade-level planning sessions per week
- Extensive grade-level curriculum planning before the school year
- Full day and half day “lesson study” workshops with outside consultants
- Frequent in-class observations and team teaching
- Close, collaborative scrutiny of actual lessons
- Attendance at conferences and workshops outside of school

To view a sample staff training schedules from the 2009-2010 school year, click here and here.

Trainers

This year’s chief staff developers in the school’s pedagogical approach, the subordination of teaching to learning, are:

- Dr. Ted Swartz, Senior Professional Development Specialist
- Dr. Paula Hajar, Professional Development Specialist
- Dr. Bruce Ballard, Professional Development Specialist
- Ms. Shakti Gattegno (Educational Solutions, Inc)
- Ms. Roslyn Young (Besancon, France)
- Dr. Arthur Powell (Rutgers University)

Additional training is provided by:

- Dr. Marshall George (Reader's Workshop) Fordham University
- Mrs. Rayna Alperstein (Learning Centers) Manhattanville College
- Mr. Andy Dousis (Responsive Classroom) Northeast Foundation for Children

Lesson Studies

One unique aspect of our PD is “Lesson Studies,” an in-service practice used in Japanese public schools. In a typical lesson study, we follow these steps:

- Teachers from a grade level plan a lesson together, usually with Dr. Arthur Powell (for Math) or Mrs. Shakti Gattegno (for ELA).
- Everyone goes into a classroom. One teacher teaches it; the other teachers watch the students.
- During the lesson, the observing teachers focus on how the students respond. They may also call out suggestions to the colleague who is teaching, actively co-teach or even take over part of the lesson.
- After the lesson, the teachers talk about what happened and what it means for the class going forward.

Photo Credits

(top) Clifford, Grade 5

(middle) Jason, Grade 5

(bottom) Jason, Grade 5