October 15, 2024, 1:00 p.m. ET
The elementary school faculty and staff in Olivet Academy Amenia held a professional development session on Friday, October 11th to analyze the beginning of the year standardized assessments and introduce a formal peer-observation program as a means for teacher development.
The standardized testing discussion included topics such as: understanding results, instructional impact, impact on curriculum, student performance, testing stress and student well-being, professional development and future and purpose of standardized testing.
“The meetings after standardized testing are always productive, the data helps us identify certain areas that will influence our teaching strategies to support student learning,” shared Pastor Claire Mendoza. “Our goal is to continue to work together to make an environment for learning where we care for the whole child.”
In addition teachers were introduced to the school’s peer-observation program which they will be participating in through the entire school year. The goal of the program is to encourage faculty to implement the instructional strategies learned throughout the professional development sessions in the summer.
For the Peer-Observation program, teachers will focus on observing specific skills utilized by their peers in a classroom setting with the goal to implement those skills in their own class. The areas of focus are: classroom management, Biblical integration in Math and Science, Response to Intervention, Supporting the English Language Learners and Culturally Responsive Classrooms.
Teachers also reviewed the upcoming professional development dates, field trips and parent teacher conferences.
