The Pur poseurbanteaching.info/home/180002450/180002450/Images/CfUT - 10-31-13.pdfstare at the phone...

The Pur pose

Center for Urban Teaching

Identify, prepare, and support high-performing urban teachers.

OCTOBER 2013

Habits Observed in Successful Urban Teachers A reflective message from Founding Director Dr. Dusseau

What you do without thinking is a habit. Habits formed through repetition over time may be either positive or negative, but they are generally observable – even when our actions are so automatic that we are unaware of them. The people that we interact with the most – parents, coaches, classmates, and teachers – contribute to the emergence of your habits. Once again we are reminded of the power of relationships and how the people who are a part of your community play a dynamic role in your development. I have had the privilege of visiting the classrooms of some exceptional teachers. As you might expect there are some habits that are unique to certain individuals, but I have also noticed a set of habits that cut across personality and other teacher characteristics. If you are going to be a highly effective teacher, I have come to believe that the following are literally habits of the heart that must be developed:

Positive Attitude – The habit of unselfishness. Kindness is golden. Personal Responsibility – The habit of demonstrating trust. Owning the problem without excuses paves the way for success in school. Unwavering Dependability – The habit of reliability. Grit that doesn’t quit makes you a valuable team member. Consistently High Expectations – The habit of the best. Remembering that good is the enemy of best raises the bar of your expectations. Legendary Courage – The habit of risk taking. Courageous actions can reflect the faith that is alive within you! Nurturing Hope – The habit of believing in others. Teachers do control the conditions for success in their own classrooms. Spiritual Focus – The habit of belief. Spiritual focus fills our lives with respect, trust, and unconditional love.

These habits tend to unlock a world filled with possibilities and amazing potential. Teach with your eyes open, seize the moment, and celebrate small victories and special occasions. Your habits should be highly intentional and aligned with your goals and personal mission.

Dr. Ray Dusseau Founder and Director of Recruitment

The Center for Urban Teaching would like to give a shout out to everyone that contributed to the Urban Teaching and Leadership Conference highly successful.

Sponsors

Catalyst Construction

Contributors Starbucks Coffee Bruce Guadalupe’s Latino

Arts Strings St. Marcus Lutheran

School Alverno and Wisconsin

Lutheran College

Conference Committee Sarah Weber Michael Nyugen Hannah Hensel

Undergraduate Volunteers Amanda Bregger Katrina Bucholz Rebecca Christiansen Kelsi Daffner Raenell Engel Lauren Faust Sydney Giovinazzo Olivia Goltermann Lachrisa Grandberry Dante Gutter Rachel Hein Liz Henke Amelia Marshall Kristin Plessinger Staci Putz Charles Smith Philip Warnecke Amanda Wendt


What to look for... Habits Observed in Successful Urban Teachers: Dr. Ray Dusseau……..…………..1 Alumni Snapshot……………....…...……...…….………...……....…………………2 The Purpose Devotion: Emily Ostgaard………….………….…..….…………...…..3 4 Principles of “Followership”: Dr. William Hughes………..…………...………….3 CfUT Alumni Spotlight: Megan Heinen……………………....……………..………4 Teach like a Champ vs. Teach like a Chump.....……………...………………………4 CfUT Welcomes Laura Roman...……………………… ..………....………………...5 HOPE Fall Celebration: Kristin Plessinger...…..……………………………………..5 Wisconsin Lutheran College Club.….…………...………..…………………………6 Martin Luther College Club…….………………...………………………………….7 Marquette University Club…….………………...…………………………………..8 CfUT Pioneers………….……...……………………………………………………..9 Upcoming CfUT Dates…………………...…...….………………..………………..10

Job and Volunteer Opportunities...…...………….………………..……………….10 Contact Information……………………………………...………………………...10


2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 [PROJECTED]

Alumni Snapshot

Joseph Blum, Garden Holmes Laura Calabrese, HOPE Prima Morgan Dittmar, St. Marcus Allyssa Figurski, Siloah Rebecca Foat, Siloah Melissa Heuer, Risen Savior

Hannah Jadin, HOPE Fortis Stephanie Kudek, Atonement Rachel Larson, St. Martini Julianne Slane, St. Marcus Kurt Stielow, St. Marcus Kimberly Vogler, St. Anthony’s

2012-2013 Graduates



The Purpose Devotion: Good Impressions

As a future teacher, I consistently attempt to make a good impression upon teachers in the field, principals, students, and secretaries in the hope that one day my good impression could secure me a job. Teaching summer school at St. Marcus through CfUT was wonderful, but one aspect of teaching summer school that made me nervous was making parent phone calls. Sometimes I would sit there and stare at the phone in my hand, completely unable to dial a number because I was so anxious

about making a good impression. In many phone calls, I ended up coming across as way too stiff and unnatural. Psalm 147:10 states “God is not impressed with the strength of your horse or with human might. The Lord is pleased with those who respect Him, with those who trust His love.” Most of the population spends a great deal of time worrying about what everyone else is going to think; however, as Christian leaders in the classroom, we should not seek others approval, but seek to please God. Whenever I act out of

respect and love for the Lord, my actions are best for me as well as those around me, and I don’t worry about making a good impression anymore. God is not impressed with my lesson plans or my classroom management, but when I respect Him, love Him, and show His love to my students through my actions, He is impressed.

Emily Ostgaard, Wisconsin Lutheran College

4 Principles of “ Followership” Former HP Executive Vice President, Vyomesh Joshi (VJ), was keynote speaker at last year’s gapCon. A big takeaway from VJ’s talk was a question he addressed about the “keys to be a great leader.” VJ paused and said that it’s not about leadership, the real question focuses on “followership.” Potential leaders should always ask themselves “Why would anyone want to follow me?” Here are four key attributes to strong “followership”:

1. Trust: Through everyday behavior “followership” requires that the leader provides evidence that they can be trusted. 2. Stability: Leaders with strong “followership” remain calm in the face of panic and give a sense of confidence to those around them. 3. Compassion: Strong “followership” leaders have unrelenting passion for people and show empathy when those folks are enduring hard times. 4. Hope: “Followership” requires that the leader have unwavering belief that their product/service will not only succeed, but will change lives.

Many times people are placed in leadership roles and inherently believe that their teams will follow them due to the title on their business card and not the substance of their character. Leadership is as much about being the person that people want to follow as it‘s about knowing where the team is headed. Do you ever wonder why anyone would want to follow you?

Leading to Reform: Leadership October 15, 2013 | by Dr. William Hughes Schools that Can Milwaukee



After graduating from WLC, I taught middle school at HOPE: Fortis for 4 years. In 2011, a job change for my husband led us to Chicago. I began teaching at Gary Comer College Prep Middle School, a campus of the Noble Network of Charter Schools. The Noble Network is 14 high schools throughout the city of Chicago. The South Side is a challenging environment due to high amount of gun and gang violence. Although we encounter these challenges every day, we are seeing incredible results. In 2013, we ended the year as both the #1 ranked middle school and the #1 ranked Charter School based on NWEA and ISAT data. It was a goal we worked extremely hard for all year and it was very rewarding for staff and scholars to see our hard work come to fruition. At Noble, I have 2 roles. I teach math to ninety-two 6th grade scholars

and I am Dean of Scholar Services. In my role as Dean, I am responsible for all incentives, joy factor traditions, and whole school gatherings. Noble is known for being a “discipline first” school and we are very strict so I love this position because the activities provide opportunities to reward scholars for all their hard work. One example is our monthly “Zest Fest”. This month we are surprising the scholars with a bounce house! I love what I am doing because I truly believe we are changing the life trajectory of our scholars! I have never worked harder but have never felt the same joy in reaching a goal. I am always thankful to the Center for the role it played in my career. It was through the Center that I learned the skills needed to become the teacher I am today and provided me tremendous opportunities. I am not

sure if I would still be doing this job had I not been on a summer New York Immersion Trip. I enjoy living in the city with my husband, Shawn, and we are expecting our first child in February. If you would like to hear more about Noble, please email me at [email protected].

Megan Heinen Gary Comer Middle School

CfUT Alumni Spotlight: Megan Heinen

Keep idea: Give directions that are specific, concrete, observable, and sequential, thereby, revealing source of misbehavior: incompetence, defiance, or opportunism.

Teach like a Champ: What to do—give directions that are SCOS

Specific—manageable and precisely described actions that students can take (i.e. Pencils down, hands folded, eyes on me in 3…2...1…)

Concrete – they involve clear, actionable tasks that any student knows how to do (i.e. put your feet under your desk – asked him/her

to do something no student can misunderstand or not know how to do).

“Turn your body to face me. Bring your legs around. Put them under your desk. Push in your chair.”

Observable – things you can plainly see the student do – it’s critical! It leaves students with little wiggle room in terms of his accountability… there won’t be any protesting.

Sequential – (i.e. John, put your feet under your desk, put your pencil down, and put your eye on me) – multistep directions required for a complex skill like paying attention.

Teach like a Chump: Giving directions that aren’t specific, concrete, observable, and sequential...

“Jill! I need you to pay attention!” (Refer to Specific above to correct these directions).

Kurt Stielow, St. Marcus



CfUT Welcomes Laura Roman Laura Roman joined the Center for Urban Teaching in 2013 as a part-time instructional coach to 12 teachers in the city of Milwaukee. Her teaching career began in 2006 as a first grade teacher, grade level dean, and Teach For America Corps Member in Camden, New Jersey. Prior to joining TFA, Laura earned a B.S. in Community Education and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After serving two years in Camden, she returned to Milwaukee and taught Spanish at HOPE Christian High School for three years. During that time, she completed a M.S. in Educational Leadership in Cardinal Stritch University as well as a Graduate Certificate in Instructional Mentoring through the Southeastern Wisconsin New Teacher Mentor Project. From 2010-2013, she had the great privilege of serving as Director of Instruction at HOPE Christian High School. In to the ACT College Readiness Standards, and after just 2 years of implementation the juniors at HOPE doubled their average

growth on the ACT and were outperforming their peers at the state and national averages. Laura also wrote the schools’ first teacher evaluation rubric and executed its first comprehensive supervision and evaluation plan. Laura is Passionate about improving the quality of education for all students in the city of Milwaukee, one teacher at a time, through professional development and coaching. She has enjoyed working with teachers ranging from K4 through 12th grade. She is married and loves her newest role as Mom to her beautiful daughter, Annabella.

Laura Roman, Teacher Coach

On Friday, October 18th, staff and supporters of the HOPE schools gathered for a celebration centered on the theme of #Winning. On the way to the event, a friend asked me “Why do you think they have this celebration in October instead of May?” I hadn’t considered this before, but it was a good question. It is just the start of the school year, so I did some research and got to thinking about what there is to celebrate so far. Here are a few things shared on the HOPE schools website about how their scholars are #winning. -“For the second year in a row, 100% of HOPE High School seniors were accepted to college.” -“On the ACT, [HOPE] high school students have outperformed the local, state, and national African American average.” -“[HOPE’s] K-8 students are 25% faster than their national peers on the NWEA MAP Assessments.” (www.hopeschools.org/celebration2013) I would say these things are worth celebrating. In the words of Jamie Luehring, Executive Director of the HOPE Schools, “The only time we stop #winning is when we stop fighting for our kids.” The determination and work from all involved is clearly paying dividends for these students.

As an attendee, it was inspirational to see the leaders, teachers, and supporters gathered to encourage each other and celebrate these wins and so much more. We cheered on the teachers who were honored for their contributions to their team and their students. We cheered on the students for their hard work and progress. Of course, the night ended with the greatly acclaimed HOPE Idol videos, but I won’t spoil the winner for you. Each school brought something creative to the table with their video, and they are all worth the watch. Now that I think about it, October is the perfect time to kick off the school year in celebration of the hard work from HOPE staff and students as well as encourage the team to keep striving for the great things still to come.

Kristin Plessinger

Atonement, 4th Grade Student Teacher

CfUT School Spotlight: HOPE Schools

http://www.hopeschools.org/celebration2013

67

ACTIVE

MEMBERS


The Center for Urban Teaching

Organization at WLC will be hosting it’s last

Embracing Excellence of the semester on

Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00pm with a

presentation on character building. Visitors from

Relay Graduate School, formerly Teacher U, will

also be attending to learn more about CfUT.

Snacks and drinks will be provided! We hope you

will take the time during the busy last months of

the semester to join us for a great networking

opportunity as well as a time to glean some

valuable strategies that can be used in your

future classroom! Please contact Kelsi Daffner

with any questions you may have at

[email protected]

Club Update

What’s Your Style of Peanut Butter? A Milwaukee Immersion Reflection

Some people make decisions with ease, but I am not one of those people. Whether it’s choosing which brand of peanut butter to purchase at the store or which job to take, each decision-making situation usually morphs into a sort of life crisis which I deal with in various ways ranging from eating the aforementioned peanut butter by the spoonful to spending some quiet prayer time alone with my Savior. For the longest time, I wrestled with the answer to one huge question in my life: what do I want to do with it? I knew that I wanted to be a teacher, but had no idea what specific type of education I would study and sometimes even questioned whether I would succeed as an educator in the first place.

However, my first Immersion Tour with CfUT put all of my worries to rest; I got in the van not knowing what to expect and returned a few hours later understanding exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I’m still not sure what prompted this unnaturally speedy decision, but I think it had to do with the fact that we got to witness some of the city’s highest-performing teachers in action while collaborating with other passionate future educators and knowledgeable CfUT staff. This trip and the second tour I ended up participating in taught me so much about the power of high expectations, the challenges urban teachers face, and the tactics that they use to help their students reach their fullest potentials. Even though

I only spent a few hours collectively on these trips, I already feel more prepared for my future vocation. I still can’t decide which grade levels or subject matter that I want to teach, and I still can’t choose between all-natural or extra chunky peanut butter goodness. However, because of my Immersion Tours with CfUT, though, I have become an inspired and informed future urban educator. I’d recommend that anyone with even the slightest interest in education (it effects all of us in one way or another) go on one of these trips—they don’t just affect your beliefs about teaching, but your preconceptions about the world as a whole!

Lydia Harbach WLC, Freshman

“At first, I wasn't sure if I could handle

being a lead teacher as a first-year

summer school volunteer. However, the

support I received from my principals, co

-teacher, and coworkers made it possible

for me to succeed! Each day had its

challenges, but each had its blessings

too! Because of the program, I have

grown immensely in my teaching

confidence and competence, have

gained valuable skills and techniques to

use in the classroom, and have

developed a passion for urban

teaching. I also was able to meet some

pretty amazing scholars and future

teachers! CfUT rocks!

Raenell Engel, WLC Senior

99

ACTIVE

MEMBERS


Student Teacher

Shout Outs!

The Center for Urban Teaching would like to give a shout out to those making a difference in the city by student teaching in Milwaukee this semester.

St. Marcus

Elizabeth Henke

Katrina Bucholz

Atonement

Rachel Hein

Risen Savior

Staci Putz

Siloah

Stephanie Rehbaum

Summer School Reflection: In the Floor Plan?

On the windowsill in my dorm room sit two pictures in mismatched frames; one of me and my Dad after one of my football games, and one of my kids from the CfUT Summer School. Each day, they serve as a reminder for me of who I am and where I am headed. Sometimes it is easy to forget why I do all the studying and working that I do here in New Ulm, MN, several hundred miles away from the kids in that picture, but every time I give those scholars a glance, I realize that they aren’t that far away. They are always on my heart and mind. The messy drawings, student notes, and Shout-Out slips that adorn my walls always keep them close. Those kids changed me. I didn’t really want to be a teacher; the teacher’s life never appealed to me. Thirty years in the same classroom, teaching the same boring stuff over and over again? Not for me. My goal in life is to reach as many souls as possible before Jesus calls me home, and the classroom just didn’t seem to be a very efficient place to do it, but then, as Isaiah, “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ and I said, “Here am I, send me.” And he has. On paper, this shouldn’t work. I am a big, bearded white dude from the middle of nowhere who graduated from high school in a class of less than 100 and goes to school out in the boondocks of Minnesota, but I can’t wait to get back to Milwaukee and start all over again. God is doing great work in Milwaukee, and he is using teachers to do it. What an incredible blessing the Summer School experience was for me. It gave me a direction and a purpose I never had before. It has refined me as a Christian and considerably changed my identity as a man. Summer School is only the beginning of a lifetime of service to the children of Milwaukee, and I eagerly await my opportunity to get started.

Charlie Ungemach MLC

If you have any questions on how you can get involved with the MLC CfUT Club, please contact Elizabeth Jeske at [email protected].

17

ACTIVE

MEMBERS


Chicago Immersion Tour Reflection: Liz Swarczewski

After listening to the two speakers at Embracing Excellence, I feel inspired. Throughout my last years at Marquette, I have felt a calling towards urban education. Hearing Ms. Hollmann and Ms. Harland speak about their experiences makes me incredibly eager to go out in the field and someday have the same stories they do. One story that particularly struck me was the explanation of how a younger student opened up to one of the teachers. She had a student in her class that took a while to warm up to her, yet the teacher persisted to hug her students as she said goodbye. Eventually, when it was the teacher’s birthday, the same student ran up to her to hug her and wish her a happy birthday. Stories like that are the reason I am going into teaching. I want to be that difference in the student’s life. I want the students to look forward to coming to my classroom. I think it is important for education majors, or anyone who plans on working with children, to attend meetings like the one I recently attended. It is empowering to hear other teacher’s stories in an urban setting. I am grateful for this experience that the Center of Urban Teaching brought me and I look forward to hearing and seeing more.

Melissa Lewandowski Marquette University, Junior

Embracing Excellence: Hayley Harland and Erin Hollmann If you have any questions on how

you can get involved with the MU CfUT Club please contact Amelia Marshall at [email protected].

Attending the first Chicago Immersion Tour of this school year was an empowering experience. Having taught summer school with the Center for Urban Teaching at St. Marcus, and embarking on the New York Immersion Trip this past summer, I have truly grown in my beliefs and vision for the future. The schools we visited in Chicago confirmed these beliefs. We had the opportunity to visit three of the Noble Street Charter Schools: Gary Comer Middle School, Gary Comer College Prep, and Rauner College Prep. At each school, I was “wow-ed” by the academic rigor of each classroom, and the pride these scholars have in their schools and their success. We had the chance to talk with several upperclassmen and women in the high schools, and each of them knew that attending and graduating from college was not only an option for them, but an expectation. Many of them already had schools and career choices in mind, even as freshmen and

sophomores! Talking with administrators from each school gave us the chance to get more insight as to how this culture of high expectations and teamwork was intentionally built as part of the vision of these schools. It was clear that every teacher was there for the same reasons: to provide their students with the necessary tools to be successful in college and beyond, but also to serve as a caring role model for their students in everything they do. The intelligent and sophisticated students, as well as the knowledgeable and highly motivated administrators at each school we visited further sparked my aspiration to become a high-performing urban teacher and to teach in a school where these expectations and visions are a reality. Thank you to CfUT for the wonderful opportunity!

Liz Swarczewski Marquette University

Liz Swarczewski, Marquette University


This past summer, I was blessed to be a part of the Center for Urban Teaching’s summer school program. I co-taught with Katy Schmutzer in the 5th grade class at St. Marcus Lutheran School. Hours of training, preparation, and planning allowed all of us to grow as teachers and as people. Although we all had different experiences and took away many lessons from the six-week program, the major life application that was reinforced for me was, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again… and then try some more.” Teaching this past summer has put me ahead of many of my other classmates for my senior year of college. From an educational perspective, I had learned many strategies and techniques my last three years at Concordia University Wisconsin. But being at St. Marcus truly showed me that nothing replaces authentic classroom experiences where one can ride the daily roller coaster of joy, frustration, enthusiasm, and hope that teachers experience. Having real experience writing daily lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes, tests, evaluating student work as well as your own work, gives you a taste of what real teaching is all about. Through all the ups and downs of the weeks, days, and hours, you learn how to manage yourself as well as your class. I lost count of how many different behavior management strategies we implemented with our kids, but I remember

the determination with which we sought to find ones that worked. When strategies proved ineffective, we tried again and tried again. Then tried some more. And then it clicked. Through it all, you keep your head high and never lose hope. You learn to rely on the other people around you and value the importance of teamwork. Every teacher and staff member that was associated with the summer school was always willing to help with anything you may have needed. The CfUT community is one giant support system that is willing to do anything for you, before, during, or after summer school. My fifth grade summer school class will always have a special place in my heart. Those 23 kids were my first class that I could call my own. Not only do I feel like I made an impact on my kids, but they have made an impact on me. They have made me a better teacher for my future students. The personal, educational, and emotional rewards are irreplaceable and indescribable. Teaching summer school was one of the busiest, most stressful, sleepless, but most fun times of my life. I could not replace this experience and cannot wait to do it again.

Morgan Petsch Concordia University

Summer School Reflection: Morgan Petsch

On the road to awesome…Recognition of CfUT growth on other campuses


Upcoming CfUT Events for Undergraduates

Embracing Excellence

November 6th @ American Red Cross

November 27th @ WLC

December 4th @ American Red Cross

December @WLC

Milwaukee Immersion November 7, 12, 20, 25

December 5, 2013

Chicago Immersion November 5, 2013

November 21, 2013

Check out our website for a complete list of events at www.urbanteaching.info

Job and Volunteer Opportunities St. Marcus Lutheran School—

Elective Teacher and Power Hour Assistant

St. Marcus is in need of someone to teach a computer technology class during their electives timeslots which are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 3:15pm to 4:00pm. If desired, you could also be paid to assist during Power Hour which runs from 4pm to 5pm. It would pay $15 per hour and students would be paid for 4 sessions each week (3 for teaching and one for planning). There would be 15-20 students in the class in grades 5-8. A curriculum has not been written, but it would basically be teaching students more advanced technology skills like PowerPoint, excel, advanced typing, etc. If a student was particularly passionate about something other than technology, they would be open to other proposals also.

Tutoring Opportunity: HOPE Prima

A mother is looking for tutoring for her 7th grade girl in the subject of math. She is willing to pay $15 and hour and tutoring could take place at either HOPE Prima or some other agreed upon location. If interested please contact Ms. Haynes at 414.940.2019

Risen Savior Tutoring Opportunity

Risen Savior has requested a tutor/volunteer to assist them on Tuesday afternoon's from 2:30-4:00. They're looking for a few CfUT undergraduates to assist/support the teacher aids on Tuesdays while the lead teachers are attending a training. The rooms that need help are the Kindergarten, 2nd, and 3rd grade classrooms. Candidates can email Mrs. Kolander directly at [email protected].


Center for

Urban Teaching

2600 W Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, WI. 53233

www.urbanteaching.info

Contact us at [email protected]

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/CenterforUrbanTeaching

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CfUrbanTeaching

Leadership Team Krysta DeBoer, Executive Director

Email: [email protected] Cell: 715.570.7838

Ray Dusseau, Founder and Director of Recruitment Email: [email protected] Cell: 414.412.8859

Castenzio Venegas, Director of Teacher Development Email: [email protected] Cell: 262.412.9977

Kevin Festerling, Teacher Coach Email: [email protected] Cell: 414.507.4361

Sue Holdmann, Office Manager Email: [email protected]

The Pur poseurbanteaching.info/home/180002450/180002450/Images/CfUT - 10-31-13.pdfstare at the phone...

Documents

Transcript of The Pur poseurbanteaching.info/home/180002450/180002450/Images/CfUT - 10-31-13.pdfstare at the phone...