Becoming an Attending and

Lead from the Classroom

Teaching is complex yet the public perception does not match the demands of the profession.  So how can the process of teacher training and preparation be improved to overcome public perception of simplicity and meet these complex demands of students, districts, and the communities they serve?  Through an innovative model of preparation that intertwines rigorous study of pedagogy with immersive practice, and the guidance, feedback, and support of carefully selected and matched expert teachers (you!) and building leaders:  the Classroom Academy.

StoryCorps, hear their stories.

Roles and Responsibilities

Gradual Release Guidance

Co-Teaching Guidance

Experience for educators needs to be contextualized, modeled, practiced, and guided by carefully selected, high-quality expert teachers in the communities that the candidates may serve.  The student teaching model of the 1950s, dropping candidates for 40 day placements in districts,  with volunteer teachers willing to accept them, can not adequately prepare candidates for a job of this importance.  Given the opportunity to be embedded with an expert teacher for two years the Classroom Academy (CA)--a 500% increase over traditional models-- produces a classroom ready novice, familiar with the community, the school personnel, norms and protocols within the school community, and any instructional priorities or curriculum resources used. It removes barriers of equity by providing classroom ready new hires for all students and will encourage retention.

National Board Component 2

Attending Teachers:  
​Heather Gwin, 2nd grade;
Sharon Farrell, HS ELA;
Jennifer French, HS SS;
​Joy Lindsay, 1st grade

Benefits:

• Allows building leaders and Attending Teachers to shape the context of the candidates’ learning so they can develop an understanding of districts’ instructional priorities, objectives, programs, and communities’ needs.
• Provides each classroom with a second “teacher” in training, which increases instructional time, allowing more flexibility meeting  individual student needs, small group instruction, and better student outcomes.
• The district can  utilize the resident as a substitute for the lead (Attending) teacher throughout the two year experience, benefiting students by providing seamless opportunities for continued learning when the lead teacher is absent as well as providing a positive resolution for a perpetual district challenge.

The Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES does not discriminate in its programs and activities, including employment and admission as applicable, on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, economic status, marital status, veterans' status, political affiliation, domestic victim status, use of a guide dog, hearing dog or service dog, disability, or other classifications protected under federal or state law, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The designated district compliance officers will coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, and the New York State Human Rights Law. The BOCES Compliance Officers are: Turina Parker and Ronald Black, Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES, 1153 Burgoyne Avenue, Suite 2, Fort Edward, NY 12828. phone: 518-746-3310, email: tuparker@wswheboces.org or rblack@wswheboces.org.  Complaints may also be filed with the Office for Civil Rights, New York Office, U.S. Department of Education, 32 Old Slip, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10005- 2500, phone (646) 428-3800, fax (646) 428-3843, email:OCR.NewYork@ed.gov ​