THE BEGINNING EDUCATOR
SUPPORT AND
TRAINING PROGRAM
…Integrating the
Best of BEST into
Teaching and Learning
Christine.Sullivan@ct.gov
860-713-6828
Italia A. Negroni
inegroni@hartfordschools.org
860-695-8457
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Purpose of this session…

To learn how the criteria for the CT BEST
portfolio are the foundation for effective
teaching and learning….
…and should be integrated into the
planning, instructing, assessing and
reflecting of every lesson, every day
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Agenda for this session…
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Quick overview of BEST
A careful look at elements of a BEST
portfolio
A look into a BEST classroom with an focus
on meaningful discourse
Q&A/Evaluations
3
Opening brainstorm/quick write…

On one side of an index card…
Do a quick-write on your perceptions of the
BEST portfolio
Take 2 minutes to share your reflection in
your groups…
Share out highlights
4
Mission of the BEST Program
“Every
student is
taught by a
qualified and
skilled teacher”
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Who participates in BEST
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Initial educator certificate
Interim initial educator certificate
Temporary 90 day certificate
DSAP* (support only)
Non-renewable interim charter school*
BEST Portfolio Content Areas
Bilingual, Elem Ed, ELA, Math, Music, PE,
Science, Social Studies, Sp Ed, Visual
Arts, World Languages
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What to expect in terms of BEST support
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Year One:
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Year Two: Portfolio due in May
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District/school-based mentor/mentor team support
State Seminar one (Spring)
State Online seminars (ctbest.org)
Local district seminars
District/school-based mentor/mentor team support
State Seminar Two and Three
State Online seminars
Local district seminars
Exemplars (Online, at RESCs, in local districts)
Year Three (if necessary) Portfolio in Feb.
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Why a Portfolio?

Teacher choice - time and topic
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Explain conditions
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Capitalize on strengths
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Integrates complex process of teaching
More reasons why a portfolio:
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To develop reflective practices
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To improve classroom instruction
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To maximize student learning
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To nurture a sense of belonging to the climate and culture of
the school and district
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Remember the Driving Questions…
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What do you want your students to learn? What
understanding do you want your students to gain?
Why do you want your students to learn that
particular skill or understanding?
How will you know your students learned what you
wanted them to learn? How will you know they
understand the concept you taught?
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What is a Teaching Portfolio?
Your portfolio is a collection of teaching documentation over
time that focuses on the following elements of good teaching:
Instructional
Design
(The Plan Based on Data)
Analysis of
Learning &
Teaching
(The How Come Based on Data)
Student
Learning
Instructional
Implementation
(Teaching & Learning)
Assessment of
Student
Learning
(The Outcome Based on Data)
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Instructional Design
•Your Learning Community
•Lesson Design & Development
•Video Boot Camp

Expect learning not just doing from students
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Explain choices and concepts
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Choose the familiar and focus on the “so what”
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Instructional Implementation

What happenED
(students and
teacher)
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Why?
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Inquiry and
discourse
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Videotape of
students thinking
Aligning Expectations, Rigor, Discourse
Clear and High
Expectations
Data on
Student
Work
Academic Rigor
Conceptual
Understanding for
Transfer
Meaningful
Discourse
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Assessment of Student Learning
-Assessing and Adjusting
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Monitoring
Formative/Summative
Not all assessment tasks are created equal
Assessment:
assignment
criteria
how did students know?
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Student work samples WITH your comments
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Check our rubric!
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Reflecting
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Interaction of teacher
behavior and student
performance
Reflecting on Commentaries
Useful adjustments –
NOW – not always next
year
“The reflective practitioner consistently approaches
the problems of teaching in a thoughtful, curious manner
and believes that one of teaching’s main outcomes
is a greater understanding of the teaching and learning act.”
John Dewey, 1933
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What’s Quality
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Student learning and progress
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Big ideas or concepts
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Lessons build on each other
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Student inquiry
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Let’s Take a Closer Look at…
Aligning Expectations, Rigor, Discourse
Clear and High
Expectations
Data on
Student
Work
Academic Rigor
Conceptual
Understanding for
Transfer
Meaningful
Discourse
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Meaningful Discourse is NOT…
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Merely getting students to talk!
Carefully orchestrated student talk can
result in higher levels of student
achievement when…
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Carried out within a thinking curriculum
In the service of rigorous and coherent
instructional tasks
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What is meaningful discourse?
-aka Accountable Talk
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Accountable to the Learning Community
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Accountable to Knowledge
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Student Centered Student Focused
Clear Academic Focus
Accountable to Rigorous Thinking
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Coherent and Rigorous Instructional Tasks
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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words…
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Using your Meaningful Discourse task sheet..
 Review the components of Meaningful Discourse on
your task sheet
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View the video
Record on your task sheet evidence of Meaningful
Discourse that you see in the right hand column
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Discuss in small groups
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Share out highlights
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The session in review…
Aligning Expectations, Rigor, Discourse
•Lesson Design & Development
•Your Learning Community
•Video Boot Camp
Clear and High
Expectations
Student
Learning
Reflecting on Commentaries
Data on
Student
Work
Academic Rigor
Conceptual
Understanding
for
Transfer
Meaningful
Discourse
Formative/Summative
Not all assessment tasks are created equal
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Some Talk Formats…
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Lecture
Recitation
Teacher/Student Conference
Student-Led Small Group
Student Led Small Group with Peer
Conferencing
Whole Group Discussion
Stop and Talk Partner Talk
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Summary of Teacher Talk Moves…
Marking
That’s an important point!
Challenging Students
What do you think?
Modeling
Here’s what good readers do.
Recapping
What have we discovered?
Keeping Channels Open
What di she just say?
Keeping Everyone Together
Who can repeat that?
Linking Contributions
Who wants to add to that?
Verifying and Clarifying
So are you saying…
Pressing for Accuracy
Where can we find that?
Building Prior Knowledge
How does this connect?
Pressing for Reasoning
Why do you think that?
Expanding Reasoning
Take your time. Say more…
Establishing Norms of Equitable
Respect
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Closing reflection…

On the other side of your index card…
Do a quick-write about whether or not your perceptions
of the BEST portfolio changed and why
Take 2 minutes to share your reflection in your groups…
Share out to large group…
Discussion, Q&A
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What to Expect as a New Teacher
Developmental Phases of Beginning Teachers
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On the District Level
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Most school districts in Connecticut offer a district orientation
for all beginning teachers before school starts. This often
includes meetings and/or workshops which address the following:
• district coordinators’ roles;
• special education topics/procedures;
• classroom management;
• contract issues;
• time to work with mentors;
• access to and use of instructional technology;
• tips for the first month of school;
• tour of schools, town or city;
• in-classroom time; and
• overview of BEST Program requirements for beginning
teachers in year one and year two
While this orientation is extremely helpful, building-level
orientation is also critical to a new teacher’s success. It offers
an opportunity for a principal to set a tone that lets the
beginning teacher see that she or he is an important resource
person who supports student and teacher learning.
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On a School-Based Level
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Building-level orientations often include some or all of the
following:
• touring the building and supplying materials;
• discussing building culture/expectations;
• answering beginning teachers’ questions;
• meeting with mentors and beginning teachers to discuss mutual
expectations/responsibilities;
• offering to coordinate mentor/beginning teacher schedules so
they can meet/observe each other;
• setting up a schedule of times for beginning teachers to meet
with the principal throughout the year (perhaps breakfast
meetings or afternoon “teas”);
• offering tips on how to be successful in the first month of
school; and
• helping beginning teachers understand how they will document
their good teaching in their BEST portfolio.
(Some principals now observe beginning teachers two days in a
row to help them begin to reflect on how lessons build on one
another.)
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What to Expect as a New Teacher
Examples of Exemplary Induction Practices
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Beginning teachers have at least biweekly meetings or other forms of contact with mentors or support
team members. (Required by state regulation.)
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District provides release time on at least eight occasions to allow beginning teachers to observe or be
observed by their mentors or support team members or for professional development-related activities.
(Required by state regulation.)
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All administrators attend in-district BEST Portfolio Support Training.
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District facilitator/master mentor coordinates monthly workshops/meetings for year one beginning
teachers and a separate series for year two teachers. Workshops are divided by elementary and
middle/secondary levels.
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Schools hold monthly sessions for teachers which promote reflective practice.
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Recognition events are held for beginning teachers/mentors.
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Departments or grade levels have a morning coffee club where experienced teachers share strategies
with novices.
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Mentors are paid for mentoring. This also provides a vehicle for accountability/quality control.
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Working on a BEST portfolio or assisting a teacher with development of a portfolio becomes the
teacher’s professional goal for the year.
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Beginning teachers not submitting BEST portfolios complete reflective journals and meet with
principals.
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District or school-level workshops are planned around the BEST online, content-specific seminars.
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Conversation Points from Support Teacher Training are used to guide “mini action research projects.”
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Specialized training where mentors and beginning teachers work together is planned throughout the
year.
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Portfolio scorers provide workshops for beginning teachers and mentors on topics such as understanding
and using portfolio feedback rubrics and analyzing portfolio exemplars.
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Principal integrates BEST and district observations by having ongoing conversations that focus on
common expectations.
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Principal observes twice during one unit of instruction. Student work is used to focus on student learning
over time. Connections are then made to portfolio expectations.
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Why be a teacher? by Rick DuFour
If you believe it is important to help children and young men and women
acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions
essential to productive and satisfying lives,
then be a teacher.
If you burst with passion for your subject
and want to share that passion with others,
then be a teacher.
If you appreciate a calling in which each year
offers a fresh start, new beginnings,
and the opportunity to impact lives in a positive way,
then be a teacher.
If you truly enjoy kids, if you are able to see the best in each of them,
if you are willing to persist
when confronted by their recalcitrance or indifference,
then be a teacher.
If you believe that an educated citizenry is critical to the well being of the nation,
then be a teacher.
If you feel joy in seeing students learn to believe in themselves
because you helped them achieve what they felt was beyond their grasp,
then be a teacher.
If, like Henry Adams, you understand that, as a teacher,
you can affect eternity
because it is impossible to tell where your influence stops,
then be a teacher.
If you recognize that giving of yourself to others and developing others
Can be one of the most significant and fulfilling ways
In which to live your life,
Then be a teacher.
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Whom to contact?
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Check ctbest.org for your content area
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Handbook lists
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Teachers-in-Residence
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District Facilitator and mentors
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