Title slide English/Arabic

Objective To provide you with an overview of the School Based Teacher Development: Transforming Classrooms Programme To prepare you for pretesting the Programme School Based Teacher Development: Transforming Classroom Practices (SBTD TCP)

Objectives To provide you with an overview of the School Based Teacher Development: Transforming Classrooms Programme To prepare you for the SBTD TCP Programme prior to its implementation in your school

UNRWA Education Reform Strategy UNRWA Education Reform Strategy was launched on October 5th 2011 and is being implemented in the Five Fields. Next we will show you a video on the Reform strategy.

UNRWA Education Reform Video

The Education Reform puts teachers at its heart Investing in Teachers…transforms classrooms Teachers, teaching and learning pedagogies are at the heart of the Reform strategy. Teachers are the single most important determinant for improving the quality of education and raising the achievement of Palestine children in all UNRWA schools. Children are the main reason behind the development of SBTD programme. Continuous professional development makes good teachers better, inspiring and stimulating them in their work which makes a real difference to the lives of children, helping each child to fulfill their potential.

Teacher Development is a core area of the Education Reform Strategy Quality Education can only be achieved through focusing on all dimensions of education including teacher training. Therefore, transformational change towards enhanced quality education in UNRWA depend upon a holistic, coherent and interrelated approach comprising 8 key dimensions. SBTD TCP is a very important strand which falls within the Teacher Development and School Empowerment dimension.

SBTD: An approach that is…. Driving systemic change Strengthening whole Support Cadres SBTD is not a one off training, it is a new school based approach to teacher professional development. SBTD seeks to strengthen the whole UNRWA system of professional support, Head Teachers and Education Specialists play a very important supporting role. Builds upon international evidence of best practices and experience in teacher training

A School Based Development Programme, What does that mean? It’s about learning in situ It allows teachers to study at their own time and integrate their learning into their classes The SBTD TCP is about learning in situ. That is, it recognizes the school as a learning place which provides opportunities for the continuous professional development of teachers, rather than taking teachers out of schools. The SBTD TCP programme adopts a blended learning approach. Teachers study distance learning materials, written in an interactive style, in their own time plus they try out new ways of working in their classrooms.

Workplace-based Professional Development In medicine and law, the most successful training takes place at the workplace: for teachers it’s the school Research shows that teachers learn most successfully when they can: try out new ideas and approaches in the classroom, and discuss their experience with other teachers in the school The skills and knowledge teachers need are no longer fixed and familiar targets. Teachers need opportunities to go on learning throughout their careers. As mentioned, SBTD recognizes the school as a learning place which provides opportunities for the continuous professional development of teachers. Like with other professions, successful training takes place in the work place and teachers are not an exception.

SBTD TCP improving the quality of learning for Palestine children Aims to transform practices in Grade 1-6 UNRWA classrooms Let’s all remember what this is all about… the children! UNRWA’s commitment to the SBTD TCP programme reflects the importance of developing and supporting teachers throughout their careers, to ensure all children receive a quality education. 11

SBTD TCP enhances classroom learning, making it more dynamic and interactive Focus on summative Focus on formative as well as summative Focus on whole class teaching Focus on whole class teaching, groups, pair work and pupils active participants Focus on textbook Focus on variety of learning resources including school environment Let’s look at what this means. It means a more dynamic and interactive classroom learning environment, one which will impact positively on the achievements of the children. SBTD TCP aims to shift the focus from: Summative into formative and summative assessment as well. Whole class teaching into … Text book into … 12 12

How does SBTD TCP work? The Teacher Self learning materials Teacher Handbook Classroom Activities Head Teacher/ School Principal & Education Specialist Support Multimedia environment Professional development portfolio This programme will be phased by geographical area involving teachers of Grade 1 to 6 in an area as will all the support cadres. This approach facilitates a real focus on the programme and will help strengthen its impact. The SBTD TCP programme provides UNRWA teachers with multi-dimensional support areas which all work and complement each other towards a quality training that transforms classroom practices. The support areas include: Self learning materials which teachers study in their own time, there will be 6 text modules written in an interactive style. The modules engage with the teacher, talking to them, asking them to think about their own teaching and reflect upon different teaching approaches. Teacher Handbook which provides information, support and guidance for teachers as they work through the different stages of the programme. It explains what the programme is about , suggests ways of studying and describes the support that is available. 3. Classroom activities: Teachers are also supported in trying out new ways of working in their classrooms. The self learning modules give activities for the teachers to try out. By implementing these activities, teachers will be reflecting on their teaching practice and trying out different approaches. 4. Portfolio: Teachers will keep evidence in a Portfolio of their active participation in the programme in order to obtain their certificate of completion. The Portfolio will comprise evidence of preparation, implementation and evaluation of six Activities (one for each Module). A sample of a student’s work that relates to such activities might also be included. In addition to this, the Portfolio will comprise a collection of 24 lesson plans (one for each Unit) for class-based Activities linked to the SBTD programme that each teacher selects. 5. Teachers will also have a programme notebook; it’s a personal diary that help teachers ,as they work through the units, to record their experiences and reflections at different stages in the programme. 6. Head Teachers and Education Specialists play a very important supporting role. They will guide the teachers throughout the programme, informally on a day-to-day basis and more formally through 6 organized sessions. Three of the formal sessions will be in school with the Head Teacher and three out-of-school with the Education Specialist. There will be an opportunity to share working experiences through the programme. The HT will also conduct an introductory session prior to the start of the programme. This is to introduce the teachers to the programme. HT/SP & ES themselves will be supported by a handbook and scripts for the aforementioned 6 sessions they will facilitate with teachers. 6. Multimedia environment which includes the following: Support sessions DVDs: There will be six DVDs for Head Teachers and Education Specialists to enable them to facilitate the face to face sessions with the teachers. SMS technology: For the first time UNRWA Education Department is adopting SMS technology in order to build a strong and effective communication throughout programme implementation. Therefore, some SMS messages will be sent for teachers and support cadres also participating in the programme for the purpose of information, advocacy and support. Over time, there will also be a website where additional resources can be found. 7. Peers support: Since all teachers of grades 1-6 will be taking the programme simultaneously, this creates a great opportunity to share experiences in the classroom with peers. By sharing successes and things that did not work as hoped in the classroom, teachers can learn together. Some teachers might already be using more active approaches in teaching and learning. The SBTD TCP programme will help them build on this as the programme is open ended, in that it moves each teacher from where they are. Moreover, more experienced teachers are also encouraged to support less experienced colleagues. 13

Content of the Self Learning Materials Six modules on different pedagogical aspects of teaching and learning: 1. Developing Active Pedagogies 2. Learning focused classroom practices 3. Assessment for quality learning 4. The teacher role in promoting literacy and numeracy 5. The inclusive approach to teaching and learning 6. Engaging parents in raising achievement The programme covers key areas which will help transform classrooms. Each Module is divided into four Units and each Unit will be covered by a teacher in a week. However, there is some flexibility and some teachers might take longer on some individual Units than others. 14

SBTD TCP paves the way for strengthening the support structure Month1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6 HT meeting With staff ES meeting Outside the school Ongoing support by Head Teachers in school Info Session Final Evaluation Session Ongoing support by Educational Specialists Midterm Evaluation Session As we mentioned earlier, Head Teachers (HTs)/School Principals (SPs) and Education Specialists (ESs) play a particularly important support role in facilitating the teachers’ learning, as SBTD TCP seeks to harness and strengthen the UNRWA system of professional support. Characteristics of this combined support include the following: 1- An introductory Info session: Head Teachers/School Principals will lead one meeting before the beginning of the programme in order to induct teachers in their school into the programme and its aims and intentions. 2- Ongoing informal support by Head Teachers/School Principals for teachers throughout the programme. 3- Three in-school sessions: Head Teachers/School Principals will lead in-school support sessions every two months which will focus on Modules 2, 4 and 6 respectively. 4- Three out-of- school sessions: Education Specialists will lead three out-of-school sessions, which will link with Modules 1, 3 and 5 respectively. These meetings will enable teachers to meet with colleagues from other schools and to share experience and ideas with them. 5- Education Specialists will also support teachers’ progress during their normal school visits (in liaison with Head Teachers/School Principals). There will be a midterm and a final evaluation session with the HT (in coordination with the relevant ES) and the teachers. At the end of the programme, there will be a celebration meeting to acknowledge the teachers who completed the programme successfully and award them certificates. 15

SBTD TCP Assessment The assessment will focus on teachers’ professional practices rather than on any theoretical or formal examination. The assessment will not be pass or fail but rather Completion or Non-Completion. The assessment will be informed by the teacher’s self-evaluation but the decision whether to issue a Certificate of completion will be made by the HT/SP in coordination with the ES involved in the programme.

Assessment of programme completion Classroom Observation Portfolio Attendance of midterm and final assessment session Attendance of out-of school sessions Attendance of in-school sessions Programme notebook The following will form the basis of the assessment of programme completion and certification: 1. Portfolio a) Evidence of preparation for, execution and evaluation of six classroom activities, one from each of the programme Modules. For each Module the Teacher is asked to include in his/her Portfolio a copy of his/her lesson plan for the activity selected to submit for, as well as evidence of his/her experience, learning and reflections on that activity. b) Lesson plans showing at least 24 activities across the programme duration, linked to the SBTD TCP. The teacher should highlight the Activity in their lesson plan and explain briefly how it is linked to the TCP programme. The lesson plans will be submitted at the end of the programme to the HT/SP. The Portfolio will be formally submitted by the teacher to the HT/SP for assessment at the end of each semester (i.e. mid-term after completion of Modules 1-3 and final after Modules 4-6). The mid-term assessment will help the HT/SP identify potential problems and will enable the HT/SP to provide further assistance to the teachers who request it. At the end of the assessment process, the Portfolio will be returned to the teacher for future professional development purposes. 2. The Programme Notebook which comprise reflections by the teacher and will form part of the assessment. Throughout their studies, teachers are encouraged to reflect on topics, case studies and classroom activities. While this reflective component of the programme is an important part of the programme design, it is also a personal one. Therefore, the HT/SP will not assess the actual content of the notebook as this will comprise of individual reflections and considerations. The HT/SP will however check that the teacher has utilized this notebook as a tool for self-reflection. The Programme notebook will be submitted to the HT/SP together with the Portfolio. 3. Attendance of the in-school and out-of school sessions led by HT/SP and/or ES: Failure to attend more than two face-to-face sessions (in-school or out-of-school) without any attempt to compensate, will result in non-issuance of the Certificate of completion. HT/SP and/or ES who lead the sessions will record attendance and follow up on absenteeism. 4. The Classroom Observation: At least two classroom visits reports (template provided) by the HT/SP and ES will be used in the assessment process. 5. Attendance by the teacher of the Midterm and Final evaluation session with HT/SP will also be taken into consideration in the summative assessment process. 17 17

Certification All teachers who have successfully completed the programme will receive an UNRWA endorsed Certificate. Schools where more than 80% of teachers have successfully completed the SBTD TCP will be issued a School Award which can be displayed for parents and the wider community. This programme is internally certified by UNRWA. Teachers’ completion of the programme will be recorded in the e-PER and forwarded to the Field HR Office for inclusion in the formal personnel file. Discussions about external accreditation of the programme are ongoing. 18

education department hq amman www.unrwa.org 19