Learning Paths for Teachers

Utilizing The Dock for Learning as Teacher Preparation for the School Year

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Planning intentional development through The Dock

This guide was originally developed as a resource for teachers who could not attend large events during COVID-19. Though we are grateful for the return of in-person events, these learning paths remain highly useful guides for exploring the resources on The Dock.

We offer the following content as one option for teachers, principals, and school boards to consider when planning for teacher orientation in their schools and communities. The Dock offers thousands of recordings and documents that could provide a starting point for teacher orientation. The lists below were curated by long-term educators to highlight some of the best content in various categories.

We encourage teachers to take a group approach to this preparation. Teachers prepare best in collaboration, and the conversation that happens in a group is one of the significant benefits of a large gathering. Perhaps all the teachers from a school could gather for one or two days of focused preparation. If it is not possible to gather with teachers from the same school, perhaps teachers who live in the same geographic area could gather. Groups could plan to eat lunch together to maximize the benefit.

School boards could ask their teachers to devote several days to this sort of development. A school board or principal could enable that gathering by identifying a place and time, or by providing lunch or supper for the teaching staff.

Whether the teacher listens to content alone or with a group, there are ways to maximize the learning that occurs. Here are some ideas to try after listening to a session:

• Think together about ways in which you’re already applying the teaching strategies described.
• Talk about ways you could strengthen your practices and methods.
• Choose one or two new things you’re going to try.
• Choose a core subject (math, reading, etc.) you’re going to focus on teaching extra well this year.

We offer this suggested schedule as a starting point for groups to plan their time together.

Sample Daily Schedule

All Teachers Together   Listen to one segment of a multi-session series

· Give time for discussion

Series to Consider Becoming an Effective Teacher (Anthony Hurst) Texts for Teachers (Steven Brubaker) Biblical Integration (Daniel Rutt) Series options in the lists below are marked with an asterisk*.

Breakout 1   Split into grade level groups to watch or listen. Choose content from Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary/Middle School, or High School All Teachers Together Discuss the content experienced so far. What are your take-aways and applications? What are your lingering questions? Listen Together Consider listening to a presentation on Learning Difficulties, Class Culture, or Classroom Management.

Eat a meal together.

New and less experienced teachers could round out their preparation by listening to at least one presentation from each of the following categories: learning difficulties, classroom management, and class culture. In addition, they should take in as much content as possible from the most relevant grade level section to their teaching position. The grade level sections below are Lower Elementary (Grades 1-3), Upper Elementary/Middle School (Grades 4-8), and High School (Grades 9-12).

Besides learning about methods of teaching core subjects such as math and reading at their grade level, new teachers also need to spend time thinking more generally about how to plan lessons and assess the learning of students. The shaded section in the New Teachers category provides videos and lesson plan templates to help teachers start thinking about these important topics.

The lists below include more content than any school could hope to cover in a few days of teacher orientation. In addition, these are only some of the resources available on The Dock. In many cases, related items are listed on the page for each item; those related items may offer additional help in a given area.

We hope that this material will assist teachers in their preparation for the school year ahead. We pray that God will bless the efforts of school boards, principals, and teachers as they engage in the challenging work of this year!

Preparation for New Teachers—General

The items below will help new teachers start to think about the vital topics of planning lessons and assessing the learning of students. Some of the documents are templates that can be edited.

Speaker	Title	Format
Anthony Hurst	*Becoming An Effective Teacher	Audio   4 sessions
Steven Brubaker	*Texts for Teachers	Audio   4 sessions
Jonas Sauder	Essential Personal Qualities of Teachers	Audio   1 hour 24 minutes
Deana Swanson	Incorporating Good Books into Any Curriculum	Audio   1 hour
Paul Harrison	Start with Simple: Tips to Make the First Year Less Stressful	Video   5 Minutes

Preparation for New Teachers—Lesson Planning and Assessment

Speaker	Title	Format
Peter Goertzen	What do Teachers Do? Focusing Your Lessons with Objectives	Video   6 minutes
Rolin Martin	The 4 Ms of Effective Objectives	Video   15 minutes
Brian J. Martin	More than a Grade: Assessment as a Teaching Tool	Video   5 minutes
Betty Yoder	Help for the Beginners and the Experienced	Document for new teacher orientation   25 pages
Jonas Sauder	Basic Lesson Plan Template	Document
Arlene Birt	Introduction to Teaching Master Document (includes lesson plan template)	Document

General Interest for Experienced Teachers

Speaker	Title	Format
Daniel Rutt	*Biblical Integration	Audio   30-40 minutes each session; Video summaries, 2 clips 5-6 minutes each
Daniel Rutt	Biblical Integration Summary	Video   2 clips 5-6 minutes each
Kyle Lehman	*Swords to Ploughshares: Knowledge to Wisdom	Audio   30-40 minutes per session 4 sessions
Gerald Miller	*A History of Christian Education	Audio   1 hour per session 4 sessions
Sharon Martin	Called to Teach	Audio   1 hour
Sheldon Kauffman	Peaceful Classrooms	Audio   1 hour

Content for Lower Elementary Teachers

Speaker	Title	Format
Carolyn Martin	Welcome to First Grade Part 1 and Part 2	Audio   1 hour per session
Verlin Miller	Teaching Elementary Math	Audio   50 minutes
Glenda Miller and Ruth Anna Kuhns	The Exciting Journey: Guiding Your Class to Successful Reading	Video   12 minutes
Ruth Anna Kuhns	Making Elementary Math Come Alive	Video   2 clips 2-3 minutes each
Yvonne King	Show Them, Tell Them; Techniques to Share the Story of the Bible	Video   3 clips 6-10 minutes each
Becky Bollinger	Sing, Chant, Learn: Making Memorization Easier with Songs and Chants	Video   8 minutes
Martha Stoltzfus and Karen Yoder	Helping Struggling Readers	Video   5 minutes
Marla Bear	Children Thrive on Routines: The Power of Rhythms for Individualized Classrooms	Video   8 minutes
Yvonne King	Responding to the Challenge: Teaching Lower Elementary	Video   6 minutes
Yvonne King	10 Resources for Elementary Math Review	Document

Content for Upper Elementary/Middle School Teachers

Speaker	Title	Format
Sharon Yoder	3 Components for a Successful Reading Class	Audio   1 hour
Sharon Yoder	Teaching Fictional Elements in the Reading Class	Audio   1 hour
Jonas Sauder	Developing Levels of Reading Comprehension	Audio   2 hours 14 minutes
Jonas Sauder	Speaking Skills Across the Curriculum	Audio   1 hour
Amy Zimmerman	Making Your Curriculum Work For You	Audio   1 hour
Melvin Lehman	Teaching Math	Audio   1 hour 40 minutes
Bethany Peachey	STAR in Reading	Video   5 minutes
Rebecca Beiler	Turn and Learn	Video   5 minutes
Denise Martin	Ways to Call on Students	Video   4 minutes
Amy Zimmerman	Too Long, Too Hard: Making Your Curriculum Work for Your Class	Video   6 minutes

Content for High School Teachers

Speaker	Title	Format
Sharon Martin	Conquering Subjectivity in Assessments	Audio   1 hour
Dana Atkinson	The Hills and the Valleys: Geology from a Young Earth Perspective	Audio   1 hour
Dana Atkinson	Astronomical Adventure: Is Orion’s Belt a Waste of Space?	Audio   1 hour
Rolin Martin	Girls and Math: How Going Beyond the Rules Helps Students Engage with Math	Video   9 minutes
Peter Goertzen	Teaching Church History	Video   5 minutes Linked Resources
Peter Goertzen	World Cultures and Geography	Video   5 minutes
Sharon Martin	Rubrics	Video 3 minutes   Document: 3 sample rubrics
Brian J. Martin	Now They Know: Why and How to Differentiate Instruction	Video   5 minutes

Content on Learning Difficulties

Speaker	Title	Format
Lynell Nissley	Exceptional Learner: Defining the Terms   A series of blog posts that should be read first to give an overview to this complex topic. Dyslexia is a common disability that teachers will encounter, so special attention could be given to these blog posts.	Blog Posts
Anthony Hurst	ADHD	Audio   1 hour
Becky Bollinger	Dyslexia: Signs, Symptoms, and Solutions	Audio   1 hour
Becky Sue Kreider	Trauma: How Can I Teach This Child?	Audio   1 hour
Deana Swanson	Accommodating Special Needs in the Classroom	Audio   1 hour
Hannah Johnson	Memory	Video   8 minutes
Wesley King	Coping with RAD	Audio   1 hour
Lynell Nissley	Resources to Consider	Document

Content on Developing Class Culture

Speaker	Title	Format
Anthony Hurst	Components of Classroom Culture	Audio   1 hour
Jeremy and Diana Sauder	Improving Communication with Your Students Part 1 and Part 2	Audio   1 hour each
Melvin Lehman	Authority in Action	Audio   50 minutes
Sheldon Kauffman	Peaceful Classrooms Excerpt	Audio   7 minutes
John Mark Kuhns	Relationships with Students	Video   4 minutes
Joseph Shantz	Enjoying School, Delighting in God: Classroom Culture	Video   5 minutes

Content on Classroom Management

Speaker	Title	Format
Conrad Smucker	Managing a Multi-Grade Classroom	Audio   50 minutes
Brian Martin	Setting Up Your Classroom to Enhance Student Learning	Video   4 minutes
Karen Nolt	Sample Classroom Procedures (5th grade)	Document
Regina Martin	Classroom Management Plan (Grades 1-3)	Document
Amy Zimmerman	Code of Conduct	Document