NJEA program helps put teaching into perspective
The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) is giving Garden State educators a chance to share a day in the life of their classroom with the community.
The Teacher for a Day program is a year-old NJEA initiative, which allows local education associations to invite individuals, such as school board members, township committee members, public figures and parent-teacher organization parents, to serve as guest teachers. The guest teachers are chosen by invitation from the local school associations.
The program aims to help the public understand how education has changed over time, and what it takes to be a teacher.
Individual education associations affiliated with NJEA work with district superintendents to reach out to the various community figures who choose to participate. Guest teachers attend meetings and are matched with a cooperating teacher in the district.
The guest and certified teachers jointly plan lessons prior to the event.
Guest teachers lead classes, while a state-certified teacher is in the classroom at all times.
In the 2008 to 2009 scholastic year, the program’s inaugural year, four northern New Jersey school districts welcomed guest teachers through the program. Next year, nine school associations in Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties areas have expressed an interest in participating.
One of the nine associations that expressed interest has confirmed plans to hold the program.
The Northern Burlington County Regional Teachers Association (NBCRTA) is planning to bring the Teacher For a Day program into the Northern Burlington County Regional School District in the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.
Alex DeVicaris, president of the NBCRTA, contacted the NJEA because he thinks the program is a great way for the community to get an idea of what teachers do on a day-to-day basis in the classroom. He hopes to begin the program with his eighth-grade science classroom at the district.
“Teaching is a job that you have to experience in order to understand what goes on during a typical day. Most people are amazed at just how much work it is,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for people who don’t see that day-to-day to get insight into what is happening.”
DeVicaris said he would like to invite school board members to visit as guest teachers in the district.
He said the experience would provide the school leaders with firsthand classroom insight. In the future, if the program is successful, he hopes to invite local elected leaders.
Christy Kanaby, NJEA’s coordinator for the program, said the project has met a tremendous amount of success.
Kanaby, who is a former teacher, worked with colleagues in the communications division at NJEA to found the program. She taught seventh- and eighth-grade literacy and social studies for 14 years in Somerset County.
“The program is aiming to promote general public understanding of the educational process. Through it, we hope to demonstrate the successes and problems that schools experience [when] reaching students with various abilities and skill levels,” Kanaby said.
“Hopefully, through the Teacher For a Day program, we can help the public get a window into the world of education. We are all in this together,” she said.
Kanaby called Teacher for a Day a proactive approach that shows the community what is involved in educating a classroom of students.
“The goal for us is to be able to speak the same language. When there is a debate about whether certain supplies are necessary in schools, or concern about the value of keeping 25 staff members, rather than 24, individual participants are able to come to the table with a perspective,” Kanaby said, referring to potential school board participants.
The NJEA recommends, but does not mandate, allowing about three months to plan for the event — time that can be spent alerting the district principals and staff, inviting and recruiting guest teachers, lesson planning, allowing guest teachers to meet with school staff and getting the word out to local media outlets.
After the conclusion of the day, guest teachers are invited to a reception with the local education association, where they are recognized and share their experiences.
“Sometimes, guest teachers are taken aback at what the teachers are responsible for and the amount of preparation it takes to plan one lesson,” Kanaby said.
The Teacher for a Day program is a year-old NJEA initiative, which allows local education associations to invite individuals, such as school board members, township committee members, public figures and parent-teacher organization parents, to serve as guest teachers. The guest teachers are chosen by invitation from the local school associations.
The program aims to help the public understand how education has changed over time, and what it takes to be a teacher.
Individual education associations affiliated with NJEA work with district superintendents to reach out to the various community figures who choose to participate. Guest teachers attend meetings and are matched with a cooperating teacher in the district.
The guest and certified teachers jointly plan lessons prior to the event.
Guest teachers lead classes, while a state-certified teacher is in the classroom at all times.
In the 2008 to 2009 scholastic year, the program’s inaugural year, four northern New Jersey school districts welcomed guest teachers through the program. Next year, nine school associations in Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties areas have expressed an interest in participating.
One of the nine associations that expressed interest has confirmed plans to hold the program.
The Northern Burlington County Regional Teachers Association (NBCRTA) is planning to bring the Teacher For a Day program into the Northern Burlington County Regional School District in the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.
Alex DeVicaris, president of the NBCRTA, contacted the NJEA because he thinks the program is a great way for the community to get an idea of what teachers do on a day-to-day basis in the classroom. He hopes to begin the program with his eighth-grade science classroom at the district.
“Teaching is a job that you have to experience in order to understand what goes on during a typical day. Most people are amazed at just how much work it is,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for people who don’t see that day-to-day to get insight into what is happening.”
DeVicaris said he would like to invite school board members to visit as guest teachers in the district.
He said the experience would provide the school leaders with firsthand classroom insight. In the future, if the program is successful, he hopes to invite local elected leaders.
Christy Kanaby, NJEA’s coordinator for the program, said the project has met a tremendous amount of success.
Kanaby, who is a former teacher, worked with colleagues in the communications division at NJEA to found the program. She taught seventh- and eighth-grade literacy and social studies for 14 years in Somerset County.
“The program is aiming to promote general public understanding of the educational process. Through it, we hope to demonstrate the successes and problems that schools experience [when] reaching students with various abilities and skill levels,” Kanaby said.
“Hopefully, through the Teacher For a Day program, we can help the public get a window into the world of education. We are all in this together,” she said.
Kanaby called Teacher for a Day a proactive approach that shows the community what is involved in educating a classroom of students.
“The goal for us is to be able to speak the same language. When there is a debate about whether certain supplies are necessary in schools, or concern about the value of keeping 25 staff members, rather than 24, individual participants are able to come to the table with a perspective,” Kanaby said, referring to potential school board participants.
The NJEA recommends, but does not mandate, allowing about three months to plan for the event — time that can be spent alerting the district principals and staff, inviting and recruiting guest teachers, lesson planning, allowing guest teachers to meet with school staff and getting the word out to local media outlets.
After the conclusion of the day, guest teachers are invited to a reception with the local education association, where they are recognized and share their experiences.
“Sometimes, guest teachers are taken aback at what the teachers are responsible for and the amount of preparation it takes to plan one lesson,” Kanaby said.
