When Northeast Elementary School special education teacher Janet Villalobos participated in her first professional development training through MFEE’s Teacher Learning Communities (TLCs), she wasn’t expecting the facilitators to teach a high school-level history lesson in Italian.
But that’s exactly what happened, and it was eye-opening.
Villalobos, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, got to experience first-hand what it is like to be an English-language learner, a population of students that is growing in our community.
“They put us in the students’ place when they first arrive. It was really powerful to know this is how the students feel,” Villalobos said.
The TLCs – which have brought together approximately 16 teachers from across the Montclair Public Schools for specialized coaching and instruction over the past two years – have focused on best practices in teaching and supporting English-language learners.
The TLCs are small, professional learning communities to boost teaching in our district. Led by highly-skilled coaches with the SIFE Equity Project, the participating cohort meets throughout the school year. The program seeks to equip teachers with concrete tools and advice they can take back and implement in their classrooms. The lessons include both theoretical discussion and practical application.
Participating teachers have the opportunity to collaborate and learn from their peers who teach at different schools, in other subject-matter areas and grade levels. This is something that Montclair High School math and special education teacher Norah Kose welcomed. Kose said she appreciated the networking, sharing of teaching techniques and emotional support from other teachers. She found it helpful to learn from colleagues at elementary and middle schools, who are facing similar challenges in their own classrooms.
Kose, who was born and raised in Turkey and speaks Turkish in addition to English, said participating in the TLC was a valuable experience that kept her motivated, actively learning and renewed her purpose as an educator: “It keeps my passion fresh and makes me a better teacher.”
Masiel Rodriquez-Vars, MFEE’s executive director, launched the program in December of 2022, in keeping with the organization’s mission to nurture a dynamic teaching force. The work is also enhanced by MFEE's affiliation with the Research Partnership for Professional Learning. RPPL, based at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, is a network of research and professional learning institutions seeking to connect research to practice.
“We wanted to more deeply support teachers in a sustained way, not just with a one-off meeting or workshop. We’ve worked with some of these teachers for two years now, and we’ve seen the positive impact it can make,” Rodriquez-Vars said. “These teachers work together as thought partners, leveraging each other as colleagues and support for on-going learning.”
The current cohort of teachers will wrap up learning soon, and MFEE hopes to continue the successful program in the future with a new focus and group of Montclair educators. Visit MFEE.org/TLCs to learn more.
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