The Bank Street New Teachers Online Forum aims to help new teachers to develop resources and support networks as they face the many challenges of the first years of teaching. The Online Forum is actively facilitated by Judith Leipzig, of the BSC Graduate School faculty, and will be a place for you to talk together about some of the issues that you think are most pressing<breve>to share your ideas and questions; to think about individual children; and to reflect on your experiences, teaching strategies, and a range of social and political issues. BSC Grad faculty and experienced classroom teachers will contribute to the Online Forum website as well. As a non-credit participant you will have access to the full range of the Online Forum website, AT NO CHARGE. Those who would like to earn one elective credit through the New Teachers Online Forum can find out more by clicking here: Online Forum Credit.
In the Fall, the Online Forum will begin on September 27, 2004 and will end eight weeks later on November 22, 2004. We will begin by introducing ourselves and our settings, and then on the main discussion page we will explore four topics, each for two weeks:
2. Classroom Organization
3. Building Classroom Communities
4. Meeting Individual Children's Needs
5. Supportive Classroom Management
Click here for the Forum Enrollment Form.
In the Spring, the Online Forum will begin on February 7, 2005 and will end eight weeks later on April 1, 2005. On the main discussion page we will explore, four topics, each for two weeks:
1.Classroom Meetings and Discussions
2. Conflict Resolution in the Classroom
3. Working with Parents
4. Developing Productive Relationships with Colleagues
Click here for the Forum Enrollment Form
Detailed Resource Recommendations for each of the main discussion topics are part of the website, with descriptions of articles that you can read through the BSC Library Online database, book recommendations, links to other websites, slide shows and audiofiles.
And you can raise other issues, too. In the past, participants have helped each other with whatever was most pressing in their own classrooms at the time: developing curricula; navigating collegial relationships; looking for jobs; coming up with strategies to meet the needs of individual children; developing better communication with parents, and much more.
Who can participate? Students who have completed their supervised fieldwork through one of the Early Childhood and Elementary Education programs in the Teacher Education Department at Bank Street College, and who are in their first three years of classroom teaching as a head teacher or as an assistant teacher. If you have not yet graduated and decide to take the for-credit option, you will need to receive permission from your advisor to use this as an elective credit toward your degree.
Do I have to be a technology wiz in order to participate? Not at all. If you have an email address and regular access to the Internet, either at home or at work, you can participate in this course. The New Teachers Online Forum website will offer technology instructions that should be helpful to you. In addition, if you have questions about technology, you'll be able to email our educational technologist directly, and if you have questions about your participation, you'll be able to correspond with Judith Leipzig, the facilitator/instructor.
What do I do now? If you want to participate in the Bank Street College New Teachers Online Forum as a non-credit participant, click here for the Forum Enrollment Form.
If you want to enroll in the Online Forum for credit, click here for further information: Online Forum Credit. Participants will receive instructions about how to log on to the Online Forum website several days before the beginning of each eight week session.
Questions? Email the website instructor/facilitator Judith Leipzig at jleipzig@bnkst.edu .