HOUSTON – This story is part of the KPRC 2 year-long project ‘Focus on Fleming’ chronicling one year inside an NES-aligned school
There’s no question that things not only look but feel different at Houston ISD campuses this year.
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Since the Texas Education Agency takeover earlier this year, teachers knew major changes were coming, especially those who applied to teach at New Education System-aligned campuses.
To prepare teachers for the upcoming school year and the NES-aligned curriculum and lesson plans, the district set aside a day where teachers would be students and learn.
Thursday Lesson Rehearsals happen weekly at Fleming Middle School from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
“Every Thursday, we do lesson rehearsals. So every Thursday, it’s a different teacher within your department rehearsing so that you can say, ‘Hey, you know, I’m having struggles with my timing, can you as my teacher students, help me with my timing,” sixth-grade math instructor Lyndsy Mason explained.
During these weekly lessons, Mason said a teacher from a different area of learning is chosen to teach a lesson plan. The teacher goes through the entire lesson plan with the other teachers, ensuring the delivery and understanding capabilities are there. If not, the audience of teachers and administrators will provide feedback on how to better adjust the lesson plan.
“It’s in-the-moment coaching from your peers, so that helps a lot as well,” Mason said.
Thursday rehearsals started well before the beginning of the school year, allowing teachers to prepare for the new curriculum that some students have defined as fast-paced and challenging.
But is it working? Mason said she believes so.
She said the lesson rehearsals with teachers, along with the work she’s doing with curriculum writers, are helping students.
In the last month, since working directly with the middle school math curriculum writer, Mason said she has seen tremendous leaps within her students.
“Students have more success. They understand, learn and talk more. We are also receiving great feedback from administration,” Mason said.
The NES model is one that Mason and the Fleming Middle School community believe highly in.
“Is it a model that needed changes? Yes. But it’s a model that works. Is it going to work in a year? No, it takes three to four years to effectively see results. But at Fleming, we have the leaders and are working with the new system.”
KPRC 2 reporter Candace Burns went inside a Fleming Middle School classroom and watched Mason use the NES model to instruct her students. She also saw test results, in real-time, which showed the students’ progression over three weeks.
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