Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/912628
elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 10 high schools and four adult or alter- native schools. The thinking is that the traditional professional development model — lecture and demonstrations — pales in comparison to seeing the real thing with students. "I love it," says West, a San Bernardino Teachers Association (SBTA) member. "I wanted to help adults, but I didn't want to leave the classroom to become a coach. For me, being a demonstration teacher is the best of both worlds." Opening the classroom doors Teaching often occurs behind closed doors in isolation from other adults. And teacher coaching is often done in private. rowing open the classroom doors and inviting everyone in is something that rarely happens. In fact, it can make some teachers nervous. But S an B ernardino educators are determined to change that mindset. " We reali z ed that o bser v in g oth er t e a c h e r s m a k e s e v e r y o n e a b e t t e r teacher," says Morgan Pellettera, SBTA member and lead teacher for the Demon- stration Teacher Program (DTP). " We Above, Morgan Pellettera, lead teacher for San Bernardino's Demonstration Teacher Program, and James Hassett discuss West's lesson. Students Cordell Hadnot and Leeashia Williams in Tracy Diekmann-Acuña's classroom. Induction mentor Krista Richardson and Jacqueline Lauer observe in back. Induction mentor Kim Campbell, left, with new teachers Gabby Rodriguez and Carmen Sterling observing class. Pierce, set things in motion for the pro- gram to launch in 2014. Beginning with just eight demonstra- tion teachers, the program has expanded to 34. Teachers must apply to be demon- stration teachers. The rigorous process includes an interview, observation, and a recommendation from the teacher's eval- uator or principal to the superintendent. Once selected, they continue to teach their current classes, but are available for individual or group teacher visits, fol- lowed by a question and answer session. Demonstration teachers are considered " t e a c h i n g p r o g ra m sp e c i a li st s ," a n d receive a 5 percent salary increase. The district hires substitute teachers to take over for the classes of observing teachers. Some of the demonstration teachers, including Pellettera, have been involved w ith C TA's In str u ction al L ea d ership have all these amazing resources right in our own backyard — teachers, with a pas- sion to share their skills and knowledge of Common Core State Standards [CCSS] and Next Generation Science Standards [NGSS] instruction. It makes sense to take advantage of all that expertise." Krista Richardson, an induction men- tor for the district and SBTA member, says the new teachers are indeed learn- ing from the experts every time they walk through the doors of a demonstration classroom. "New teachers sometimes struggle with just getting students to sit down and line up without talking," she explains. "ey think they are the only ones w ho are struggling. But when they see how other teachers are creating a positive environ- ment and staying organized, it's really helpful." The DTP is a collaboration of SBTA members, CSU San Bernardino College of Education faculty, and the district, whose director of employee development, Mary 40 cta.org