Utilizing a gradual release of responsibility model to ensure deep, independent student mastery. Key Strategies for School Leaders and Coaches
"I am stepping back. The scaffolds are coming off. The district trusts you to make the instructional decisions. We have given you the background knowledge, the collaborative structures, and the feedback. Now, you must be the agents of your own learning."
New teachers practice skills with real-time support. Co-teaching, lesson rehearsals, and observation with coaching cycles are central. Leaders provide prompts, cues, and questions—not just evaluations.
Highlighting desired behaviors to build momentum and maintain an optimal learning climate. 3. Elevating Student Engagement (Weeks 17–24) douglas fisher onboarding teachers
Moving students along the spectrum from simple participation to active investment in their own learning.
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Welcome to the faculty.
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As Fisher notes, “What works for students works for teachers.” Onboarding is not an event—it’s a systematic, responsive process that builds teacher agency and ensures every student benefits from effective instruction from day one.
: Modules include video spotlights and guides that encourage mentors to reflect on their own experiences and school-specific values. Utilizing a gradual release of responsibility model to
Teaching educators that quiet, compliant students are not necessarily learning.
"Welcome," Fisher said, his voice warm but commanding. "You are not here to fill a vacancy. You are here to continue a legacy of learning. But before you can teach, you have to learn how to be here."