Fellow Advisor Newsletter 1

Dearest FA Team,
Fellow Advisor Newsletter 1.1
The purpose of the FA team is to empower you to be bold teachers and leaders of transformation – stepping into
your full power and setting up your classrooms and the city of Mumbai for success in the year 2018-19. In order to
help you get there, we have a couple of structures for the first 4 weeks of the year to help you, your kids and the
city start out strong.
In this newsletter, you will find information and next steps for your support and contribution. These are the same
things we spoke about on the calls. I have just added additional information here to structure it better and give you
more clarity. There are a number of next steps under each heading so make sure you are taking the time out to go
through it carefully and complete the action items/ add them to your calendar for later.
- I will invite you to the Shared FA folder we will be using through the year.
- THIS is the Calendar and tracker you can refer to so that you can be sure you have everything in place.
No What you will find Pg No.
1 FA Support over the first 4 weeks 1
2 FA Contribution Over the first 4 Weeks 3
FA Support
1. The FA Portfolio
The purpose: The Purpose of the FA Portfolio is for each one of you to document your journey over the year. We
will be using this portfolio to learn from one another and to give and receive feedback on our work. This is also
what we will use for the EOUTIJ learning loop.
How it will work: I will be looking at your portfolios once in two weeks and giving feedback on whatever I see.
By Week Three (July 8), you will upload the
following :
a. Vision Document
b. Your personal ‘A’
c. Culture Document
d. Time Table
e. Any long term Plans you have created
f. Pictures of the charts in your class
g. One Unit Plan
h. One Lesson Plan.
Next steps from here:
By Week Five (July 22), you will add the following:
a. One more Lesson Plan
b. One video of you teaching (between 7-10
minutes)
c. A reflection of what you have learnt so far in
class, as an FA and through anything else you
have done. (this could be ongoing as well)
Please feel free to add anything else you would like
to along the way.
:: In the FA team drive under support, you will find a folder named Portfolios. Create a folder with your name on it
and ensure that all these documents are going in by the due date.
:: Update this sheet when you are done.

2. FA Zoom Calls
The purpose: The purpose of these calls is to check in once a week and to learn something new. We will synthesize
what went well, what we struggled with, what we learnt and we will pick up a new skill on the call. This Unit, the
skills we will work on are facilitating practice, holding content calls, giving feedback on LPs and leaving technical
notes in classrooms.
How it will work: I will send you a calendar invite for the upcoming calls. You will do any required pre reading/
before the call.
Next steps from here:
:: Our next call on Monday will be about setting up effective worktime spaces. While only half of you will be
facilitating this for Fellows in the coming week… almost ALL of you will get a chance to do this sometime this
year.
:: Read this chapter from the book Practice Perfect by Doug Lemov. Also go through the worktime plans shared
with you..
:: Fill up this sheet by Sunday EOD.
3. Reading for this Unit
The purpose: The same way we believe that our students need to be exposed to a wide variety of things in order
to grow… we also believe that exposing ourselves to material will help us grow as teachers and leaders.
How it will work: This Unit, we are reading Rafe Esquith’s Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire.
Next steps from here:
Your first Assignment is to read upto page 26 before our next call on Monday. That’s the first two chapters… and
actually just 16 fun pages. As you are reading, constantly push yourself to think about what you can apply to your
own classroom and what this makes you think about your current practice.
4. Visits
The purpose: This is so that those of you who do not have PMs this Unit may get someone to see you in action
and help you improve.
How it will work: Each of you who do not have a PM will get one visit from a member of staff. I will inform you
of this at the start of the week and you will send in an LP the day before the visit. Post this, the observer may
choose to write to you/ meet you to debrief. =) Please keep in mind that in the case a member of staff walks
into your classroom unannounced and finds you without an up to date Lesson Planning Notebook, you WILL be
assigned a PM.
Next Steps from here:
Wait for my call/ message regarding an observation.

FA Contribution
1. Content Calls:
When: There are three content calls this Unit. One has already taken place at Induction. The second is on
the 6 th of July. The third is on the 20 th of July.
Purpose: The purpose of this structure is to help people use the content LTPs that have been created in the
city. These calls will only happen for History, Geography, and Math for now.
Support you will get for this: We will be preparing for this on our weekly FA call scheduled on the 2nd of
July.
Next steps from here: None for now.
When: Once a week starting this week.
2. Phone Check Ins
Purpose: The purpose of this structure is to help Fellows feel comfortable and to help them settle in. This
call is also meant to model the mindsets we would want Fellows to operate with, particularly when we face
problems and hurdles.
Support you will get for this: The guidelines you need have been shared with you. You may begin making the
calls.
Next steps from here:
:: Go through the guidelines.
:: Make the first set of calls
:: Remember to update this sheet after the calls
3. Worktime
When: There will only be one worktime facilitated by Fas this Unit. It will take place on the 30th of June or
any other time that week that Fellows prefer.
What: The purpose of this structure is for Fellows to come together, share plans, practice a skill/
Support you will get for this: We will be discussing this on our Weekly FA Call on the 25th of June.
Next steps from here: (mentioned above in the FA Zoom Calls section)
4. Model Classrooms
Next steps from here: If you are interested in opening out your Classroom for Fellows to come and observe,
please fill out this form. If we do not get sufficient responses, we will reach out to individuals.