Vanguard Teachers

Hi Jill! I am soooo excited for you and your Vanguard journey! It has by far been the best thing I’ve ever done with the teachers I work with and has really helped deepen the level of tech integration across our district. I am by no means an expert but I have started Vanguard teams in two different districts now and have learned a few things along the way. I would love to share with you. Here are some thoughts to get you started.

1. Create an application so those interested can apply. This allows everyone to feel as though they had an opportunity to participate.
2. Start with a manageable number of teachers. So you can complete coaching cycles with them in between Vanguard meetings. I currently have about 20 on two teams (freshman and senior vanguard)
3. Plan a kickoff. We host ours during the summer. Two days for our freshman team and one day for our seniors. It’s a great way to create excitement and set the tone for the year.
4. Plan meetings for the year. Our freshman team meets once a quarter for half a day. Then between meetings I do individual coaching cycles. Our senior or year 2 vanguard team members meet once a quarter for an entire day.
5. We structure our trainings grounded in Apple’s 5 Elements of Learning. With a focus on immersive learning experiences so our teachers can experience the tools and learning experiences we want students to have.
6. If you can look into the Apple professional learning opportunity called Apple Academy. It was where I first got the idea of Vanguard.

Thats a lot! I would love to share more with you and can share examples of our trainings and activities. You can email me at ortonj@troy.k12.mo.us or find me on Twitter @jenniferlorton check out our Vanguard team work by searching #lcr3Vanguard on Twitter

Really appreciate these helpful tips, Jennifer! I'm interested in starting a vanguard group of faculty in my college of education, and I think the things you've shared would be helpful in my context as well.

Jennifer, thank you for your detailed response! Since you've started a vanguard group more than once, I appreciate your expertise and suggestions. I love that you use Apple's 5 Elements of Learning for the trainings. I've been to Apple Academy twice and that's where I got the idea as well :)