Brenda Jean in the news!

March, 1990 - “IN TOUCH” – A publication of the Mesquite Independent School District

Brenda Jean Patrick and TESA make big hit with Mesquite educators

“It is the BEST I have experienced, and I have attended workshops constantly – all summer and through the year.”

These are typical words used by participants in evaluating TESA (Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement), an in-service training program for teachers of all subjects at all grade levels – kindergarten, elementary and secondary.

TESA is designed to help teachers become aware of behaviors in the classroom that convey expectations to students. During the training, teachers discuss 15 teaching behaviors that impact student achievement. They practice them in their classrooms and receive feedback from fellow teachers attending the series of workshops.

The first phase of the five-workshop series, which ends March 12, enrolled 23 persons, while the second and current phase, January 17 through May 15, has 35 members.

Members attend classes in the MISD Curriculum Building Auditorium, and upon successful completion of the series earn 15 hours of AAT credit approved by school district personnel.

TESA training is administered through a Region 10 block grant program, with Brenda Jean Patrick of Region 10 as consultant.

MIST Effective Schools Facilitator Karen Howard, who is the TESA workshop coordinator, said that all the participants who have submitted evaluation forms gave the program an “excellent” rating.

One of the evaluators commented, “This is by far the best workshop I have attended in 25 years of teaching.”

Another said, “This class was my oasis in the desert. I will miss it tremendously.”