Karyn Nooks’ Post

An excellent initiative with proven positive results.

Today I completed day one of a five day professional development opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill Summer Institute of College Teaching, learning all about implementing inclusive teaching strategies that focus on active learning for students no matter what courses you teach. So fun and the best professional development I’ve ever had in my two decades of teaching. #unc #teaching #activelearning #coursedesign #teachinginstitute #professionaldevelooment #lifelearner #collegeteaching

A remarkable and inspiring article on Patrick Tutwiler's career in education!!

How are you handling professional development in your district or school? Let’s set up some time to talk.

From article: "Pittsburgh Public’s decision to join those states in offering the course brings Pennsylvania’s second largest school district “in line with … these other places that are really trying to develop curriculum that really honors their students’ identities,” Wayne Au, a dean and professor in the University of Washington Bothell’s School of Educational Studies, said. But while the movement has been years in the making, it hasn’t been without pushback." and “Ethnic studies courses challenge white supremacy, they challenge settler colonialism,” Mr. Au said. “They challenge privileges due to power and status within the society and any time you have that, then those who have privilege and power will push back on it in various forms. We're seeing that everywhere there's been ethnic studies.” along with "For high schoolers, the ethnic studies course will heavily focus on those of African, Asian, Indigenous and Latino descent. It will also include populations represented at Pittsburgh Public, where students come from 57 counties and speak 95 different languages. Of the district’s student body, 52% are Black, 31% are white and 9% are multi-racial. And the course will highlight several themes of study including power and oppression, joy and resilience, social movement and resistance, human movement and interactions, and contributions and expressions over various time periods throughout history, although the emphasis will be on the 2000s to present day. Because some of the content will be difficult to learn, Ms. Fillmore said, officials are focusing on psychological safety in the classroom. “It’s important that that is established in order to be able to dig into the content of an ethnic studies course,” Ms. Fillmore said. https://lnkd.in/g_4H9dun #socialstudies #ethnicstudies #curriculum #pennsylvania #pittsburgh

All Things Are Possible

Today’s Tuesday Tip of the Week post honors superintendents and all they do to keep the staff and students safe and schools running effectively and efficiently. As many of you may know, my husband, Robert Anderson, is the superintendent of Gowanda School District. There are days, even months to celebrate principals, teachers, school board members, teacher aides, administrative secretaries, etc. However, there is not a day to celebrate the superintendent of a school district, so I have chosen the month of August to celebrate all the superintendents of our school districts. It is a tough and often thankless job, but without superintendents, our schools would not function in the capacities they do. Many are unaware of their duties, so for this month of celebrating superintendents, I would like to highlight a few of their responsibilities: • Managing day-to day operations: Overseeing the schools and other educational, social, and recreational activities. Supervises district and building administration. • Enforcing rules and laws: Ensuring that all provisions of law and rules and regulations are followed. • Improving student achievement: Acting as leaders who strive to improve student achievement through curriculum and instruction. • Advocating: Fulfilling the role of advocate, confidant, and expert that their district and students need. • Communicating: Acting as a liaison between the public educational community and other agencies, and as a link between the Commissioner and local district officials. I encourage you to send a thank you note to your school district’s superintendent as the new school year begins. You may be the first person to acknowledge them and show appreciation. I am sure it would make their day! #janineandersonsaccountingsolutions #CelebratingSuccess #Superintendents

💫N E W B L O G 💫 from Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz "As we navigate the journey of constructing resilience-oriented schools, we frequently grapple with the challenge of cultivating strong relationships with both struggling students and struggling staff, while also determining effective disciplinary methods that yield desired outcomes. Many schools find themselves on a path leading toward restorative practices and approaches. Our team has been diligently working on a framework that specifically addresses the aforementioned challenges, empowering staff to act as change-makers and undertake the demanding task of serving our most challenging students. Given the prevalent challenging behaviors in our schools, a balance of strong relationships and high accountability becomes imperative." Read more: https://lnkd.in/gm-MwVCc

engagement 🤝 formative checks for understanding 🤝 clear, immediate, actional feedback

The theme of Jeff's message is removing ambiguity. He states that kids are perceptive and when they are safe they pick up on that overall feeling in their safe space, the classroom. TownSteel Inc. created the Aegis bored lock to help remove ambiguity. A simple action to lock the lock from the inside and a simple glance to verify the lock's status. Removing ambiguity and keeping people safe are some of the things our lock does! Check it out below! #schoolsafety #schoolsecurity #classroomsecurity #townsteel