Professional Development News Letter
October 1, 2020
It is our absolute pleasure and honor to announce this year's esteemed group of WTU Teacher Leaders, facilitated by Rachel Thomas and Sarah Elwell.
- Andreiss Bluitt, Eastern HS
- Rebecca Bradshaw-Smith, Wilson HS
- Dawn Brodus-Yougha, Anne Beers ES
- Kristen Bryant, Ketcham ES
- Brian Crumb, Sr., Payne ES
- Kristian Ellingsen, Columbia Heights EC
- LeeTosha Henry, H.D. Woodson HS & Coolidge HS
- Ashley Kearney, Ron Brown College Preparatory HS
- Nantambu Kohlbatz, McKinley Technology HS
- Modestine Montgomery, River Terrace EC
- Dominique Moore, Johnson MS
- Gabriel Morden-Snipper, Bard Early College HS
- Kip Plaisted, Stuart-Hobson MS
- Carleather Ponder, Roosevelt HS
- Shannon Robichaud, School Without Walls @ Francis-Stevens
- Jessica Salute, Stanton ES
- Donald Thompson, Jr., Anacostia HS
SAVE THE DATE: WTU Teacher Leaders Research Symposium will be May 15, 2021!!! At this event, our teacher leaders will share their action research and policy recommendations.
Featured 2019-2020 WTU Teacher Leader Research
Ride at your own risk: Is public transportation a means of last resort for students commuting to school? Maria McLemore, Special Education Math Teacher
THE WORLD IS OUR CLASSROOM
Learn more about the WTU Professional Development trip to Morocco in summer 2021.
For more details and to sign up, check out our WTU tour page. Our next virtual meet and greet with our travel group and the travel vendor will be the last week of October so sign up soon.
There is still time to register for Fall 2020 Professional Development Courses.
These courses are starting in the coming days!
Financial Literacy Fridays, 10/2-10/30, 4pm-6pm (2 PLU's per session + 2 PLU's for supplemental work) FREE
Managing Behavior in School Communities, Thursdays, 4:30-6:30 (must register for FULL COURSE=45 PLU's) $150 registration fee
Reading Comprehension Instruction, Saturdays, 10am-2pm (must register for FULL COURSE=45 PLU's) $150 registration fee
Strategies for Student Success, Section 1, October 1, 4pm-7pm (4 PLU's session) FREE
Strategies for Student Success, Section 2, next session is October 14, 4pm-7pm (4 PLU's per session) FREE
Tuesday Technology Tool, Tuesdays, 5-6:30pm (2 PLU's per session) FREE
We encourage you to explore these exciting Professional Growth opportunities as well.
STILL WE RISE
Kaiser Permanente is partnering with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture to host a two-part speaker series about how we survive in today’s climate of social injustice.
Please join us for 2 online discussions about how we survive in today’s climate of social injustice. Dr. Ingrid Williams-Horton, PGCPS Director of Community Schools, is leading one of the breakout sessions. I’m sure the second discussion “Endangered – The State of Black Men in America” will be of great interest as well!
SPEAK TRUTH
Center for Inspired Teaching is excited to invite you to the next Speak Truth seminar! The topic of discussion on October 1st will be, "The Impact of Trauma on Mental Health," a relevant topic especially during the pandemic and the imposition of social distancing measures. This seminar's discussion will be on the topic of mental health and mental disorder of people in general, but especially frontline workers, through the lens of trauma (click here for details).
Date: Thursday, October 1st
Time: 6:00 -7:30 pm EST
Register Here.
Due to the health crisis, Speak Truth has gone online and is using Zoom Video Conferencing. For safety reasons, we will not be sending out the actual Zoom meeting link until the day of the session, so keep your eyes and ears peeled in your inbox/texts for that! In the meantime please spread the word to your students and any high school students that would be interested in our upcoming discussion.
ENGAGING STUDENTS IN CIVIC ACTION WITH AFT'S SHARE MY LESSON
Looking for new content to help engage students in civics and community issues this election season? AFT’s Share My Lesson is featuring an all-new professional development webinar series through October on civic education in schools and communities.
You can register now for more than 15 webinars being offered in the new Civic Education and the 2020 Election collection on Share My Lesson. More will be added as they become available.
JOIN THE PEOPLE'S HISTORY CURRICULUM GROUP
D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice has a working group for D.C. area middle and high school teachers who are committed to teaching with a people's history lens.
The goals for the working group are to:
- Provide feedback on curriculum
- Support teacher growth and development
- Collectively create new curricular resources
The group meets at least monthly throughout the school year. Fill out the application if you are interested in joining the group.
NEXT GENERATION PERSONAL FINANCE ONLINE PD
Are you looking to brush up on your content knowledge, find support for personal finance activities, and hear from other teachers on how they use NGPF resources? Join us for our online professional development!
2020 AMÉRICAS AWARD: BOOK TALK WITH MITALI PERKINS
Join the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs and the Library of Congress for a virtual conversation with Mitali Perkins, author of 2020 Américas Award winning children's book "Between Us and Abuela." Mitali will share context for her beautiful book, as well as tips for classroom incorporation. The 60-minute program will also include an open Q&A with attendees. Educators and parents alike are highly encouraged to attend, and all are welcome!
Register HERE
WEBINAR FOR STUDENTS: RACIAL IDENTITY AND REPRESENTATION IN PUERTO RICO
Join us Wednesday, October 7 2:30–3:30pm ET for a webinar with Natasha S. Alford, who will share her reporting on how a surge of Black pride and identification in Puerto Rico is fueling a revolution of political consciousness for a new generation of Afro-Puerto Ricans.
Alford will discuss her conversations with Puerto Rican and Afro-Latinx residents, scholars, and community activists on their experiences with racism, police abuse, gentrification, and substandard schools—and the resistance movement underway.
While this webinar is open to all students as well as their teachers and guardians, it is recommended for grades 6 and up.
Want to learn more about Natasha S. Alford and her reporting? In this lesson plan and instructional video, students analyze how Alford used interviews in her published stories and practice tips for conducting their own interviews on under-reported stories.
Register HERE.
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH RESOURCES
AFT's SHARE MY LESSON: See curated resources HERE.
TEACHING FOR CHANGE-TEACH CENTRAL AMERICA WEEK (Oct. 5-12): Information HERE.
ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS: Lesson Plans HERE.
DC PUBLIC LIBRARY: Resources HERE.
NEWSELA: Activity Packets HERE.
PBS: Resources HERE.