Professional Development

Additional PD highlights are posted to the PD Blog at https://www.wtulocal6.net/pdblog

Crowdsourcing a WTU Guide Best Practices for Teaching in a Socially Distant Classroom

Please contribute your best practices via this link as we create a guide to share with all our members. Feel free to also mail [email protected] if you have any questions or specific resources/suggestions to share.

The Importance of Teacher Force Diversity

Educator Panel hosted by Keishia Thorpe, former WTU Teacher Leader and

Winner of the 2021 Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022@ 5:00 PM EST

Studies show that when students can see themselves in their teachers, it leads to better academic performance and lower behavioral issues. That said, we have a long way to go when it comes to creating diverse classrooms. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 18% of teachers aren’t white, even though half of all public school students are POC. During this panel, PGCPS teachers will discuss how we can diversify our teacher force by creating more inclusive schools.

Topics to be discussed include:

• Recruitment and teacher retention
• Benefits of teacher diversity, including male teachers in education
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace
• Making teacher training accessible for everyone

Participate by registering at this LINK and viewing the monthly sessions or watching previous recordings.

WTU Professional Learning - SPRING 2022 Course Offerings

Sign up now HERE for amazing, engaging, and informative virtual spring professional development with the WTU including these upcoming classes (1 FREE class for new WTU members):

• Educating Low Vision Students (starts TODAY 2/7)
• Managing Behavior in School Communities (started 2/2; still spaces available!)

FREE WTU Workshops starting soon:

• The Social Practice of Literacy in Special Education [High School SpEd Educators ONLY] (Orientation on 2/16)
• Learn more and Register for all classes HERE.

Wellness Series with Aetna (all sessions are virtual @ 7:00pm-8:00pm)

Each session below is a one-hour “gift of self care” with unique perspectives and tools. Participants will find value in attending one, a few, or all the sessions to support yourself in creating a robust practice of Self Care.

Use this link to register for all or some of the four sessions:

https://artofliving.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYkf-mgrD0qEtfZQOKQy_UwiRpBfShnBeLC

• March 2^nd - Energy and Breath: Powerful Tools to Increase Your Resilience
• April 6^th - Supporting Your Mental Health and Preventing Burnout
• May 4^th - Making the Impossible, Possible - Setting and Achieving Your Goals
• June 8^th - Courageous Conversations: Healing Conversations about Systemic Racism

Check out new offerings via OSSE Professional Learning Registration:

Click here: https://octo.quickbase.com/db/bj339wdcr

Math Alliance Updates

To sign up to receive the National Math Festival weekly math puzzle newsletter, click http://eepurl.com/bnKBpr

American Education Research Association Annual Meeting, “Cultivating Equitable Education Systems for the 21st Century”

April 21-26, 2022 San Diego, CA and virtual components - to register: https://www.aera.net/Events-Meetings/Annual-Meeting

Video by AERA President, Dr. Na’ilah Suad Nasir, explaining the theme of the 2022 annual meeting: https://youtu.be/fgiYB4DiLz4

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

Call for applications for the Mathematics Teacher Learning and Teaching Fellows Program - due March 1, 2022. The MTLT Fellows Program consists of a series of training sessions that guide new journal authors in developing a manuscript for journal submission, receiving and responding to feedback on a manuscript draft(s), and submitting a vetted manuscript for potential publication in MTLT.  The primary goal of the program is to support teachers and educators who have presented at an NCTM annual meeting or state conference and who wish to contribute an article to MTLT but have not published in a journal before. 

How to apply:

Email your application for the MTLT Fellows Program to [email protected]

An application consists of the following

A letter describing the meeting at which you presented and the meeting date; your presentation’s title and a short summary of the main highlights; and a short explanation of your interest in the fellows program

The slide deck of your presentation. If the file is too large for email (>10mb), please contact [email protected] for Dropbox information. 

Reminder: Tensor Foundation/SUMMA Grants of up to $6,000

Proposals due Feb. 12, 2022 by 11:59pmET via online application.

For more information and link to apply, see: https://www.maa.org/programs-and-communities/outreach-initiatives/tensor-summa-grants

The Tensor Foundation has provided funding for the MAA to award Tensor SUMMA (Strengthening Underrepresented Minority Mathematics Achievement) grants for projects designed to encourage the pursuit and enjoyment of mathematics by students who are members of groups historically underrepresented in the field of mathematics. These include students who are African-American, Native American, Hispanic, or Pacific Islander. If your project will be targeted toward another group that you believe would qualify the project, you may wish to consult with us before submitting your proposal. Projects may be designed for middle school students, high school students, or college/university students.

To apply for an MAA Tensor SUMMA Grant you must submit an application through Amplifund, our online application portal. You will need to create a free account within the Amplifund system. If awarded, this account will be used to administer your award, so please be sure to enter all of your contact information correctly.The application portal will close on February 12, 2022 at 11:59pm ET. https://www.gotomygrants.com/Public/Opportunities/Details/5d368c4c-978c-4e13-9a75-3f7d9f99f328

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): https://www.maa.org/programs-and-communities/outreach-initiatives/tensor-summa-grants#FAQ