WTU Professional Learning - FALL 2021 Course Offerings

Sign up now for amazing, engaging, and informative virtual fall professional development with the WTU including these classes which start in September ($150 registration fee; 1 FREE class for new members):

• Accessible Literacy Framework (Starts 9/18)
• CLASSIC: Foundations: Organizing the Classroom for Teaching & Learning (starts 9/18)
• The Hispanic Culture and Spanish Language I (starts 9/18)
• NEWLY ADDED: Managing Behavior in School Communities (starts 9/22)
• Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children (starts 9/20)
• BRAND NEW: Reclaiming Assessments: Using a Balanced Classroom Assessment System to Strengthen Student Learning (started 9/4)
• Successfully Integrating the Arts In Your Classroom (starts 9/25)

FREE WTU Workshops starting in September:

• Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (9/11)
• Flagway Math League (soft launch 9/8)
• The Game Factor (9/25)
• PRAXIS I Core Preparation Class (starts 9/22)

Learn more and Register for all classes HERE.

FREE SERIES: Excel with ELL's

Working with ELL’s one-on-one or in small groups to accelerate learning? Then this workshop series is for you! Register HERE if you are interested!). Thursdays @ 5-6pm; 9/9, 9/23, 9/30 (2 PLU’s possible per session)

• 9/9-“Foundational Reading Skills”
• 9/23-“Academic Vocabulary”
• 9/30-"Building ELL Background Knowledge”

Based on research by Dr. Diane August, participants will learn research-based practices on how to support the literacy development of English Language Learners with digital learning resources and individualized instruction. Dr. August and other researchers have found that remote individualized instruction and mentoring coupled with small-group instruction for children struggling in reading has been effective in improving educator capacity and student learning. For more information, email [email protected]

SEL & Journalism Series (5:30-6:30pm)

Please join Washington Teachers Union (WTU) and Pulitzer Center for a series of webinars with award-winning journalists on journalism skills that students can apply to tell underreported stories from their communities. The sessions will also explore how journalism skills can support students' social-emotional learning.

1. Visual storytelling with photojournalist Allison Shelley (September 8)
2. Interview skills with Politico reporter Brittany Gibson (September 9)

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/k7MPqir2WJxW2cu99

Underreported Stories from Latin America (5:30-6:30pm)

Please join Washington Teachers Union (WTU) and Pulitzer Center for a series of webinars featuring journalists who have extensive experience reporting on underreported issues facing communities throughout Latin America. The journalists are fluent in English and Spanish, and plan to utilize both languages for the presentations. The reporting they will feature is also available in both English and Spanish.

Underreported Stories from Latin America

1. Thursday, September 16 (Perla Trevizo- The role of poverty and intergenerational trauma in fueling migration from Guatemala)
2. Thursday, September 23 (Ana Maria Arevalo- Exploring the criminal justice system in El Salvador and the impact of the system on women)
3. Thursday, September 30 (Pablo Albarenga- Elevating the stories of Indigenous rainforest defenders in the Amazon)

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/ma9rNQwZWubQqBNAA

Math Teacher Advisory Council

Are you looking to connect policy to practice, elevate teacher voice and grow your leadership at the state level this SY? In partnership with @OSSEDC, DCCTM is launching the inaugural cohort of the Math Teacher Advisory Council. Apply HERE by Sept 10th!

Announcing the WTU Teacher Leader Program SY2021-22 (Deadline Extended: 9/10/21)

Apply Here: https://forms.gle/Lfkxm5ZH1Lc3Emtt8

The Washington Teachers' Union invites you to participate in the Teacher Leaders program for school year 2021-2022. Educators from the District of Columbia Public Schools who are union members with full-time responsibilities will be selected to join a nationwide teacher leaders' network. We are seeking teachers who would like to take an active role in influencing policy.

Dates: September 18, October 23, November 13, December 11, January 22, February 12, March 19, April 9, 2022

WTU Teacher Leader Symposium: May 14, 2022

• Upon successful completion of the program, cohort members will be awarded a $1500 stipend and 56 PLU’s.

Energy Curriculum: Energizing Student Potential

Pepco and the Exelon Foundation, in partnership with the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, are offering the Energizing Student Potential (ESP) program all schools in DC. Designed for grades 3-8, but flexible for early elementary or high school grades, this program brings together a standards-based energy curriculum for use by educators and afterschool program leaders. ESP is designed to help educators bring energy into the school and provide all the tools and resources necessary for students and educators to learn together, explore energy together, and teach their local communities about energy while learning about energy careers as well. The program includes teacher training, hands-on materials kits, grants for classrooms, and lots of great opportunities for networking and engaging with STEM professionals in the region. Visit www.need.org/programs/espdcmd/ to learn more and apply by Oct. 1, 2021.

Register here: s.si.edu/EducatorsDay2021

OSSE Educator Licensure Virtual Office Hours for ECIS V2.0 Technical Support

The OSSE Educator Licensure Technical Support Team hosts monthly virtual office hours for all individuals who require technical support to access and/or use the ECIS V2.0 online system to apply for a DC educator credential. These sessions are intended for individuals who require assistance with issues related to logging in, creating a new application, uploading documents, payment submission, and other account access issues. The next technical support session will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, 3-6 p.m. To participate in this session, simply Click here to access the Microsoft Teams virtual room at any time during the session.

On September 17th, as part of the 175th anniversary celebrations, the Smithsonian Institution will host its inaugural Educator’s Day!

PreK–12 educators from across the nation are invited to participate in this free, all-day virtual event. Programs will bring together teachers and museum educators to explore opportunities to collaborate, learn from each other, and discuss the future of education. Plenary speakers include Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III and 2021 National Teacher of the Year, Juliana Urtubey.

Categories of Programs:

• Spotlight on Educators programs give PreK–12 teachers an opportunity to share innovations in classrooms around the nation with fellow educators.
• Big Issues programs highlight Smithsonian initiatives tackling complex contemporary global topics, such as equity and inclusion, cross-cultural dialogue, and environmental conservation.
• Sneak Peek programs offer educators a first look at concepts and topics being explored in upcoming exhibitions.
• Behind the Scenes programs pull back the curtains on Smithsonian processes that are not usually visible to the public. Educators can learn about topics like museum conservation and the Smithsonian’s archives.
• People at the Smithsonian programs highlight the roles of a variety of experts at the Smithsonian.

Planet Word’s Night for Educators

Planet Word’s special evening event just for educators will be 9/30 @ 5:30pm. You can read more about the event here: https://planetwordmuseum.org/events/planet-word-loves-teachers/

Center for Inspired Teaching

Center for Inspired Teaching has created this FREE toolkit to support teachers as they begin the new school year. It is filled with resources and activities found designed to bolster Intellect, Inquiry, Imagination, and Integrity and center student needs in all instructional, curricular, and social-emotional decisions.