Professional Development for Elementary and Early Education Teachers
As Early Educators, we completely understand the importance of staying abreast of the latest and best practices when educating and preparing our students for the 21st century.
During our Early Education Virtual Conferences, teachers participated in multiple sessions that inspired and trained them in techniques and strategies for flourishing in their roles as Educators. Dr. Althea Penn was the keynote speaker, and through her words, she motivated our teachers to take their professional growth to the next level.
Teachers enjoyed sessions geared towards learning early warning signs of dyslexia during early childhood years. These presentations offered strategies for teachers to teach students tools to help them successfully recognize letters and to read simple sentences. Being that dyslexia is a lifelong language-based learning disorder, it is imperative for us as educators to understand how to help students formulate expressive language.
In addition, teachers learned strategies and techniques for developing a culturally aware environment that will foster an appreciation for different cultures. Teachers also learned how to effectively manage challenging behavior problems in the classroom through everyday routines, by building a healthy learning environment, and by utilizing positive reinforcement to encourage acceptable behaviors. Teachers even learned numerous ideas for educating a student that may have experienced some type of trauma in his/her life, as well as learning strategies for helping to maintain the attention of all students.
~ Mrs. Dawn Cobbs ( Early Education Principal)
Professional development is a way for teachers to deepen their skills as educators and is essential for keeping education topics current. Education is a field that is constantly evolving, and our teachers are continually updating their teaching techniques in the classroom. On Friday, March 18th, our teachers spent the day learning about three different topics.
Mrs. Baker, our 5th-grade teacher, taught teachers the importance of Biblical Integration in the classroom. One of the joys of teaching in a Christian School is being able to talk about God in our classrooms. Biblical Integration helps teachers find meaningful ways to incorporate the universal truths in all topics taught at SMCA. Mrs. Baker helped staff understand the importance of Biblical Integration and gave tips on effectively using God’s word in everyday teaching.
Mrs. Beymer, our elementary resource teacher, taught the staff about executive functioning. Executive functioning is a set of mental skills that include working memory that we use every day. Some students have dysfunction that may cause issues with organization, focusing, and following directions (just to name a few). Mrs. Beymer gave teachers techniques and resources to help them understand what it means to have an executive dysfunction and the tools to help those students.
Mrs. Lucky, our 2nd-grade teacher, motivated the teachers with technology in the classroom. Students have the luxury of having technology at their fingertips! Helping students to be actively engaged in the classroom is very important to all teachers, and keeping current on the latest technology in the classroom is one way to do it. She demonstrated how to effectively use programs such as Kahoot, Epic, Generation Genius, and Boom Cards.
~ Mrs. Kristen Horton (Elementary Principal)
