Professional Development

Professional Development Reflection

Jenny Cernak, Assistant Head of School for Academics

Great educators should embody the principles of life-long learning. The mastery of teaching is an ongoing process of developing the knowledge and the skills needed to best support students. Our teachers remain dedicated to continuing their professional development despite the hectic nature of this school year. In many ways, the challenges of the pandemic have only reinforced the importance of reflecting on our practices, so we are better prepared to guide our students through these hectic times while moving the learning forward. All of our teachers have participated in a number of professional development opportunities throughout the year. However, I would like to highlight some of our teachers’ more current professional learning initiatives.

As many of you may know, at the center of our professional learning is Mind, Brain and Education (MBE) which unites the field of neuroscience, psychology, and education. Throughout the months of January and February, Jessica Thompson(Learning Specialist), Vivienne Turner(Fourth Grade Teacher), Shawna Buckley (4th – 8th Spanish Teacher), and I have been attending the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning’s (CTTL’s) Winter Series. Teachers from around the world had the opportunity to learn from some of the leading minds in education about the most current MBE research and strategies. Topics included:

- MBE and Ed Tech: What Have We Learned About Distance, Hybrid, and On-Campus Teaching, Learning and Motivation?

- The MBE of a Learning Management System (LMS)

- At the Intersection of MBE and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

- The MBE of Project-Based Learning

Shawna Buckley Spanish Teacher Greades 4-8

Jess Thompson Learning Specialist Vivienne Turner Fourth Grade Teacher

Jenny Cernak Assistant Head of School for Academics

Teacher Reflections: From our first session I realized how important a sense of belonging is to the educational process. Do I belong? Do I feel valued? Our students need to feel both in order to learn. I have started to be more intentional about checking in with my students at the beginning of each class (en español, por supuesto). We start with an emotional check-in everyday. Shawna Buckley, Spanish Teacher, Grades 4 - 8

Additionally, our science teachers, Heidi Usilton (Lower School) and Todd Mignosa (Middle School), and I attended the MAEOE (Maryland Association for Environmental Learning and Outdoor Education) Conference on Climate, Nature, People and Education. Over 600 educators nationwide discussed, collaborated, and shared resources to empower their students to better understand and actively engage in the responsibility to care for the natural world. This intense four-day virtual conference consisted of workshops, research, and training that will help to enhance the quality of our science program.

Additionally, all of our teachers are currently collaborating and reviewing our curriculum. This year teachers rose to the challenge of learning and using a cloud-based software to document their curriculum. The collaborative nature of CurriculumTrak allows teachers and administrators to focus on balance between the content across curricula. Teachers can “look” into each classroom and see what children are learning. Moreover, the collective knowledge, helps them gather data on redundancies or gaps in the course content. The on-going and ever changing professional learning process of curriculum writing will further reinforce and strengthen our academic program.

Todd Mignosa Middle School Science Teacher

Heidi Usilton Lower School Science Teacher

These are only a few examples, among many, of our teachers’ professional learning initiatives. Teachers continue to push themselves and find opportunities for growth. The commitment to staying current on the latest research-based practices demonstrates a strong dedication to our students’ well-being. In a year where it would be easy to take a step back, our teachers continue to step up.

Looking Ahead with CTTL and MBE

Neuroteach Global Certification Program will be an school-wide initiative to further familiarize and enrich our MBE practices here at school. Our faculty will begin the process in our closing meetings and the goal is to be school-wide certified by the end of the next academic school year.