The summer months are always full of trainings. Most teachers and administrators use this time to participate in additional professional development opportunities to enhance their practices in the classroom and on their campuses. As we look ahead to Year II with the Any Given Child Creative Classroom (AGC) initiative for HP and the other pilot schools, we have some very solid next step plans to continue the work began in 11-12; additionally, all feeder schools in the MAC VT will be coming on board, participating in trainings and making their own arts/creativity plans as they relate to their individual campuses. Cool. More to come closer to start of school.
For our campus, two worthwhile arts related trainings deserve mention here. First, Kalene Guenther and Laine Leibick (both members of the pilot schools' AGC design teams) participated in a 2 week course of study with UT's Drama for Schools program. I was honored to attend the culminating reception/overview and loved how participating teachers were able to show collaboration and enhancement of content area lessons through the use of drama based instructional practices. Really, it's about enhancing what we are doing already, reaching learners who don't get it through traditional methods, thinking critically and creatively, and so much more. The enthusasism for the training from the teachers' perspective was inspiring to me and I know will produce positive results in their classrooms.
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| Collaboration with other teachers |
Another very special training attended by teacher representatives from each AGC pilot school, myself, Lamar principal George Llewellyn (both of us attending as part of the community leadership committee), mindPOP's Brent Hasty, and AISD's FA director Greg Goodman was the Kennedy Center's Arts Integration Conference in June. Limited to a couple of hundred attendees across the nation, I can't stress enough the power of what we walked away with from those sessions. Not only were we able to hear and see and participate in arts integration activities with a variety of experts in the field, we were also also able to collaborate with teachers and administrators who are doing it and doing it well across the country. Added bonus - our own pilot group collaboration time with each other each day as well. Though we all took away various things for our own campuses (attendees are required to present to their campuses next school year), definitely look for Process/Product displays, including teacher and student reflections, as part of HP's Year II participation; so many transformative ideas that will take us deeper into our work. Truly, one of the best things I've attended in awhile. Very affirming knowing that the data we are all held to (think standardized testing) truly does underscore what we know - arts rich schools and opportunities for students to be engaged beyond paper and pencil can have powerful and positive outcomes.
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| With Mrs. Hunter at the farewell dinner/performance |
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| Our learning team celebration after a long week of training! |
Along with many reading, writing, and math trainings offered through our district (just got an update from Mrs. Golliher and her 2 week reading/writing workshop - seems to love it so far!), our McCallum Vertical Team will be an SEL (Social Emotional Learning) VT for 12-13. Each MAC elementary, middle, and high school campus sent teams to a two day kick-off training in early June, along with administrators, and I firmly believe the work of SEL will be a natural fit in our classrooms. As you know, we built a 30 minute Face Time (think community circle) into our 11-12 master schedule, so this will be that "next step", with structured lessons and discussion becoming much more formalized. Along with academics, we want our students to be prepared to handle all the emotional stuff that comes up on any given day, and most importantly, we want to produce emotionally healthy and happy children once they leave HP's halls at the end of fifth grade. Cari Land will facilitate SEL for our campus, but special thanks to Lori Gates, Sally Hunter, and Lizanne McDaniel for their participation on our new campus SEL committee. Enjoyed it!
Of course, front of school landscape work is in progress as seen below (if interested, you can also check my twitter account @hpchief for in the moment updates happening at HP), Scottie Camp wrapped up a fun- filled three weeks in late June, and our new hires are all almost officially in place - really, just waiting on some final paperwork. Though word tends to travel fast around the HP community and many of you have the unofficial word on who will be on board, look for a formal introduction of new staff by end of July (latest, promise!).
Enjoy the days ahead, please know we are gearing up for 12-13, and yep, I'm pumped about the upcoming year, whatever it brings. This is going to be a Golden Year for AISD. I just know it.
