Summer Updates and Opportunities

I hope everyone is finding time for well-deserved rest and relaxation over these summer months.  Educators also use this time to take a breath, reflect, and expand their learning. Today's blog includes some of this learning as well as some upcoming opportunities.

Several Southeast Polk teams attended the "Connecting the Dots" Institute in Cedar Falls during the month of June. We heard from experts in the areas of school improvement, student-centered coaching, and inclusion.  We are looking forward to bringing back new learning to further support our efforts!

In addition, there has been a great deal of curriculum work, summer school, and 2 sections of Youth Mental Health First Aid happening this summer.

Educator Wellness Retreat

The past few years have been a challenge, and mental health and well-being have never been so important. In order to promote positive teacher wellbeing, Please Pass the Love has created the first ever Educator Wellness Retreat. This retreat will focus on the best practices in educator wellbeing, giving educators the tools and strategies to combat the daily stressors of the classroom. Educators will leave with a wellness plan that they have designed. 

The registration fee for the retreat is $388; including the hotel room for two nights, parking pass, all food (except Saturday night supper), and all materials needed. Teachers will also receive a PPTL Swag Bag full of awesome things. For an extra $100, teachers can also earn 1 license credit for the weekend. 

Southeast Polk will cover the registration fee for any teacher who would like to participate in this Educator Wellness Retreat.

The retreat will be held at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown on July 22-24. This educator wellness retreat is a weekend spent learning and applying the Adult Resilience Curriculum (ARC) developed by MHTTC. This retreat will focus on finding your values and aligning them with self wellness practices. It will also include time for meditation, reflection, yoga, massages, and lots of time to connect with others. Registration includes the hotel room for two nights, parking pass, all food (except Saturday night supper), and all materials needed. Teachers will also receive a PPTL Swag Bag full of awesome things. If you would like to earn a credit, you may pay an additional $100.  While payment for seat time is not available (including use as an additional contract day), you may apply for TQ funds if you decide to take this for credit if you have not yet applied for this school year. This retreat is open to all teachers and administrators.

If you would like to participate, please submit the form below by JULY 14th.  

Educator Wellness Retreat Form

In addition to face to face learning opportunities, there are also several virtual opportunities this summer, many of them at no cost.  Below is information on the upcoming Smithsonian National Education Summit that we have been asked to share with all educators. 

This will be a two-day hybrid event on July 27-28, 2022 that will focus on celebrating and honoring educators and magnifying instructional strategies and resources that will help ensure each and every learner has the opportunity to thrive. 

 

Featured Speakers include #1 New York Times bestselling children’s book author Jason Reynolds, Award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, and philanthropist Soledad O'Brien, the 2022 National Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell, and Dr. Aaliyah Samuel from the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASTLE).

 

Sessions from Smithsonian educators will explore: Cultivating Student Voice & Creativity Through Art and Design, Teaching Inclusive Stories, STEAM Education that Inspires Inquiry, Cross-Disciplinary and Hands-On Learning Approaches, Transformative Student-Centered Technology Solutions, and Special Invited Sessions from PBS Learning, nine State Teachers of the Year,  Harvard’s Project Zero,  and the Library of Congress.

 

I am reaching out to invite you to join the summit and to also see if you would be willing to help me spread the word about the event by sharing the registration page . The full schedule of sessions and keynote talks can be found at the registration page, but more information below: 

 

Details: 

• Dates: July 27-28, 2022 

• Free Hybrid Two-Day Event; Includes Virtual Sessions and In-Person and Livestreamed Programming at the Reynolds Center (Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery) 

• Registration link: http://s.si.edu/EducationSummit2022 

• Content tracks:  

• Cultivating Student Voice & Creativity Through Art and Design

• Teaching Inclusive Stories 

• STEM Education that Inspires Inquiry 

• Cross-Disciplinary and Hands-On Learning Approaches 

• Transformative Student-Centered Technology Solutions 

• Target Audience: The event is open to teachers, paras, curriculum specialists, school leaders and administrators.

 

Social text you can use or adapt:  

Smithsonian National Education Summit: Registration is Live! 

Come together July 27–28 for the Smithsonian National Education Summit! You’ll hear from teachers, museum experts and education policymakers in 30+ free online and in-person skill-building workshops across subject areas, and leave with a toolbox full of classroom-ready ideas: http://s.si.edu/EducationSummit2022 #SmithsonianEdu

If you are aware of other learning opportunities, feel free to share these in the comments.  Enjoy the rest of the summer!