Professional Development Workshops can be Rewarding
"The key to an effective educator is to continue educating themselves"--Shernita
"The key to an effective educator is to continue educating themselves"--Shernita
When educators opt to continue gaining knowledge to not only enrich their own lives, but to maximize on enriching the lives of the students they teach, they become effective and more rewarded. Whether it's to learn strategies, best practices, gain insight into classroom struggles and issues, how to collaborate with other teachers/professionals or just to attend a special event from serving on boards, is a honor and privilege within itself.
Attended the remake of the play, "To Kill A Mockingbird" by students at two schools who collaborated to show how differences can be overcome when effort is there. A reception was held afterwards in honor of author, Harper Lee. I have read the book, seen the play many times first hand, because she was from my hometown, Monroeville, AL where the old courthouse remains a historical landmark because it was used in the set design of the original movie in the 60's. I collaborated with the english, department to go on this venture
I attended a week long workshop hosted by my alma mater, Auburn University of Montgomery who collaborated with the Alabama Humanities Foundation called the SUPER program of Arts in the Black Belt. We traveled to places in the Black Belt to see folk art and architecture, listen to authors of the books we read and enjoy good old southern food. I participated in the creation of a book that stemmed from this program and my quilting project and other activities in my thematic curriculum, "Wilcox through the eyes of the Children" was presented during one of the meetings.
This woman shared her mother's quilting experience that she remembered from her childhood and some of her handiwork was on display
This is the spunky little lady. She was hilarious and we learned a lot from her.
At the rural studio, we learned how they pre-design projects for companies before they begin pitching the development plan
Stopped by a landmark spot for lunch that had restructured house designs from the Black Belt
Learned how one artist made sculptures from abandoned houses wood
Sometimes these workshops can reward your stomach after the initial shock. I coordinated professional development for the teachers in the county to show how core subject and the arts can be collaborated. This was the music instructor dining with the english teacher after one of the workshops.
Students can have professional development too, to learn more about a content area. My workshops included teachers and students on two day activity plan.
This was the dance instructor with Wilcox County's finest learning about movement.
In a separate workshop, the students learned about dance too and movement with math.
Then another workshop showed teacher how to create book covers for journals or books for their students. This workshop was headed up by my friend and the director of Alabama Arts Alliance in Education, Donna Russell.
Teachers were engaged too and the end product is productivity!
I don't think they knew how creative they could be.
This project and others like it was made possible from a grant provided by then, Gov. Bob Riley who awarded 12 schools in the Black Belt area, the Black Belt Art Initiative Grant that would span over a period of five years. I wrote and was approved for one of those grants and we were awarded at a state board meeting in Montgomery.
