INSPIRED TEACHING
ALUMNI:
Register TODAY!!!
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Join Center for Inspired Teaching and alumni from the past 14 years for the
4th annual
Inspired Teaching Alumni Conference
When:
August 21
3:00 - 7:00 pm
(networking, dinner, keynote speaker)
August 22
9:30 am - 2:00 pm
(breakfast, workshops, speakers, lunch)
Why:
Kick off the 2009-2010 school year right. Join fellow alumni for a two-day
celebration of the power of your profession.
Where:
THEARC
(free parking)
1901 Miss. Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20020
RSVP by 8/18/09 to Jenna Fournel 202.462.1956.
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2009 Service Learning Institute
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Register Today!
Tuesday, August 11th - Wednesday, August 12th
Serve DC - The Mayor's Office on Volunteerism, in partnership with America's Promise Alliance and State Farm Insurance, presents the 2009 Service-Learning Institute. The Institute will be a catalyst and the first of many opportunities for youth practitioners and educators to institutionalize service-learning as a formidable approach to educate and empower youth in the District of Columbia.
The Institute is designed for in-school and out-of-school time youth practitioners and educators interested in developing high quality service-learning programs. There will also be a breakout session on Day Two for teams of middle school teachers and administrators to focus on using service-learning as a dropout prevention approach to increase student engagement in school.
At the end of the Institute, attendees will:
- Understand the key characteristics of high quality service-learning
- Identify strategies to help increase youth academic and civic engagement
- Understand how to use service-learning as an effective retention and recovery strategy to combat dropout rates
- Identify specific projects and skills for environmental service-learning
- Identify best practices from current service-learning programs
The Institute will begin at 9:00am and end at 4:00pm on August 11th and 12th.
It will be held at the Brookings Institute on 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW.
For more information, please contact Jaime Spilken, Serve DC Learn and Serve Program Officer, at (202) 727-7949.
Register Here.
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Center for Inspired Teaching is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that exists to ensure schools make the most of children's innate desire to learn. We do this by investing in teachers. Please visit our website to learn more about our philosophy, programs, and results.
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Inspired Teacher Boot Camp
Step Two: Get in Shape
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"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity
has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he
contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of
reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this
mystery every day."
~Albert Einstein
Last week, the Inspired Teacher newsletter
encouraged you to start thinking about goals for yourself and your students
this year. This week, it's time to get
moving toward those goals! It's going to
require hard work, but remember--you're not alone. You have the support of your friends,
colleagues and the Inspired Teaching staff who want you to succeed!
Now is a great time to seek the company of a colleague who is also trying to achieve something new this year. Try to develop a routine of
meeting with this person so that you keep each other committed to reaching your goals. Even though it's still summer, plan a lunch or a picnic together and start talking about what's in store for the fall. Engaging your brain this far in advance means you'll be less stressed out when the real work begins!
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Questioning the Answer
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You might remember this Inspired Activity:
The answer is
4. Write down as many questions as you
can think of where the answer is 4. Example: - 8 - 4 = ?
- How many presidents were in office before James Monroe?
- How many arms do 4 one-armed gorillas have?
In our last issue, we suggested reflecting on your wishes for this year. For example:
- What did you like about
last year?
- What do you wish will happen
differently this year?
After looking over your responses, try to summarize
what you wish for the coming year in one sentence. This is your "answer." For example:
- I wish my students could be brave enough to try new things and not fear making mistakes.
Now, come up with as many questions
as you can about what it would take to make your wish come true. For the answer above, you might ask:
- How can I teach my students to be brave?
- What kinds of learning experiences will create a safe environment for risk taking?
- Are there other teachers in my building who have created learning environments like this?
- What do I need to do, as the adult in the room, to make it clear that mistakes are okay?
Asking these kinds of questions will stretch your mind and give you a framework for planning your travel along the road ahead. |
Inspired Teacher Blog: Top Five Inspired Tips for Getting into Shape
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There are many resources available about getting into
shape. Here are our "Top Five Inspired Tips"
to get back into shape as a teacher...
Check out the blog!
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Finding the Finish Line
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When it comes to getting back into shape, it can be
difficult to get excited about the little stuff. Setting a goal, like running a marathon, swimming a mile, or reaching an ideal weight can give a concrete purpose to the work of toning muscles improving your diet.
Teaching is similar. Some days we get so bogged down that we lose sight of how exciting learning can be. So perhaps it's time to
plan for something big.
Finding learning opportunities that you care about
will motivate you and your students to study, investigate, and create throughout
the year. Look for interesting stories in
the news. See what is happening in the
neighborhoods of your students. Learn
about children in history who worked together to make change. What kinds of opportunities are open to your
students? Use these ideas as a
springboard for planning a curriculum that is meaningful for you and your
students. Below are some websites that
might help:
Rethinking Schools
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/
iEARN - collaborative internet projects to change the world
http://iearn.org/index.html
Smithsonian Museums - opportunities for field trips and
lesson planning resources
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/
NASA for Educators
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
Africa by PBS - interactive site to explore the continent:
browse photos, hear music, and read about the people and animals that live here
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/
Tolerance.org
http://www.tolerance.org
Discovery Channel Education
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/
3M Challenge - Discovery Education hosts an annual contest
for students in grades 5-8 to create a short video on a science topic of their
choice
http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/
Coalition of Essential Schools - article on creating and
sustaining a vision of collaboration in a math class
http://www.essentialschools.org/cs/resources/view/ces_res/452
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An Opportunity to Be Heard
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The
American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) is interviewing 3rd, 4th, 7th, and
8th grade teachers as well as elementary and middle school principals from
urban school districts.
Interview slots are available from August 10th to
August 21st. The interviews will last about two hours.
We will ask you questions about assessments, teaching practices, and data use. We
will provide parking, $75 for your help, and refreshments.
Interviews will take place on weekdays, evenings, and on weekends.
*Teachers of 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th grade
students are needed to help improve surveys and to discuss issues in student
assessment.
*Principals are also needed to help improve
surveys and to discuss issues in student assessment.
AIR is a premier research institution specializing
in education issues. The interviews will be held at our offices in
Georgetown.
If you have questions or are interested in participating, please call Ann-Marie at (202) 403-5356. Interview
spaces are limited; ***Call today!***
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