Weekly Teacher Download for May 28

ALL TEACHERS

HISD Connect Teach Training: Teacher trainings are planned for June 13-Aug. 25 at 22 locations around Houston. There are over 34,000 seats in Elementary courses and Secondary courses to train 14,000 teachers. The trainings are approximately two hours long and will cover navigation, attendance, gradebook, and other teacher functions. Teachers can select a location and register in OneSource for the trainings that are most convenient. There are also several sessions offered for non-contract teachers in June, July, and August. Teachers will be compensated for attending training if they choose to attend during off-contract time ($50).

Special Education Conference: The Office of Special Education Services will hold the Fifth Annual Special Education Conference July 17 – 18, 2018. This year’s conference theme is “Engage. Restore. Support. Every Student. Every Day.” The conference will offer customized professional development and support for general and special education teachers, administrators, and classroom support personnel. During the conference, participants will hear about evidenced-based instructional practices and strategies that work for building inclusive school cultures and supporting all learners.  If interested, register in One Source, course #942001. If you’d like to submit a proposal to present at the Special Education Conference, contact LaShondra Jackson at ljacks34@houstonisd.org.

Attendance Tip of the Week: Today, more students are confronted with more adult-like circumstances, making them more at-risk for chronic absences. Attendance Works suggests mentoring as a mutually satisfying win-win situation to help keep at-risk students on track for graduation. Teachers and administrators are encouraged to partner with Big Brother Big Sisters, another reputable organization, or HISD’s Volunteers in Public Schools program to inquire about mentors for your students. Click here to learn how to tackle chronic absence through mentorship. Please remember to contact the Student Assistance Department (Attendance Office) at 713 556-7017 or click here for more information regarding best attendance practices.

ELEMENTARY

SEL Framework Training: The Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Department is supporting implementation of a SEL Framework for campuses serving students in pre-kindergarten through the sixth grade. The SEL Framework will be implemented through Sanford-Harmony, a free SEL curriculum currently in place in many Houston ISD schools. If you are interested, you may send a team of one to five people for training that can be shared with faculty.  SEL will host three ‘Train the Trainer’ sessions at the East Field Office on June 5, June 12 and June 19.  Register in OneSource, course #422009.

Teacher Institute Opportunity: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will conduct wo summer teacher institutes at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Austin. Participants will gain a strong understanding of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) program and how it aligns with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skill (TEKS). The institutes will address reading/language arts, mathematics, and science for grades 3–8, as well as English I, English II, Algebra I, and Biology. Week 1 for reading/language arts is scheduled for July 16-20. Week 2 for mathematics and science is scheduled for July 23–27. Qualified teachers must apply by May 31. Contract TEA Student Assessment for more information at 512-463-9356 or email at studentassessment@tea.texas.gov.

Summer Elementary Training: Elementary Curriculum and Development is pleased to offer a wide variety of professional development opportunities for teachers this summer, including the HISD Elementary Curriculum Conference July 23 through July 24 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Kingdom Builder’s Center. The sessions will focus on reading, writing, math, science, social studies, fine arts, and dual language. For session descriptions and registration information, click here.

 SECONDARY

Summer Secondary Training: Do you want to keep your teaching knowledge fresh over the summer? Join Secondary Curriculum and Development for summer secondary training opportunities. For a full list of learning opportunities, click here. The department will also be hosting its main summer conference July 23-24. School leaders and teachers are invited to submit breakout session proposals here.

Secondary Guided Reading Cohort: Are you interested in elevating your middle school or high school students’ reading level? Join the SRW Secondary Guided Reading Cohort for the 2018-2019 school year to delve deeper into interventions for middle school and high school striving readers. Participants will meet once a month to learn how to do miscue analysis and plan strategic lessons to impact reader development. Click here for more information on the course. Teachers can register in OneSource, course #CU-1055008.

ESL Professional Learning Series: Middle school ESL teachers are invited to participate in a cohort for the 2018-2019 school year focused on ESL curriculum and best practices within reading and writing instruction. Participants will receive books for professional and classroom use. This learning series is intended to be a cohort and there is a maximum of 25 seats. You must be willing to attend all five sessions. If interested, you must register in OneSource, course #1055004 to reserve a seat and books as there are a maximum of 25 seats for this cohort. For more information, click here. Please contact Sarah Baker at sbaker9@houstonisd.org if you have any questions.