Weekly Teacher Download for October 7

Nominate an Associate Teacher: Do you know an amazing Associate Teacher or Achieve 180 Dedicated Associate Teacher? The Office of Associate Teachers is pleased to announce the return of the Associate Teacher of the Month and Achieve 180 Dedicated Associate Teacher of the Month programs. Nominate an associate teacher who performs at an outstanding level, have a positive attitude and go above and beyond at our campuses. To nominate, click here.

ALL TEACHERS

TADS Toolbox: All teachers should have received an email inviting them to access the TADS Toolbox for additional support and resources aligned to the Goal Setting process within the Student Performance category of TADS. In addition to the Student Performance Guidebook, there are several videos available for your reference that walk you through setting student goals step-by-step. To access the TADS Toolbox and videos, click here.

SPED Cohort Extension: The Office of Special Education Services (OSES) is currently seeking Special Education (SPED) teachers and other instructional professionals with Special Education certification to apply for Aspiring Program Specialist and Aspiring Department Chair Cohorts, also known as A.S.C.E.L by October 14. The purpose of the aspiring cohorts is to develop a pool of potential SPED leaders to provide timely and relevant instructional support and services to campus leaders, special education teachers, staff and other stakeholders who serve students with disabilities.

October is Principals Month: Join HISD in celebrating Principals Month with downloadable templates for special messages. Principals play a vital role in the success of our students. As campus leaders, principals are responsible for fostering a positive climate and culture at our schools. During the month of October, HISD is encouraging students, parents, staff, and community members to honor and thank district principals during the month of October by printing out one of our custom cutouts, which are downloadable here.

National Bullying Prevention Month: Throughout October, HISD is rallying behind National Bullying Prevention Month and encouraging participation in a campaign to keep all youth safe from bullying. Every day, thousands of students experience some form of bullying either at school, at home, or online through social media and texts. This is a great time for our schools, staff and students to raise awareness about bullying and the role we all play in making a difference. HISD will also recognize Bully Prevention Week from October 14-18, in conjunction with the Sandy Hook Promise “Start with Hello” campaign, to raise awareness and bring attention to a growing epidemic of social isolation. For more information, click here.

College and Career Readiness Month: The Office of Strategy & Innovation is excited to announce HISD’s second annual College & Career Readiness Month in October. CCR Month is a fun and creative way to engage students and introduce them to a variety of college and career options. This year’s theme is “Take Control: Explore. Design. Launch Your Future!” All HISD elementary, middle, and high school campuses will have a chance to compete for prizes (scholarships, college swag, college tours) by completing weekly challenges. Campuses must complete at least one college and career activity each week, posting pictures and videos on Twitter. Contest details can be found on the College Readiness website. Click here for more details.

It’s Back! Chevron Fuel Your School: Chevron’s Fuel Your School program is returning to Harris County this October. HISD teachers can submit their requests now until October 31 at DonorsChoose.org.Eligible project submitters include teachers, librarians, guidance counselors and school nurses that meet DonorsChoose.org eligibility. Approved classroom projects are eligible for Chevron funding if material costs are One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) or less per project (excluding taxes, vendor or order fulfillment fees.)  Field trips and professional development projects are not eligible for funding through this program. Chevron encourages classroom project requests that support STEM education.  For more information, click here.

JASON Learning now available: Through an approved district agreement with JASON Learning and TransOcean, the HISD STEM Department has made available all JASON Learning curriculum resources free to elementary and middle school science teachers.  To access the content, please log into the HUB and click on the Digital Resources tab where you will find it under the science category. JASON Learning provides STEM resources like design and pitch challenges, labs and missions, access to Q&A with STEM Role Models and teacher Professional development opportunities. Learn more about JASON Learning here.

EcoRise Training: Can you reimagine your campus as a laboratory for applied sustainability education? Teachers are encouraged to register for the EcoRise: Cultivating Environmental Stewardship on Tuesday, October 15 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Harris County Department of Education Science Center (805 Reid St., 77022). Participants will learn how EcoRise K-12 TEKS aligned curriculum, resources, and classroom grant funds can be used to increase student engagement and cultivate eco-literacy and student innovation on your campus in a variety of contents. This training is free and open to current public educators in the Houston area only. The first ten educators to register (and attend the training) will receive a $100 gift card courtesy of Target at the completion of the training. For more information and to register, click here.

ELEMENTARY

Lead4ward Elementary PD: HISD and Lead4Ward are collaborating to host district-wide professional development opportunities for third- thru fifth-grade math teachers. Sessions will be scheduled throughout the 2019-2020 school year, with the next one being held on Thursday, October 31 from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at HISD Education Learning Center (10725 Mesa Dr., 77078). Teachers will attend sessions specifically designated for math campus champion, departmentalized, and self-contained math teachers. Instructional coordinators, math content area leads, and math administrators are also encouraged to attend. To attend this session, register in OneSource, course # 1439049.

SECONDARY

Upcoming CTE Trainings: The CTE department is hosting three professional development opportunities for the month of October. New CTE teachers are invited to attend a workshop on classroom management.  Participants will learn best practices for developing systems and routines in the classroom.  Register today in OneSource, course #1439229.  For CTE teachers who offer SolidWorks certifications, you are invited to attend a Solid Works workshop where participants will learn the basic of Solid Works including parts and assemblies, as well as the built-in-tutorials and help features to facilitate working with students in a classroom environment. Register in One Source for Solid Works Part 1, course #1439233, and Solid Works Part 2, course #1439234.