Weekly Teacher Download for March 7, 2022

ALL TEACHERS

Social and Emotional Learning: Please join the HISD Social and Emotional Learning Department in the countdown to International SEL Day on March 11.  The theme, Finding Common Ground, Pursuing Common Good, celebrates the importance of promoting children’s social-emotional and character development. This flyer will connect you with various ways we can all celebrate with students, teachers, and communities all over the world.  Please share this information with colleagues and friends.

Self-affirmation is the concept that people are motivated to maintain views of themselves as well adapted, moral, competent, stable, and able to control important outcomes. Self-affirmations are a healthy self-care exercise to fuel positive self-view. While sitting, driving, walking, or meditating, fill your mind with positive thoughts such as, “I’m going to make this a great day. I am capable and highly qualified to do what lies before me. I’ve got this! and I am amazing!” According to Olympian and gold medalist Valarie Allman, self-positive talk improves mind-body connection and performance.

Student Assessment

DDIS Cohort 2022: Charting the Course—Are you interested in learning more about the Data-Driven Instruction Specialist (DDIS) program? Student Assessment is hosting the DDIS Cohort 2022: Charting the Course virtual sessions to help develop leadership skills and enhance data-driven best practices in aspiring DDIS.  Apply online by March 8 at http://tiny.cc/DDISCohort2022. Accepted applicants will receive notification on or before March 10, including details about the informational session scheduled for 4:30 p.m. March 22. 

Academic Instructional Technology

Tech Tuesdays: The March 8 sessions include STAAR Review with Elementary Imagine Literacy and Secondary Imagine Literacy. We will give out swag in certain sessions to random attendees. Register here and for OneSource #1461032. 

Introducing Canvas, the new learning management system: Canvas will provide educators, students, and families with a user-friendly, reliable, and supported teaching and learning experience. Beginning March 21, teachers and leaders can start exploring their own sandbox course, access the Training Services Portal for engaging and informative self-paced and live sessions, and even reach out to the 24/7 Canvas support line. Visit Canvas info for details and updates.

HUB Phase Out Support: HUB access will end in July 2022. The AIT team has created a series of videos and how-to guides as HUB phase-out resources, and Educational Technology Specialists will also be hosting weekly open labs Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 p.m. to assist with saving content before access to the HUB ends in July. Register for HUB open labs in OneSource #1468031.

Free access to Adobe software: HISD is providing high school teachers/students access to Adobe Creative Cloud and the premium version of Adobe Creative Express. HISD is providing elementary and middle school teachers access to the entire collection of Adobe Creative Cloud applications and their students access to the premium version of Adobe Creative Express. For Creative Cloud, visit this link. For Adobe Creative Express, visit this link.

Office of Special Education Services: Issue #8 of the Instructional Digital Download, which supports teachers, leaders, and staff with timely, relevant research-based instructional strategies, mini-model lessons, resources, and coaching, is now available.

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS

Early Childhood: The Pre-K Spring Progress Monitoring Language/Math ENG/SPA 2 will be available in OnTrack March 7 through April 15 to all Pre-K. It provides an effective way to monitor students’ progress throughout the year and adjust instructional strategies to target and support academic needs in between the CIRCLE Assessment Waves. Teachers and administrators will use the OnTrack system to access student performance data across the literacy and mathematical domains. Please follow the steps outlined in Input Scores for Progress in OnTrack Task Card to enter your Pre-K Progress Monitoring Tool data recorded on the English Progress Monitoring Report Sheet or Spanish Progress Monitoring Report Sheet. For questions, contact Claudia.Azcarate@houstonisd.org or visit houstonisd.org/PKPM.        

Elementary Math: Share your experiences via Twitter and tag @HISD_ElemMath #MathMatters.

Virtual: Campus Administrator Collaborative March 10: Explore research-based ideas and strategies that assist with coaching and developing all math teachers. Collaborate with district math administrators on best practices that support and develop strong instructional mathematical thinking. Register for One Source #1443815. 

Virtual: Math Lead Teacher Collaborative March 10: Math lead teachers are tasked to enhance the school’s instructional math leadership team; participants will serve as liaisons between the curriculum math department and campuses. Participants will engage in activities aligned to district curriculum, assessment, and resources throughout the school year. This course is designed to support appointed elementary math lead teachers, but all math teachers are welcome. Register for One Source #1443822. 

Elementary Science

Spring 2022 Elementary Science Sessions: Sessions will be offered synchronously after school. To view spring science sessions, see this link. Share your experiences via Twitter and tag @HISD_ElemSci.

Grade 4-5 Houston Museum of Natural Science Field Experience: In partnership with the Houston Museum of Natural Science, HISD is resuming virtual field trips for grade 4-5 students through March 11 that will focus on exploring the life cycles of plants and animals. Contact Gloria Martinez at gmarti13@houstonisd.org to schedule your campus. 

Grade 5 Science Instructional Planning: Unit 14, Animal Adaptations and Cycle 5 Cumulative Project from 3:30–5:00 p.m. on March 10: Participants will leverage teacher-facing and student-facing resources to plan for upcoming units of instruction and practice difficult concepts that are noted within data. Please have a video camera on and access to HISD resources in the HUB. Register in OneSource for #1461116.

Grade 5 Backwards Planning using STAAR Release Blueprints from 3:30–5:00 p.m. on March 10: Participants will use STAAR Release blueprints to plan lesson review considerations, leveraging district and/or campus historical data. Register in OneSource for #1467040.

SECONDARY TEACHERS

Career and Technical Education (CTE): Please view this week’s CTE bulletin, March 2022, Volume I. Visit the HISD Career Readiness page here for all CTE bulletins.