Weekly Teacher Download for the week of Feb. 6, 2017

ALL TEACHERS

• Share your input on Special Education services at HISD: All teachers are invited to an upcoming meeting with HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza regarding Special Education services at HISD. These meetings are not mandatory but will serve as an opportunity to share your feedback regarding such services on your campus or across the district. They are coordinated by HISD’s various teacher unions. Teachers can attend one of three scheduled meetings being hosted across the district:

• 5-6 p.m. Wed., Feb. 8, at T.H. Rogers auditorium
• 5-6 p.m. Tues., Feb. 21, at Forest Brook Middle School auditorium
• 5-6 p.m. Wed., Feb. 22, at Chavez High School auditoriumIf you are unable attend any of the meetings but have questions or concerns you would like addressed, please contact your campus union representative. We look forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue with you to ensure HISD is meeting the needs of all our students.

• Upcoming Goalbook webinar to cover UDL topics: Teachers who want to learn more about using Goalbook’s instructional resources, which can be specifically tailored to related service providers, are invited to attend this free webinar from 2-3 p.m. Wed., Feb. 2. Participants will explore how Goalbook Toolkit provides access to customizable IEP goals and instructional resources to support students academically, as well as socially and emotionally, by diving into the Universal Design for Learning framework. We will focus on areas such as speech and language, occupational therapy, success skills, behavior and social emotional learning, transition, functional academic and life skills, reading, writing and math. After an overview of Goalbook Toolkit, you will have the opportunity to use it to develop a learning goal for a student with whom you work. We will also allow time for questions. Click here to register for the free webinar.
• Free screening of a film about how students’ home, school life are intertwined: “The One That Got Away” explores the intertwined forces of home life and school-life on children. The film traces the path of a once-promising, popular New Jersey student from a troubled background who is now in prison for murder, and a group of middle school teachers who tried to nurture him and help him thrive. Teachers will receive professional development credit on request. The film will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Mon., Feb. 13, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, auditorium on the lower level of the Caroline Wiess Law Building. Refreshments will be served at 6 p.m. Click here to reserve your tickets.

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS

• Register now for empowerment conference for girls: The “We Are Girls Conference” produced by Girls Empowerment Network is a statewide, multi-city event designed especially for girls in grades 3-8 and the adults who care for them. Founded in 2008, the network’s conference theme is “Find Your Power.” The April 29 conference will feature skill-building workshops, and dynamic presentations, and connects girls with role models and encourages healthy relationships, educational discovery, and creative self-expression. Girls can receive a scholarship to attend by going to www.wearegirls.org. Early-bird tickets are $20, and tickets purchased after April 1 are $30. Admission includes lunch, supplies, a gift bag, and access to the speakers and breakout sessions. To apply for a large group scholarship, email angie@girlsempowermentnetwork.org.

SECONDARY TEACHERS

• Find new ways to enhance your social studies instruction: Any one of the three Feb. 9 Professional Development Series sessions are full of tips and best practices designed to help social studies teachers develop and enhance their instructional practices. The session topics are “The Complete Guide to Implementing Interactive Student Notebooks,” “Creating Rubrics for Independent Practice,” and “Finding Success with ACES—a Shared Writing Experience.” All three are scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 9. Participants may choose to attend either Hamilton Middle School or Long Academy. Register in One Source using Course Number 22001.
• See Literacy in the Middle in action: As part of Literacy in the Middle, the Secondary Curriculum & Development team is offering tours of model campuses and classrooms to showcase great literacy instruction. The next tours are scheduled for Thurs., Feb. 9, and will include visits to two middle schools that are showing tremendous growth. Those interested in going can meet at 8 a.m. Friday in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center’s west parking lot before heading to the campuses. Please register for the tour in OneSource using Course Number 104005.
• Help students prepare for the AP Spanish Language Exam in 12 weeks: Boston University is providing a free, interactive Spanish Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to prepare students for the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam. Integrating thematic units with AP learning objectives, the 12-week course provides opportunities for learners to demonstrate proficiency in the three modes of communication. Students should be prepared to invest 3-4 hours per week to master the skills and strategies necessary for success on the AP exam. This course is ideal for students who speak Spanish and may or may not be in an AP Spanish class. Although the course began Jan. 31, students can still take advantage of this free course. Contact Meliza Hull Frederick at mhullfre@houstonisd.org for more information.

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TEACHER DEAL OF THE WEEK

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