Time is running out to register for the first session of AACTE’s virtual Leadership Academy Series! In this first of three sessions, you will explore effective ways to manage our new “normal” environment and examine how other educational leaders are navigating issues such as mask and vaccination requirements and campus health and safety concerns.
Military personnel, airline pilot, newscaster, public relations executive, and event planning professional. What do these careers all have in common? The answer: In 2020 (prior to the start of the pandemic), these professions all ranked among the ten most stressful jobs in the world, according to an annual report. For those who plan large events, the pressure and challenges of preparing for as many possible scenarios, outcomes and situations imaginable is a daunting feat. Add a global pandemic and increased demand for previously underutilized and unfamiliar virtual technology, and that stress score only increased in 2021. However, as we begin to gather in-person again for conferences and events, how will the experience, and the planning, be different for AACTE’s 2022 Annual Meeting?
Series one, episode four of the AACTE Podcast, Revolutionizing Education, is now available.
The latest episode features the story of an educator preparation program facing multiple challenges in its work to prepare teacher candidates for the classroom. Additionally, covering how their local school district faces its own pressures impacted by teacher shortages, poor teacher performance, high burnout, and issues with retention. In the fourth episode of the Revolutionizing Education Podcast, Jeff Bill and Ashley Smith from Pitt County Schools and Christina Tschida from Appalachian State University share three case stories featuring the use of co-teaching and demonstrating a partnership between university and schools that builds capacity, efficacy, and resilience in teachers at various levels of preparation.
Listen now to Episode 4: Learning Together
The National Center for Clinical Practice in Educator Preparation (NCCPEP) is a new, cutting-edge organization aimed at supporting clinical practice in educator preparation. NCCPEP was born out of AACTE’s Clinical Practice Commission. After the publication of A Pivot Toward Clinical Practice, Its Lexicon, and the Renewal of Educator Preparation, Commission members saw the need for an association that supports educator preparation programs as they strive to put clinical practice at the center of teacher education.
This blog post is written by AACTE consultant Jane West and is intended to provide updated information. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
It’s hard to believe we are already approaching the end of July. Congress is feeling the pressure, like the night before your paper is due and you haven’t started it yet.
With the 2021-2022 academic year quickly approaching, how are you preparing for in-person, virtual or hybrid teaching and learning settings? Additionally, how are recent, state legislative actions impacting your programs? Your National Office team wants to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to watch this video and share your feedback with us at communications@aacte.org.
Don’t forget about AACTE’s upcoming 2021 Leadership Academy Series, 2021 Washington Week and 2022 Annual Meeting. Registration for all three events is now open, so secure your spot today!
Ed Prep Matters features the “AACTE Teacher Stories,” series to spotlight the experiences of K-12 educators who are attending or are alumni of AACTE member institutions. AACTE invites preservice and in-service school teachers to reflect on how they are applying the practices, frameworks, and strategies they acquired during their educator preparation program (EPP) studies to assure student success. Email stories to knorfleet@aacte.org.
This article is authored by Michael A. Chuntz, a 5th grade math, science, and social studies teacher at Somerset Intermediate School in North Plainfield, NJ. This story was nominated by Heejung An, his master’s thesis advisor at the College of Education, William Paterson University of New Jersey, where he obtained his master’s degree in May 2021.
Let’s face it, most of us taught to black boxes the entirety of the 2020-2021 school year. Were our students even there? Were they aimlessly scrolling through TikTok the entire class? Were they sleeping? Or were they taking care of their younger siblings while their family members worked? More importantly, were they learning?
Congratulations to Kadija Moon, recent Holmes alumna of the University of Houston and Holmes Scholar of the Month for July 2021. Recently, Moon successfully defended her dissertation titled, “The Bidirectionality of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Sleep Disturbances among Firefighters with Military Veteran Status” and earned her PhD in Counseling Psychology.
Prior to attending TCU, Moon completed both her Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in human development and family studies and her master of education in counseling at the University of Houston. Moon has also interned at the Michael E Debakey VA Medical Center, the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (HCJPD), Houston Fire Department, and the Krist Samaritan Counseling Center.
Addressing the needs of new teachers affected by the twin crises.
Over the past year, COVID-19 created an uncertain landscape that deeply impacted our nation’s educational systems. Compounding the effects of the pandemic, another crisis emerged—racial injustice. These twin crises together have generated new obstacles and exacerbated those that have long been a concern of the educator community. As we reopen schools and return to in-class instruction, teachers face unprecedented challenges toward “getting back to normal,” including safety concerns, the need to address learning loss, and the social and emotional well-being of their students—a daunting undertaking for even the most experienced teacher.
Registration for AACTE’s second virtual Day on the Hill is now open. Day on the Hill is the Association’s premiere advocacy event and provides AACTE members with the opportunity to engage directly with their Members of Congress about the importance of teacher preparation and related legislation. Advocacy training sessions will take place September 21-22, and virtual congressional visits will be held September 23.
Join your colleagues at the first of three AACTE Leadership Academy Series sessions, “When We All Get to Together: Returning to Campus with New Opportunities” on Wednesday, August 11, 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET. This virtual session, facilitated by John Kuykendall, dean, School of Education at the University of Indianapolis and John Henning, dean of Monmouth University, will discuss transitioning to online learning in 2020 that required greater flexibility and knowledge around technology integration and the missed opportunity to see each other and work within campus office locations and meetings.
As you head into the upcoming academic year, what thoughts have you had about returning to campus? As many of you prepare to return to a more normalized academic year, you may be anxious about what to expect or wonder about possible new opportunities that may exist in your academic unit. The session will focus on developing a positive transition to in-person learning and creating new opportunities in the post-COVID environment. The presenters will share ways to approach the physical space along with the faculty and campus community. Attendees will participate in open discussions about their thoughts, feelings, and concerns and participate in breakout sessions for intimate dialogue about various campus approaches for a safe return.
Register today. Space is limited.
Visit www.aacte.org for event details. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation using #AACTELA21.
I recently had an incredible learning opportunity to be a part of the AACTE Simulations for Secondary Science Teachers conference. The goal for the convening was to introduce participants to the simulation design process and to support them to create a secondary science simulation scenario in smaller teams. Large group zoom meetings with almost 55 participants provided a valuable opportunity to listen, ask questions, and reflect on matters that concern science teacher preparation. The convening provided just the right amount of stimulation and sense of community that probably many of us were missing due to the recent pandemic. Until now, I saw myself as a user—employing simulations to help my teacher candidates understand and practice core teaching practices. However, being a part of the scenario development team afforded an insider or “behind the scenes’ perspective.” I was able to understand the complexities, affordance, and constraints of the simulation designing process.
AACTE provides interactive tools and innovative solutions to advance educator preparation. Our new initiatives in 2021 support our vision to revolutionize education for all learners. To learn about our newest offerings, please take a few minutes to watch this video.
In just a few weeks, AACTE will kick off its 2021 Leadership Academy Series on August 11, as well as its 2021 Washington Week in September. Registration is open for these events, as well as the 2022 AACTE Annual Meeting, so secure your spot today. I hope to see you there!