Middle School Faculty Pursue Professional Development Opportunities

Dean for student life Logan Goodwin earned a certificate for participation in the “Restorative Practices for Educators” program run by the International Institute for Restorative Practices. From the description of this eight-hour course, "Building and strengthening relationships and community is a critical component of school culture. Restorative practices is an essential process for creating a positive learning environment, building social capital, and resolving relational issues.”

Chinese teacher Jianglin Shi presented at the Chinese Language Teacher Association annual conference in St. Louis. Her presentation entitled, Merge of Western Culture into Chinese Language Teaching: Practical Exploration in Chinese Teaching in Middle School, provided teachers with examples of how to meld real-world experiences like gardening, eating at restaurants, and traveling into the instruction and learning of the Chinese language.

Social science teacher John Hanson completed the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's “Geography and the Economy Teacher Training” certificate program. From the course description, “This two-evening professional development program introduces middle and high school educators to lessons for teaching about world geography and economics together. The lessons demonstrated in this program provide educators with grade-level appropriate activities for teaching about a wide range of geography and economics topics.”