 |
Promote College and Career Readiness Month in Your Classroom
Dear Teachers,
By 2020, 74% of all Colorado jobs will require education beyond high school, such as college, trade school, an apprenticeship or military service. Our students have more opportunities than ever to earn free college credit, learn through on-the-job experiences, and cultivate their 21st-century skills -- all before they leave high school. We want to make sure all students have access to college and career opportunities to be successful in any path they choose, and October will be our eighth year to celebrate College and Career Readiness Month!
Here are a few ways you can help get your students excited about college and career in your school:
- Help your students explore college and career options that interest them and explain why it's important.
- Lead classroom activities that give students the opportunity to plan for their futures and remind them of the resources we have to help them apply for college, scholarships, apprenticeships and industry certifications.
- Share photos and stories from your classroom on social media using our hashtag #myPlanDPS.
- Wear your favorite college gear every Friday during October, and encourage your students to do the same! Use our hashtag #MyCollegeFriday.
|
|
|
This Week's Top 5 Things to Know
|
|
Sign Up for Upcoming Values-Based Leadership Opportunities
DPS offers a variety of values-based leadership opportunities to support all educators in growing as leaders, both professionally and personally, by teaching intentional strategies and creating a strong culture. Guest teacher pay is available for programs held during school hours. See below for upcoming values-based leadership opportunities, and visit the Culture, Equity and Leadership Team page to learn more.
Creating Connections: Oct. 25 and Dec. 8
Start by attending the foundational Creating Connections program, which highlights the history of DPS, connects you to our mission, vision and values, and gives the opportunity to meet others from across the district. For more information and to register, click here.
ED Talk: Conversations on Identity and Belonging: Oct. 17
Discuss strategies on how to support an environment where students feel safe and socially and emotionally supported. During this event at North High School, individuals from the
Latinx
, Chicanx and Hispanix communities will come together to discuss how we can better raise awareness around the diversity of our different communities and create a culture of belonging for our students, educators and community members. RSVP here.
Belong Group: Oct. 11
Create or join a Belong group at the kickoff of DPS Belong from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, at Manual High School. DPS Belong is a new program that creates employee-built groups fostering diversity and inclusion. It is recommended for teachers who are interested in connecting with others across the district who have similar backgrounds and experiences. Group ideas are already forming and include: veterans, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, LGBTQ, African-American teachers, millennials and more. RSVP here.
|
|
Schoology is Now Available for Educators and Students
DPS' new learning management system for classroom instruction is now ready to use for educators and students in district-managed schools. Schoology is a versatile digital tool that gives access to an engaging instructional platform to use in the classroom, as well as provides access to professional development courses and curriculum in one place. Schoology is replacing the professional development course completion and curriculum access functions of Schoolnet. For additional information and training, check out these resources:
|
|
New Teacher? Check Out New Teacher Learning Labs
Are you a teacher in your first three years of teaching? Grow as a professional through observing experienced teachers in other DPS classrooms and problem-solve common issues with your peers.
Learn more about these opportunities below:
|
|
Help Students Access Learning Ally Audio Books
Student Equity and Opportunity is pleased to announce our partnership with Learning Ally -- which offers over 80,000 human-read audio books including textbooks, novels, nonfiction texts and more -- has been renewed for 2017-18. More than 10,000 students in DPS currently have Learning Ally accounts, and we want to get even more students signed up. Educators can create accounts using four categories for students: (1) Reading Accommodation, (2) Specific Learning Disability, (3) Physical Disability, (4) Blind or Visually Impaired.
Please contact Natasha Fortis, educator engagement manager, at [email protected] if you have questions and to access an account or training links.
|
|
Two Ways to Access No Nonsense Nurturer Professional Development
No Nonsense Nurturer (NNN) strategies provide teachers with the skills to not only manage their classrooms with cultural competence but also hold students to high expectations and increase student engagement. NNN strategies are aligned with learning environment and professionalism indicators on the Framework for Effective Teaching. There are two upcoming opportunities to learn more:
Professional Development Unit:
The No Nonsense Nurturer professional development unit offers teachers the opportunity to deeply embody NNN strategies and mindsets consistently. The PDU includes a detailed implementation guide, PowerPoint sessions and exemplars. NNN strategies are aligned with Learning Environment and Professionalism indicators on the Framework for Effective Teaching. Teachers participating in the PDU are eligible to receive in person, real-time teacher coaching. For information on registering for the NNN PDU, contact Mark Arseneau or Sharon Jones.
Online Course:
The No Nonsense Nurturer online course is a universal whole child support program that empowers teachers to establish distraction-free, positive and engaging classrooms. The comprehensive online course includes video testimonials from educators at all grade levels, an implementation guide to support practice and assessments to ensure mastery of the content. Click here to register. Special extra duty pay is available to all ECE to third-grade teachers who complete the course before Feb. 28 during non-working hours, 4 p.m.-7:30 a.m., or all day Saturday and Sunday. Sign up for extra-duty pay and contact Sharon Jones if you have questions.
|
|
|
Other Resources and Information
|
|
Click on any of the headlines below to learn more about these resources and opportunities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
