Alabama Elementary Teachers Share Perspectives from the COVID Classroom
As many Alabama students are finishing up their first 9 weeks of school, we wanted to check in with teachers […]
Teacher Voices
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A+ College Ready Announces the Addition of Statewide Individual Teacher Training Program
In the 2020-2021 school year, A+ College Ready, in partnership with the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), will be […]
Teacher Voices: Summer “Break” Includes Association PD, Department Meetings, and Long-Range Planning (Laura Buder, Vestavia Hills)
A+ ABPC Program Coordinator Emily Strickland asked teachers in our statewide networks to let us know how they’ll be spending summer break. Our final volunteer is Laura Buder, a world languages teacher at Vestavia Hills High School, who defines the goal of summer professional learning as doing enough prep to reduce your stress and increase your confidence in the year to come. Thanks to all our volunteers!
Teacher Voices: A Good Mentor and a Good Read Will Help New Teachers Ease Some First-Year Stress (Sara Steindorff, Pike Road)
A+ ABPC Program Coordinator Emily Strickland is asking educators how they’ll be spending their summer break. Sara Steindorff, a second grade teacher at Pike Road Elementary, plans to peruse her year-long “highs and lows” journal now that she has some time to reflect more deeply on what worked, what didn’t, and why. She also shares a tip for new teachers that can help relieve stress.
Teacher Voices: “Recharge in June, Refocus in July” Is Good Advice for Novice and Veteran Educators Alike (Elisabeth Burns, Vestavia Hills)
This summer, ABPC Program Coordinator Emily Strickland is asking a selection of teachers engaged in our statewide educator networks to let us know how they’ll be spending their summer break. Ninth grade English teacher Elisabeth Burns will get serious about new professional learning in July, including four weeks interning in school libraries as part of her master’s work.
Teacher Voices: Professional Learning Never Stops for Teachers of Young Children (Frances Granger, Pike Road Schools)
This summer, ABPC Program Coordinator Emily Strickland is asking a selection of teachers engaged in our statewide networks to let us know how they’ll be spending their summer break. First Grade teacher Frances Granger is another contributor who plans to mix relaxation with lots of professional learning. Her advice for newbies? “Work on mastering one major teaching strategy a year” to develop deep understanding.
Teacher Voices: A Summer of Reading, Professional Learning, and Reflection (Brad Waguespack, Vestavia Hills)
This summer, ABPC Program Coordinator Emily Strickland is asking a selection of teachers engaged in our statewide educator networks to let us know how they’ll be spending their summer break “and what’s on your mind as you use this time to relax and plan for the year ahead?” First up: Environmental Science teacher Brad Waguespack shares his plans and some great advice for new teachers.
Teacher Voices: Highly Prepared Educators Can Give All Our Students Access to Computer Science Skills and Careers by Pam McClendon, Computer Science Teacher Leader
Thanks to Alabama’s professional development programs for Computer Science teachers, career tech educator Pam McClendon has become a skilled CS teacher leader, committed to opening career doors for students and realizing the vision that all Alabama youth today need to gain some mastery of coding and computer science skills.
Teacher Voices: Broadening Student Participation in Computer Science Helps Meet Alabama’s Workforce Needs by Brenda Richardson, Computer Science Educator
Making computer science education a priority begins by assuring equitable access in every Alabama high school. When you walk into Brenda Richardson’s classroom at Decatur City’s Austin High School, “you see a diverse population of students, representative of our student population as a whole. I think it is extremely powerful when students can look around their class and see such diversity. We are breaking CS stereotypes at Austin High!”
Teacher Voices: All Our Students Need an Early Introduction to Computer Science by Computer Science Teacher, Eleson Tanton
Why teach Computer Science to all our students? At its core, computer science “is just the methods by which we teach a machine to perform tasks based on our instructions,” writes CS teacher Eleson Tanton. By showing students how the same process can be applied to their own learning, we can help them integrate skills and knowledge into a more productive life.
