Tuesday, November 15, 2022 - Community Education Directors' Meeting
Friday, November 11, 2022 - VIRTUAL Title III Meeting
Friday, November 18, 2022 - Teachers' Advisory and Principals' Advisory Council Meeting
Wednesday, November 23, 2022 - Superintendents' Council Meeting
October 19 Recap
Unfortunately, due to last-minute unforeseen circumstances with our presenter, the MRVED Superintendents agreed it would be better to cancel the MRVED event versus trying to put something together last minute. It was decided that the districts would plan their own professional development for the day. The MRVED would like to thank Benson schools for being willing to host the event. Our hope is that your day was productive and worthwhile in your districts. We look forward to moving forward into MELT with a stronger lineup than ever before!
MELT 2023
MELT 2023 is fast approaching. There are currently over 60 individual sessions planned from people from all around Minnesota as well as many of our great local teachers. If you want to present or know of someone that should be presenting, please let Brandon (braymo@mrved.net) know. There's always room for a couple more sessions.
IMPORTANT: MELT registration will open on Wednesday, December 14th at 7:30 AM and close at the end of the day on December 22nd. Be sure to register early as sessions fill fast. Your principal will be sending you the brochure and registration materials a couple days prior.
MELT 2023 Networking Facilitator Sign-Up
The MRVED is looking for people to be facilitators of networking sessions for MELT 2022. As a facilitator, you are not expected to be the expert or present on anything. Your job is to facilitate the meeting. Start and end the session on time and keep people positive. You will also have the ability to email the group prior to MELT to gather ideas and plan for the hour. Sign-up link is listed below. Facilitators are paid a $100 stipend and allowed access to early registration.
**Please note; Any networking sessions that does not have a facilitator, will not be held.**
With the election drawing near and campaign ads filling our television screens, it creates a great teachable moment for students. Students may have lots of questions as to why we vote, who are the candidates, how do you vote, etc... Many of these questions can be difficult to answer, especially for younger aged students. Fortunately, there are some great resources for teachers to help them talk about the election with their students. Below is a listing of some awesome resources.
This enlightening article was posted on Edutopia this past week by Mary Beth Townsend on grading practices was a quick read that makes you think about the purpose of grades. It also provides small steps a teacher can take to begin grading equitably in their classroom. Reading the article reminded me of a short video I saw a few years ago by Doug Reeves on Toxic Grading Practices. Give the short 6 minute video a watch today and reflect back on your own grading practices. The one line in the video that stands out to me is "The penalty for not doing the work, should be doing the work - not a zero".
Instructional Coaching - Everyone Needs a Coach
Within the MRVED, we have a small group of teachers and leaders that gather monthly to discuss instructional coaching. It is one of my most favorite groups that I meet with monthly. We have great conversations about continuous improvement not only in teaching practices, but in our own careers. The group is currently reading the book Dare to Lead by Brene Brown. The book is centered around vulnerability and how to react to that vulnerability and lead people through that vulnerability. It is an excellent book that I highly recommend for any teacher leaders. I was reading our section of the book for our discussion and had a few thoughts. Why do we, in education, view working with a coach as a punishment? Why do we view it negatively? I think it all goes back to vulnerability. Brown defines vulnerability "as the emotion that we experience during times of uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure (Brown, 19)." Working with a coach is a risk..."what if it doesn't work?" "What if what I am doing is wrong?" "I don't need help." Through experience, as a coach, the reward certainly outweighs the risk. If you are interested in going through a coaching cycle or want to learn more, please reach out to Brandon (braymo@mrved.net). Brandon can coach anyone in our districts and there is no additional charge to your school. Watch the TED Talk below from Atul Gawande on why everyone needs a coach!
Jon Gordon's The Power of Positive Leadership for Teens
Last fall the MRVED had the privilege of hearing Jon Gordon speak. Jon's books are inspirational and full of life nuggets. The books are very easy to read and can be applied to almost any area of your life. On December 4th, he is offering a 2-hour workshop on The Power of Positive Leadership for Teens. The cost is very reasonable at $59 per person (with group rates available). If you are an advisor of an activity or coach of a sports team, this would be a great training for your student leaders. Jon is very influential and can help your student leaders grow. Check it out today!
Carla Tantillo Philibert will be our featured speaker on October 14, 2020. Carla will be speaking on the topic of SEL and be providing strategies to use in the classroom. She spoke to our paraprofessionals in August and received excellent reviews. You will find her personality contagious. Carla will speak to the whole MRVED in the morning for 90 minutes and then she has offered to provide small group time with each of our districts.
Due to districts needing time to stop and reflect on COVID plans, districts will be able to plan the rest of the day to meet their needs. There is no need to register for this day.
MRVED MELT Presenters & Networking Facilitators
The MRVED MELT will look a little different this year being virtual, but we are still looking for passionate people to present. The details of the conference are still being worked out, but we do know we will be in need of people to present on topics of interest. Sessions will be 45 minutes in length this year and there is an option to pre record your presentation. If you are interested, please fill out the form linked below. Deadline to submit a proposal is October 30, 2020.
Networking at the Virtual MELT will look a little different than in the past. Networking groups will take place after lunch. Participants will have the option to participate in networking groups, watch more pre recorded sessions, or participate in district activities. A Networking group will not be held without a facilitator. Deadline to sign up is November 13, 2020.
Brandon is serving on the Minnesota Department of Education Social Studies Review committee. The group met for the 1st time on September 16th to get the work started. Much of the morning was spent on team building & understanding the process of standards review. The whole afternoon was spent on looking at gaps in the current standards as opposed to other states. It appears the C3 Framework will guide the groups work in creating a standard document that helps students become College, Career, and Civic ready. The first draft will be available in November.
All meetings are public meetings and broadcast live on the MDE Academic Standards YouTube page. The meetings are also archived, so if you wish to watch previous meetings, you may do that as well.
Election Resources
With the presidential election a little over a month away, it would be a great time to start talking about it with students. Even though this is one of the most heated elections in modern history, doesn't mean we should shy away from the topic with our students. Here are a couple great resources to help teach kids about the election in a non biased way:
As the presidential election has been in the news all week, here are a few resources to help kids understand the process of electing a president. Understanding the process of electing a president will help your students better understand and comprehend news stories about the primary or caucus. Many adults do not understand this process, so maybe you can teach your students something they can go home and teach mom and dad!
