CFISD PL Update Teacher Edition

We are pleased to provide you with the PL Monthly Update for September! As you scan the update, be sure to check out this month’s TOP 3:

#1: How to Access our PL Monthly Updates (present and past)

You are just a few clicks away from easy access to PL Monthly Updates – present and past. Rather than dig through old emails, consider adding the current PL Monthly Update to your favorites by bookmarking it. To do so, click on the star icon to the right of the above web address. To access past PL Monthly Updates, scroll down to the bottom of this page and click the PL MONTHLY UPDATES button.

#2: Upcoming Fall Brain Bits Virtual Sessions

“Often we are so busy with sawing that we forget to sharpen the saw.” -- Stephen Covey

We are SO excited to share with you our newest professional development opportunity to sharpen your saw. We recently developed Brain Bits Virtual Sessions brought to you by Quantum Learning!

Session details are provided below.

#3: Compliance-related Required Courses

The district requires that all employees complete a series of yearly compliance-related courses to educate them on the various health, safety, social, and ethical issues that might arise on the job. The directions below enumerate the steps for completing courses launched through Schoology and SafeSchools. Scroll down to access a complete listing of required courses and corresponding due dates.

During Phase 1 of the appraisal process, teachers will establish and implement a Personal Professional Goal, as well as a Goal for Student Growth. As a final step in this process, the teacher and appraiser will schedule a face-to-face Goal-Setting Conference to review the Personal Professional Goal as well as the Goal for Student Growth.

A help guide for teachers for completing Phase 1: Establish and Implement Goals is posted on your CFPGS Homepage under My Appraisal Resources.

The district requires that all employees complete a series of yearly compliance-related courses to educate them on the various health, safety, social, and ethical issues that might arise on the job. The directions below enumerate the steps for completing courses launched through Schoology and SafeSchools.

Here is a complete listing of required compliance-related courses for RETURNING EMPLOYEES, NEW HIRE TEACHERS, and SPECIFIC AUDIENCES (i.e., nurses, campus admin).

Courses marked with a ⭐ ICON offer the TEST-OUT option. In order to ensure successful completion of each course, users are encourage to follow the directions highlighted in the help guide referenced below.

A help guide and a video tutorial for accessing and completing compliance-related courses are posted on your CFPGS Homepage under Resources for My Learning.

📝NOTE: Beginning on page 3 of the document, you’ll find directions for completing courses with the TEST-OUT option.

“Often we are so busy with sawing that we forget to sharpen the saw.” -- Stephen Covey

We are SO excited to share our newest professional development opportunity with you to sharpen your saw. We recently developed Brain Bits Virtual Sessions, brought to you by Quantum Learning! You’ll find session details in this month’s update.

Quantum Learning is a proven research-based approach to learning and teaching integrating best educational practices into a unified whole. Participants learn a system to effectively facilitate the learning process and understand theory and implementation by creating an optimal learning environment for students K-12.

Our Brain Bits Virtual Sessions offer professional development courses delivered in small, digestible segments, providing learners with relevant content in an accessible virtual format.

AUDIENCE: Those new to Quantum Learning, and those who have experienced Quantum Learning and would like more QL content.

DESCRIPTION: The emotional control center in the brain, also known as the amygdala, has the capability of hi-jacking the pre-frontal cortex of our students’ brains, negatively impacting their learning. In this 2-hour session, we will share research-driven, brain-based strategies that will calm the amygdala to facilitate higher order thinking and start the process of encoding our content into long term memory.

AUDIENCE: Those new to Quantum Learning, and those who have experienced Quantum Learning and would like more QL content.

DESCRIPTION: Do you find yourself telling your students over and over to “Pay attention!”? Guess what? They ARE paying attention ALL THE TIME…to the most exciting thing in the room at any given moment. Is it you? Your lessons? Your activities? If not, have no fear! In this 2-hour session, we will share research-driven, brain-based strategies that will capture and hold the working memory of our students, so that their attention is focused on our content.

*Be ready with a lesson that could use an “upgrade”.

AUDIENCE: Those new to Quantum Learning, and those who have experienced Quantum Learning and would like more QL content.

DESCRIPTION: How often do you ask students to recall something that you taught a day or two earlier, only to hear them say, “I have no idea what you are talking about!”? The part of the brain called the hippocampus plays a critical role in short- and long-term memory retention. In this 2-hour session, we will share research-driven, brain-based strategies that will help our students’ brains keep our content and remember it longer. In Quantum Learning, we call these strategies “feeding the hippo”.

*Be ready with a lesson that could use an “upgrade”.

If you’ve ever had the experience of preparing for a party based on the number of guests who respond that they will attend, and then on the day of the party, only a fraction of the guest list attends, you know how frustrating (and expensive) that experience can be. It isn’t that different from a professional development session. Last-minute meetings, sick kids, your best friend calls with concert tickets - whatever the case, things come up. However, because instructors use the enrollee count to order materials and food, it is important to take a moment to cancel your registration in My Learning via the Cypress-Fairbanks Professional Growth System (CFPGS). This not only prevents the waste of unused materials and time -- it is also the professional thing to do.

Four key principles govern a comprehensive induction program: orientation, ongoing support provided through the district's New Teacher Institute, mentoring, and networking. The goal of mentoring and induction programs is the retention and growth of new teachers so that every student succeeds.

Supporting New Teachers in September

Lead Mentors at every campus are equipped with proven strategies for mentoring novice teachers as well as preparing campus mentors to meet the needs of novice teachers during the Phases of First Year Teaching. Each new teacher is paired with a mentor and meets on a regular basis while developing relationships that involve trust, open communication, and collaboration.

Lead Mentor Share Session

Lead Mentors are invited to join us on Wednesday, September 11th, at the Mark Henry Administrative Building from 5:00-6:00 pm. Don’t forget to register in CFPGS, session #56250.

Checkout Our New Teacher Induction Webpage

You are just a click away from additional resources to support Lead Mentors, Mentors, and New Teachers. Simply click HERE.

Feel free to reach out to tonya.dixon@cfisd.net with questions or concerns

At every campus, Professional Learning Liaisons are specifically chosen to serve in the role based on their knowledge and willingness to help others grow. As the school year begins, PLLs help monitor staff’s progress in completing the beginning of the year Compliance Courses.

In addition, PLLs assist staff with accessing professional development transcripts and records and share information about professional development opportunities.

Because we know that you continuously seek opportunities to grow others and yourself, we encourage you to explore and share two available resources that are just a couple of clicks away.

• Leadership Development Resources – visit here to find information regarding the district’s Leadership Institute Series
• Graduate Resources – this one-stop-shop provides various graduate programs for those seeking principal certification and/or a M.Ed., Ed.D., or Ph.D.

The professional learning department is committed to providing support, building capacity, and cultivating talent by partnering with departments across the district to provide research-based professional development that can translate into improved student achievement and overall school effectiveness.

The team offers educators a continuum of support services through multiple professional learning opportunities. From new teacher induction and mentoring to the teacher appraisal process, leadership development, and Quantum Learning, the Professional Learning staff strives to provide high-quality, job-embedded professional learning for all stages of professional growth. The essential functions of the department are as follows:

1. Cypress-Fairbanks Professional Growth System (CFPGS)
2. New Teacher Induction and Mentoring
3. Teacher Appraisal Process
4. Graduate Cohorts and Resources
5. Districtwide Professional Development

Glenda Horner, Ed.D.

Director for Professional Learning

Torine Champion, Ed. D.
Coordinator for Professional Learning

Tonya Dixon, Ed.D.

Professional Learning Specialist

Belinda Sepulveda
Administrative Assistant to Director for Professional Learning

Pat Bice
Administrative Assistant for Professional Learning