Instructional Support Newsletter

This edition focuses on the love we have for education and teaching. And what better way to express it than by celebrating during Love Teaching Week 2025!

National Today wrote a great blurb about Love Teaching Week and why we celebrate annually!

"Love Teaching Week is celebrated in the United States every year from February 14 to February 21. The purpose of the week is to raise awareness of the amazing work teachers do and to encourage more people to pursue careers in education. Love Teaching Week also raises awareness of the problems that teachers face in their day-to-day professional lives and aims to solve these issues. There’s also an emphasis on making education accessible to all, especially at grassroots levels. Love Teaching Week is a great way to find out what schools and teachers need and advocate for positive changes. The celebrations are dedicated to teaching, leading, and learning."

The Association of American Educators published some reflection questions to think about throughout the week as well!

Feb. 14: What is a meaningful piece of advice you received from a teacher?

Feb. 15: What is a great technology tip for student engagement?

Feb. 16: Share why your school community is special.

Feb. 17: Share a teaching story that motivates you to this day.

Feb. 18: How do you relax and practice self care to make yourself the best educator you can be?

Feb. 19: What is something you miss from your first year of teaching?

Feb. 20: What milestone are you celebrating soon?

Feb. 21: How has a student inspired you?

Below are some articles (click the pink buttons!) in which educators reflect on why they #LoveTeaching and how we can reignite our love if we are feeling burnt out. Take time to celebrate your love for education and teaching this month. Keep learning, growing, and doing the amazing things you do on the daily!

A new round of PD offerings is available through the BOCES Instructional Support Department! A brief overview of the sessions are listed below. Follow the button "Spring PD Catalog" for session descriptions and to sign up!

Our Local History is proud to present its fourth annual Antiracist Education Conference. This year's theme, "Leading with Purpose", will inspire meaningful conversations and actionable insights for educators and community members alike.

The conference is meant to provide you with the tools, knowledge, and inspiration to instill your classroom or community space with equity, antiracism, and civic action. Our keynote speak, Dr. Matthew Kay, will present his compelling research on how to speak about race in elementary classrooms.

The conference will happen via Zoom and is free to attend. It is sponsored by our local schools of education: The Warner School at the University of Rochester; the Ralph J. Wilson School of Education at St. John Fisher College; Nazareth University School of Education; the Ella Cline Shear School of Education at SUNY Geneseo; and the SUNY Brockport Department of Education and Human Development.

Please register now, peruse the sessions as they're posted and get ready for a powerful day of learning, reflection, and commitment to equity in education. FREE REGISTRATION AT https://events.rochester.edu/event/2025-virtual-greater-rochester-antiracist-education-conference-leading-with-purpose

Click the pink buttons to access some awesome resources to try out! Brief descriptions of the resources sit below their respective buttons.

The featured 5 metacognitive questions:

1. What stands out to me? What makes me wonder?

2. Which parts or terms are new to me, and which parts do I recognize?

3. How does this connect with what I already know?

4. What follow-up questions do I have?

5. Why is this idea important?

This month we couldn't help but highlight a dynamic duo from Herkimer Elementary, Brenna Kirkpatrick and Deb Knowlton! These educators lead the Grade 4 & 5 Drama Program at Herkimer Elementary, creating enjoyable experiences that the students cannot stop raving about. Their principal, Renee Vogt, sent her praise, saying "Both of these remarkable ladies are top notch and a role model for ALL new teachers. Any student who has had the privilege of being in either of their classrooms has had positive memorable experiences!" Keep being amazing and rocking it in the classroom!

Want to keep up to date on the educators being celebrated in our area? Email Amanda Chapple to join our newsletter ListServ!

Follow @tchr2tchr on Instagram for more teaching ideas from a great community of teachers!

The Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Instructional Support Services Newsletter is your go-to hub for all things teaching! Packed with handpicked resources, tools, and fresh ideas, it's here to help you level up your teaching game and make learning more engaging and fun for your students. Here at ISS, we're all about creating a space where teachers can connect, swap ideas, and learn from each other. Whether you need support, resources, or just want to pitch a professional development idea, or share a great teaching moment, we're here for you. So don't be shy—reach out, and let's make teaching a collaborative endeavor! Here's a link to our website.

Contact Instructional Support Services

Got Ideas? We've Got Resources! Let’s work together to make this school year great!

Our Instructional Coaching team is here to support you! Don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our coaches in the field or contact our secretary, Amanda Chapple, at Instructional Support Services at (315) 867-2077. We can help with:

• Co-planning lessons and units
• Providing classroom resources and materials
• Modeling instructional strategies
• Supporting curriculum design and alignment
• Offering professional development workshops
• Facilitating collaborative team meetings