Learning Unleashed

Welcome to the first edition of Learning Unleashed for the 2024-25 school year. This newsletter is designed to keep #1LISD continually growing and improving by connecting us to just-in-time ideas, content, and resources aligned to our Learning Model and guiding philosophies.

Start your school year off by building strong relationships and empowering learning environments with your students. Explore the resources below to pick up a new idea, tip, or inspiration to set your (and your students') year up for success!

• Mapping Intentions for Back to School
• 23 Ways to Build and Sustain Classroom Relationships
  
• Balancing Friendliness With Firmness
• 20 Ways to Build Classroom Community and Relationships
  
• Creating a Classroom Culture of Shared Ownership
  
• Comfort Zones, Stretch Zones, and Panic Zones
  
• 4 Research-Backed Ideas to Upgrade Your Classroom Environment
• 7 Zones Every Middle School Classroom Should Have
  

Leander ISD's written curriculum is developed to allow time for building strong connections and systems before diving into the content. Whether kicking off with a Week of Inspirational Math, relationship building to support reading/writing workshop and literacy communities, or collaboration and classbuilding tasks to support Dual Language environments, the #1LISD curriculum development teams have prioritized time for you to connect and build community with your students!

Professional Learning Communities are structures for job-embedded adult learning, driven by the learning needs of their students. When teachers collectively identify how to make shifts in instruction based on student data, it has a positive impact on student outcomes. Putting the right foundation and structures in place to guide team actions will set up teams for success. 4 steps for Creating stronger, More collaborative Teacher Teams suggests these structures: 1) Collect and chart data 2) Set goals 3) Create baseline evidence and 4) Select high-yield instructional strategies. Too often our focus is on our challenges. Be sure your team also celebrates successes to help your team stay confident in their ability to meet the needs of students. LISD's Guiding Coalition is building a bank of resources and tools aligned to the PLC Foundational Practices in the new PLC Implementation Guide.

Did you know that Leander ISD has a website full of teambuilding resources to support building a strong community and culture in your classroom and/or work environment? Curated and modeled by master experiential educator, Greg Glover, you'll find something to fit your needs based on age or size of the group! Check it out!

Reach out to the Digital Learning Team here if you are interested in learning more!

Please take a moment in this very busy time to invest in yourself, reading a few articles that inspire you as you build the culture of a positive learning environment in your classroom.

From Advice for New teachers from a Teacher of the Year, "Being a teacher is unlike anything else I can describe: It’s one of the most meaningful and one of the hardest things I’ve ever done." Read about her hilarious first day mistakes. She learned to be reflective at the end of each day, find her people, and be patient. "You will grow into the teacher you want to be." Also, Peterson's One Good Thing is a beautiful idea to preserve the memories. You think you won't forget some of these first moments, but they are fleeting.

Another inspirational idea comes from 3 Tips for New Middle School Teachers called "Me in Numbers." Her advice reminds us to get the perspective of your students as you launch your first classroom. Enjoy this new teacher journey!

Join us this fall for our 31st Annual Continuous Improvement Institute (CII)! Whether you want to improve your classroom or workplace processes, increase student empowerment, or take action on a goal you’ve set, CII can give you the tools and concepts to tackle your probletunity!

Small group cohorts will meet on:
September 17 (4:30 - 6:30, virtual)
October 1 (1:00 - 4:30, in-person @ a location central to the cohort)
October 15 (1:00 - 4:30, in-person @ a location central to the cohort)
October 29 (1:00 - 4:30, in-person @ a location central to the cohort)
November 12 (5:00 - 7:00, in person @ a central location)

LISD will cover the cost of participants' subs for the 3 half-day sessions. For more details see the CII flyer and/or sign-up form.

What have you learned recently (or in the process of trying) that could be shared to benefit the greater #1LISD professional learning community? The session proposal form for the 2024 Continuous Improvement Conference (November 4 & 5) is open and accepting submissions. Get your proposal in today to help shape the conference offerings for your peers!

Check out past editions of Learning Unleashed.

Let us know what you think about this edition or what you'd like to see in future editions of "Learning Unleashed."

For more opportunities for professional learning provided by Leander ISD, check out Eduphoria Strive.

Email: professional.development@leanderisd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/leanderisd.org/professional-learning/home
Phone: 512.570.0209
Twitter: @LISD_IPL