St. John public school teachers lead their colleagues at state summit
Published 12:06 am Wednesday, June 15, 2016
- Dr. Stephen Zafirau discusses how to set quality goals at the beginning of the school year at the Teacher Leader Summit held June 3 in New Orleans. Teachers and administrators from St. John Parish were among the presenters at the event.
NEW ORLEANS — St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District teachers and administrators were among those teaching the teachers at the 2016 Teacher Leader Summit in New Orleans.
The summit, which took place this month, brought together more than 4,000 educators and content experts from across the state to share their knowledge, learn new skills and prepare for the upcoming school year.
Eight educators from St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools led sessions during the summit. To become a presenter, educators had to go through an application process that included submitting a topic and presentation material that was reviewed by Louisiana Department of Education officials, who then offered feedback and chose which would be presented at the summit.
“As a district leader, I am proud to have teachers, school and district leaders presenting to other Louisiana teacher leaders from all parts of the state,” Assistant Superintendent Quentina Timoll said. “SJBP is making an indelible mark in Louisiana’s educational landscape by paving the way for others to follow. We’ve been fortunate to learn from other districts and now we are in a position to share and help others improve teaching and learning.”
Presentations by St. John the Baptist Parish educators included Dr. Stephen Zafirau, who discussed setting quality goals at the beginning of the school year and ensuring student learning targets communicate the right expectations for teaching and learning.
The team of Jasmin Porter, Christal Sylvain and Monica Brown used a hands-on approach to get educators to practice methods for determining teacher support needs, collaborative strategies for instructional proficiency and a protocol for providing meaningful feedback.
Jenna Chiasson and Shanna Beber discussed how district and school leaders can provide high-quality, actionable feedback to teachers as students are asked to read and understand complex texts because of the adoption of more rigorous standards in English language arts and social studies.
Chiasson also led a session with Jason Beber about how to use evidence and set criteria to create individualized teacher support plans that lead to effective conversations and improved practice.
Shanna Beber and Natalie Klibert taught how to create highly engaging social studies lessons that integrate literacy skills, including listening and speaking.
In addition to leading sessions, Shanna Beber participated in a Teacher Leader Panel with educators from across the state discussing Maximizing the Impact of Teacher Leaders.