Oakville Trafalgar High School PD Day

So, what were your Teachers up to on Friday, November 27th????

I'm so glad you asked.....

This past Friday OTHS Staff gathered for the day to reflect, dialogue, and plan collectively with a focus on our SIPSA (School Improvement Plan for Student Achievement).  The SIPSA is our school developed plan for any particular year.

Our three areas of attention this year will be:

a) Resiliency
b) Equity and Inclusiveness
c) Digital Citizenship

Last year (2014-15 school year) Administration asked staff to identify the areas of greatest student need.......and a lack of resiliency AND poor digital citizenship were the top two areas identified.
Equity and Inclusiveness was added to our SIPSA because - as a school board - we are working to acknowledge and engage staff, students, and our parent community around issues of equity and inclusiveness.  Through such engagement it is our expectation that ALL students will feel that OTHS is a welcoming and inclusive school - both in the classroom and in the halls.

Here was our Agenda this morning:

8:00-8:25   - staff breakfast
8:30-9:15   - Updates and thank you's + Setting the context for our day
9:20-10:45 - Staff rotating through three different rooms:
                    i)  Equity and Inclusiveness
                    ii) Resiliency
                   iii) Digital Citizenship
In each session staff leaders reviewed each area of focus and facilitated discussion around how classroom teachers could incorporate elements of each in their classrooms.

10:45-11:45 - Staff Wellness Activities (Yoga/Knitting/Games/Wellness walk)
11:45-12:45 - Lunch
1:00 - 2:30 - Department Meetings and Grade/Subject Team Time
2:30-2:50 - Wrap up and Review

Over the course of the morning there was great dialogue regarding our SIPSA and in the afternoon departments had an opportunity to drill down on subject and grade concerns and questions.
One staff member commented, "this is information we should be sharing with our parents as well as our students."   So, here are a couple of things for you to review:

Resiliency - You Tube Ted Talk clip - The Power of Belief

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc

This clip covers topics we have discussed previously including Angela Duckworth's 'Grit Ted Talk' and Dr. C. Dweck's work on Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

Equity and Inclusiveness - The HDSB Equity and Inclusiveness page served as our 'base' for discussions around this issue at OTHS.

www.hdsb.ca/Programs/Pages/equity.aspx

Digital Citizenship - Staff leaders developed a fun clip of staff (acting as students) using technology in both appropriate and inappropriate ways.  A great discussion was then coordinated around issues of cell phone use in class; digital footprint; and how we might best address digital citizenship in classrooms across various subject disciplines.


Friday's PD activities have set the stage for future dialogue and learning that will follow over the course of this school year.  We're looking forward to taking steps toward moving our conversations from paper.....to the students in our classrooms.

Stay tuned......