RSAC 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of professional learning, educators are constantly seeking innovative and engaging opportunities to enhance their practice. Enter the INSPIRE subscription box—a dynamic and immersive approach to professional development that offers educators curated resources, tools, and activities delivered right to their doorstep. In this session, participants will explore the transformative potential of subscription boxes as a viable and accessible avenue for continuous learning and growth.

Is the professional development in your building helping teacher grow? Or is it holding them back? In this session we will share feedback from teacher leaders all over Illinois regarding thier feelings about the current state of PD in their schools- and what they wish thier administration would recognize about thier professional development needs. We will walk through specific recommendations from teachers about how to make professional development meaningful and how to incorportate teacher voice into the development process.

The mental health of educators is critical for improved outcomes for students. Currently, a major factor in decreased mental health is the stress caused by poor relationships with students' parents. This presentation examines and explains why parents do not have the "know, like, and trust" factor with their child's teachers. Educators will have a different perspective on the reasons they may not have the "know, like, and trust" factor for and from their students' parents. Participants will learn strategies to implement immediately upon return to their school on how to foster the "know, like, and trust" factor for improved relationships and better mental health.

As a general education teacher is it your responsibility to provide accommodations? As a special education teacher is it your responsibility to provide accommodations and modifications? What is the difference between an accommodation and modification? Knowing the answers to these questions is very important if you work with students who have individualized education programs (IEP). The majority of due process cases filed across the country stem from educators not knowing the right answers to these questions. Participants will leave this workshop with the knowledge and tools to answer these questions and many more.

Educators will learn how to establish Teen Science Cafés in their educational settings - empowering teens to manage their own events. Teen Sceince Cafés are designed BY TEENS FOR TEENS – teens select the topics, locate speakers, vet the speakers, develop a related activity, and manage the actual event. Under the supervision of adult leaders, teens develop their own scripts, manage the sign-in, provide the introductions and more. Educators will learn how they can develop partnerships with a local non-profit to share the responsibility of guiding teens. Through their leadership, teens develop several of the 40 Developmental Assets.
Participants will be connected with the Teen Science Cafe Network (TSCN) that provides guidelines/best practices to utilize immediately in their own settings.