Our Kids Read is a nonprofit working to impact literacy rates in 4-12 yr olds. Post-quarantine, reading scores are at crisis levels and we are looking to move the needle by leveraging technology and growing grassroots support for our book donations, events, and remote 1-on-1 literacy mentorship programs (Reading Buddies). We will talk about our current predicament and evidence-based strategies to use to engage remote learners, including the use of diverse books (w/BIPOC protagonists and cultural resonance). Suggested for elementary teachers, aspiring educators, administrators, library/media specialists, counselors, and paraprofessionals, at the elementary level.
As schools become trauma-responsive, a key aspect is often forgotten. The impact of historical and racial trauma is a significant consideration in providing safety for students of color. This presentation covers race-based traumatic stress in the form of microaggressions, code-switching, colorism, and more. Trauma bears the scars of myths, hatred, oppression, and violence. Educators will explore symptoms of racial stress and intersectionality and how to provide supportive and healing environments for students of color and students with intersecting identities. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
Best practices in instruction using edible manipulates will be shared. Experience hands-on activities to reinforce the Math vocabulary. One way to get your class excited about finding the Mean, Median, and Mode is by using a set of data that they can eat after the Learning Lab is complete. Calculate the Perimeter and Area with tasty four-sided polygons. Obtain additional strategies to place in your Tool Kit as you participate in engaging initiatives to review various Math SOL standards. Suggested for math teachers, aspiring educators, administrators, and paraprofessionals, all levels.
This study investigated recovery strategies for over-aged at-promise students to increase on-time graduation rates by addressing student academic engagement, behavior concerns, and social-emotional development elements. Eight secondary educators, comprised of school administrators, alternative education managers, and school counselors, with experience from five different Central Virginia school districts, participated in this study. Through interviews, six essential themes were identified. Twelve effective strategies were developed from these findings that engaged overaged at-promise student concerns to increase overall graduation rates. Suggested for all secondary audiences.
VEA is proud to offer our members an opportunity to take their learning into their own hands. The VEA Learning Portal has rolled out and we invite members to view, ask questions, and learn how this learning management system will be an added value to your VEA membership. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
The educator’s voice isn’t just your tone or speaking style. It’s an overall reflection of your core values and communication skill that will impact how you present yourself as a leader & mentor. Your voice has power that will influence your emotions—finding the right agent to empower consistency and resilience while rediscovering innovative strategies to rebuild the positive relationship in yourself. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
The purpose of this session is to show teachers how to choose specific texts that allow students to live within a text through “creative annotating.” Teachers that attend this session will be given the opportunity to “live within text” through live annotations, experiences, and visuals. The session will also focus on how equity and inclusion can be incorporated with annotating. Suggested for teachers, aspiring educators, administrators, library/media specialists, and paraprofessionals, all levels.
In this workshop, participants will learn how labor-management collaboration (LMC) can be used to position educators to share in decisions about their profession. Practical advice, real-world examples, and resources will be provided to help participants transform their relationships with administrators into true partnerships for professional excellence and student success. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
Through this training, we will explore topics such as mindfulness; love and kindness; boundaries, breaks, and balance; and more. Participants will learn to identify the signs and symptoms of secondary stress and burnout and the importance of practicing self-care and promoting wellness in a variety of personal and professional settings, depending on your needs and areas of interest. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
A successful collective bargaining campaign begins with establishing contract action teams. CAT teams are needed at all stages of the bargaining process and includes all bargaining units. You will learn how to put together and run your CAT team. You will also learn the role of the CAT team at different stages of the bargaining campaign, the organizing building blocks of mapping, and 1:1s, as well as ways to deal with the challenges of keeping your coworkers engaged in the campaign. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
All people experience unconscious bias, and at times these biases become evident in comments or actions. Often, educators are unsure how to respond in these split-second moments when they happen in the classroom or with colleagues. During this workshop, participants will explore strategies for responding to incidents of bias in an inclusive way, including practice with real-world scenarios. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
Teachers, counselors, & specialists will be guided through unpacking selected National Board Certification Standards and component instructions to explore how the NB Certification process helps improve their practice related to equity, inclusion, and cultural responsiveness. Participants will gain insights into the certification process, available VEA support for National Board candidates and NBCTs, and how they can advocate for NB certification in their local districts to benefit students, educators, and communities. Appropriate for current licensed educators and aspiring educators. Suggested for teachers, aspiring educators, administrators, library/media specialists, counselors, and paraprofessionals, all levels.
The ever-changing and confusing world of Federal student loan repayments is a complicated and expensive part of people’s lives. By being a public servant, learn how you can get assistance in reducing and possibly eliminating your debt in this investment in your career. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
This field is too challenging to navigate without constant support. VEA’s mentoring program for Early Career Educators and Education Support Professionals will be introduced. If you are interested in being matched with a mentor or learning about VEA’s new mentor programs, attend this session to get all the details and the plan for the coming year. Suggested for ESPs and Early Career Educators, all levels.
Move with math. Sing with science. Act with American sheroes and heroes. Use the arts in your classroom to excite and engage your students. Using the arts in the core content areas creates a unique way to differentiate material for students. The use of the arts can also provide a means of assisting all students, including culturally and linguistically diverse students, improve communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. It also helps them gain deeper knowledge and understanding of content. Suggested for teachers, aspiring educators, administrators, library/media specialists, and paraprofessionals, all levels.
Teachers of Color play a major role in the educational setting. Oprah Winfrey stated, “If we do not place qualified African-American educational professionals in front of our students, we are committing educational suicide.” This quote is paramount in public education as we prepare students for jobs that may not currently exist. In this session, presenters will share concrete examples and strategies to implement in teacher preparation programs, K-12 hiring processes, and teacher mentoring programs at the school level. Suggested for teachers, aspiring educators, and administrators, all levels.
Affirming transgender students has been proven to save lives, so providing affirming and inclusive spaces for our students is imperative, as well as advocating for our students through policies at the school, district, and even state levels. Participants will learn ways to create an affirming environment for transgender students, as well as advocate for students at the school and district levels. Participants will interact with real scenarios and examine model policies from different districts from across Virginia. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
This session will showcase the merits of the continued use of one-to-one technology in Music Classrooms to achieve proficiency with all learners through student-centered, creative, outside-the-box, technology-based learning & assessment methods. Current online learning platforms/apps, Google and Microsoft Classroom Tools, and traditional teaching methods are melded together for an “outside the lines”, student-driven, and FUN technology-based learning experience. Project-based student-directed learning activities are utilized throughout with importance placed on both individual and ensemble achievement. Suggested for music teachers, aspiring educators, administrators, and paraprofessionals, all levels.
This session will dive deep into the three brain states, trauma’s impact on the brain, the Polyvagal Theory, and normal versus traumatic memories. This is designed to be Part One of a two-part series; attending both sessions is not a requirement. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
Join Lisa, public school teacher (NBCT/ACPS 22 years) and Certified Yoga Therapist C-IAYT (1000 hours) to empower yourself in realigning choices and intentional actions with clarity and purpose. It takes courage, strength, and clarity to make decisions aligned with proper boundaries and to step toward what is needed for well-being. Healing requires wise action.
Learn and experience the techniques of therapeutic yoga: breathing, postures, and journaling designed to support you in choosing actions that reconnect you with what serves. Suggested for all audiences all levels.
This presentation will discuss the role of emotions in learning, relationships, and classroom behaviors. Understanding emotions is important for teachers to provide effective instruction and behavior management. Teachers’ ability to regulate their own emotions is essential for their well-being. Session attendees will learn about common emotional elicitors in the classroom. They will be further equipped with strategies to manage students’ and their own emotions, respond to challenging emotional situations in the classroom, and maintain their well-being. Suggested for teachers, aspiring educators, library/media specialists, counselors, paraprofessionals, and administrators, all levels.
A makerspace is a place containing tools and materials for creation and collaboration. This presentation explains how a makerspace can be integrated into curriculum and pedagogy to promote collaborative and community learning. It demonstrates how pedagogy intersects with makerspaces to foster students’ learning and confidence. The presentation includes examples of implicit and explicit instructional strategies teachers can use within the context of makerspace learning. It also discusses the pedagogical implications of using makerspace, highlighting its affordances and constraints. Suggested for teachers, aspiring educators, library/media specialists, paraprofessionals, and administrators, all levels.
A high school social studies teacher and high school band director showcase how a Virginia high school celebrates Black joy in its social studies classrooms, cultural programs and the performing arts. Participants will be equipped to employ culturally responsive pedagogy and systems in their schools and community that celebrate Black joy, create an inclusive school environment and produce student leaders. Suggested for social studies and performing arts teachers, aspiring educators, counselors, paraprofessionals, and administrators, at the secondary level.
This topic will be informed by research and evidence-based practice that relates to the importance of incorporating discussions on racial identity, the history of various cultural groups, and social justice in regard to issues in the K-12 classrooms, teacher preparation programs, and community involvement among rural, urban and suburban communities. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
In this session, we will cover the VDOE Transgender Policy and how educators can support their students who are transgender or nonconforming gender in the classroom, in your school, and your school division even when your district has not adopted a compliant policy. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
What is trauma-informed care? What are some possible opportunities to reach, raise up, and rescue students, families, and staff? Together, attendees and Dr. Henry-Whitehead will review some of the literature and research relative to trauma-informed care, trauma-sensitive classrooms, and trauma stewardship. This session will include an assessment, a conceptual framework, large and small group discussion, resources, music, movement, and singing. Dr. Henry-Whitehead will share her personal story, “From Struggling to Mending”. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
Join this interactive session to walk away with concrete practices to implement research-based strategies to reach students on all levels. Educators will explore how to use a variety of genres to make literary connections while practicing critical thinking skills that foster deeper learning. Integrating the 5Cs with the current school curriculum gives students the opportunity to demonstrate and explore “thinking outside of the box” to promote critical thinking. We are increasing opportunities for deeper learning for ALL students! Suggested for teachers, aspiring educators, library/media specialists, counselors, and administrators, all levels.
As a member of the Association, take advantage of the many discounts and programs that can help you in your everyday life. From movie ticket discounts to the Federal Student Loan Forgiveness calculator, many programs, such as car insurance and financial programs, your family can take advantage of as well. Suggested for all audiences all levels.
This session will explore how to create resilient students, the importance of relationships, and trauma-informed strategies for the classroom. This is designed to be Part Two of a two-part series; attending both sessions is not a requirement. Suggested for all audiences, all levels.
Virginia is a top 10 state in median household income, but ranks 36th in the US in state per pupil funding of K-12 education.
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