Budget Board Presentation

EDAD 614 focuses on school finance. As part of the class we created a mock school budget detailing how school finances would be used to meet the goals outlined in the school growth plan. After creating the mock budget, we created a school board presentation that outlines the budget for the school year and how the finances are linked to the school goals. 

Here is the link to the presentation: Budget Board Presentation

Special Education Handbook

Being a general education teacher, my knowledge of special education is very limited. EDAD 612 gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge and understanding of the special education realm. As part of our class, we had to create a handbook that explained the basics of special education for anyone.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aYu2eNqJV_Hqwdisx85jQft1YZlU0npqbRRJBINdGEk/edit?usp=sharing

Master Scheduling Infographic

MTSS Online Training Certificate of Completion

Instructional Supervision Interview

     In EDAD 610, we were given the opportunity to interview a administrator on the topic of instructional observations and evaluations. I was able to interview my principal and discuss observations and what are some of her lessons learned after almost 10 years of being an administrator.

My major takeaways from the interview were:

1) All decisions surrounding teacher observations and evaluations are made with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in mind.

2) Reach out to those who have more expertise on the matter when sticky situations arise.

3)  Always be objective and follow the guidelnes of the observation and evaluation materials.


It was nice to be able to sit and discuss the topic of teacher observations and evaluations with someone who has experience in the matter since it is such a foreign topic to me personally.

Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports

EDAD 608 focuses on school safety and discipline. Part of the discipline aspect, focused on PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports). My school site has been a PBIS school for 4 years. We have fully implemented Tier 1 PBIS and are currently beginning implementation of Tier 2 practices. 

Here is a little background on PBIS and why it is needed in schools. 

What is PBIS?

PBIS focuses on teaching expected behaviors, just as we would any content material in classrooms. Expected behaviors are then recognized and celebrated. PBIS also builds in interventions and supports for students who struggle to perform the expected behaviors. 

Why do we need PBIS?

Every student is unique and comes to school with their own background and history. While for some students performing the expected behavior might come easy, for others they need more support. 

As part of our class, we collaborated with classmates to create a PBIS manual for all to use. 

PBIS Manual: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wfBgGZdQ9M1clLS4gqx3cvlsvmT5RX3wcxnwJx04YUg/edit?usp=sharing

Short Term Wins

Through developing short term wins for our school growth plan, I began to think how this could be used in the classroom with students. A big idea on my campus is growth mindset vs. fixed mindset. A classroom teacher could incorporate short term wins into their growth mindset and goal setting practices in the classroom.

An idea I have for my own classroom is when my students are creating their SMART goals we will look at their overall goal and then break that down into short term wins. We can then celebrate the short term wins as the student progresses to meeting their overall goal.

Communication Skills

Communication is an essential component in the educational world. Teachers communicate with students, parents, teachers, admin and other staff members on a daily basis. This video stood out to me as it focused on 6 key traits of communication. 

1. Assertiveness

2. Authenticity

3. Open-mindedness

4. Empathy

5. Clarity

6. Listening

After watching this video, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my communication skills and areas I can improve in. I chose to focus on assertiveness and listening. I tend to be a multi-tasker and will even multi-task during conversations and as I reflected I realized that although I am listening to what they have to say, my body language is not conveying that message. I am not showing the person who is speaking that I am engaged in what they have to say. I decided to implement listening strategies that I teach my students in class. Track the speaker, nod yes or no, and not to be doing other tasks. 

School Growth Plan Presentation

As part of the program, we had to create a school growth plan using current data from our school site. After creating the growth plan we had to create a presentation that could be shared with different stakeholders.

This program also incorporates a technology component, promoting different technology applications for students to learn and use. This presentation was created using a website called PowToon. PowToon is an easy to use multimedia presentation creator.