Teachers as Life-long Learners – MTS PD Day and TLLT

As any teacher will tell you, learning is a life-long endeavor.  Whether a teacher is in their first year, their 21st, or 41st, there is always a new skill or strategy to be learned in order to be the most effective teacher they can be.  In Manitoba, there is a time-honoured tradition of a coordinated day of professional development and learning, and this year’s event, the Manitoba Teachers’ Society Professional Development Day, is taking place on Friday, October 20th across the province.

This is a day not only celebrated by MTS and its members, but by school divisions as well.  In fact, for the past few years the SRTA and the SRSD have issued a joint statement about MTS PD Day.  If you would like to read this year’s letter or support by SRSD superintendent Mike Borgfjord and SRTA President Jonathan Waite, click this link: Joint Statement SAGE 2017.

The 46th annual MTS Professional Development Day is a day where teachers participate in one or more Special Area Group of Educators (SAGE) activities.  More than thirty SAGE organizations exist for specialized groups of educators, giving teachers a lot of choice as to what sort of learning they wish to take part in on October 20th.  In addition to activities happening in and around Winnipeg, there is also the Learning Information For Teachers (LIFT) conference happening in Brandon.  Any SRTA Member looking for more information on MTS PD Day can visit the MTS web site.

In addition to this important PD day, there is a touring group of educators ready to provide workshop sessions at your schools throughout the year.  The Teacher Led Learning Team (TLLT) is a group of twenty-two Manitoba educators who deliver half-day and full-day workshops to MTS members and non-MTS members, for an additional charge) on-site upon request. TLLT workshops can be requested for any date, subject to the availability of TLLT facilitators. We are proud that SRTA member Shannon Philippe is part of the team again this year!

The workshops being offered this year are:

• High-Impact Teams (HALF DAY) – Participants will identify characteristics of and strategies to enhance meaningful collaborative work within grade-level teams, PLCs, and departments.
• Cultivating the Super Powers in your Teams: Working with Educational Assistants (HALF DAY) – Participants will explore practices and guidelines that enhance dynamic working relationships between teachers and EAs.
• Current LGBTQ* Realities (HALF DAY) – Participants will learn strategies for developing LGBTQ inclusive classrooms and schools.
• Exploring our Place in Reconciliation through Story & Fact (HALF DAY) – In 2015, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission released 94 Calls to Action to “redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation” (TRC, 2015). The
  role of education in the calls to action is paramount.
• Classroom Management & Student Engagement (HALF OR FULL DAY) – Participants will explore proactive and responsive strategies to enhance classroom management and student engagement.
• Fishing for Fun (HALF DAY, available November 1, 2017) – The ability of teachers to collaborate and work together is paramount to student success, yet in the business and stress of teaching, collegial relationships can become strained and unfocused. Participants will learn about the Fish! Philosophy, a mindset that inspires creativity, joy, and productivity to enhance the work we do with students.
• Having Conversations (FULL DAY) – Participants will explore knowledge and skills to have purposeful conversations when stakes are high, emotions are strong, and opinions vary.
• Leading Professional Learning (FULL DAY, availability TBD) – Participants will collaborate in a realistic simulation where they
  serve as the professional learning leadership team in a school. They choose and implement professional learning activities that
  address specific needs of faculty in their school. Along the way, participants achieve success, but also encounter some obstacles.

Workshops are booked through MTS at very low costs.  If you are interested in having the TLLT at your school, or want to know more about the program (including how to become a presenter), please head over to the TLLT section of the MTS web site.