'25 MSAA Summer Institute

We all want to excel as administrators but there are only a few who are willing to make the necessary adjustments to create a community that establishes collaboration and camaraderie. If you are up to considering some changes that will enhance your staff meetings, recognize excellence in teaching, and hold productive but difficult conversations then this is the workshop for you! A few changes could mean a world of difference. By building a community of learners and leaders both staff and students excel.

High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) are most effective when implemented skillfully within a supportive environment, but setting up that environment and understanding which materials will best serve a particular classroom or school context can be a challenge. As a state leader in equitable, strategic HQIM initiatives, the Rennie Center is eager to support schools with selecting curricular materials that fit the diversity of learning needs within their community. In this presentation, Rennie staff will describe the steps that school leaders can use to prepare for curriculum implementation, such as setting a shared, data-informed instructional vision. They will also discuss how school leaders can avoid "analysis paralysis" as they investigate new curricula and select materials appropriate for their environment. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to prepare for and launch a curriculum selection process, maximizing the benefits of HQIM for students and staff.

When students are in the principal's office, they are missing out on instructional time. Teachers and students are frustrated with the ongoing minor conflicts and disruptive behavior. This session will provide the tips and strategies teachers need to remain calm and respond right when challenged. All educators and students benefit from a healthy, caring, positive, productive, and respectful environment and these are the approaches for how to create it.

When teachers use these techniques consistently and effectively, you will see improvement for both discipline and academic performance of students, improvement in both classroom and school climate, and a reduction of both teacher stress and student failure.

Join Pamela to understand the specific strategies that will empower students with the readiness and confidence to learn and teachers with the time and energy to teach!