Professional Development

Opportunities
Mary Kathryn Gates

1. ARA Conference
November 12-13, 2015 (6:45AM-12:15PM)
The$students$of$the$education$department$had$the$incredible$privilege$to$attend$the$
Alabama$Reading$Association$Conference$right$here$in$Birmingham,$Alabama.$I$have$been$
looking$forward$to$this$event$since$we$were$first$told$of$it$the$first$week$of$school.$I$am$
passionate$about$reading,$so$I$was$very$excited$to$hear$seminars$from$significant$people$who$
are$making$differences$in$the$world$of$education$through$reading$and$books.$$
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On$Thursday$I$had$the$opportunity$to$be$a$part$of$and$help$with$the$conference$
registration.$The$leadership$team$spent$the$morning$stuffing$bags$for$all$of$the$attendees$for$
the$twoBday$conference.$It$was$great$to$be$involved$behind$the$scenes$that$morning,$and$the$
adults$working$the$tables$were$very$appreciative$of$us.$They$offered$us$firstBpick$in$goodie$
bags,$donuts,$and$gave$us$lunch$tickets$for$both$days.$After$registration,$the$first$general$
session$started.$I$enjoyed$hearing$from$Jeff$Anderson,$who$opened$his$seminar$by$playing$
Firework$by$Katy$Perry$as$a$way$to$inspire$his$audience$of$teachers.$He$walked$us$through$a$
couple$of$writing$workshops$that$students$love,$which$was$also$engaging$for$all$of$us.$My$
favorite$quote$of$the$day$was$by$Mr.$Anderson,$The$child$is$more$important$than$the$writing.$
The$first$concurrent$session$I$attended$on$Thursday$was$not$what$I$expected.$We$thought$we$
were$going$to$a$session$pertaining$to$using$literacy$in$a$KB3$classroom,$but$it$was$actually$on$an$
administrative$tool$for$walkBthrough$observations.$It$was$interesting$nonetheless,$and$the$two$
individuals$who$presented$had$roots$in$Florida$State$University$so$I$felt$a$connection.$It$was$also$
very$constructive$to$be$surrounded$by$administrators$talking$about$real$teacher$observations.$I$
got$to$help$with$lunch$by$collecting$tickets$from$attendees$and$organizing$the$lunch$boxes,$
which$was$a$great$experience.$
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Friday,$the$second$and$final$day$of$the$conference,$was$just$a$valuable$of$an$experience$
as$Thursday$was.$For$me,$the$Friday$sessions$coincidentally$consisted$of$incorporating$picture$
books$in$instruction.$Since$I$enjoyed$Dr.$Underbakkes$seminar$on$chapter$books$at$Trace$
Crossings,$I$attended$his$concurrent$session$on$picture$books.$He$provided$a$list$of$some$of$his$
favorite$new$and$fairly$new$picture$books,$including$descriptions$of$the$books$and$a$purpose$for$
presenting$them$to$students.$After$Dr.$Underbakke,$I$went$back$to$the$main$room$for$the$
second$general$session$of$the$day.$Diane$Barone,$president$of$the$International$Literacy$
Association,$delivered$a$seminar$on$readBalouds.$She$focused$on$books$with$visual$images,$
which$contributed$more$to$the$list$of$childrens$books$that$I$had$just$acquired$in$the$concurrent$
session.$I$also$helped$with$lunch$on$Friday,$and$I$truly$enjoyed$serving$in$this$way.$$
I$am$grateful,$as$a$preBservice$teacher,$that$I$had$the$opportunity$to$attend$a$conference$
for$teachers,$coaches,$administration,$and$individuals$from$the$state.$Many$adults$who$I$came$
in$contact$with,$such$as$vendors,$concurrent$session$speakers,$and$teachers,$were$very$
impressed$that$college$students$were$present$for$the$conference.$More$than$once$I$was$
recognized$as$a$Samford$student$and$highly$regarded$for$being$in$the$program$and$attending$
the$conference.$I$look$forward$to$next$years$ARA$Conference!$

2. PLP: Importance of Family Involvement

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Lesson 1: Personality

October 10, 7pm

This$lesson$was$very$introspectively$informative.$Prior$to$our$meeting,$we$took$a$personality$
test$on$truity.com$to$determine$our$4Bletter$personality$summary.$I$was$very$interested$to$see$
what$my$personality$was$determined$to$be$based$on$answering$questions,$as$well$as$the$
personalities$of$the$3$of$my$classmates$also$in$the$group.$This$lesson$also$provided$each$
personality$type$with$strengths$and$weaknesses,$and$we$discussed$what$this$would$look$like$in$
a$classroom$setting.$

Lesson 2: Communication

October 29, 7pm

This$session$really$taught$me$a$lot$about$communicating$with$parents.$I$think$it$has$been$so$
beneficial$to$work$with$a$student$in$the$Family$Studies$World$to$keep$us$teachers$balanced$
and$aware$of$the$other$side$of$things.$Lesson$2$provided$steps$for$conveying$bad$news$to$a$
parent,$and$I$will$keep$this$tucked$close$in$my$classroom$resources.$This$lesson$also$
acknowledged$the$communication$styles$of$other$people,$particularly$parents,$and$how$they$
interact$with$other$personality$types.$I$find$this$extremely$helpful$as$a$reminder$to$that$
communication$is$crucial$and$the$certain$way$of$communicating$is$the$key.$
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Lesson 3: Parenting Styles and Discipline

November 5, 7pm
This$lesson$profiled$4$different$parenting$styles$and$discipline.$There$are$different$categories:$
Supportive$and$Unsupportive,$Demanding$and$Undemanding.$As$we$discussed$parenting$styles,$
we$learned$that$there$is$some$overlap$among$the$categories$to$form$4$different$styles$as$result.$
There$are$two$supportive$and$two$unsupportive$parenting$styles,$but$each$hold$pros$and$cons.$
This$lesson$was$extremely$informational$as$I$could$picture$each$type$of$parenting$style$with$
understanding.$
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Lesson 4: What Type of Teacher Are You?

November 19, 7pm

The$final$lesson$brought$the$focus$back$on$us,$as$preBservice$teachers.$What$type$of$teacher$
are$you?$was$the$question$asked,$allowing$us$to$take$a$step$back$and$analyze$the$type$of$
teacher$we$are$before$we$even$truly$take$the$title$of$a$teacher.$I$will$refer$to$this$lesson$as$I$am$
still$forming$my$philosophy,$and$if$I$ever$lose$sight$of$the$type$of$teacher$I$am$and$always$will$be$
striving$to$be.$
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3. ELL Training Event: Teaching Academic Language to English Leaners

As$students$and$preBservice$teachers,$it$was$an$incredible$experience$to$have$the$opportunity$to$
have$a$workshop$geared$toward$teaching$English$Language$Learners.$I$have$never$before$had$any$
understanding$or$knowledge$of$the$methods$and$strategies$to$teach$ELL$students,$and$for$this$workshop$
I$am$grateful.$I$know$that$this$was$a$unique$opportunity$and$is$definitely$a$part$of$the$many$things$that$
set$Samford$students$apart$from$other$students$in$the$education$major.$Lara$Valtierra$is$very$passionate$
about$what$she$does.$From$the$beginning$to$the$end$of$each$session,$Mrs.$Valtierra$gave$us$110%$of$her$
effort$to$make$a$great$impression$to$engage$us$in$learning$about$teaching$students$who$I$know$myself$to$
be$very$unfamiliar$with.$I$have$always$had$a$tug$toward$English$Language$Learners,$for$a$piece$of$my$
heart$is$in$Nuevo$Laredo,$Mexico$with$children$in$an$orphanage$whom$I$visit$often.$I$love$the$Spanish$
language$and$so$I$was$fully$engaged$during$the$two$days$of$the$ELL$workshop$putting$it$all$into$a$
personal$perspective$and$actually$taking$all$of$the$information$in$so$that$I$can$reach$those$students$in$
my$future$classes.$$
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Right$off$the$bat,$I$found$it$very$interesting$that$Mrs.$Valtierra$took$the$4$Domains$of$Language$
that$I$have$become$familiar$with$this$semester$and$placed$them$under$the$light$of$acquiring$language$in$
accordance$to$learning$a$language$as$well.$We$receive$language$by$hearing$it$and$reading$it,$and$
produce$language$by$speaking$it$and$writing$it.$I$learned$that$language$acquisition$is$a$much$more$inB
depth$process$than$I$originally$thought$of$it$to$be.$Mrs.$Valtierra$walked$us$through$the$different$time$
frames$in$which$students$are$in$different$stages$of$language$acquisition.$She$emphasized$that$all$
children$learn$differently$and$at$different$rates;$something$that$definitely$has$been$emphasized$in$my$
learning$journey$thus$far.$We$all$were$given$a$very$significant$book$that$we$got$to$keep$called$Help!$My$
Student$Doesnt$Speak$English!,$a$title$in$which$really$began$to$sink$in$as$we$began$the$workshop$when$
I$thought$about$the$reality$of$the$quote.$This$book$contains$the$WIDA$Standards$that$are$an$invaluable$
resource$to$teachers$who$have$English$Learners$in$their$classrooms.$I$learned$about$the$proficiency$
levels$according$to$WIDA$from$preproduction$all$the$way$to$level$6$proficiency$considered$to$be$
advanced$fluency.$Mrs.$Valtierra$talked$a$lot$about$scaffolding,$another$term$that$we$use$every$day$
when$thinking$about$our$students,$and$she$related$the$process$of$scaffolding$to$an$actual$construction$
scaffolding$to$build$a$building.$I$really$enjoyed$the$first$day$of$the$workshop,$I$walked$away$having$added$
so$much$more$to$the$file$folder$in$my$head$labeled$ELL.$$
The$second$day$began$just$as$the$first$did,$full$speed$ahead.$I$was$excited$to$learn$about$the$
students$and$their$experiences$in$learning$a$new$language.$The$second$day$was$full$of$understanding$
language$as$an$iceberg.$We$explored$common$language$that$students$pick$up$from$their$peers$on$the$
playground,$and$also$looked$at$more$complex$language$that$is$learned$with$limited$interaction.$Mrs.$
Valtierra$was$consistently$accepting$of$all$of$our$questions$and$answers,$molding$what$we$say$into$an$
instructional$purpose$to$build$on$to.$$
I$used$to$think$of$my$classroom$with$many$students$with$so$much$potential.$Until$this$impactful$
workshop,$I$really$think$that$I$thought$of$my$classroom$without$ELL$studentsB$that$teaching$English$
Learners$was$not$in$my$hands.$Though$it$is$not$that$I$do$not$want$to,$I$just$had$never$really$thought$of$
my$classroom$to$have$that$dynamic$in$it.$Now$I$feel$prepared$in$a$sense$that$I$know$that$I$will$have$
students$who$will$be$working$so$hard$to$learn$the$English$language$and$it$is$my$responsibility$to$keep$
pushing$them$on$their$journey.$I$have$been$equipped$with$numerous$resources$regarding$English$
Language$Learners,$and$I$am$excited,$now$that$these$doors$have$been$opened,$to$make$a$difference$in$
the$lives$of$all$of$my$students$no$matter$the$challenge.$

4. BARC: Hall-Kent Elementary

I$had$the$opportunity$to$go$to$a$meeting$at$HallBKent$
Elementary$School$to$attend$a$Birmingham$Area$
Reading$Council$(BARC)$meeting.$It$was$great$to$be$
included$as$a$preBservice$teacher$in$a$meeting$of$BARC$
members$and$teachers;$we$were$greeted$with$a$warm$
welcome.$The$meeting$equipped$me$with$tips$for$how$
to$involve$families$in$literacy.$The$ELL$teacher$at$HallB
Kent$presented$everyone$with$ways$to$make$crossB
cultural$connections$with$the$families$of$students.$I$
learned$that$empathy$is$one$of$the$most$crucial$
qualities$to$have$as$a$teacher,$to$be$able$to$share$the$
experiences$and$feelings$with$students$and$their$
families.$This$lends$a$sense$of$welcome$to$families$as$
well$as$an$element$of$communication.$I$was$given$many$
resources$to$keep$the$student$as$Number$1$and$
express$intentions$with$families.$Coloring$Colorado,$
transact.com,$and$Reading$ABZ$are$fantastic$resources$
that$I$will$be$able$to$access$for$my$future$students.$
During$this$meeting,$we$split$up$into$groups$as$an$iceB
breaker$to$get$to$know$other$people.$I$met$a$professor$
who$is$a$teacherBeducator$at$UAB$who$expressed$her$
love$for$reading$and$the$ability$to$reach$all$students$
through$literacy.$We$also$got$to$split$into$groups$based$
on$grade$level$KB2$and$3B5.$Teachers$of$the$grade$levels$
provided$some$things$they$do$in$their$classrooms$that$
have$proven$themselves$effective.$I$took$away$so$many$
resources$in$this$group$as$well.$One$teacher$showed$us$her$labels$that$she$uses$for$progress$
monitoring$and$progress$results.$The$students$and$families$get$to$see$the$students$goals$and$
their$achievement$of$the$goals.$I$loved$this!$I$think$that$goals$are$a$great$way$to$instil$
motivation$in$students$and$encourage$them$to$continue$on.$The$BARC$meeting$was$extremely$
resourceful$and$informational$and$I$am$so$glad$I$attended.$I$also$enjoyed$exploring$the$HallB
Kent$Elementary$Library$that$was$full$of$kidBfriendly$decorations$as$well$as$resources$for$them.$I$
am$definitely$interested$in$becoming$a$member$of$Birmingham$Area$Reading$Council.$