Teach for America Begins Partnership with St. Andrew's Episcopal School
To assist Teach For America teachers as they continue to lead students in low-income communities to academic achievement, TFA has partnered with St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. St. Andrew’s led a four-day seminar in August 2010 with about 40 Washington, D.C. metro area TFA teachers called The Brain and Learning Workshop.
The workshop was designed to educate TFA corps members (teachers) on how to reach each individual child by understanding how learning actually happens. St. Andrew’s has a long history of teaching to the individual child’s strengths and empowering students as learners, resulting in the child’s academic achievement.
“Our teachers are particularly well-suited to deliver this workshop, as they are specialists in teaching each child innovatively and effectively,” said Robert Kosasky, Head of School. “Our teachers are trained and experienced in developing each child’s learning potential.”
The collaborative effort will benefit more than 20,000 Washington, D.C. metro area students who pass through TFA classrooms each year.
“We believe that all students have the capacity to learn,” said Emily Barton, executive director of Teach For America-D.C. Region. “This workshop will provide corps members with additional ways to reach each child to ensure their academic success.”
Celebrating its 20th year, TFA eliminates educational inequity by enlisting recent college graduates from all backgrounds and career interests to teach for two years in underprivileged urban and rural public schools. TFA provides the training for these young people to succeed in the classroom regardless of the barriers the environment might pose.
The Brain and Learning Workshop included specific guidance for teachers to help all kinds of minds learn. The workshop focused on developing teaching strategies to help students better learn the content and skills necessary to succeed in the classroom. In addition, the seminar provides help in understanding neurodevelopmental demands of teaching and learning; and assists students in comprehending their learning strengths and weaknesses to succeed in the classroom.
To achieve this, participants:
• Received training in the Teaching All Kinds of Minds (TAKOM) course.
• Were introduced to a language and framework to evaluate student learning.
• Developed discipline-specific teaching and learning strategies.
• Redesigned at least one unit applying workshop themes.
• Received tools for self-reflecting on neurodevelopmental demands.
• Deepened understanding of how identity influences academic performance.
• Established a framework for creating a Student Learning Partnership and understanding the important role reflection plays in student learning.
• Reflected on where they have been and where they want to go as educators.
For more information contact St. Andrew’s Episcopal School at 301-983-5200. To learn more about Teach for America's D.C. office at 202-465-7800.
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