GoTeach11 / GoLead11 Newsletter

Most of you are coming back from a couple of well-deserved weeks off from your responsibilities in the classroom. Perhaps you worked on January lesson plans or GoTeach11 coursework. Hopefully, there was also time spent with family and friends relaxing and recharging.

Many teachers struggle with dividing their time between the classroom, coursework, and their families, so try to strive for balance. Being prepared for students in January will reduce your stress level and increase learning time in the classroom. Managing your time is imperative, so do some coursework, outline your first few weeks back, and maybe try to leave a little earlier one day a week. Small changes could become big habits!

Meet our Certification Assistant, Candy Walker! You might recognize Mrs. Walker's voice as the first person you visit with when you call with questions. She has worked at ESC Region 11 for more than 15 years and is a wealth of knowledge. Here's a brief interview with Mrs. Walker:

Q: How long have you been at the ESC, and in what roles?

A: "I started at ESC Region 11 in 2007 as a program assistant. I've worked in Instructional Services as well as Building and Operations as a coordinator assistant for most of my time here."

Q: What was your career field prior to working at ESC Region 11?

A: "I worked for four years as a vet tech and then started in the clerical field in the mid-80s. I wouldn't say it was my preferred field, but it paid the bills!"

Q: What is one of the best things about working with aspiring educators?

A: "The enthusiasm all of our candidates have for wanting to make life better for their students through education."

Q: When you're not at work, what activities do you enjoy?

A: "Most recently, my husband and I have started walking and biking. The rest of my free time is spent caring for my horses, mini-cow, chickens, dogs, and cats."

As we start 2024, consider revisiting your classroom procedures and best practices for instruction and student engagement. Edutopia (http://www.edutopia.org) is a very useful resource for teachers and administrators. Reviewing classroom expectations before starting the new semester will make for a smoother spring. Below are classroom best practices from the experts on our certification team:

• You can be a friendly teacher and still have high expectations for your students.
• Students have to be taught how to take notes effectively.
• SpEd inclusion is still the best choice for most students' learning.
• Doodling with purpose helps many students recall more content.
• Brain breaks do work.
• Chunking information or tasks can keep students from feeling overwhelmed.
• It matters how you decorate your classroom.
• Play-based learning increases elementary students' learning patterns.
• Get students up and moving to help them learn.
• Learn how and when to push the "pause" button in learning.

Every year, teachers get special gifts from their students. Some leave you puzzled, and others you'll never forget. Take a few seconds to respond to our poll about the most common gifts you've received from students. Results will be posted in our next newsletter.

The GoLead11 Principal Program is excited to be graduating our January 2023 cohort while welcoming our January 2024 cohort members! We are anxiously awaiting the fabulous PASL scores for those who submitted in November.

Our June 2023 group is actively working on their self-paced coursework and preparing for the TExES 268 and PASL exams in the Spring.

We now have an active Facebook and Instagram page for GoLead11! Please go "follow" us and share with your friends.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Questions? Contact Becky Wilder at bwilder@esc11.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoLead11Certification

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/golead11/

The Superintendent Certification Program candidates focus on effective leadership skills, decision-making, and delegation. We have a panel of superintendents to address these topics. Superintendents include Taylor Williams (Superintendent of Slidell ISD and current Region XI TASA Superintendent Study Chair), Dr. Kim Cantu (Superintendent of Mansfield ISD and current Region XI TASA Superintendent Study Vice Chair), and Dr. Des Stewart (Superintendent of Gainesville ISD and the Region XI TASA Superintendent Past Chair).

Candidates should continue recording district leadership experiences on their Practicum Logs. Also, individuals need to check to see when observations may be due by going into GoReact.com and checking the date for Observation 1, Observation 2, and Observation 3. I encourage you to choose a date and get these on the calendar so all deadlines are met.

Last, the completion date for TEA's Dyslexia course can be found on the cohort calendar. This six-hour course is free of charge and available online through TEALearn. Once completed, the candidate will receive a certificate. Candidates should load the certificate in the Canvas Dyslexia module. Student Mental Health First Aid course is offered by MHMR. Candidates can sign up through the ESC Region 11 Professional Development site. Again, the due date for completion will be on each candidate's cohort calendar. This course will have about two hours of homework. Then, the candidate will attend a live Zoom session presented by MHMR staff. Most of the live sessions are on Saturdays. Once completed, the candidate will be issued a certificate and should load that certificate in the Canvas module with that name. If an individual has had either the TEA Dyslexia course or the Student Mental Health First Aid course in the last three years, they may enter their certificate in the Canvas module and will not need to retake it.

Questions? Contact Dr. Deborah Cron at dcron@esc11.net.

Questions? Send your specialist an email or give them a call at 817-740-7614.

• ESC Region 11 will open on January 3, 2024.
• January 6 -- Practice test at ESC Region 11
• January 15 -- ESC Region 11 will be closed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• January 23 -- Teaching Workshop via Zoom from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
• January 30 - -Lesson Facilitations at ESC Region 11 from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
• February 1 -- Classroom Management session for new teachers at ESC Region 11 hosted by the Certification Team
• February 3 -- Practice test at ESC Region 11
• February 12 -- Phase 1 orientation via Zoom from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• February 20 -- Teaching Workshop via Zoom from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
• February 27 -- Lesson Facilitations at ESC Region 11 from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
• January 13 and February 10 -- Youth Mental Health sessions. Register in advance with MHMR.
• April 12 -- Hiring Fair at ESC Region 11 from 9:00 a.m. - noon

Diana Kemp was nominated for Teacher of the Year at Prairie View Elementary School in Northwest ISD.

Keisha King was selected as Teacher of the Month for December 2023. Ms. King is a teacher at Bebensee Elementary School in Arlington ISD.

Do you have a campus celebration you would like to share? Email your specialist, and we'll add you to the next newsletter.