Region 4 Newsletter: UA/UWA
November 2025
Thankful for Each of You!
As we enter the fall season and approach the season of Thanksgiving, the UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center wants every educator in our region to know that we are thankful for your service. It's often said that teaching is "an act of the heart," and we completely agree. The support, structure, and care that is planned and provided is making a difference in students' lives each day! Thank you for leaving a legacy each day as you mold and shape our next generation.
Our newsletter below outlines many opportunities for October and November but also shares information regarding upcoming opportunities for second semester. In addition to these sessions that are open to all educators in our region, we also offer targeted professional learning opportunities designed for individual schools or districts. Administrators, please contact the center directly via e-mail (hgmorgan@ua.edu) or via the following link to request targeted support.
Continue to follow and like our social media pages on Facebook (@uauwaric) and Instagram (@uauwaric) for ongoing announcements. As a reminder, you may find any of our newsletters at: https://inservice.ua.edu/professional-learning-opportunities.
Happy fall!
Dr. Holly Morgan
Director, UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center
November 4 and December 3--Revolutionizing Writing in ALL Content Areas (for Secondary Teachers)
Are you a secondary teacher who wants to learn more about effective writing instruction? Join us as we examine key principles from literacy research, such as the Simple View of Writing, and how explicit instruction in sentence construction, text structure, and writing fluency can improve students’ reading comprehension. These sessions will also provide practical strategies for integrating writing-to-learn activities in content areas. This cohort is open to all secondary teachers, regardless of discipline, to support writing in the content
Two, Hybrid Sessions will Occur for this Cohort on:
- November 4 (Virtual)
- December 3 (Face-to-Face)--Tuscaloosa
Register today via PowerSchool PL Section #527760
November 4: Alabama Holocaust Education Center Teacher Workshop
Don’t miss out on this free full-day teacher workshop featuring two world-renowned Holocaust historians/speakers. Space is limited!
Link for November 4 teacher workshop:
November 4: UA/UWA NBCT Cohort: Component 2
A zoom link will be included in the PowerSchool information, and you will also receive a reminder email approximately two days prior to the session. Registration closes two days prior to the session to ensure all receive the information prior to the session.
Beginning November 10: 2025-2026 ALSDE Social Studies Professional Learning in Region 4
Join Dr. Courtney Spencer, ALSDE Social Studies Education Specialist, for the following sessions in Region 4 that will support the implementation of the new ALSDE Social Studies Course of Study standards. All 4 sessions are currently open for registration! (PowerSchool registration numbers may be found on the accompanying flyer.)
- November 10 (8:30-11:30 am): 2024 AL Course of Study Social Studies Grades 7-9 Deep Dive
- November 10 (12:30-3:30 pm): Preparing for the 2024 Grades 7 & 8 Social Studies Standards
- December 15 (8:30-11:30 am): 2024 AL Course of Study Social Studies Overview for K-12
- January 26 (8:30-11:30 am): Creative Writing in Social Studies for Grades 6-12
November 10: Teaching Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Students
Join staff from the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind for this session on November 10! You will learn more about the impact of hearing levels on learning, language issues and accessibility, and strategies to support students in your classroom. Register via PowerSchool PL section #544706.
Date: November 10
Time: 12:30-3:30 pm
Location: UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center, 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
November 12: National Board Office Hours with Rachel Goggins
Got questions? Unclear on component instructions? Join Rachel Goggins, Alabama NBCT Network Board Member and Tuscaloosa City Schools National Board Support Coach, for quick, on-the-spot support and encouragement as you work toward certification.
Office hours will be held on the following dates from 3:30-5:00 pm via Zoom. These are designed to be come-and-go opportunities, so drop in when it's most convenient for you.
October 1: Component Four (Zoom link)
October 30: Component Three (Zoom link)
November 12: Component Two (Zoom link)
December 17: All Components and MOC (Zoom link)
November 17: Region 4 Regional Leaders Office Hours
If you are an administrator or central office staff member in Region 4 and have questions for our regional staff, we are here to support! Join us for this first ever, Region 4 Office Hours, opportunity on November 17 for quick, on-the-spot support for your school or district. Regional leaders from ARI, OMI, AMSTI, UA/UWA RIC, EL, OSI, and ATIM will be present to assist. Drop in the Zoom (via this link) any time from 1:30-2:30 pm. (These are designed to be come-and-go opportunities, so drop in when it's most convenient for you.)
November 18: UA/UWA NBCT Fall Writing Retreat
If you are an NBCT candidate or a MOC candidate in the UA/UWA Region, join us on November 18 for our fall writing retreat. Candidates will work on their analysis of evidence and written commentary. Full-day substitute reimbursement will be provided for each educator in the UA/UWA Region (Region Four).
Fall Writing Retreat
November 18, 2025; 8:30 AM-3:00 PM
Location: UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center, 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa
Register via PowerSchool Section # 530768
November 20: Painlessly Weaving the Arts into any Academic Classroom-Drama without the Drama
Join Venna Everett and Lonny Harrison for this session, sponsored by the Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts, on November 20 from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. Learn how to incorporate the arts into your daily classroom instruction!
Date: November 20
Time: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm
Location: UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center, 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Register via PowerSchool Section #544489
November 20-21, 2025: Region 4 Social Studies Textbook Caravan
Save the Date for this Opportunity! Registration information will be sent directly to curriculum directors and textbook coordinators to reserve space for team members.
The Social StudiesTextbook Caravan is a collaborative event with Alabama's Regional Inservice Centers and Publishers' Warehouse, Alabama's textbook depository. The Textbook Caravan is an opportunity for school district delegations to rotate through scheduled presentations from each of the state-adopted publisher options for comprehensive instructional resources. The two-day event has one day geared towards elementary team members (K-6) while the other day is structured for secondary representatives (grades 6-12).
December 1: ARI Beyond Grade 3 Professional Learning
The Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) is excited to announce fall 2025 professional learning opportunities designed to promote literacy attainment, achievement, and acceleration beyond Grade 3. These sessions, provided through ARI-Beyond Grade 3 and the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), are aligned with the Science of Reading and represent our ongoing commitment to support Alabama educators. These one-day, intensive professional learning sessions will be offered across all eleven regional in-service areas. They are designed to support Beyond Grade 3 Implementation Teams of up to five educators.
Google Form Sign Up:
ARI-Beyond Grade 3 Fall 2025 Professional Learning Session Offerings
For questions or additional information, feel free to reach out to:
Mrs. Misty Wilson (Education Specialist – Beyond Grade 3)
Email: misty.wilson@alsde.edu
The Region 4 session will occur on December 1 at the UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center, 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.
December 2: Kagan Cooperative Learning
Join the Kagan team for their Day 1 Kagan Cooperative Learning session on December 2! This interactive session supports teachers in establishing and monitoring collaborative classroom groups and includes strategies for managing these groups in your classroom environment. Seats are limited, so register today via PowerSchool PL section #545957.
Date: December 2, 2025
Location: Black Belt Museum, 126 Franklin Street, Livingston, AL 35470
Time: 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
December 10: Wonder Twin Powers, Activate! Summon the Powers of Magic School and Diffit
Join Dr. Kristy Smith for this repeat of her ISTELive 2025 Conference session on December 10 in order to learn more about using Magic School and Diffit in your classroom! Register via PowerSchool PL section #546270.
Date: December 10, 2025
Location: University of West Alabama, Young Hall Cafeteria
Time: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm.
January 16: Youth Mental Health First Aid Training
Join Tracey Goreed, Kay Warfield, and Jonathan Thompson of ALSDE on January 16, 2026, for Youth Mental Health First Aid Training. All materials are provided at no charge to participants. Register via PowerSchool PL section #546536.
Date: January 16, 2026
Location: UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center, 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Time: 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
Alabama Best Practices Center: Arts Professional Learning for Administrators
Join the Alabama Best Practices Center for a focused study on the arts! For more information, visit Arts Professional Learning for administrators.
Space is limited and registration closes on November 7.
Alabama Principal Leadership Development System (APLDS)
Updated ARI APLDS Opportunities: ARI APLDS Professional Learning 2025-2026
AMSTI
Registration and information for AMSTI/ASIM professional learning is available at https://amsti-ua.wixsite.com/amsti-ua. Please contact Rachel Hill Skipwith (rmhill@ua.edu) if you have questions or requests for other professional learning support.
MATH Professional Learning Opportunities
Thursday, November 6, 2025, 8:30-11:30 am
2019 ALCOS: Mathematics Overview (K-5): Navigation & Implementation
Location: Robert Brown Middle School
This three-hour session focuses on understanding the 2019 Alabama Course of Study: Mathematics and its conceptual framework: Position Statements, Mathematical Teaching Practices, Student Mathematical Practices and the K-5 Content Areas. This session provides opportunities for participants to apply their learning from the Math Foundational Training and take their learning deeper as they analyze learning progressions and determine how to incorporate the mathematical practices throughout math instruction.
Monday, November 24, 8:30-3:30 pm
6-12 High Yield Routines
Location: University of Alabama
In this one-day session, participants will explore the importance of sense-making through various routines and engage in discussions about adapting and implementing these routines in their own practice. Consistent use of routines connects to Student Mathematical Practice and ALCOS standards, provides formative assessment, and supports the development of conceptual understanding through student sense-making, reasoning, and discourse.
SCIENCE Professional Learning Opportunities
Science Kit Requests
October 31, 2025, is the last day for K-8 science teachers to request AMSTI science kits for Cycle 4 (December–January). We encourage teachers to request science kits for the remainder of the school year. We strive to fulfill as many requests as possible. Teachers will receive updates about the status of their requests.
Alabama Science in Motion
ASIM Biology Training and Support (Lisa Clark, lclark@ua.edu)
- ASIM Chemistry/Physical Science Training and Support (Brooks Moss, moss020@ua.edu)
- ASIM Physics and Earth/Space Science Training and Support (Julie Covin, jcovin@ua.edu)
Upcoming Training Opportunities:
- ASIM Physics Training with Julie Covin November 11, 2025. Registration opening soon on www.amsti.org/professional-learning. Open to high school Physics Teachers.
Contact our specialists today to request on-site instructional support as you return to school! We are here for you! Registration and information for AMSTI/ASIM professional learning is available at https://amsti-ua.wixsite.com/amsti-ua
Alabama MTSS
- View the Fall 2025 Newsletter here: https://sway.cloud.microsoft/fiyc74MnITNxJ7uc?ref=email
Alabama Reading Initiative
- Contact Dr. Tracie Howard (tracie.howard@alsde.edu) or Dr. Tiffany Davis (tiffany.davis@alsde.edu) for more information regarding support and available opportunities.
- ARI APLDS Professional Learning 2025-2026
2021 ELA Course of Study: Secondary (6-12) ELA Resources
The following document provides access to curated resources to support implementation of the 2021 ELA Course of Study in Grades 6-12. The link will allow you to create your own copy of the resource document.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XKFtlDduyfdOt6uN1sxM9wXu_9QPLi4Ib11JiOpaax4/copy
Office of School Improvement Updates
Please contact Taurus Smith at taurus.smith@alsde.edu for more information regarding support and available opportunities.
Office of Student Learning Updates
Visit the OSL website at the following link: https://sway.office.com/x6GMkvnr5n1z2O6F
PREP Public Website: Recordings, Slides and Resources
Ongoing updates are continuously added at the following link: OSL Updates
Technology in Motion with Dr. Robert Mayben
Join Dr. Mayben for his technology sessions this fall! You may find all of his posted opportunities at www.uatim.org/opportunities. Contact Dr. Robert Mayben at rmayben@ua.edu to support your school or district's technology professional learning needs.
Registration is Open for 2 Alabama in Technology in Motion Opportunities that Begin in October!
The Alabama Technology in Motion program has two new professional learning opportunities for the Fall 2025 semester. The popular Library Technology PLGs begin in October and continue throughout the school year. These include 4 face to face cohorts in the region and a state-wide virtual cohort. Plus, administrators and teachers with administrative certification have the opportunity to examine AI’s impact in education in the virtual ALCD PLU Beyond Human, Minds and Machines: Exploring Artificial Intelligence. See the flyers and visit uatim.org/opportunities for registration information.
Region 4 Regional Coordinators, Office of Mathematics Improvement: Dea Powe and Shea Stroud
Please contact Dea Powe (dea.powe@alsde.edu) or Shea Stroud (shea.stroud@alsde.edu) for more information regarding support and upcoming opportunities.
- OMI Padlet: https://padlet.com/Office_of_Mathematics_Improvement/omi-k0jo33jtl4eh2buf
OMI Newsletter
Region 4 EL Specialist: Dr. Stephanie Reynolds
ALSDE EL Quarterly Newsletter
New APLDS Approved High-Quality Instruction and Assessment (HQIA) for Administrators Courses Available! Register Below!
World Languages Quarterly Newsletter
Ellevation Upcoming Virtual Webinars (Log into Ellevation before clicking the link)
WIDA Updates & Resources
Practice with WIDA ACCESS Sample Items
ACCESS Test Practice and Sample Items
For more information, contact EL Region 4 Specialist: Dr. Stephanie Reynolds (stephanie.reynolds@alsde.edu)
October Opportunities: Region 4 ALSDE PowerSchool Coach: Quandria Robinson
The flyer below highlights sessions offered by our PowerSchool coaches. Please also feel free to request specific sessions. To request training for your district or school, either reply to this email or click the link in the flyer and submit an Ed Tech ticket request via the following link: Submit Ed Tech Support Ticket
PowerSchool Coach Quandria Robinson (quandria.robinson@alex.state.al.us)
ALSDE Instructional Services: ALSDE Social Studies and Physical Education Newsletters
ALSDE Proficiency Scales and Standards
You may also view all Alabama standards at https://alabamastandards.org or https://alabamalearningexchange.org/home.
ATLAS Resources
ACCESS Virtual Learning
ACCESS Virtual Learning is an initiative of the Alabama State Department of Education that provides free online classes to all sixth through 12th grade Alabama students.
The program offers Advanced Placement, foreign language and credit recovery courses as well as all the courses needed for a high school diploma. ACCESS courses are led by Alabama-certified teachers and are aligned to the current Alabama College and Career Ready Standards.
Students enrolled in ACCESS courses earn credits from their local school and receive their diploma from their local district.
ACCESS is your partner in education! For more information, please visit access.ua.edu or contact the UA Support Center at access@ua.edu or 205-348-2647.
UA CALT and CALP Summer 2026 Applications are Open!
COHORT 5 CALT/CALP Begins Summer 2026
- June 1-5 at The University of Alabama campus in the Tom Barnes Education Building.
- Summer 1 meetings will be 5 full days in-person on The University of Alabama campus.
- Applications for Summer 2026 UA CALT/CALP pathways are now open! Visit https://uacalt.ua.edu/ for application information.
University of Alabama Online
Keep Teaching. Keep Advancing.
“We’ve intentionally designed flexible, accessible programs that meet working professionals where they are,” said Dr. Joyce Alexander, dean of The University of Alabama College of Education, in a recent article highlighting the ways UA Online is serving educators like you. Affordable tuition and supportive faculty mean you can keep teaching while you advance your career. Take your next step forward at online.ua.edu.
UWA Online
Start Your Journey Today At UWA!
Choose from more than 70 degree and certification programs at the University of West Alabama Online.
Learn how an online program can give you the convenience and flexibility you need. Scholarships available at: https://online.uwa.edu/tuition/scholarships-partnerships/teacher-connect/
UA/UWA Regional Inservice Education Center
Mrs. Tami Barron, Accounting Specialist
Mrs. Stephanie Maddox, Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Tenika Milsap, UWA Coordinator
Email: hgmorgan@ua.edu
Website:https://inservice.ua.edu/
Location: 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Phone: 205-348-3319
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uauwaric/
Instagram: @uauwaric