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January 2022

What's New with LFTX

Check out the What's New with the 2022 Conference. 

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Call for Proposals Now Open!

  • Share your projects, processes, and programs with your professional learning peers  

  • Accepting proposals for 90-minute sessions

  • Deadline for submitting a proposal is February 18, 2022

Learning Forward Texas Annual Conference is focused on providing educators learning experiences that connect, collaborate, and cultivate.  Presenting at the LFTX Annual Conference provides an opportunity to build your professional network and experience learning with colleagues that have become friends.  Presenting an engaging, informative session individually or as part of a team is an excellent way to share knowledge, experiences, and ideas. The conference's program will highlight best practices, stories of successful collaborations, lessons learned, and solutions to state-wide issues within several areas of focus.  We welcome your submission!

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You will be notified before March 25, 2022, regarding the status of your proposal.

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2022 Areas of Focus–Conference Tracks or Strands

  • Professional Learning (Examples - differentiated professional learning; tips and tricks; presentation design).

  • Leadership: (Examples - supporting/mentoring new and first-year teachers; growing your own leaders; instructional coaching; advocacy and educational policy).

  • Culture and Climate: (Examples - relationship building; staff SEL; diversity, equity, and inclusion).

  • Digital Learning/Security: (Examples - leveraging/using social media; embedding technology in professional learning; digital/online issues and security).

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Click here to register and book a hotel! 

 

We want to see you in ‘22! 

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Early Bird Discount Extended

Due to the craziness happening in schools, we have extended the Early Bird Discount for the 2022 Learning Forward Texas Conference for 2 weeks.  The discount will end on February 4, 2022. 

Educator Wellness Survey 

It's no surprise that educator well-being is in trouble as our December survey results indicate. Results are listed below in order:  

  1. Emotional well-being (ability to manage stress and meet everyday demands)

  2. Career well-being (liking what you do every day and leveraging your strengths)

  3. Physical well-being (having good health and enough energy to get things done on a daily basis)

  4. Social well-being (strong relationships, belonging)

  5. Financial well-being (managing your economic life)

  6. Community well-being (sense of engagement, trust)

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This survey was based on last month's blog post - click here to read. Holiday TO-Do List: Take Care of Self.  ​

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January Survey
2022 LFTX Top Conference Topics
This month's survey is helping Learning Forward Texas gather conference topics that are of most interest to you.  Select the tracks/strands and topics that are a focus for your learning and work. Click here to take the January Survey

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LFTX is looking for Conference Sponsors
Sponsor and Exhibitor information is now available on the
2022 Learning Forward Texas Annual Conference Website. 
Click here for Sponsorship Packages, Exhibitor Information, or to sponsor specific conference items.

Partner Content

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Welcome to MathVentures, a powerful coaching and professional learning process for improving mathematics instruction and empowering students as math learners. The MathVentures classroom investigation process helps teachers learn to monitor the impact of their instruction on student learning and make strategic adjustments in their teaching actions to help all students succeed.

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Launch MathVentures in your learning organization and see how this classroom investigation process builds a culture of shared responsibility and collective efficacy within your teams and school community. Engage your teachers in an exciting, collaborative exploration of math teaching and learning where both students and teachers experience the joy of rigorous mathematics and come to recognize themselves as mathematicians!

Order MathVentures today at Amazon.com or email MathVenturesCoaching@gmail.com for more information.

LFTX Blog

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants:
Learning Forward Texas 30th Annual Conference

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For 30 years, the Learning Forward Texas Annual Conference has helped Texas educators to stand on the shoulders of giants. Which education giants have helped you become the educator you are today? What kinds of shoulders do you need at this stage in your career to grow your effectiveness as an education leader?

Click here to read the January Blog. 

Regional Affliates 

What are Regional Affiliates?

All Learning Forward Texas Regional Affiliates meet regularly to discuss professional learning topics that are relevant to their context and leadership responsibility is shared among participants.  

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LFSETX - For districts in the Houston area including ESC Regions 4, 5, and 6. 

The next virtual meeting will be on January 25, 10:00 am and Region IV will be presenting. Click here for more information about LFSETX.

 

LFNTX - For districts in North Texas including ESC Regions 10, 11, and 12.

Thank you to Region 10 for hosting the January meeting. They also lead a deep dive into the Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. Learning Forward North Texas will be meeting at Mesquite ISD on February 11, 2022.  Click here for more information about the LFNTX Meeting.

 

LFWTX -  For districts in West Texas including ESC Regions 14, 15, 17, and 18.

Learning Forward West Texas canceled their January meeting but is scheduled to meet on March 23, 11:30 - 1:00 pm. Contact Anna Jackson at ajackson@learningforwardtexas.com to join the meeting. 

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LFCTX - For districts in Central Texas including ESC Regions 13 and 20. The LFCTX steering committee met last week and is making plans this spring for a launch later this year.  Look for more news from Central Texas steering committee. 

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Board Member Spotlight

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We are continuing our series to help “connect” you with our board members. We asked each board member to complete a survey that revealed some fun facts about them.

 

Marcus Miller is this month’s featured Board Member. Marcus is the Coordinator of Professional Learning at Plano ISD.   He is serving his second year on the board.  He is a graduate of the Learning Forward Academy and has presented at both the Learning Forward Texas and National Annual Conferences. 

What is the most unusual job you have had? What did you learn from that experience?
I worked at a pizza place in college. Eventually, the owner just stopped showing up. I kept it going for about 5 days before we ran out of ingredients. I learned that I can run a pizza place without any supervision for about 5 days. :)

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If you could win an Olympic medal for any sport, real or fake, what would it be?
I make a decent chili. If Texans ran the Olympics we'd add a chili cookoff for sure.

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What's a movie you can practically quote from start to finish?

I can almost quote all seven seasons of Futurama.
 

What's one hobby you would love to get into? 
I've always wanted to do woodworking.

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What is one thing that you include in every meeting or professional learning session you design?

I do a Microlab in almost every training.

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Learning Forward Texas is better because of dedicated board members like Marcus Miller! Follow her on Twitter @mrmillermarcus

Shared Resources 

  • Purposeful PD: Timing is Everything- No Limits on Learning Blog -  Kathryn Laster is a Digital Learning Consultant at ESC Region 10 in Richardson, TX. Her blog contains many useful professional learning tidbits.  ​

  • Powered by Title II - Learning Forward - Learning Forward is pleased to announce the launch of Powered by Title II.  This website is a powerful resource to power federal advocacy now as well as an ongoing tool to support all education advocacy efforts through the coming months and years.

  • Slides Timer Chrome Extension- Jake Miller -  Slides Timer is a Chrome Extension that embeds a timer into Google Slides when it is in Present mode. This site shows how to use the extension, which can be downloaded from the Chrome Web Store.

  • Bill Sommers:  Equity in the workplace and in the world - Workplace Diversity with Dr. Gaye Lang podcast   Bill has served on the Learning Forward Board of Directors, founder of Learning Omnivores, and is currently serving on the LFTX Advisory Committee

Upcoming Events from Learning Forward Texas  

​In-Person Workshops â€‹

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Virtual Synchronous

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Online Asynchronous

 

Click here to request more information about booking a workshop!

Contact Lisa Ham, Executive Director, to book a workshop in your district.

ed@learningforwardtexas.org

512-266-3086 ext. 1

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Upcoming Events from Learning Forward 

The following events are hosted by the national organization of Learning Forward or other state affiliates.

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8 Dimensions of Educator Wellness - Online course 

As educators continue to be pushed to their limits during this challenging school year, teachers often sacrifice their own well-being to support students’ social, emotional, and academic needs. Yet research shows that teacher wellness contributes to a stable, positive, and equitable school culture. A teacher’s sense of well-being supports how they cope with on-the-job challenges, and influences job retention. 

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Participants in this eight-week online course will explore strategies for wellness through a lens of eight dimensions to support personal well-being. Participants will investigate each of these dimensions through collaborative live sessions, reflective discussions, and self-selected activities, and will develop and implement a self-care plan of action that supports their well-being for the rest of the year and beyond.  

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The course begins on February 18, 2022. Register here.

You must create an account and log in to register for this course 

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