Chris Hadfield and Kudos for Teachers

This year our PGDTA PD Committee decided to sponsor a table at the Bob Ewert Memorial Dinner.  Our plan was to use the dinner (with keynote speaker Cmdr. Chris Hadfield!) as a recognition of service to teachers who volunteered to put on top-quality professional development for others this year, and also as a prize for early-bird registration at the Spring Fling Conference.

We asked for nominations from teachers -- descriptions of great Pro-D experiences this year in and outside of Pro-D days, and the people that made it happen.  We recognized the following exceptional teachers for putting together worthwhile Pro-D: Shirley Madsen (math workshops), Kathy Rice (technology, genius hour, inquiry), Jerry Bleecker (technology, assessment), and Caitlin Marquis (organized two mini-conferences for TTOCs). Our early-bird registration winner was Elyse Schebesch, a new teacher in Mackenzie, who was thrilled to be a part of this event.

Hearing Cmdr. Hadfield speak is its own form of Pro-D, and we hoped that these teachers would take joy from a chance to be on the receiving end for a change.  I wish we could have sent dozens of teachers to the Bob Ewert dinner, for we have many that volunteer their time to organize events, host a professional learning session of some kind in their class or school, and share widely their time, talent, insight, and ability to listen and reflect.

In short, thanks again to the many teachers who make themselves available to be professional development leaders in our school district.