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National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference

PK teacher, Cami Sewell, represented PDS at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference in Washington D.C. this November. Cami, along with early childhood educators from around the world, gathered for five days to connect, collaborate and learn about many prevalent topics in early childhood education.

"Attending the NAEYC conference in Washington, D.C. was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had as an Early Childhood teacher. I met and learned from educators from all over the world and learned about everything from best practices during circle time to implementing project-based learning for preschoolers. My time at the NAEYC conference has reinvigorated my teaching in the classroom, and I can't wait to share everything I learned with my colleagues at PDS!"

Cami Sewell, PK Teacher

TAIS Biennial Conference

“We are always working to do what’s best for our boys and going to conferences like this allows us to share and collaborate with other teachers who want these same things for their students.”— Stephanie Taylor, 2nd Grade Teacher

PDS was well represented in November at the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools Biennial Conference in Chattanooga at the Baylor School by Early Childhood teachers, Traci Stewart, Emily Treadwell and Jeremie Upshaw, as well as Elementary teachers, Stephanie Taylor and Marian Richards. 

While at the TAIS conference, Stephanie and Marian shared their expertise by hosting a session titled "Making Memorable Math Moments." This presentation focused on ways they currently incorporate experiential, hands-on learning in their second grade classrooms. Highlights of the program were the Fraction Town project, marble run, Dove Hunt Math Day, Dash Bots, stop motion videos, and the perimeter/measurement challenge.  As teachers collaborated in the session, Taylor and Richards said it was fun overhearing them talk about the challenge of having to follow the specific instructions they were given. They also noted that the teachers really enjoyed having built-in flexibility to be creative in their design. 

“We heard ideas based on the projects we shared that we never thought of but that are perfect for other grade levels and subject areas. That was probably the most exciting and beneficial part of the conference for us because we left with so many ideas.”

Marian Richards, 2nd Grade Teacher

“Sharing ideas with each other is what professional learning is all about. We went to the TAIS conference not only to share the things we are doing in our classrooms but also to brainstorm ideas with like-minded educators. By having these conversations, we can bring back new and fresh ideas to incorporate into our own curriculum. In the end, we want our boys to truly understand what they are learning so that they can use that knowledge in a real-world setting. We feel passionate about giving these experiences to the boys we teach, but also share these ideas to help other educators think about the experiences they are giving their own students.”

Stephanie Taylor, 2nd Grade Teacher



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