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October 2023

Upcoming events, resources, and information to support leaders of professional development.

What's New with LFTX

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Shape the Future of Professional Learning
at the 2024 Learning Forward Texas Annual Conference!

We are excited to announce the official call for proposals for the 2024 Learning Forward Texas Annual Conference. As we continue to grow and strive for excellence in professional learning, your contributions are invaluable. We invite all interested individuals to submit their proposals for 90-minute presentations, workshops, and sessions that align with our mission of enhancing professional learning experiences. This year's learning tracks are:

  • Coaching

  • Culture and Climate

  • Instructional Strategies

  • Leadership

  • New teacher support, Retention and Mentoring

  • Professional learning

This is a fantastic opportunity to share your expertise and insights with our vibrant community.

The deadline for proposals is October 29, 2023. 

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Check out these Professional Learning
Facilitator Resources 

Need Community Builders?  How about an Energizer or Reflection activity?  Learning Forward Texas has curated lists of facilitator resources to spice up your next meeting or learning session.  Check out the lists for Community Building, Processes, Engergizers, Groupings and Reflections.

Sponsored Content

Scholarships for Educators: Accepting Applications Now!
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Every year the nonprofit Center for the Collaborative Classroom awards curricula and professional learning to K–12 educators at no cost. In 2023–2024, we will award 500+ scholarships through our Teacher Scholarship Program.


The application window for the Teacher Scholarships is now open. Classroom teachers, reading specialists, special educators,

and interventionists are encouraged to apply.

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LFTX Blog

Time: A timeless topic

This month's post is from Learning Forward Senior Consultant and noted author, Joellen Killion. We can’t make more of it, but we can find better ways to use it. Included in the article is a link to the Extabishing Time for Professional Learning workbook. The processes and tools in this workbook will provide educators, parents, and community leaders with resources to increase or refine the use of time for educator collaboration to achieve goals associated with any key initiative

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Learning Forward Texas is looking for monthly guest bloggers for our newsletter. Email Lisa Ham at ed@learningforwardtexas.org if you are interested; include your name, title, topic, and the month you would like to contribute.

Regional Affiliates 

The Learning Forward Texas Regional Affiliates are ready to go with meetings scheduled throughout the year. More information about Regional Affiliates! Regional affiliates or meetings hosted and planned by local school district professional learning leaders. 

Invite a friend to these upcoming meetings! 

  • LFNTX - October 20, ​9:00 am - 3:00 pm - Region 10 will be hosting this month's LFNTX meeting of the school year at their location on 400 E. Spring Valley Rd., Richardson, TX 75081. During the morning session, 9:00-11:30 am, participants will collaborate around problems of practice, and Region 10 will host a learning experience from 1:00-3:00 pm.

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  • LFCTX  - November 14, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm,  International educational communications consultant and author  Jennifer Abrams will be the featured speaker during this month's virtual meeting.  You won't want to miss this opportunity. 

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  • LFSETX -  Has not planned meeting dates for this fall.

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  • LFWTX - We are still looking for a leader to schedule and facilitate several virtual meetings for the West Texas group. Contact Lisa Ham if you are interested in facilitating their meetings. 

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Click here for more information from each of the regional affiliates. 

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Regional Affilate

Shared Resources 

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  • 5 Strategies to Make Every Meeting a Model of ‘Exquisite Instruction’- EdWeek* - Time is precious, so leaders should use it wisely. A former principal and district administrator lays out strategies for holding meetings that make the most of every minute. The way to do it, he says, is to model "exquisite instruction," borrowing a mentor's term. (May have additional cost if you have read more than three free articles per month.) Read More

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  • Free tools: Explore how you use time and find ways to improve it - Learning Forward - This month, we offer you two tools from Joellen Killion, which are featured in the latest issue of The Learning Professional, to expand and leverage educators’ collaborative learning time. Drawing from our workbook, Establishing Time for Professional Learning, staff members individually reflect on their values and assumptions around time. By starting with the tool “Exploring assumptions about time,” teams can examine the beliefs and uses of time in your system. “Staff perceptions about collaborative time” is a resource for taking a quick temperature check on staff perceptions of collaborative professional learning work. The tools can be used together or separately to investigate this precious resource. Access the tools now.

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  • Weaving Play Into Professional Development - Edutopia  - Author Natalie Catlett invites those who support teachers to "reflect on your willingness to be vulnerable by infusing play, experimentation, and joy into your professional development sessions." She offers three principles to guiding teachers through enriching professional development experiences: Inner-child reconnection; play as a path to mastery, and: bringing joy into learning environments. Read More

Important Dates 

Important Dates for Fall 2023

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Learning Forward Texas has dates to add to your calendar.  More information about each event will be added to the website in the coming weeks. 

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2024 Outstanding Professional Learning Awards 

October 18, 2023 - November 26, 2023 

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Learning Forward Texas Board Member Application

November 8, 2023 - December 15, 2023 

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2024 Learning Forward Texas Annual Conference 

June 10 - 12, 2024 

Hurst Conference Center, Hurst, TX

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Have you planned your 2023 - 2024 Professional Learning Calendar?
Contact us to help! 

Click here to request information for district-purchased workshops.

Call now to book your workshops with current pricing. 

Contact Lisa Ham, Executive Director,

to discuss the benefits of Tips and Tools workshops

ed@learningforwardtexas.org        512-266-3086 ext. 1

News from Learning Forward 

2023 Annual Conference:
Build your evidence-backed case for attending

Learning Forward is pleased to once again offer a resource to help you gain approval to attend our 2023 Annual Conference, December 3-6 in Washington, DC. Our newly updated conference justification kit is chock-full of facts and resources to help you build your case to attend, including:

  • Evidence that connects high-quality professional learning to improved student outcomes.

  • Talking points you can use to frame your request with facts.

  • A template for requesting approval.

  • Ideas for extending your conference learnings to members of your team.

  • Cost-savings options that help make attending attainable, including a limited-time registration discount.

Attending our conference can be a cornerstone of sustained, high-quality professional learning. This article from the August 2023 issue of The Learning Professional describes how. Read it and share it with a colleague.

2023 Annual Conference: Select Your Sessions!

Learning Forward’s 2023 Annual Conference, December 3-6, 2023, is the place for education leaders to deepen their understanding of the professional learning systems essential to implementing ongoing, evidence-based changes to teaching and learning.

 

Register early to ensure your participation in this highly anticipated event in Washington, D.C., that includes four days of ideas, insights, inspiration — and fun!

*Register for all four days to receive a $100 discount.*

Click here for more information and to register! 

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Learning Forward Texas 

516 E. Byron Nelson Blvd., #1279

Roanoke, TX 76262

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