Each CoP table group is invited to share a brief reflection on your Community of Practice discussion. Your insights will help extend this collective learning experience at the 2025 CASS Fall Learning Conference.
As a result of participating in the CoP activity, what new perspectives or practices has your group identified that will inform your collective professional growth and system education leadership practice?
General discussion included how to create a stronger classroom team between the teacher and the EAs. Are there specific responsibilities discussed in each classroom? How are you working as a team to support students? How do we change mindsets about complex students from "I can't support them" to "I don't know how to support them."
Building Teacher capacity and skills - Create District teaching positions to provide mid-length intervention and support (3- 6 weeks) - IELL = Inclusive Education Learning Leaders, DDLT = District Diverse Learning Building Teacher capacity and skills. In-class support for teachers open to wanting a team teaching partner to explore new strategies to teach and explore different classroom management structures and strategies. It is important to provide targeted PD to these specialized teams - how do you know what you are there to support? What is your critical lens to determine how to help the teacher grow in their skills?
EA capacity building - challenge because they are paid by the hour and with the limited resources available, we need the EAs with students.
Some ideas include: Including EA PD in regular PD days - target PD to EAs; create voluntary PD opportunities for EAs (Dinner series, Breakfast series - provide for those who want); EA newsletter (specific to EAs - quarterly - emerging topics and strategies); PD sessions that the district will provide microcredentials; virtual PD (You Tube series, Public School Works.)
Exploring how to change mindset and building capacity is common in each of the districts. The challenges of time and resources exist across the group.