Massapequa elementary teachers, new to the district or to their grade level this year, took part in a series of planning and collaboration days throughout the 2022-2023 school year. There was one session per trimester for each grade level cohort.
Katie Fernandez, the Elementary Supervisor of STEM, said that this was an additional way to support teachers. This year, 46 teachers across the six elementary schools participated in the workshops, which were spearheaded by Massapequa administrators and instructional coaches.
The three full-day sessions, which were held at the Teacher Learning Center at McKenna Elementary School, allowed teachers to ask questions and grow their pedagogy.
“Reflective practice and staff support are two hallmarks of working in Massapequa,” Ms. Fernandez said. “We know that by supporting teacher growth, we are supporting student growth.”
All core academic areas were addressed, and teachers also explored interdisciplinary lessons that cross multiple subjects. Additionally, they gained insight into instructional technology resources that best support the content for each grade level.
The workshops were an opportunity for teachers to meet their colleagues from other schools in the district. It also brought new and veteran teachers together. Ms. Fernandez said that the groups included new probationary and leave replacement teachers, as well as seasoned teachers who moved to a different grade level this year.
The teachers were supported by Supervisor of Literacy Patricia Quinn-Hendry and literacy coaches Jeannine Butler, Laurie Monteleone and Nicole Valentine; Ms. Fernandez and math coaches Lisa McKillop and Kathy Voigt; Executive Assistant for Instructional Technology and Innovation Alison Morgan and technology learning coaches Jen Emberley and Marissa Flanagan; and Curriculum Associate for Social Studies Brian Trapani.
“Collaboration is key,” Ms. Fernandez added. “It was a great experience for the teachers to talk to each other and share best practices. They came together to find the best ways to support our students.”
