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What you missed in virtual education events last week

A grab-bag of virtual events, webinars, and professional development sessions abounded last week. Here’s a roundup of what you may have missed.

NC New Teacher Support Program

The North Carolina New Teacher Support Program held its fall institute Monday through Thursday, culminating in a panel called “Connect & Thrive as a Beginning Teacher” on Thursday.

That panel featured:

  • Maureen Stover, 2020 North Carolina Teacher of the Year
  • Kisha Clemons, 2020 North Carolina Principal of the Year 
  • Tabari Wallace, 2018 North Carolina Principal of the Year 
  • James Ford, 2014 North Carolina Teacher and State Board of Education Member

Here are some comments from each of the panelists.

Stover: “It takes a special person to be a teacher, because teachers are the people who are called to care, nurture, and educate our children.”

“When you have a kid who pushes back, continue to support them. Continue to love them. Continue to be their champion.”

Clemons: “The power of relationships can really overcome many of the obstacles that we face as educators each and every day. But we have to tap into that power.”

“It is the connections that we have with people that enrich our lives. Both personally and professionally … it is those connections that result in positive outcomes for our students.”

Wallace: “As the principal, I will call your mom, your dad, the pastor at your church, the person at the Kiwanis Club, I will call your boss if you’re in high school and you work, I will call anybody…”

“You don’t have to have a program. You don’t have to have a whole bunch of fancy quotes. You don’t have to have anything … Your heart is steadfast. If you’ve got the heart, you can ascend above anything.”

Ford: “We know that we’re entering this profession because we’re leading with our heart or because we want to do good stuff, but what we really haven’t articulated is anything beyond that. What is it we are actually hoping to accomplish? What is our mission?”

“This is literally a calling. It’s a calling in the spiritual sense … but beyond that, a calling is determined by what you answer to. The fact that you’re here lets me know that you were called.”

Good Trouble Town Hall

Winston-Salem State University and North Carolina A&T State University held the “Good Trouble: Implications of Racial Trauma and Educator Preparation” Town Hall on Tuesday.

The program examined “racial trauma and systematic oppression and their effect on our communities and public schools.”

The panelists were:

  • Dr. Sharon Contreras, Superintendent of Guilford County Schools;
  • LaTanya Pattillo, Teacher Advisor to Governor Roy Cooper & Co-Chair of the DRIVE Task Force
  • Dr. Paula Price, North Carolina A&T State University College of Education Dean
  • Dr. Anthony Graham, Winston-Salem State University Provost & Chair, DRIVE Task Force

See the video below:

The Nation’s Report Card

The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) released its 2019 results in reading and math for 12th grade students on Wednesday.

See highlights of the math results here.

You can explore the math results in detail here.

See highlights of the reading results here.

You can explore the reading results in detail here.

The REAL Conference

The REAL Conference 2.0: Remote Education & Learning on Wednesday had sessions covering everything from mental health support for the parents of teenagers, to help with college applications and financial aid, and even the emotional wellness of families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is the closing video from the event.

Recordings of the sessions will be available on this website in about two weeks.

Institute for Emerging Issues ReCONNECT

North Carolina State University’s Institute for Emerging Issues held a half-day virtual gathering as part of the ReCONNECT to Move Forward series on mental health and well-being Thursday.

Citing the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on mental health, the meeting sought to take a deeper dive into the increasing mental health challenges faced by people and how they can be addressed.

“Recent data reveals that adults experiencing signs of serious mental illness have increased eight-fold from 3.4% in 2018 to (28% during the pandemic). Young people are also being impacted during a crucial period of their development — missing their teachers and friends, and big life milestones,” IEI’s website states.

Here is a mental health resource guide published on IEI’s website.

Fireside chat

Education Champions held a discussion between Rebecca Pringle, president of the National Education Association, and Sarah Bolton, policy director for Gov. Roy Cooper.

The two talked about “the impact COVID-19 is still having on North Carolina’s education system, the role that federal funding needs to play in helping North Carolina deliver high-quality education to all students post-pandemic, and the way that education issues are influencing North Carolina voters during this election.”

Watch the discussion below.

Staff

EdNC staff reporting relies on staff, interns, and columnists.