How we are using virtual professional development

How we are using virtual professional development
Posted on 03/30/2020
Virtual Professional DevelopmentMehlville School District is hosting virtual professional development for teachers to teach them the tools necessary to lead their students in online learning during the COVID-19 closure.

“We realized that if we’re going to ask our teachers to use these tools, we have to make sure that we’re supporting them,” said Sadie Lewis, Instructional Design Coordinator. “Overnight our classrooms looked different, our offices looked different, our workspaces looked different. PD had to continue, but it also had to look different.”

Lewis has been leading the sessions on Zoom and Google Meet, along with Rogers Elementary first grade teacher Julia St. Louis, Oakville Middle School sixth grade teacher Sam Brotherton and Oakville High School English Language Arts teacher Christy Mathews.

“This is a time that’s unprecedented, and we don’t really know what’s going to come next,” St. Louis said. “Learning a new tool while we also have all of this anxiety and fear can be kind of tricky.” 

Some of the sessions include sharpening skills related to tools already used by many teachers in the district like Seesaw and Google Classroom, while others focus on new tools that can used as teachers begin to teach students virtually.

“I hate that we’re not seeing our kids, and I hate that we’re not seeing each other,” Lewis said. “But I have had so much fun this week doing virtual professional development because I have gotten to connect with so many people and so many faces that I haven’t seen in awhile."

There has been a lot of interest in the sessions. There have been several days where over 200 teachers participated throughout the day.
The Mehlville School District strictly prohibits discrimination and harassment against employees, students or others on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or sex including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity and other characteristics protected by law. The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: contact Adam Smith at 314-467-5006 or [email protected].