Our Commitment to Supporting Educators—Professional Learning in Action

Victoria Campoli, Director of Professional Learning
October 18, 2023

In her welcome back message, TC² Executive Director Usha James talked about "the excitement that educators are bringing back into schools, the commitment they have to creating healthy, joyful, and fruitful experiences that help students learn what matters most." As the Director of Professional Learning, I wanted to share a few examples of TC²’s commitment to supporting educators, as Usha said, "in making the small changes and sometimes bold steps that can contribute to a joyful and effective teaching and learning environment."

TC² Facilitators in Action

• For the second year in a row, Usha James returned as the keynote speaker and facilitator of the three-day summer institute of the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents. Together, all senior leadership teams from across the province engaged in thinking critically about the role of data in supporting system level planning, and examined how to gather, analyze, interpret, and respond to data through an equity lens. They grappled with challenging questions about how data could both perpetuate harm, or act as a window and a mirror revealing which structures, systems, and practices were barriers for students, families, and communities. By reframing data as “guidance” rather than a tool for monitoring and accountability, they considered how it might support thinking when engaging in system level critical inquiry about impact.
• In late August, Maria Vamvalis supported educators from Centennial College in Ontario with specific strategies for adopting a critical inquiry approach. Following an inspiring keynote by Usha James earlier in the year, the Schools of Transportation, English and Liberal Studies, and Community and Health Studies wanted to learn more about how to inspire students to think critically. With some collaborative preplanning with each school, Maria delivered sessions that focused on their specific contexts and goals.
• Garfield and Laura Gini-Newman have been working on a multi-year project with St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju in South Korea and returned to the school in September to continue to grow teacher capacity in critical inquiry. Laura is also working with the school leadership team to strategically enhance teacher implementation of TC²’s framework in a way that is supportive and collaborative. The supported learning will continue virtually over the course of the school year.
• Laura Gini-Newman is providing one-on-one support this year to two divisional math coaches and the math district coordinator for the Portage la Prairie School Division in Manitoba, through the Math Lead Teacher Certification. Participants are working with Laura to plan, design, and generate classroom materials that support student success in math through quality thinking. Laura is also collaborating with the math coordinator in her work with school administrators to support sustained high-quality implementation of the approach in their schools.
• Assessment will be the focus of Garfield’s collaboration with the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in the coming months. Garfield will facilitate several sessions for coordinators and ministry learning specialists as well as develop and prepare an assessment and reporting guideline document for educators across the province.

To learn more about the work TC² facilitators are doing and how TC²’s thinking approach might support your specific goals, contact Victoria Campoli, the Director of Professional Learning.