Finish Strong: Teacher Wellness Strategies That Work
๐ต๏ธ PD Intelligencer - APR 19 2025
5 min read
Rebecca Barron : Apr 12, 2025 2:00:00 AM
LINKS FOR YOU
๐ข Which One Doesn't Belong? - Learn how this simple activity promotes mathematical discourse and teaches students to value multiple perspectives.
๐ค Educators Share How They Implement AI in Their Classrooms - See how AI is transforming lesson planning and boosting student creativity and critical thinking.
๐ Teaching Future-Ready Skills in World Language Classes - Discover how students can develop critical life skills while advancing their language acquisition.
๐ In Elementary School, Many Teachers Have a Shaky Grasp of Math. Can Preparation Programs Change That? - New research reveals how poor math training in teacher education affects student performance and how top programs are closing this gap.
๐ง How to Help Neurodivergent Students Thrive - Explore how a strengths-based approach builds confidence and classroom success for neurodivergent learners.
GRANTS FOR PD
๐งฉ IN FY26 Digital Intervention Training & Implementation Grant - Get funding to equip educators with digital intervention skills aligned with state standards (IN)
๐ 2025-2027 Tutoring Hub and Technical Support - Grants available for Education Service Centers to create a tutoring hub offering support, contracting guidance, and best practices at annual summits (TX)
๐ฉโ๐ซ Quality Teacher Recruitment Program - Funding initiative designed to attract, develop, and retain licensed, diverse educators for your school community (CO)
๐ฑ CA FY26 Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Grant - Boost your agricultural CTE programs with funding to prepare skilled graduates for the workforce (CA)
๐ค FP 282 - Adaptive & Inclusive Technology (FY 25) - Financial assistance for schools purchasing specialized adaptive technologies and implementation support to create more inclusive learning environments.
JOBS
๐ญ Drama Teacher - Ayala High School - 2025/26 - Chino Valley Unified School District seeks passionate educator to lead their performing arts program (CA)
๐งฎ HS Math Teacher, Honors and AP Level - Don Soffer Aventura High School invites qualified candidates to shape advanced mathematics education (FL)
๐ Special Education Coordinator 2025-2026 School Year - Summerville Prep Academy seeks dedicated professional to lead their special education services (SC)
๐ป Computer Science Teacher 2025-2026 - Odessa High School invites talented educators to join their highly-rated team in Townsend (DE)
๐ Elementary School Teacher 2025-26 - Urban Community School offers an opportunity for educators passionate about primary education (OH)
ONE BIG IDEA
Ever wished for an extra set of hands in your classroom?
A way to quickly generate customized materials for different learners?
Or perhaps a tool to help students explore creative ideas beyond what traditional resources offer?
Meet Google Gemini โ the AI assistant that's transforming how educators approach planning, differentiation, and student engagement.
This week, we're diving into practical ways this powerful tool can support your teaching practice without adding to your already full plate.
Whether you're tech-savvy or just AI-curious, there's something here for every educator looking to work smarter, not harder.
Google Gemini represents the latest evolution in AI technology designed with education in mind.
Unlike earlier AI models, Gemini offers:
For educators already stretched thin, these advances mean less time wrestling with technology and more time focusing on what matters most โ connecting with your students.
As John Spencer highlights in his podcast, AI tools work best when they augment rather than replace teacher expertise.
1. The Revolutionary Right to Educational Stability
Forget the outdated requirement that students must attend school where they "permanently" reside.
Instead, embrace this: McKinney-Vento guarantees that students experiencing homelessness can either remain in their school of origin (even if they've moved outside district boundaries) or immediately enroll in the school serving their temporary location.
The power lies in the choice: "This foundational right ensures that housing instability doesn't automatically create educational disruption."
2. The Immediate Enrolment Mandate
Schools traditionally require proof of residency, immunization records, and previous school transcripts before enrolment.
McKinney-Vento revolutionizes this approach: Students experiencing homelessness must be enrolled immediately, even without these documents. Schools then work to retrieve records afterward, ensuring zero days of missed instruction.
This immediate access reflects a profound shift in priorities: removing barriers first, addressing paperwork second.
3. Transportation Guarantees
Nothing supports learning consistency faster than solving the fundamental logistics of school attendance.
If a student chooses to remain in their school of origin despite relocation, districts must provide transportation โ even if this means crossing district lines or creating specialized routes.
The transportation provision recognizes that without reliable access to school, all other educational rights become meaningless.
The National Center for Homeless Education offers detailed guidance on implementing these transportation requirements effectively.
4. Automatic Eligibility for Services
The traditional qualification process for educational support programs can involve lengthy applications and documentation.
Frame it this way: "Students identified as McKinney-Vento eligible automatically qualify for free school meals, Title I services, and school supplies without additional paperwork."
This automatic qualification ensures that basic needs are met while reducing stigma and bureaucratic hurdles.
5. Dispute Resolution Protections
When disagreements arise about eligibility or services, the student receives perhaps the most important protection of all โ the right to maintain enrollment, attendance, and transportation during any dispute resolution process.
This "stay put" provision ensures that vulnerable students don't miss educational opportunities while administrative questions are resolved.
Purpose: A technique for quickly creating discussion materials that present different viewpoints on complex topics.
Implementation: Ask Gemini to generate perspectives from various stakeholders on issues relevant to your curriculum โ historical events, environmental challenges, or literary themes.
Try this prompt: "Generate three different perspectives on water conservation from: 1) an environmental scientist, 2) a farmer in a drought-prone region, and 3) a city water manager. Keep each perspective evidence-based and appropriate for 8th-grade readers."
Educational impact: Students practice critical thinking by analyzing different viewpoints, identifying bias, and forming their own evidence-based opinions.
Purpose: A tool that helps differentiate reading materials without creating hours of extra work.
Implementation: Upload or paste grade-level text your class is studying, then ask Gemini to:
Benefits for students: All students engage with grade-level content while receiving appropriate scaffolding for their individual needs.
The International Society for Technology in Education offers excellent frameworks for using AI to support reading instruction while maintaining educational integrity.
Purpose: A collaborative planning tool that helps students map out complex projects.
Implementation: Have students share their initial project ideas with Gemini, then ask for:
Learning outcomes: Students maintain ownership of their ideas while receiving scaffolding for the executive functioning aspects of project work. The tool supports planning without doing the actual research or creative work for them.
Challenge: Students might use Gemini to complete assignments without developing necessary skills.
Solution: Design "AI-resistant" assessments that:
Example: Instead of "Write an essay about the themes in To Kill a Mockingbird," try "Analyze how three specific classroom discussions changed your understanding of justice in To Kill a Mockingbird."
Challenge: Adding another digital tool might contribute to technology fatigue.
Solution: Use Gemini strategically:
Challenge: Without guidance, students might develop unproductive AI habits.
Solution: Create clear protocols:
Looking for more information? This Edutopia article provides valuable resources for teaching students to interact responsibly with AI.
The most exciting aspect of tools like Gemini isn't what they can do instead of teachers โ it's how they can amplify what great teachers already do:
When implemented thoughtfully, AI tools don't diminish the teacher's role โ they enhance it by reducing administrative burden and creating space for the human connections that are the heart of effective education.
Next time you're faced with creating materials for multiple learning levels or searching for a new way to engage reluctant learners, remember that Gemini might be the collaborative partner you need.
Ready to dive deeper? Discover a wealth of practical strategies and innovative ideas in Google's educator resources for AI implementation.
Alludo - we have helped district leaders across the country increase capacity in thousands of schools by successfully delivering millions of evidence-based professional learning lessons to their educators and staff members.
See you next Saturday!
Rebecca
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