How flexibility and teamwork keep our classrooms strong

Working in a classroom is a tough job. But educators in our district take the phrase “see the student before the behavior” very seriously. They also lean into another guiding idea: “Be a palm tree.” “While oak trees are big and strong, when a windstorm comes, they break and fall over; but palm trees flex in the wind,” said Executive Director of Special Services Melissa Munson-Merritt. “The more flexible you can be, the more rain and wind you can withstand.” That mindset of adaptability, patience, and mutual support underpins our district's approach to professional learning. Our district offers amazing opportunities for all staff to learn and grow, and a big part of that is learning directly from each other. For elementary schools, six instructional coaches facilitated training for 430 teachers during this August’s Bethel Professional Learning Days. The sessions were built directly around teacher feedback collected in the spring. Teachers focused on the CKLA curriculum to prepare for their first few units. They also participated in “Rotation Nation,” stepping into middle school shoes to rotate through two-hour content sessions focused on math, science, and social studies. “Both in science and in social studies, we elevated teacher leaders,” said Director of Elementary Teaching & Learning Elissa Dornan. “So, our teachers were not hearing just from us, but they also had practical applications being modeled right for them with the teachers that were teaching the lessons.” At the middle and high school level, learning was similarly tailored to give staff meaningful choices. High school math teachers engaged in a two-day workshop to align their instruction, while English Language Arts staff met in small grade-level cohorts. “We actually had teacher leaders in science come and help prepare to facilitate that learning,” said Director of Secondary Teaching & Learning Shawn Simpson. “We're really trying to advocate for teacher leaders to help support us with the learning.” In Career and Technical Education, training began with a day for educators in their first three years of teaching. A subsequent CTE mini-conference covered high-impact strategies, digital tools, social-emotional learning, and navigating artificial intelligence in the workforce. “This year, we were proud to have several of our own CTE teachers presenting sessions,” said Director of Career & Technical Education Jeff Johnson. “The teachers reported they loved to learn from their colleagues, and they learned so much from hearing what they're doing in their classrooms.” The collaborative spirit extended across classified staff and district leadership as well. During Special Services sessions, Student Resource Specialists led training for nearly 100 classified educators who showed up to sharpen their classroom skills. Meanwhile, building administration teams prepared side by side with teacher teams to lead schoolwide behavior systems. “There was not one building where this behavior work was simply led by an administrator,” said Executive Director of Elementary Schools Kelley Boynton. “You had teacher teams leading the behavior work, saying, ‘Here’s how we’re going to systemize around this.’” That thoughtful design ensures our staff feel equipped and supported in every classroom. “They're super intentional about the planning that went into how they designed the days,” Superintendent Brian Lowney said about Bethel Professional Learning Days. “I know that they're based on the feedback from last year, and that next year's will be based on the feedback we got from this year.” For Munson-Merritt, that collaborative investment ultimately comes down to how staff show up for students and each other every day. "Be patient, be kind, and be human," she said.