Pitt-Greensburg APEX 2023-2024
Professional Development
Table of Contents
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NEA/RA 2023
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PSEA House of Delegates
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Conferences
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State Conference 2023
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Slippery Rock - Rock Solid Conference
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Superintendent Speaks Series
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SPMs
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Classroom Culture
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UBD
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AI
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Workshops ​
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Diversity Workshop
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#1 - Discussing Race in the Classroom​
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#2 - Trauma and Its Impact on Learning
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Professional Dress
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Impact of Covid on Students
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SPSEA website, awards, and learning contest details presented by Emily Jett (SPSEA state President)
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Playing for Keeps movie and discussion
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resume writing workshop
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wix and e-portfolio
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Artificial Intelligence and Technology
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High School Students Interested in Teaching on Campus
NEA/RA 2023
Four of our members, Amber Bloom, Emily Jett, Marina Lagattuta, and Alice Evdokimova, went to Orlando, Florida to attend the NEA AEC/RA. During this experience, our members went through professional development sessions and got the opportunity to network with Aspiring Educators from around the country. Amber, Emily, Marina, and Alice got the chance to debate critical issues that are facing the education field currently. They got to see how certain states help their teachers and to think about ways that we could make a positive change in the education field here in Pennsylvania.
PSEA House Of Delegates
The PSEA House of Delegates took place on December 1-2, 2023 at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown Hotel. Some delegates joined virtually.
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The House of Delegates is where delegates conduct the important business of PSEA, representing PSEA members in all local associations across Pennsylvania.
House of delegates- Pittsburgh
Amber Bloom, Emily Jett, and Kayla Loebach attended the Pittsburgh House of Delegates as Student PSEA members and delegates. As delegates, they were able to vote on important issues facing PSEA. We also had two members, Emily Johnson and Emily Korinek, as volunteers during the event assisting with checking people into the house of delegates.
Conferences
State Conference 2023
SPSEA State Conference gives educators and aspiring educators a unique opportunity to learn about occurrences in the field and information that allows them to become better educators in the near future. Occurring in Hershey, PA, 13 Pitt-Greensburg SPSEA members attended the conference and one of our very own, Kayla Loebach, was elected as Regional President! On top of one of our own being elected for the Regional President position, three of our members were elected to the PSEA State Executive Board: Emily Gill became the SPSEA State President, Amber Bloom as Vice President, and Marina Lagattuta as PACE Director.
Slippery Rock University - ROck Solid Conference
Four of our chapter's members, Emily Jett, Autumn Kolenc, Erika Christeleit, and Emily Johnson attended the Rock Solid Conference held on Slippery Rocks campus. They attended breakout sessions, participated in professional development, and bettered themselves as future educators.
Superintendent Speaks Series
In the 2022-23 academic year, our university was approached by a local assistant superintendent who was frustrated that new teachers he was interviewing were not familiar with certain concepts. He asked if he and other local administrators could come to Pitt-Greensburg and provide workshops for us. This led to the Superintendents Speak Series. Now in its second year, this program connects Pitt-Greensburg’s Student PSEA with local districts and provides our members with important information from the school districts in our region. This year, too, students from Saint Vincent College joined us for a few of them! The workshops and presenters this year so far have been:
Student Performance Measurements (SPMs)
Dr. Daniel Clara, Assistant to the Superintendent at Southmoreland School District, came to Pitt-Greensburg on September 26th, 2023, to speak to attendees on SPM's and the importance of the topic.
The Science of Reading
Dr. Shannon Wagner, Superintendent, and Dr. Autumn Turk, Director of Curriculum and Development, both from Burrell School District, presented the Science of Reading based on the new curriculum mandates for structured reading.
Classroom Culture
Dr. Christopher Sefcheck, Superintendent at New Kensington-Arnold School District, provided information on classroom culture, focusing on what it meant to have a "fit" classroom in which students are engaged, learning, and feeling safe.
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Workshops
Diversity workshop - Discussing race in the classroom
As part of our semester-long focus on diversity, we began with an interactive workshop given by Dr. Melissa Marks, SPSEA advisor and Professor of Education at Pitt-Greensburg. This workshop asked participants to reflect on what parts of our identity impacted us, why that was, and how and why race was so difficult to discuss in the United States.
Diversity workshop - Trauma and its impact on learning
Mrs. Beth Docherty and Ms. Julie Evans, Trauma Specialists from Silver Moon Strategies, provided a 90-minute workshop about trauma and its impact on learning for children and adults. This training, open to the campus and to our partner schools, was part of our semester-long diversity-focused trainings.
Professional Dress Mini workshop
During our general meeting on October 10th, 2023, we held a professional dress mini-workshop through Kahoot. This was a way for members present at the general meeting to see what should and should not be worn in our placements at schools. Members were able to ask questions or elaborate on situations where certain attire would and would not be presentable to wear while in the field.
All things student psea mini workshop
On November 29th, 2023, Student PSEA State President Emily Jett joined our members during our general meeting to go over the PSEA website but especially the Student PSEA section. She also talked about conference, awards, and outreach. She taught our members what it means to be a Student PSEA member.
Playing for Keeps movie and discussion
On January 30, 2024, Mrs. Beth Docherty of Silver Moon Strategies rejoined us to share a film called "Playing for Keeps: The Upside of Downtime". This film focused on how play and time away from work makes us happier, less anxious, less depressed, and more productive overall. Discussions in small table groups afterwards brought the message home to everyone. This workshop was co-sponsored by our Psychology Club on campus and was also open to teachers in our partner schools.
Resume writing workshop
We know that our resume is one of the first and best ways to make a first great impression when we are applying for a job. Superintendents see our resumes and then decide if based on our resumes if they will continue the interview process. At this workshop, members got to see how a resume should be formatted and what should be put on their resumes.
Wix and e-portolfio workshop
As educators, we know that our portfolio is one of the first things that administrators see when we apply for a job. At Pitt-Greensburg, we make sure that all of our SPSEA members are well equipped to go out and apply for a job the second they graduate and have their teaching certificate. This workshop made sure that our members knew what should be in their e-portfolios and what the best way to present our personal accomplishments and achievements would be through WIX.
Artificial intelligence and technology Workshop
On September 19, 2023, Dr. Christopher Clayton, SPSEA guru of all things, presented a workshop focused on technology and artificial intelligence both in person and online. Six Student PSEA members joined students from Edinboro and Slippery Rock Universities for this interesting (and slightly terrifying, science-fiction sounding) presentation.
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Attendees: Emily Korinek, Sierra Roberts, Emily Patrick, Mia Brunetti, Haley Rowe, and Alanna Schill.
High School Students Interested in teaching on Campus
On October 9, 2023, Pitt-Greensburg hosted 18 Hempfield Area High School students for a "So you're thinking about becoming a teacher" day. The students arrived on our campus at 10am, at which time they participated in a discussion about what education was and how it was implemented in many different ways. Student PSEA members then joined for a silly competition in which teams competed to build the tallest balloon sculpture – all without speaking! We all headed to lunch – which included a dessert and coffee truck. After lunch, Student PSEA members welcomed the high school students into both Social Foundations of Education, where educational ethical dilemmas were decided, and Elementary Social Studies, where community service models were discussed. Students ended the day with a short presentation about clubs on campus (like SPSEA!) and financial aid.
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On October 12, 2023, Pitt-Greensburg hosted about a dozen folks from Westmoreland CTC's new Educators Rising Program. Because they had far less time than the Hempfield Students earlier that week, we had lunch with them in our dining hall. A presentation about how to become an educator was shown followed by a very competitive Kahoot game in which questions were asked about how to become a teacher (e.g., 3.0 overall GPA mandated).