Pre-K conference boosts WES professional development
Professional development is an important part of a teacher’s career, including Pre-K teachers. The Pre-K program at West Elementary School is growing, and the teachers, Principal Deanna Hollimon and assistant principal and Pre-K director Monica Moon are dedicated to it and the professional development that is required.
Jan. 3-5 Hollimon, Moon and the six WES Pre-K teachers attended the Alabama First Class Pre-K Conference in Mobile. It was the 12th annual conference. WES pre-K teachers have attended the conference in years past, but it was the first conference for Moon as the director.
“It was a great chance to not only learn but to network as well. We were able to see what other schools are doing and share what we are doing, too,” Moon said.
More than 3,000 people attended the conference, which included schools from all across the state of Alabama, according to Moon. She said it was a great educational experience because they were also able to learn about the importance of partnerships and connections with families and the community.
The conference counted toward the Pre-K teachers’ required hours for their continuing education units, Moon said. Three WES classroom teachers and three WES auxiliary teachers attended.
“I didn’t know a lot about Pre-K at first, but I’ve become a real advocate for it. There’s a real need in our community for the program,” Hollimon said.
One of the things Moon said attendees learned is the Flip It concept, which stands for feelings, limits, impact and prompts. Flip It is designed to help teachers and students deal with challenging behaviors in the classroom.
Teachers also learned several hands-on activities that moved lessons away from worksheet-based learning and are designed to get students more engaged in the classroom.
“I’ve been tracking data the past few years, and it’s evident that our Pre-K classes are beneficial to the social and emotional readiness of the students moving up into kindergarten,” Hollimon said.
Pre-registration information for WES will be released Jan. 15 on the school’s website, RCS’ website and all social media platforms.
