Cultivating Excellence: TMS Fellowship Nurtures Aspiring Educators
Cultivating Excellence: TMS Fellowship Nurtures Aspiring Educators
On August 7th, The Meadows School's professional learning programs embarked on two days of enlightening training in collaboration with the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL). Director of the CTTL, Glen Whitman, and accomplished neuroscientist, Kristin Simmers, brought their expertise to Scholar Lane. This event marked an invaluable opportunity for our esteemed faculty to bridge the gap between teaching practices and the latest research on cognitive learning. Amidst the gathering of seasoned educators were a few fresh faces representing the inaugural class of Meadows Fellows.
The Meadows School Fellowship, an integral component of the innovation-based professional learning programs, is a nine-month experiential initiative tailored for early-career and aspiring educators. This program grants young undergraduates aspiring to pursue a career in education the chance to immerse themselves in every facet of campus life for an entire year. Alongside this immersive experience, these budding educators collaborate with distinguished experts such as Glenn Whitman and Michelle Borba, enhancing their skill sets in preparation for their forthcoming careers.
Fellows are strategically assigned to specific academic divisions for hands-on engagement during the school day. Their time is spent working alongside our most accomplished educators, involving them in lesson development, observation, and engaging dialogues that uphold our pursuit of excellence. Additionally, each Fellow is entrusted with the responsibility of creating and delivering an Enrichment Program as part of the MAPS or LEAP experience. Regular meetings with the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), full attendance at faculty gatherings, and active participation in the Master Teacher Cohort constitute further expectations.
This academic year's Fellows are fortunate to join us at a pivotal juncture as our multi-year partnership with Glenn and the CTTL is in its infancy. This synchronicity allows our Fellows to delve into Mind/Brain Education under the guidance of forward-thinking, extensively researched scholars within their field.
Embedded within our ever-evolving suite of professional learning offerings, The Meadows School Fellowship is committed to nurturing the forthcoming generation of exceptional educators within the Las Vegas Valley. The present academic year has welcomed four remarkable Fellows.
Ashlyn Davey and Colette Fahning are lending their support to the Lower School. Beyond classroom engagement, they are entrusted with guiding the technological aspects of kindergarten, first, and second-grade curricula. Working closely with the CIO, they craft lesson plans, co-instruct, and meticulously review content to construct a comprehensive and developmentally apt educational pathway.
A third Fellow, Allison Long, is dedicated to supporting the Middle School English Department. Alongside accomplished faculty members, Allison's role extends to providing additional writing instruction to students seeking supplementary support.
The final addition to our Fellowship this spring is Jordan Leal who will collaborate directly with the Innovation Department. Jordan's focus will be to augment the growth of our Auxiliary Programs while seamlessly continuing the work initiated by her peers in integrating technology into the Lower School curriculum.
The palpable energy, enthusiasm, and delight these early-career educators bring to Scholar Lane are contagious, and we fully anticipate this vigor to persist.
Like all professional learning initiatives housed under Innovation on Scholar Lane, the Fellowship is firmly rooted in the relentless pursuit of excellence. While a Fellow's tenure at The Meadows School might span just one year, the imprint they leave on the young minds of our city remains boundless. Through interactions with our administration, faculty, and staff, each Fellow imbibes the essence that excellence is an ongoing journey, a daily "infinite game" that restarts afresh each morning. This program, coupled with our Master Teacher Cohort, Experiential Learning Program, and strategic alliance with the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, is meticulously designed to instill a culture of lifelong learning. These initiatives build upon the ethos championed by past campus guests like Michelle Borba and Anindya Kundu, which our faculty embodies daily.
With this latest addition to our roster of programs, we magnify our reach to wield an immediate impact not only on our students' lives but the lives of every student throughout the Valley. Let us collectively extend a warm welcome to these new members of The Meadows School community. May their boundless enthusiasm inspire us all to embrace a stance of perpetual learning and recommit to our roles as eternal learners.
Joseph Carver
Chief Innovation Officer
Chief Innovation Officer
- Innovation