More Professional And Personal Growth Opportunities for the New Year

— The MEA Center for Leadership & Learning will be launching a new SCECH-eligible book study next month. “The Laramie Project,” by Moises Kaufman, is a play that explores the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay man living in Laramie, Wyoming. After going through the original play, participants will then read the epilogue, “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.” The epilogue of the book delves into the legacy left behind and how the community continues to deal with this horrendous hate crime. Learn more here or register by Feb. 1.

— The MEA Social Justice Committee is cordially inviting members to join them in a discussion about Critical Race Theory. This conversation called, “Honesty in Education: Unpacking Critical Race Theory (CRT),” is open to all members. It will be held Feb. 18 from 6-7:30 p.m., via Zoom. Learn more or sign up today.

— NEA is offering a webinar – “Our Bodies: Are We Paying Attention to the Signals?” – to help with member health and wellbeing. From 7-8:30 p.m. on Jan. 20, the session will delve into how our lifestyle, environment, and bodies are all trying to tell us something. Mental health and physiological health go hand in hand, and there are many lifelong and recent factors that impact both, including external stressors, toxic systems, habits, and more that have been either activated or exacerbated by the pandemic. This session will examine risk factors and resulting health problems that educators are experiencing and provide strategies to improve personal health and mental well-being. Register now.

— The Michigan Department of Education is offering a free, SCECH-eligible virtual conference series, “The Role of Diversity within the Literature that We Teach.” Each session will feature one-hour keynote addresses from celebrated authors renowned for their work around diversity in literature. Keynote speakers will discuss the history, through their own lens, and purpose of diverse literacy materials in schools. The Jan. 27 session features author Shonda Buchanan. Learn more and register here by Jan. 25.

Newsroom Professional Development Social Justice

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MEA member Melissa Lambert, a librarian at Allen Park High School, with MEA Vice President Brett Smith (center) and Allen Park Education President Joel Burkey.

Allen Park school librarian awarded top state honor

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of its school librarian, Allen Park High School’s library was recently recognized as Michigan’s 2023-24 “Model 21st Century School Library.” The Library of Michigan’s “Model SL 21” designation, awarded to one school library each year, recognizes “high-quality school libraries and library media specialists” and aims to replicate their […]

New survey: Student outbursts, threats pose challenge for teaching and learning environments

EAST LANSING — Michigan educators are facing significant challenges to both student learning and their own workplace satisfaction due to an increase in disruptive student behavior, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Michigan Education Association, the state’s largest educators union. A majority of educators surveyed reported experiencing student outbursts, damaged property or verbal […]