14 minute read
Interest Groups
Interest Groups are one-time workshops in which small groups of teachers meet informally around a common interest or identity. They provide opportunities to make connections and begin conversations with MƒA colleagues.
All-Levels Vinyasa Yoga
Facilitator: Emilie Brockmann
MONDAYS, OCT 17, DEC 12 ONLINE COMMUNITY + PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.
Are you interested in starting a yoga practice but feel a bit intimidated? Vinyasa yoga incorporates all levels of movement, making it perfect for beginners. In this hour-long virtual session, we will move the body safely through carefully curated yoga postures as we explore different breathing techniques, build heat in the body, seek balance, and stretch and strengthen the muscles. By linking breath to movement, our practice will become a moving meditation.
Emilie Brockmann is a yoga instructor, sound meditation facilitator, and wellness practitioner.
AP Biology Teacher Meetup
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Tracy LaGrassa, Ph.D., and Marisa Wagner, Ph.D.
MONDAYS, NOV 7, JAN 9 ONLINE SCIENCE + PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.
Are you interested in building a culturally-responsive, differentiated, student-centered, and interactive classroom that provides students with a broad foundation in biology and adequately prepares them for the AP exam? Do you find it challenging to build such a classroom given the breadth and depth of our curriculum? Join us as we reflect on what we’ve learned from teaching during the pandemic, and discuss how to incorporate hands-on activities and inquiry-based labs into instruction in a way that makes all students feel welcome and excited to learn.
APES Teacher Meetup
Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Scott Wassmuth
TUESDAYS, OCT 25, JAN 17 MƒA SCIENCE + PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.
Are you interested in collaborating with teachers to share best practices for teaching AP Environmental Science? In this interest group, we will discuss what we learned as a result of teaching during the pandemic, and share ideas on how to incorporate social-emotional learning and culturally-responsive teaching into our curricula. Join us to collaborate and reflect on what you envision your APES course could be!
Building Your Department
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Shana Elizabeth Henry, Ph.D., Abigail Kirchman, and Athena Leonardo
MONDAY, SEP 19 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Are you interested in creating a wonderful department at your school? Whether you’re a new department facilitator, or have been running your department for years but need some fresh ideas, join us! Come for an informal chat as we share how we use our department time and discuss ways you and your department can continue to grow together. Bring your ideas, your questions, what keeps you up at night, and what keeps you going through those long meetings.
Can We Trust Facial Recognition? p Facilitators: MƒA Master Teacher Izagma Alonso and MƒA Emeritus Teacher Peter Brooks
THURSDAY, NOV 3 MƒA COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Are you interested in learning more about bias in artificial intelligence? Join us as we watch Coded Bias, a 2020 film exploring racial bias in facial recognition algorithms. We will have an open discussion about the film and examine the effects artificial intelligence has on our lives and the lives of our students.
Coordinating Activities Coordinators
WEDNESDAY, OCT 12 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Are you interested in discussing methods that the various Activities Coordinators in MƒA use to create meaningful and fun experiences for their student and staff communities? Many MƒA teachers do the work of planning trips, overseeing student government, running a school store, creating school-wide events, managing graduation – and fundraising for or promoting all of these activities! Whether you are at a big or small school, new to planning activities or a longtime Activities Coordinator, all are welcome as we build a network of Activities Coordinators!
Crafting Through Cricut in the Classroom
Facilitators: Hareem Ahmed-Zia and MƒA Master Teacher Quratul Waqas
WEDNESDAY, NOV 9 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Do you have a Cricut or other cutting machine and an interest in crafting? Join us as we explore a variety of ways to use a Cricut in the classroom and share our project ideas with each other. Teachers interested in attending should have previous knowledge of Cricut design space.
Hareem Ahmed-Zia is a science teacher at John Adams High School in Queens.
Earth Science Teacher Meetup
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers James Anderson and Jeanne Kopun
THURSDAY, NOV 3 ONLINE SCIENCE
Are you interested in sharing materials, lesson plans, and ideas with other Earth Science teachers in MƒA? Would you like to collaborate with other Earth Science teachers to discuss the unique challenges that we face? Join us for an informal brainstorming session about best teaching practices in our subject area.
Elementary Teacher Meetup
Facilitators: MƒA Elementary Teachers
WEDNESDAYS, OCT 19, DEC 7, JAN 18 MƒA & ONLINE COMMUNITY + PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.
Are you a K-5 educator interested in connecting with other elementary school teachers? Join us to connect with and support one another. Our agenda will be set by the interest and needs of the teachers in our community.
Experiential Educators: Taking First-Hand Fieldwork Experience to the Classroom
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Jerry Citron, Justin Czarka, and Laura Ralph
WEDNESDAY, JAN 11 ONLINE SCIENCE
Are you interested in learning about ways to engage in scientific fieldwork that you can bring back to your classroom? The goals of this interest group are to inspire, encourage, and support fellow educators in participating in scientific fieldwork that will continue to expand their content knowledge and influence their teaching practice. We will highlight stories from our first-hand experiences, share engaging learning activities, and provide resources from partner organizations around fieldwork opportunities and funding information.
Exploring a Plant Path
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Daniel Holstein and Ursula Lovings
WEDNESDAY, JAN 18 MƒA COMMUNITY
Are you interested in exploring the transition to a plantbased lifestyle? In this interest group, we will explore a plant-based lifestyle and share resources on how to strategically and sustainably shift to a plant-based diet to hopefully lead to improved health, increased energy, and a commitment to environmental sustainability.
For the Love of Lepidoptera
Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Wendy Castillo
THURSDAY, OCT 6 ONLINE SCIENCE
Are you interested in new and engaging ways to brighten your curriculum with Lepidoptera, the order of insects that includes butterflies and moths? Did you know that Monarch and Viceroy butterflies are poisonous? Join fellow Lepidoptera lovers to learn fun facts, talk about these amazing insects, and discuss creative ways to incorporate Lepidoptera into your curriculum.
Getting Started With Grant Writing and DonorsChoose
Facilitators: Andy Young and MƒA Master Teachers Steve Oszust and Jordan Wolf
TUESDAY, OCT 25 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Are you interested in acquiring resources for your classroom but don’t have the budget to do so? Then look no further than DonorsChoose. Our team of grant writing experts will help you create a DonorsChoose account, teach you the craft of grant writing, and support you in writing and submitting DonorsChoose projects. We have over 600 completed projects among us. The skills learned in this session are easily transferable to many other grant applications as well.
Andy Yung is a pre-K teacher at P.S. 244Q The Active Learning Elementary School. He has used DonorsChoose.org to raise over $35,000 for his classroom, school, and community and is always willing to help those who wish to start their own crowdfunding journey.
Implementing Student-Choice “Monday Fundays”
Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Rose Ventimiglia
THURSDAY, OCT 27 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Are you interested in learning what happens when you carve out a set day of the week for students to engage in STEM projects of their choice? Would it increase student agency, ownership, and engagement? Would it spark joy? The answer: yes! Join us as we share successes and strategies around implementing a dedicated day of the week for student-choice activities.
International Teaching
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Elisabetta La Tanza and Leslyn Morris
WEDNESDAY, OCT 26 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Are you interested in connecting with teachers who have experience teaching abroad? Whether you are an international teacher originally from another country or taught abroad for some time, join us to share experiences, compare and contrast the different education systems and curricula, and discuss successes and struggles throughout our teaching career transitions. Teachers are encouraged to bring examples of topics or curricula taught in a different country.
Learn Spanish to Support Your Multilingual
Students in STEM p Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Laura Antunez Rodriguez and Francisco J. Perez Martinez
THURSDAY, OCT 13 MƒA COMMUNITY
Are you interested in learning Spanish as a way to support multilingual students in your STEM classes? Join us to develop your Spanish language skills, and learn more about Spanish/Hispanic culture in a fun and interactive way. We will sharpen our Spanish speaking skills, strengthen our ability to create culturally relevant materials, and connect with fellow educators that are interested in language, culture, and Latino cuisine!
Let’s Do...Calculus!
Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Stephanie Bohbot
THURSDAY, OCT 27 MƒA MATHEMATICS
Are you interested in working through Calculus problems with a group of teachers? Whether you want a refresher on the content before you teach Calculus in the future, or want to engage with Calculus problems for fun, this is the place for you! Join us to do some mathematics, learn from each other’s techniques and reasoning, and engage with the prerequisite skills you may be teaching in your current or future courses. We will work through the 2008 and 2012 AP Calculus AB exam questions together. Self-checking Desmos Activities covering all eight AP Calculus AB Units will be provided as an additional resource.
MƒA Game Night
TUESDAY, OCT 25 MƒA COMMUNITY
Are you interested in strategy and diplomacy or backstabbing and intrigue? How about learning and sharing new games while socializing with your colleagues in an informal in-person setting? If so, join us for the MƒA Game Night! Board games will be provided, but feel free to bring your favorites along as well!
Mindful Yoga Practice
Facilitator: Roque Rodriguez
MONDAYS, NOV 14, JAN 9 ONLINE COMMUNITY + PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.
Are you interested in an hour of mindfulness and selfcare? Join us for a yoga experience in which we turn our attention inward and link our movement and breath. We’ll begin by warming our bodies, then move through a vigorous, yet mindful yoga flow, and conclude with a guided yoga nidra meditation. This session is open to all yoga practitioners - from first-timers to seasoned yogis.
Roque (Pronounced: ROW-Keh), the son of Dominican-American immigrants is a 500-hour trained Yoga teacher. In addition to his 500 hours of training, Roque has studied Anatomy with Jason Brown, Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra with Mona Anand, and is a certified
Hosh Kids Yoga Teacher. Roque is a proud founder of Suryaside Yoga and Wellness in Queens, NY. When he?s not teaching the Suryaside community and mentoring his new teacher trainees, he is dedicated to spreading love and yoga to underserved and under-resourced communities through programs and partnerships such as, Liberation Prison Yoga which provides yoga and meditation to incarcerated people and his I Can Breathe Yoga program which offers teacher training scholarships to BIPOCs who want to bring yoga to their community.
Navigating Lactation and Pumping as a Teacher Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Christina Apeler
WEDNESDAY, OCT 19 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Are you interested in connecting with others to discuss navigating being a lactating/pumping teacher? Would you like to learn tips and tricks to make managing the challenges of pumping during the school day easier? Come and join us in a conversation about lactation and pumping.
New Teacher Mentor Meetup
Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher Kevin Peters
WEDNESDAY, NOV 2 MƒA COMMUNITY
Are you mentoring a new teacher at your school? Are you interested in meeting up with other teacher mentors, as well? Let’s come together to discuss our experiences as mentors and reflect on our successes and challenges. We’ll brainstorm ways to support our mentees’ growth as teachers and find success in our school communities.
Overbooked
WEDNESDAY, SEP 28 MONDAY, OCT 24 WEDNESDAY, NOV 30 THURSDAY, JAN 12 MƒA & ONLINE COMMUNITY + PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.
Are you interested in reading for FUN but don’t always have time? Join our book club as we read (mostly fiction) for enjoyment and come together to discuss the book. In the past, we have read books, such as The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, The Guncle by Steven Rowley, Family Life by Akhil Sharma and Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Sabbaticals: Paid Leave for Study or Research
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Maria Leon Chu and Crystal Thiele
THURSDAY, OCT 13 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Are you interested in a paid sabbatical leave for study or research? In this interest group, we will cover how to apply for a sabbatical leave, ideas for programs, full vs. half-year sabbaticals, how to select courses and projects, and what is expected of you in the fine print. Hear from MƒA teachers who have successfully been granted sabbaticals as they share about the process. All are welcome!
Science Supplies Ordering
WEDNESDAY, OCT 26 MƒA SCIENCE
Are you interested in developing a shared resource for ordering science supplies? Now that all science supplies have been removed from the Department of Education website, there is an extra burden on science teachers and schools to find and order science materials. In this interest group, we will gather together to make a list of frequently ordered science supplies aimed at finding the best prices and helping make this process easier for all teachers. We will create a living document that will be shared with the entire MƒA community.
Sharing Best Classroom Practices
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Lauren Friedman and Ben Elias Morgenroth
WEDNESDAY, SEP 21 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Are you interested in improving your classroom practices? In this interest group, we will share our best (and worst) classroom practices with each other, including motivational tools, classroom policies, homework policies (such as efficient and effective methods for homework grading), exam structures, grading policies, and more. We will explore techniques that are effective for both motivating our students and practical in keeping the workload manageable for teachers. We will focus on the high school level, but teachers of all levels and disciplines are invited to join. Please come ready to share practices you have used or wanted to try from your own classroom.
Starting a Middle School Science Olympiad Team
Facilitator: MƒA Master Teacher James Cordara
WEDNESDAY, SEP 21 MƒA SCIENCE
Are you interested in starting a middle school Science Olympiad team? This extracurricular activity provides enriching experiences for students far beyond what the curriculum offers – and it’s a lot of fun! Join us as we cover the basics of what Science Olympiad is, advice on how to recruit, support, and build a team, and
provide resources related to all of the individual events that students can participate in this year. Even if you aren’t starting your own Science Olympiad, this interest group can help you discover fun ways to modify your curriculum with supplemental, competitive activities. All are welcome!
Think Tank for Future Facilitation
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Shangaza Banfield, Kristen Brown, Alana Burgos, and Michael Holmes
THURSDAY, OCT 20 WEDNESDAYS, DEC 7, JAN 11 MƒA & ONLINE COMMUNITY + PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY SIGN UP FOR EACH MEETING SEPARATELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR AVAILABILITY.
Are you interested in facilitating a course at MƒA but don’t know where to start? Maybe you have a course idea and need help honing and developing it. Join us in this informal setting to find out more about what it takes to create a successful proposal as MƒA Master Teachers with proposal and facilitation experience share their successes and challenges in proposing courses. You will have an opportunity to share, discuss, reflect, and receive feedback on your ideas.
Travel Opportunities With Your Students
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Ramona Fittipaldi-Deoraj and Andrew Mittiga
TUESDAY, NOV 29 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Are you interested in traveling the world with your students, giving them the opportunities to engage in new cultures, foods, and experiences? Join us to learn about amazing opportunities for students and yourself, explore fundraising best practices, and find information on how to organize a trip within set school guidelines. This interest group is open to all middle and high school teachers.
Tutoring: Growing Your Side Gig
Facilitators: MƒA Master Teachers Joseph Buro and Felicia Giunta
WEDNESDAY, SEP 28 ONLINE COMMUNITY
Are you interested in discussing how to turn the classic teacher side-job of tutoring into an amazing source of income? We have been tutoring for years and will share our strategies to make the business of tutoring something that you can scale to your desire—without any worries about conflict of interest or inconvenience to your free time.
