Schools

D210 Teachers Get Schooled on Instruction, Interaction Methods Over Summer

During the Aug. 11, board of education meeting, members got an update about various training programs that teachers did over the summer.

While many students had the summer off, teachers in the Lincoln-Way High School District got schooled on various programs to improve instruction and interaction with students.

During a meeting Thursday, the Lincoln-Way High School District 210 Board of Education got an update on staff programs that were held throughout the summer that allowed district faculty the opportunity to improve their skills in various areas.

Tim Reilly, the district's director of instruction, said the classes were alternatives offered to teachers that allowed them to gain knowledge without having to attend a college course.

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Among the alternatives that Reilly highlighted for the board was training in Moodle, a website that allows teachers to connect what they do on their Lincoln-Way websites with what other teachers are doing.

“It's not so much a control issue, as a way to get everything conforming, everything looks the same and feels the same (for students and teachers),” Reilly said.

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The other two programs were designed to allow teachers to interact with students better. One program taught teachers ways to use data and test scores to adapt, revise and drive instruction. Another, focused on differentiated instruction, showed teachers new or different learning styles and individualized planning methods to reach all types of students in the classroom.

Reilly said all of the 15 sessions offered were very well attended. He said that as of the Aug. 11, 293 teachers from Lincoln-Way attended at least one session, including 70 teachers who received 35-40 hours of instruction.

Spanish review

Laura Rycyna, a Spanish teacher at , touted the success of the Spanish review workshop offered to Lincoln-Way students this summer. The two-week workshop was meant to be both a refresher course for returning students and a welcome course for incoming freshmen. One session focused on vocabulary and another on grammar.

She said only 28 students enrolled when the program started five years ago, but there were 136 studentsthis summer. Rycyna said allowing students to enroll in the course online seemed to have a large impact on enrollment.

“The students seemed to really enjoy it," she said. "Some of them seemed a little shell-shocked to think that, 'We've got to get back to school,' but most of them thought it was a good review and we're glad they signed up."

New Hires and Resignations

Following the presentations, the board approved the hiring of four new teachers in the district and the resignations of three staff members.

Welcomed to the district were: Lindsay Doyle, a reading aide at East; Troy Knoblauch, a math instructor at Central; Mary Patricia Pearson, a permanent substitute in counseling at East; Dana Romano, a permanent substitute in social sciences at West; and Thomas Sommario, permanent substitute in math at North.

Leaving the district were Jennifer Klein, the aquatics supervisor at North; Jaclyn Cachetta, a permanent substitute at East; and Rachel Szykowny, an aide at North and East.

The next district 210 board of education meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25 at Lincoln Way East.


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