The Hoboken Public School District held a comprehensive Professional Development Day for all teachers on January 2, 2018. Staff members participated in guided workshops to share ideas and learn from each other on topics related to restorative practice, cultivating a responsive classroom, and establishing a commonality of language across the district.
The Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Fitzhugh, II, reiterated the importance of ‘grit’ and dedication in his opening remarks to staff members before individual break out sessions began.
Teachers worked together in small groups to not only explore their current teaching styles and classroom practices, but also to lay the foundation for a uniform framework that can be established in each school district wide.
Elementary school teachers and staff were immersed in Responsive Classroom Training and Techniques. This workshop focused on the development of the whole child, with a special emphasis on social-emotional learning. The goal of this workshop is for staff members to understand the Responsive Classroom approach to teaching, how using techniques like Interactive Modeling can support positive student behavior in the classroom, and how this approach lends itself to the overall social-emotional and academic competencies of students.
High School teachers and staff worked together to learn practical strategies to build strong, healthy relationships, through the process of Restorative Practices. The goal of implementing a Restorative Practices model is to develop a sense of community within the school, and to manage conflict and tensions by repairing harm and restoring relationships. Teachers compared different “practitioner styles,” reflected on the range of student responses, and studied how to engage students in a way that maximizes positive affect through Restorative Practice.
After a short break for lunch, teachers returned to their break out groups to continue their discussion before the Superintendent’s closing remarks.
To conclude Professional Development Day, Superintendent Dr. Johnson stressed the ‘Power of Gratitude’ and the importance of being grateful; for each other as peers and colleagues, for the unique opportunities and challenges presented by the district, and for the rewarding work teachers and staff members work tirelessly to complete each and every day.