December 2023

Welcome to Teaching & Learning Today! As we approach the holiday season, we hope each of you will enjoy a different pace of life as 2023 winds down—a pace filled with family, friends, and celebrations without the pressing demands of your job. And, please indulge in some self-care along the way. As you’re slowing down, we hope you’ll review the opportunities in this edition and look forward to 2024 with great anticipation! Thanks for all you’ve done in 2023 in the name of quality education!

Updates from Teaching & Learning

VEA Learning Portal

Check out the new Member Created Course, Scheduling IEP Meetings, developed by Hopewell Education Association member Juanzel Cardoza-Felder.

Have you scheduled your first IEP meeting? It may sound like an easy task, but it can be very tedious. Many steps are required. Participants will understand those steps as they relate to Federal Regulations, State Regulations, Division Guidelines, and Best Practices.

To see this course and more, check out the VEA Learning Portal! Access the VEA Learning Portal HERE. Feel free to bookmark this link.

If you have any trouble getting into the portal, please reach out to either Dr. Amber Brown, abrown@veanea.org or Isabel Sullivan, isullivan@veanea.org

SVEA Aspiring Educators

SAVE THE DATE!

“On the Road to Teaching”

SVEA-AE Convention, March 22-23, 2024

Delta Hotel VA Beach Waterfront

More details coming in January!

Special Education

NEA has resources for understanding Special Education. Check out Important Disability Terminology, Acronyms, and Definitions.

Recognition

Join us in congratulating Dr. Amber Brown, VEA’s Teaching & Learning Specialist, for recent recognition by the National Staff Association for the Improvement of Instruction (NSAII) at the annual conference in New Orleans. Dr. Brown placed in the professional learning competition for the work she has led in partnership with Education Testing Services (ETS) to prepare Aspiring Educators for the PRAXIS exam.

Upcoming Opportunities

Your input is NEEDED by January 12!

Excellence in the Classroom

SVEA-AE is seeking presenters for its convention, March 23, 2024

Registration Now Open for Defusing Disruptive Behaviors Community of Practice

VEA Praxis Support for Provisionally Licensed Teachers?

2024 VEA Legislative Agenda

NEA to Offer Praxis Prep Sessions

Score Release

Scores for both initial and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) candidates were released on December 9. Congratulations to all who were successful in this journey! Your hard work has paid off!

Want to Accept the Challenge of National Board Certification?

Are you currently pursuing National Board Certification or working to maintain your existing certification? The VEA now has experienced NBCTs trained to serve as Professional Learning Facilitators (PLFs) to support you. VEA members pursuing certification can now receive one-on-one coaching as a benefit of membership. If you are a current candidate seeking support, apply here.

To learn more about National Board Certification, visit our website or go to www.nbpts.org.

VDOE Launches New Online Licensure System

Check out the news release HERE!

Free Resources for Your School

Check out this website: https://www.consciousteaching.com/

Great resources for classroom management and more! Three free books are available to administrators, so share this with your administrator so your school can benefit.

Who's Who in Teaching and Learning

The work of the Department of Teaching and Learning extends out of headquarters and works directly with members. This month, we will feature one of our member partners:

Name: Dr. Adriane Bradley-Gray

Local: Education Association of Suffolk

Role(s) that you have completed with VEA: Rank-and-File Member, Building Rep, Vice President, President, Content Developer, Workshop Facilitator

# of years in education: 24

# of years in VEA: 7

If you could give 1 piece of advice to someone in education, what would it be? Don’t allow anyone to compromise your professional ethics or philosophy of education. Surround yourself with people that will nurture your strengths while growing beyond your weaknesses. Listen at least three times as much as you talk and remain humble and teachable.

How has being a union member helped you? Being a union member has edified me beyond my wildest dreams. At minimum, it has provided me with opportunities to develop and write course content, glean negotiation strategies for promoting better conditions for students and educators, and meet other leaders that share the same passion for education. The greatest privilege of membership that I continue to realize on a daily basis is that the best is yet to come!

The Latest from VEA

Teaching & Learning Today: December 2023