conversation and to streamline her process , fitting it into the flow of class .
“ Some teachers in this session were saying , ‘ There ’ s a better way ,’” Giardina says . “‘ Have the students work on a speaking task with their peers , and then have them come to you for only a minute or two of that task .’”
As an experienced teacher , Giardina can get a snapshot of each student ’ s speaking level and their strengths and weaknesses while spending less instructional time pulling students out of class .
The experience highlights another powerful benefit of attending conferences and pursuing continuing education : the opportunity for teachers to see their own teaching practices anew and to reconsider them .
“ These are teachers who have been doing this for years ,” she says . “ Talking with them is a great way of reflecting on my own practice .”
Kali Stull
Falk K-5 counselor Kali Stull attended several events during the 2023- 24 school year .
In September , she attended Youth Mental Health First Aid , a seminar aimed at instructing teachers and other caregivers in how to help an adolescent experiencing a mental health or addiction challenge .
In December , she attended a virtual session called Culturally Responsive Counseling and Autism : A Cursory Review of Assessment and Intervention , which focused on providing culturally responsive care for students with autism .
And near the end of the school year , Stull attended an in-person workshop called Embodied Collective Joy : A Path to Liberation : Joy as Creating : Imagining the Joy We Want . Felicia Savage Friedman , founder and CEO of YogaRoots on Location , LLC , who integrates antiracism with Raja yoga , offered the training through the University of Pittsburgh School of Education .
The training was for caretakers and social work practitioners and focused in part on relationship building . Stull appreciated the use of different learning modalities . The group listened to a song and then discussed it , journaled , and participated in an embodied meditation session .
The group also explored imagining the worlds they wanted to live in and recognizing the role they played in bringing those worlds into being .
“ There ’ s so much possibility in this school , let alone the world ,” says Stull , “ and this workshop helped me to more clearly imagine the school I want for students , colleagues , myself , and families . Through the workshop , I was reminded how important everyday daily practices are and of the agency I have .”
One of the ways of bringing about the ideal school setting that she identified was recommitting to slowing down to facilitate a deeper connection with students , centering her sense of joy in the work , and naming injustices when they arise — even if the words aren ’ t perfect .
“ That ’ s the school I want to live in and the world I want to live in ,” she says .
Unlike other professional development opportunities , which might require that faculty or staff members take time to process , digest , and find ways to implement what they learned , Stull says that attending the Embodied Collective Joy workshop has had an immediate impact on her work .
At the end of a school year , she says she doesn ’ t feel burned out so much as “ wound up ,” but attending an event like this has helped her “ fill up her cup ” so she can be present and engaged for the students she serves .
“ Before , during , and after the workshop , it ’ s had a positive impact ,” she says .
More broadly , taking advantage of professional development activities like the ones she ’ s attended this year has helped Stull to stay current in a field that changes rapidly .
“ I ’ ve learned a lot through conversation and trainings ,” she says . “ There ’ s always new research and an ever-shifting reality , so young people ’ s mental health and relationships have also shifted .”
She says that during the past year ’ s professional development activities , she ’ s often found herself thinking , “ Oh , I could use that with this student ,” or “ That sounds like something this student is going through .”
And as other Falk teachers have pointed out , sometimes the benefit of attending continuing education or professional development offerings is not in learning brand-new concepts and techniques so much as being reminded of the things one already knows .
“ Sometimes there are things that you ’ ve learned before , but you just need to be refreshed , to have that beginner ’ s mind ,” says Stull . ■
For a complete list of of professional development opportunities that faculty and staff engaged in during the 2023-24 school year , see page 37 .
FALK LABORATORY SCHOOL | UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH 13