The Teacher Training Institute
The Need
Teaching may be one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Teachers juggle content standards, behavior and are also the first line of defense when students have mental health problems. Schools have many systems, strategies, and training in place to ensure teachers are well equipped to provide high quality instruction to students, yet one area of continued development is strategic training and support around understanding the multifaceted nature of the children they serve. Teachers often have strong content knowledge but struggle with managing and supporting the wide variety of academic and social-emotional needs of students in an inclusive classroom. This negatively impacts their ability to consistently deliver high quality instruction, uphold the integrity of Tier 1 supports and maintain strong classroom and school culture. We recognize that teaching is demanding and requires constant learning, reflection, and refinement in order to be successful and provide students the results they deserve.
The Bridge
The purpose of the Teacher Training Institute (TTI) is to build teacher capacity around supporting students' academic and emotional well-being. In collaboration with medical professionals, the TTI will take a multi-disciplinary approach to educating and training teachers. TTI participants meet once a month over the course of five months to discuss various topics that impact learning in the classroom (e.g. Understanding the Whole Child, Common Clinical Diagnoses in Children, Cognitive Profiles, Impact on Childhood Development, Caring for Yourself and your Students). Each month a medical professional will share their expert knowledge about the topic area to help teachers understand the whole child, while Bridges helps teachers translate the new learning to applicable strategies they can use in their classroom setting. It is our hope that this unique opportunity helps fill a gap in teacher education and training. The goal is for teachers to walk away with tools and strategies that will equip them to teach the whole child.