Houston Hub - HISD Community Hub

CM Handbook

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Resources

Docebo

Our HISD Community HUB is made up of 65 corps Members in 30 schools teaching all contents and partnering with schools and communities all over Houston.

This page will be a place for HISD-Hub items such as announcements, resources, opportunities, shout-outs and anything else you all want! Check out the Resource Hub for resources around wellness, anti-racism, community, teaching, COVID-19, and more!

<TFA IMPACT IN HISD>

<2022 HISD CM TEACHERS OF THE YEAR>

<CM action ITEMS>

Required for all CMs

Review "What’s New This Semester in CM Coaching" Guide

What: Coaching and learning will look a little different this semester as we are leaning into Group coaching and Choice Learnign to meet the variety of needs and interests of our CMs and continue to have opportunities for collaboration and community. Group Coaching and Choice Learning is required for all CMs. Please read this guide thoroughly to understand the changes and requirements for this semester.

You can also access the Spring Coaching and Learning Page for a one-stop-shop for info and resources on what coaching and learning looks like this semester.

Due: Wednesday, February 8

Required for all CMs

Sign Up for March Choice Learning AND March Group Coaching

What: All CMs are required to engage in Choice Learning AND Group Coaching in March

How: Sign up for Choice Learning and Group Coaching using the links below:

Due: Wed, Feb 22

Required for all CMs

Complete EOY Administration of Student and Family Survey

What: As part of your TFA programming requirements, you are required to administer this student & family survey 2x/year (MOY and EOY) to support your growth and development as a teacher leader and to center the voices of students and families in your work. You will use this student & family feedback data to engage in 1:1 reflections with your DSI in your EOY conversation in May and both celebrate successes and identify areas for growth.

How: You can find framing and instructions for preparing your students and families to take the survey as well as suggestions for administration success HERE

You can find the link to the student/family survey HERE (all students and families will be completing the survey anonymously using the same link)
Please do not wait until the very end of the administration window to begin planning for this. We recommend you block off a 15-30 minute time slot (for 2nd-12th students) and small group time (for K-1st students) earlier in the window now for your students to take the survey as well as an additional day to catch any absent students.

Due: April 5

Note for 2CMs: If you would like access to this data to use for your POLs, the survey needs to be administered by March 22

Americorps and TFA Programming Requirement Reminder:

Failure to complete all programming requirements will result in a CM falling out of “good standing,” which can result in an Improvement Plan, and, ultimately, dismissal from the corps.

Corps members enrolled in AmeriCorps are also required to complete all action items shared by the AmeriCorps team throughout the year. A CM cannot miss one of the requirements and remain in “good standing” with AmeriCorps. By the end of the school year, the AmeriCorps Corps Member must meet all TFA Houston Programming and AmeriCorps requirements and be in good standing to receive their funding. If you miss one action item from either program, you will not receive your award.

Want to know if you're caught up with TFA items? Check out your individual CM Programming Tracker in your CM Portfolio. This tracker will be updated regularly but let your DSI know if something doesn't look right :)

<HISD Community HUB Opportunities>

Stay tuned for information on HISD Hub socials this semester!

<TFA HOUSTON SPRING COACHING AND LEARNING CALENDAR>

CM Spring Learning Calendar 2022-2023.docx

Check out the latest CM Blast for more learning/leading opportunities.

<March MONTHLY AWARENESS - women's history month>

March is Women's History Month!

Teaching Resources:

For Personal Learning and Development

<EXPLORING HOUSTON>

What: Want to explore the food, drinks, art, and other Houston attractions and things to do this summer or know someone who has recently moved here? I have started to put together this collaborative list of things to do and see in Houston based on peoples' favorite spots. Feel free to add your own favorites and share with others!

<HISD RESOURCES>

Important Resources

HISD Website
HISD News Blog
Twitter: @HoustonISD
Instagram: @houstontxisd
HISD PD Opportunities
Superintendent House's 5-Year Strategic Plan
2022-2023 Budget Workshop Info

Stay Informed and Get Involved!

Watch the HISD School Board Meeting live the second Thursday of each month at 5 pm CST or watch the recordings of past meetings here.
Alum-founded Houston GPS seeks to increase public understanding of the roles and responsibilities of school board members and to hold school boards accountable for student and community outcomes through Trustee Report Cards, Tying Key Agenda Items to equity goals, and more.

<cULTURALLY rESPONSIVE AND ANTI-RACIST TEACHING>

Resources for Addressing Police Violence

Learning For Justice - Don't Say Nothing: Responding to Police Violence

Learning Resources

Instagram handles to follow:

@amplify.rj

@teachwoke

@teachandtransform

@britthawthorne

@sarahkahmed2

@learningforjustice

Books on Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist Teaching

Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community by Liz Kleinrock
Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension by Sara K. Ahmed
We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom by Bettina Love

<RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS>

Q-Chat Space for LGBTQ+ Youth

Q-Chat Space is a digital LGBTQ+ center where teens join live, chat-based, professionally facilitated, online support groups, has added a weekly Spanish language chat! In addition to the 10 chats in English throughout the week, the Spanish language chat is scheduled for Monday evenings at 7 Eastern/6 Central/5 Mountain/4 Pacific. All chats last 1.5 hours and are facilitated by staff from LGBTQ+ centers from across the country.

<MARCH core value awards>

Nominate a CM or Alumni teacher for a core value award here!

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<hisd alumni highlight>

Name: Marlyng Martinez

Corps Year: 2020

Corps Region: Houston

Roles held in HISD:

5th Grade Teacher @ Wainwright ES
Currently:

Librarian @ Wainwright ES

•Why did you decide to stay in the classroom an on your placement campus after your corps commitment?

My two years of service were filled with a rainbow of adventures at my school, there were a lot of obstacles we had to overcome as a team. I stayed at my placement school because I was blessed with a new opportunity; I was going start the school year as a Media Specialist in charge of the library! This new role has brought an abundance of joy to the students and me. We are able to further our love for reading by enjoying the wonders of our school library.

•What is your favorite part about teaching?

My favorite part of being in the library is witnessing the authentic joy the children display when checking out books from the library and being able to take them home. They take pride in being in the library and reading amazing books.

•What is the most challenging part about teaching?

Not having a consistent parent/guardian involvement in the school and robust class sizes.

•What advice do you have for current CMs in their first or second years of teaching?

You are doing an AMAZING job! Our time in the classrooms can become very overwhelming, JUST TAKE A BREATH because you got this!

•What are your core values and how do you stay true to those in this work?

Achieve impact and strengthen community. HISD Library Services has been doing a superlative job in assuring that all children in our schools are able to obtain books from the libraries. Our libraries in HISD are about to hit the 200% book circulation goal before the end of this school year! Our library is strengthening our community through our partnership with the Houston Public Library - Collier Regional Library. Every Monday after school HPL-Collier provides arts and crafts to the students in our FLYE program. We are working on providing different avenues to bring equitable education to our scholars during school hours and after school. All in all, every single library in the district is working to ensure that all our scholars are provided with an equitable attainment of reading material from print to digital books. We are working to encourage the authentic love for reading.

•What do you think it will take for “One Day” to be realized for all kids?

A consistent involvement of all community stakeholders in our schools. It will take a village to ensure all our scholars one day can receive the equitable holistic education that they deserve.