New teacher inservice stuffs teachers full of new ideas

While many students were relaxing at home enjoying their week long break from schoolwork this Thanksgiving break, many teachers were still at school. However, many weren’t behind their desks for this year’s teacher inservice.

Compared to years past, teachers have not had nearly the number of liberties with their inservice days. This Thanksgiving, many had the chance to plan and attend field trips for themselves, attend lectures, and listen to guest speakers.

“The content was delivered to them by their colleagues, who knew what they needed and what they wanted to hear so that it was beneficial. Since it was self select, conference style, teachers can find more meaning in what they’re attending,” said assistant principal Mark Truszkowski.

Math teachers like Deborah Kosmer, Paul Mendito, and Jacqueline Velcenbach took a field trip to New York City to visit the MoMath museum of Mathematics. The museum’s purpose and mission is to increase the understanding and appreciation of patterns and the world of mathematics around us.
“I had a great time, even though it was a little too young for the high school age,” said Velcenbach. “I did learn a lot and get a new perspective on math. I think Kosmer riding the pie bike was the best.”

Kosmer took the opportunity to ride a bike with square, wooden wheels in a circle over elevated, pie shaped bumps. The objective was to perfectly land the corner of each square in between the crease of each bump, but it was difficult to do unless the rider was going the right speed.

“It amazes me that someone had the idea to do this, and then did it. It really amazes me,” said Kosmer.

Other teachers like Wenke Porter branched out on their own to take advantage of other career related activities. Porter went to Aberdeen Proving Grounds to learn more about real life application of math and sciences.

“It was interesting to see how math and science work together in real life, especially through the military,” said Porter.

English teacher Ms. Linda Duncan and science teacher Mr. Brady Green took the opportunity to visit Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania to take advantage of a session on nature journaling, which was taught by Nancy Green’s mother.

“We got to tour the grounds and see different nature settings in order to find inspiration in our surroundings. We can better understand and write about nature symbolism, and it was a truly beautiful experience. I may even go up there again on my own for a session on watercolor painting,” said Duncan.

However, some experiences weren’t so pleasant, according to lead secretary Mrs. Kim Iddings.

“I went to a session about humor in the workplace thinking it would be about how important it is in the workplace. I actually learned about when not to laugh. You could say I was disappointed,” said Iddings.
Overall, many teachers took the opportunity to attend sessions pertaining to their own interests. Whether it was a conference about not laughing in the workplace or a field trip to a childrens’ museum, experiences proved to be beneficial and entertaining.