Teachers’ back–to–school diary

In August, PennSchool teachers are back together in their familiar “home,” ready to kick off the new academic year with Professional Development Training Week. Held annually as part of the School’s professional development program, the week provides teachers with opportunities to strengthen their pedagogical skills, stay updated on new developments in teaching methods, and gain renewed motivation to continue their commitment to education.

During Professional Development Training Week, PennSchool teachers came together to get to know one another, welcome new colleagues, and learn more about the school’s culture and core values that help foster leadership in our #HomeOfTheEagles. The professional workshops also covered a range of practical topics, including positive discipline, responsible AI use, using the IXL platform to assess student learning, cybersecurity, designing engaging learning activities, and understanding student psychology to respond appropriately to different classroom situations. Together, these sessions equipped our teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to support our #HomeOfTheEagles in a safe, welcoming, and inspiring learning environment.

At PennSchool, every student has their own strengths, pace of development, and horizon. Understanding each student, creating opportunities for them to challenge themselves, and encouraging them to take an active role in shaping their future are therefore important parts of a teacher’s role. This is also how the PennSchool community and our #HomeOfTheEagles continue to discover and define their own horizons under this academic year’s theme, “Eagle Vision: Define the Horizon.”