Teacher represents Greenwood at Klingenstein Summer Institute

When most Greenwood staff and students were heading off on summer vacation this June, Ms. Anna Spota was packing her bag and heading to Princeton, New Jersey, for the prestigious Klingenstein Summer Institute for Early Career Teachers.

The 12-day intensive fellowship brings together teachers from all over North America to “explore curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment design in their teaching discipline, informed by current research and practice in three key areas: mind brain education; equity, inclusion, and belonging; and, social-emotional learning – all to better understand and design for how students learn, grow, and thrive.”

Ms. Spota says she is honoured to have participated in this professional development opportunity. She caught up with Life@Greenwood to share more:

I had heard so many wonderful things about the program both from close friends who are past alumni of the network and from current colleagues at Greenwood. I felt really fortunate to have the opportunity to apply and also to have the support and encouragement from all the previous positive success stories.

For 12 days, the KSI ‘25 cohort engaged in numerous activities, readings, and discussions. Plenary sessions, often led by guest speakers, covered topics like learning, gender inclusion, community building, the teacher's role in an AI world, racial literacy and Universal Design. When not in lectures, the cohort collaborated in home or discipline groups, focusing on improving teaching and classroom navigation for 2025 and beyond. The program included a personal philosophy statement, performance-based assessment and a final reflection.

The first significant takeaway from the plenary session was the crucial role of teachers in an AI-driven world. I quickly connected this insight to my assigned readings and plan to integrate this learning into my classes, my work with Greenwood's AI working group, and the CIS Ontario AI Leadership PLC this year. Also, the importance of dedicated time for teacher reflection, irrespective of experience, was highlighted. I feel that it is beneficial at any career stage to reflect on past experiences while maintaining a future-oriented perspective.

Professional Development is important for educators because we are always learning. Whether it is from our students or peers, we have made a commitment to helping one another through the capacity of education. To me, involvement in Professional Development not only fosters and fuels curiosity but also allows educators to refine their craft and leads us to new paths of inspiration by broadening perspectives through new experiences. 

Always remember your core motivation. Be receptive to giving and receiving feedback, even in areas outside your comfort zone. Lastly, set aside time to process new information and be patient with yourself as you integrate what you've learned.