November 27, 2018
Taking Care of Yourself...
Syndee Malek, MEMSPA Associate Executive Director
For those who know me well…you know I am a self-help junkie! I follow/stalk the Brene’ and Oprah’s of the world. A little over 12 years ago, life came to a screeching halt and the importance of living became a priority. What really gets me though is how life had to come to a screeching halt! I swore then, this will not happen again. How did it happen in the first place? So glad you asked…
In a nutshell, I was so busy taking care of everyone else…I forgot to take care of me! That mistake cost me a couple of years.

I hear daily about SEL, Social Emotional Learning and what we are doing for children, big and little, in the classrooms and schools around our state and nation. You would be hard pressed to pick up a journal these days and not see something addressing SEL. 

For those in Wayne County, you have heard my story many times, but for the rest of you, it wasn’t pretty. A cocktail and chips will get you the cheap seats.

Principal to Principal: Perfecting a Promising Practice @ Spotlight on Innovation 2.0
Derek Wheaton
“Information is abundant: It’s common. What’s uncommon, and desperately needed in today’s education systems, is the innovator’s mindset.” -George Couros

My appreciative inquiry hat and focus on the positive has changed my vocabulary terminology from “problem of practice” to a “promising practice!” For the principal, one of the sacred times no matter how much time he or she is given, is the opportunity for professional learning at faculty/staff meetings. The opportunity to perfect the promising practice of ensuring our meetings are motivating, engaging, purposeful, relevant, and inspiring is the focus of this year’s Spotlight on Innovation 2.0 at the 93rd annual MEMSPA conference in December!

Partner Spotlight
12 Practices to Enhance Elementary STEM Learning
How can teachers introduce STE(A)M into their classrooms with intention and confidence? Common depictions of scientists in lab coats or engineers in hard hats do little to address a critical and sometimes overlooked area of STEM education: the starting point. Research shows that what students experience in elementary school has a significant impact on their success when pursuing STEM in college or as a career. With only a few intentional adjustments to the usual approaches, elementary teachers can foster and strengthen students’ ability to think like scientists and engineers.