Teach SD, Nov. 8, 2023

Nov. 8, 2023

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month.

November is Native American
Heritage Month
TeachSD reached out to Fred Osborne of the South Dakota Office of Indian Education to invite him to discuss resources available for educators from his office. Schools can use these resources year-round to provide opportunities for students to know and understand South Dakota’s unique American Indian culture. Visit the DOE blog to read Mr. Osborne’s article.

Another round of FREE literacy
training opens

Educators have until Dec. 1 to register for free, online, self-paced training offered as part of the statewide literacy initiative.

Veterans Day: Acknowledging military-connected students

Veterans Day is also an opportunity to think about the unique needs of students with military parents.

Kadoka and Longfellow Elementary Schools honored as National ESEA Distinguished Schools

Congratulations to these two schools for their efforts to promote strong academics and attendance!

Call for proposals: SD Mentoring Program Summer Academy

The South Dakota Mentoring Program Summer Academy is a time for new teachers and their mentors to come together for reflection, professional development, and celebration. The DOE is now taking breakout session proposals for the event. If you would like to present on topics such as student engagement, classroom management, using effective assessments, or other topics of value to new teachers, please consider sending a presentation proposal to the DOE.

There will be a summer academy on each side of the state; on June 5-6, 2024, in Sioux Falls, and on June 12-13, 2024, in Rapid City. Presenters will receive $150 per session and will be reimbursed for travel expenses. Applications are due by Nov. 27.

Call for presentations:
2024 South Dakota Special Education Conference

The Department of Education and the University of South Dakota Center for Disabilities has an opportunity for experts in the Special Education field to share their knowledge about topics such as ADHD, language development, emotions in the classroom, and autism at the Agents of Change conference at the Sioux Falls Convention Center, March 5-6, 2024. If you or someone you know would like to apply to present, apply by Dec. 1, 2023.

June 3-4, 2024 South Dakota Civics and History Summit. Call proposals.

Call for proposals: 2024 Civics and History Summit

Are you an experienced teacher with an interesting and proven way to teach a particular history, geography, government, or civics topic aligned to the new South Dakota Social Studies Standards? Consider submitting a proposal to present your lesson to break-out groups at the 2024 Civics and History Summit, to be held June 3-4, 2024, in Sioux Falls.

The Civics and History Summit is a great opportunity for teachers to learn strategies to implement the South Dakota Social Studies Standards, obtain lessons and resources aligned to the standards, and to share activities and lessons from their own classroom with their peers.

Proposals must be in by Nov. 15. A list of possible topics and sign up form is now available.

This section highlights upcoming professional development opportunities offered by the Department of Education. For a full list of trainings, visit DOE's new professional development platform at https://sded.sd.gov.

2023 Indian Education Summit
Nov. 16-17, Huron

The annual Indian Education Summit will be held Nov. 16-17 in Huron, with Youth Day to be held Nov. 18. Mark your calendars now. A schedule and speaker announcements will be forthcoming. Visit the Indian Education Summit website now and check back often.

When Crisis Comes: Supporting Students in Schools virtual speaker series
Online, Self-paced

The University of South Dakota School of Education, in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Social Services - Division of Behavioral Health, is pleased to offer FREE professional development focused on student and staff mental health and crisis prevention and response in schools. This speaker series will feature renowned speakers, researchers, and professionals who have experienced person crisis and/or crisis in schools.

Recorded presentations will be available throughout the 2023-24 school year. Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECHs) will be awarded for participation in the series. Participants can pick and choose what videos they are interested in viewing, or they can choose to view them all.

Jonni Hertel
Grade 3, General Beadle Elementary, Rapid City

Jonni Hertel, Wakȟáŋheža Thewíčhaȟíla Wiŋyaŋ, Woman Who Loves Children, has been teaching for 12 years. She currently teaches 3rd grade at General Beadle Elementary in Rapid City. Hertel, who is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, holds two master’s degrees in education. In this month’s Teacher Feature, she shares how she incorporates the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards into her classroom.