On January 5, UT Charter School System (UTUCS) faculty came together for a dynamic “Teach and Share” professional development event, coordinated by Veronica Ruiz, Ph.D., director of Academics and Professional Development. Ruiz explained: “The Teach and Share session was designed to foster collaboration among our educators by creating a space where teachers could open up and share ideas, highlight successful strategies, and learn from one another’s expertise and experience. When you can create these types of exchanges in professional development, you can collectively strengthen instructional practices and build a culture of shared learning and continuous growth.”

 

UT PK-12 Schools Executive Director Melissa Chavez, Ph.D., noted that Teach and Share reflects a long-standing UT Charter tradition of learning from one another and cultivating professional excellence.  “Teach and Share is not new to our district — it’s part of who we are. Ongoing professional growth and a strong, supportive culture are priorities for UT Charter. When our educators share their expertise, they strengthen not only their own practice but our entire system. This kind of collaborative learning is essential to the career development of our teachers and to the success of our students.”

Faculty had the opportunity to choose from 15 sessions, presented conference-style, allowing participants to select topics most relevant to their subject area or personal growth goals. Sessions ranged from broad, movement-based strategies like Move to Learn: Fueling Focus with Fun Brain Breaks led by UT Elementary’s PE coach Danielle Zibilski, to UTUCS-specific approaches such as Incorporating SEL into Your Entry and Exit Tickets presented by Basepoint teacher Katherine Rowe.  While all sessions were well received, a few standout sessions included the following:

• AI-Powered Notes: Designing Prompts and Guided Materials for the CBI Classroom with Basepoint teacher Cheyenne Musser
• The Art of Teaching: Deconstructing Standards led by UT Elementary Principal Dr. Lara Wilder and SPED Teacher Gabi Huntington
• Integrating Art into the English Language Arts Classroom led by Settlement Home teacher Taylor Hunt

Settlement Home teacher Miguel Cabral said: “The session AI Powered Notes: Designing Prompts & Guided Materials for the CBI Classroom was so informative. We have struggled with the creation of guided notes for CBI (Computer Based Instruction) in our elective courses, and this class really helped. Also, I was impressed with our presenter Cheyenne Musser. You could sense their passion and dedication to their students and to UT Charter. The session was informative, instructive, and entertaining!”

In the Integrating Art into the English Language Arts Classroom, ELA and Art Teacher Taylor Hunt emphasized the power of creative expression as a pathway to deeper learning. Hunt shared that incorporating art into ELA instruction allows students at all levels to access complex concepts while offering multiple ways to demonstrate mastery. Rooted in both SEL and NME principles, her approach keeps instruction “relevant, relational and rewarding,” celebrating student strengths that may not always surface in a traditional classroom setting.

 “Integrating art into the secondary classroom is so important for building confidence, creativity, and making connections with the subject matter in a more personalized way.” –  Taylor Hunt, ELA & Art Teacher

During the session, participants actively engaged in hands-on projects, modeling the same confidence-building and creativity Hunt fosters with her students. She noted that inspiring just one colleague to bring art-based strategies into their classroom would make the session a success, underscoring her belief that creativity plays a vital role in building confidence, connection and personalized learning experiences for students.

The power of this type of professional development is summed up in this quote from Settlement Home Teacher Andrew Harrod: “Many times when I have been in past professional development sessions, I hear a person talk about ‘Best Practices for a general education classroom’ when I have never taught in such an environment. All of the classrooms I have ever taught in have a high turnover and extreme behaviors.  So, it was nice to have teachers who work with the same kind of students in trauma as myself and are able to tell me what works for them within a very similar teaching environment. When session leader Rebecca Vore, who is a teacher at our Georgetown Behavioral Health campus, went over what worked for her students in their partial hospitalization program, I knew it could work for ours to help focus them to make real progress in their CBI classes.  She wasn’t speaking broadly about computerized education, but about the same programs and constraints that we are working with too.”

“Teach and Share” exemplifies UT Charter School’s commitment to continuous learning and collaboration. By sharing expertise and innovative strategies, our educators are better equipped to meet the diverse needs of students and create classrooms where both academic and emotional growth thrive.