The Need for Professional Development: Dawson Educators as Forever Students
It would be irresponsible to educate the students of today using practices that are no longer relevant. Just as we’ve seen the landscape of education change, so have the needs of our students and their unique learning preferences.
At the risk of completely dating myself, one of my most vivid memories from elementary school is the overhead projector. My fourth-grade teacher used this tool to demonstrate math problems to the entire class because it was easy to project and everyone could see. This was very much the “sage on the stage” concept, more commonly recognized as a teacher sharing knowledge from the front of the classroom while students merely listen and take notes. We were inactive participants, all learning the same information at the same pace. As my teacher led our quiet classroom through the mechanical, monotonous steps, I was suffering in silence, too embarrassed to share how lost I was. I was struggling. I felt less than. In reflection, I’m not surprised I ended up studying English and journalism as I progressed through the rest of my educational journey. But I do wonder if my life would have turned out differently had I been given the tools to advocate for myself and my learning needs, or if I had a teacher who recognized the signs of trouble and met me where I was with diverse learning tools that made math fun and purposeful.
The field of education is constantly evolving with new research, teaching methodologies, and emerging technologies (goodbye, overhead projector!). It’s exciting and revolutionary, but how do teachers stay updated with the latest developments in their field to ensure their teaching practices remain current and effective? The answer is continuing education through enriching professional development.
As a non-profit institution with a deep commitment to philanthropy, we fundraise for charitable contributions from our community members to invest in the professional development of our faculty and staff. This enables our employees to seek opportunities that refine and enhance their teaching techniques, learn more about inventive instructional practices that align with modern education trends, discover diverse ways to engage students and improve learning outcomes, and tailor lessons to the individual needs of students.
Teachers have the tough job of needing to understand and adapt to their students to provide the best possible learning experiences. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and a successful 2022-2023 Annual Fund campaign, the School provided robust professional development opportunities for many of our faculty and staff in the past year:
- South America: Two administrators visited Santiago and Concepción, Chile with two UNLV professors in March of 2023 to primary and secondary schools and the University of Concepción for possible collaborations with other teachers, professors, and administrators.
- PBL: Four Dawson faculty attended the PBL World Conference in Napa Valley, California, to advance their Project-Based Learning skills
- Math: Faculty attended a virtual Everyday Math conference to expand upon the skills and strategies of the School’s math program
- Adobe Photoshop: Faculty attended the Photoshop World conference to enhance teaching photography and photojournalism
- Adaptive Schools: Thirty faculty and staff members attended the Adaptive Schools Training at Dawson
- UNLV: Two employees enrolled in UNLV’s Educational Policy & Leadership Program, a customized learning experience for the latest leadership practices for educators
- Garden Educator: Faculty enrolled in LifeLab, which provides educators the information necessary to engage young people in garden-based learning through workshops and consultations
- ISM: Director traveled to Philadelphia for Independent School Management’s Summer Institute
- NAEYC: Director traveled to Portland, Oregon, for the National Association of Education for Young Children Conference
- HR: Director attended the Society for Human Resource Management Conference here in Las Vegas
- EMA: Admissions & Enrollment Staff attended the Enrollment Management Association Conference in town this past September
- Fellowship: Dean was accepted to FORGE, a year-long fellowship program through the Klingenstein Center about the School’s trip to Chile
- Social Thinking: Three Faculty attended Social Thinking conferences in October and November to bring social, emotional, and academic learning strategies back to the School
- World Language: Faculty attended the ACTFL conference in November for world language professionals to enhance and expand multicultural and multilingual education
- Security: Security directors and staff attended various conferences over the last few months, including InfoSec World, Comp TIA, and CTT Solutions
- POCC: Seven employees attended the National Association of Independent School’s People of Color Conference at the end of November.
- Health: Faculty attended a conference in December to assist in her teaching human growth and development to our Middle School students.
The training Dawson provided by Adaptive Schools was particularly important because it gave the adults a deep dive into their own behaviors daily, asking how we show up in groups, how we are leading others, and how we can encourage improvement. Effective leadership is an ongoing journey of self-discovery, self-awareness, and growth, and it’s essential – even and especially as adults – to continue to hone our communication skills, support a collaborative environment, differentiate our approaches toward one another, manage conflict so it leads to problem-solving, and lead with empathy to form connections. When they see the adults on campus consistently apply these competencies, our students take note of the dynamic and positive results.
A valuable part of professional development at Dawson is when our faculty and staff are the industry leaders who travel to conferences to share their expertise and best practices. Dawson supports Dawson employees – and students – in leading workshops and presentations:
- Director of Academic Innovation & Design Rich Lehrer was selected to attend the Klingenstein Center, a summer institute through Columbia University’s Teacher College, in which they co-led two weeks of an experiential learning course. Mr. Lehrer also hosted an online presentation at Make: Education Forum workshop about Dawson’s Tech For Good Problem Bank.
- Dawson faculty Isis Lopez and Ivette Garcia presented at the Northwest Association of Independent Schools Fall Educators Conference about building diversity, equity, and inclusion pathways for faculty engagement.
- Dawson administrators presented on Dawson’s Challenge Success philosophy: Director of Early Childhood & Admissions Krista Jacobsen and Director of Lower School Amanda Murray-Musgrave about how we implement the Challenge Success framework in Early Childhood at a conference associated with the National Association of Education for Young Children, and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Brandon Wiley and Dean of Student Success Matsuko Freeman at the Northwest Association of Independent Schools Fall Educators Conference.
- Our Middle School Challenge Success team of sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade student leaders presented at the annual Challenge Success Conference at Stanford University, sharing a blueprint for how other schools can implement the SPACE Framework and host a “Challenge Success Week” that promotes well-being, resilience, and balance in a school environment.
- Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop presented with two other independent school leaders at the Enrollment Management Association’s annual conference in September about the jobs independent schools can accomplish and the progress a child can make when a solid partnership exists between students, families, and the school.
Aside from honing and sharing their expert skills, two more critical things occur when our teachers’ professional development opportunities are supported and encouraged. First, they get the chance to interact with educational leaders from other schools and create a network of individuals who can challenge their thinking, resulting in an innovative shift of focus. This fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the beneficial exchange of best practices.
Last summer, I traveled to Philadelphia for a special Summer Institute through Independent School Management. It was invigorating and exciting to connect with others from fellow independent schools who do the very same work I do – others who understand how much of myself I invest in my community and how much of my identity is tied to what I do. My work at Dawson is so much of who I am, and it was affirming to share the big ideas and lessons we all experience during a school year grown from a common understanding of one another and our roles. So much of the collaborative learning was also conversational and informal, taking place on the streets of the city when I found a group willing to see the sights with me. The sense of belonging I felt was fulfilling, and most importantly, I came away from the conference with an incredible support system of other school communications professionals I can access as trusted and beneficial thought partners.
Additionally, our employees are modeling and demonstrating a commitment to lifelong learning for our students. This sets a positive example, provides a real-life example of resilience, and illustrates the necessity for striving to always better oneself.
A belief in the need for professional development is crucial for Dawson to adapt to the changing landscape of education and to maintain the highest academic standards for our students. When our employees engage in ongoing education, they can continue to provide our students with the world-readiness skills, content knowledge, and strong connections needed for the highest-quality learning environment.
Read what Dawson educators have to say about their professional development experiences.
Read what Dawson educators have to say about their professional development experiences.
By Rachael Lachhwani
Communications Manager
The Alexander Dawson School
The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain, an independent school located on 33-acres in the community of Summerlin, is Nevada’s first Stanford University Challenge Success partner school for students in early childhood through grade eight. Utilizing the unique Challenge Success framework, Dawson uses research-based strategies and programs that emphasize student academics, wellbeing, and a healthy school-life balance to create more engaged, motivated, and resilient learners and leaders. At Dawson, students achieve their individual potential while savoring life and meeting the challenges of the world.