The Joy of Lifelong Learning

By Laura Spaulding, Staff Writer/Consultant

The Joy School is a community of lifelong learners. This description applies to the adults as much as the students, evidenced by over 20% of our staff holding advanced degrees or specialized certifications and the priority our board and administration places on continuing education and professional development.  Every year, we budget for each staff member to have the opportunity to attend a national level professional development conference. 

This commitment of our teachers to lifelong learning is significant for the success of our students due to the ever-changing trends and research in both the fields of education and learning differences and our school’s niche being at the intersection of traditional and special schools.

Before this year's first day of school, our admin team brought in some of the nation's most sought-after experts, including Adam Welcome, who led our staff in a training called “Future Thinking Schools and MakerSpace.” Adam helped us consider the future of education and how to prepare our students for today’s world. Then nationally acclaimed educator, entrepreneur, technology leader, and author Luyen Chou led us in training about the role and future of AI in the classroom. 

During the school year, we set aside every Wednesday afternoon for continuing faculty and staff education. Adult learning has continued this fall semester alongside student learning as several professionals have brought their expertise to our campus. Kimberly Harrison, clinical psychologist and founder of the Conative Group, led our staff in a workshop focusing on working with students who struggle socially or with pragmatic communication, including those with ASD. Evan Weinberger, president and CEO of Staying Ahead of the Game, led two parent education seminars on Helping Children Develop Executive Functioning Skills. 

Andrea Dorr, our in-house school transition and mainstreaming specialist, led a parent education seminar on the basics of Mainstreaming. Amanda Lyttle, head of our DEIB committee, has shown our staff in a number of informational trainings and intentional conversations about the impact of diversity and inclusion on all staff and students. Our own Speech and Language Pathologists led our staff in training on the specifics of The Joy School’s program on Language and Cognitive Therapy.

Then, our in-house dyslexia expert, Michele Kemper, presented the topic of “Reading and the Brain” in one of our professional development meetings on Wednesday. Thirteen of her nineteen years at the Joy School have been explicitly spent working with struggling readers as a reading interventionist. Fascinated by her students' brilliant minds and eager to understand more and more about why they struggle and how she can help them, Michele has spent the last two years earning a Dyslexia Certification through the University of Florida to further add to the ever-growing number of teachers with advanced degrees and certifications.

Already on the calendar for early Spring is Nathan Clemens, Associate Professor and Dyslexia researcher at the University of Texas, training us on Dyslexia and the Science of Reading, and Lynn Lyons, an author, speaker, and psychotherapist will be doing a session on Anxiety. 

Not only are our teachers and administration highly trained experts who are gifted at training and teaching others, but they are also insatiably curious. They are interested in learning and growing but, more importantly, curious about the students who show up in their classrooms daily. They are drawn to the kids who struggle and are driven to find the key to unlock each child’s potential. They are not easily frustrated or confounded by complicated learning profiles or the confusing social behaviors that show up in our classrooms. Still, they are energized by the challenge and reward of knowing and growing alongside their students. Our teachers are willing to get their hands dirty and have their heartstrings pulled, as they recognize relationships are ultimately the most important thing they can offer their students.

 

To learn more about our admissions process and what we offer students with learning differences, register for a tour of our school.