Logan City School District welcomed its teachers back for the school year Wednesday with the third-annual TeacherTalk: Sharing Strategies and Shaping Futures. The event included celebrations, a keynote speaker presentation on Conscious Discipline, and breakout sessions on a variety of topics.
Superintendent Frank Schofield started the day by performing a school-inspired parody of "I'll Be There for You" by The Rembrandts, accompanied by a band made up of district employees.
The district recognized teachers who had reached milestone years working with LCSD, from the teachers starting their first year to the four who have been with the district for 30 years.
One focus of Wednesday's conference was helping students reach their potential. Schofield summarized the story "The Spyglass" by Richard Paul Evans, about an enchanted spyglass that allowed the looker to see things not as they are but as they might be.
"We don't ignore the realities of the students who are in front of us," Schofield said. "We don't ignore their cognitive challenges or their behavioral challenges, etc., but we look beyond those and we see what this child might be. Then we work to identify how to make that happen."
Schofield shared stories of former Logan High School graduates, and emphasized the impact a teacher has, not just on students but on generations after.
Another of the district's focuses this year is on promoting an atmosphere of belonging, and what a teacher should do if they observe behavior that damages that sense of belonging. Schofield said the district is working on material to help students and parents understand the importance of creating a climate of belonging, and how to be a part of it.
Guest speaker Lety Valero taught teachers in attendance about five principals of Conscious Discipline. Valero emphasized that when students are feeling fear, anxiety, shame, anger, hopelessness and stress, it shows in their behavior. How a teacher reacts to their behavior impacts their learning outcomes.
"Sometimes we expect them to turn up at school and be ready to learn and helpful," Valero said. "Why don't we turn it around and see how we can help with those loads they have been carrying?"
Valero identified things students might be struggling with, such as not feeling good enough, feeling shame, feeling invisible, feeling defective, or feeling judged. She invited teachers to shift their perception to try to address the students' needs.
She suggested meeting behaviors connected with each of those feelings with encouragement, empathy, awareness, positive intent and compassion.
"At times it's going to be tough," Valero said. "The work you do is hard. When you feel discouraged, connect to your 'why.' The 'why' in education is very powerful because you are touching lives, and you are impacting the world."
School begins Aug. 20 for Logan City School District students. Orientation for sixth and nineth grade students is Aug. 19.