Teaching and Leading Initiative of Oklahoma

13/07/2022

Taking care of others is one thing. But how are leaders supposed to take care of themselves? Check out what our director Jo Lein has to say about wellness fraud and a path forward in her latest ASCD article. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/preventing-wellness-fraud-for-leaders

06/07/2022

Before we jump headlong into a new school year, we're pausing to take stock of another BIG year at TLI. This year, we closely coached 25 teachers with a total of 521 classroom observations. 94% of those teachers are returning to the profession next year.

06/06/2022

Join us and to learn effective strategies for managing your classroom while being relevant, having rigor, and building meaningful relationships. Learn from veteran teachers, instructional coaches, and professional development leaders that know what it’s like to teach in today’s classroom. Dig deeper during our interactive breakout sessions specifically for SPED, Elementary, Middle, and High School teachers.

Space is limited, so reserve your seats today!

Join us for this interactive, fun, and fast-paced day of learning. You will leave our training recharged, motivated, and armed with new classroom management skills and effective engagement strategies.

REGISTER: relatetheneducate.com/classroommanagement/

01/06/2022

Will we see you at the School Innovation Summit?

Don't wait! Join us to celebrate and learn about how Oklahoma teachers and districts are innovating across the state. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/269756176987

23/05/2022

Join us in celebrating 2022 20 Under 2 Honoree, Whitney Brimat!

Whitney Brimat is a 11th and 12th grade ELA teacher at KIPP Tulsa University Prep High School. In her second year of teaching, Brimat teaches AP Language and Composition, English 3, English 4, College Prep English.

Brimat uses her position as a high school english teacher to support her students in becoming critical thinkers, and well rounded community members. “One thing I do well in my classroom is develop leadership and critical thinking skills among my students by facilitated class discussion,” Brimat says, “ I recognize that each of my students has something special to contribute to the lesson, and lecturing for the majority of an fifty or eighty minute class period does not cultivate leadership skills or the critical thinking skills that my students will need to thrive in their post secondary endeavors.”

Brimat became a teacher in 2020 for two reasons: to empower our youth and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. “There are many inequitable systems at play in the world…I decided that I would disrupt those systems by empowering youth so that not only can they navigate unfair systems, but also so that they can be empowered to overcome any challenge they face and be unstoppable in the pursuit of their dreams.”

What keeps this teacher motivated despite the challenges of this school year? Her students. “Being a novice teacher during a pandemic has been one of the most difficult challenges I've ever faced, but knowing how much my students have counted on me as they prepare to transition to college was all the inspiration I needed to push through and be the best teacher I can be.”

KIPP Tulsa principal Jamia Newsome described Brimat as a top teacher. “Her commitment to her students and to her work extends past the threshold of her classroom. Ms. Brimat brings her full self and expertise to our school to affect change in a dynamic way."

20/05/2022

Join us in celebrating 2022 20 Under 2 Honoree, Tahquai-Alyce Mason!

Tahquai-Alyce Mason is a 4th grade, self contained teacher at Collegiate Hall Charter School.

Mason’s goal as a first year teacher has been to help students realize their true potential, and be the stepping stone that gets them one step closer to their idea of greatness. “I became a teacher because I wanted to make a greater impact on young minds that I came in contact with daily,” Mason said, “seeing my students rise above their own goals and their life obstacles brings so much happiness and joy to my life. Watching a student break through a tough fraction problem in Math, listening to a student eloquently describe the difference between first-person and third-person point of view, and showing my students their grades after setting a tough academic goal are reasons why I take pride in my skills and adaptability.”

Mason is deeply motivated by the belief that her students can and will accomplish anything they set their minds to. She spoke of their resilience and optimism in the face of adversity this school year and how she worked to support the academic, social, and emotional needs of her students. “Teaching requires you to have a pure heart, a bright mind, flexibility, and creativity just to be able to give a student exactly what they need, and knowing that I do this for my kiddos daily gives me the fuel that I need to continue to strive for greater on my journey in education.”

Collegiate Hall Charter School principal Elizabeth Sedore praised Mason’s dedication to her students and school community, “I cannot sing her praises enough - she was born to do this work,” said Sedore, “She completely revolutionized the classroom culture, spent many hours on improving and revising the curriculum, and poured her heart and soul into her students. She frequently asks for feedback as she comes up with new ideas to make learning engaging for her students”

Tahquai-Alyce Mason is an emergency certified teacher and a graduate of Purdue University.

20/05/2022

Join us in celebrating 2022 20 Under 2 Honoree, Sydney Hutchison!

Sydney Hutchison is a 10-12th Grade Algebra 2 teacher, 11-12th Grade Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus teacher, 11-12th Grade Math Analysis teacher, and 9-12th Grade Leadership teacher at Dale High School.

Pablo Picasso said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” Hutchison holds this quote with her as she works to hone her skills as a teacher to serve her community. Her motivation this year has been to improve and grow in her teaching and find her “teaching style”. She works daily to gain more knowledge about the subject matter and make the material more relevant to help her students.

“I get to share my gifts with my students while also helping them find theirs. This is one of the best things I can do to help our future.”

Hutchison’s dream for her students is that they find their purpose in life at the intersection of what they love, what they are good at. She works daily to encourage her students to find that balance for what fits their life.

Sydney Hutchison is a traditionally certified teacher and a graduate of Oklahoma State University.

19/05/2022

Join us in celebrating 2022 20 Under 2 Honoree, Stephanie Rice!

Stephanie Rice is a 7th grade ELA, 9th-12th ELA, and Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Stuart Public Schools.

Rice was motivated by her love of literacy to become a teacher. The idea of sharing her love of learning and literature with students each day made pursuing a teaching role an easy division for Rice.

“As my own children grew, my desire to teach became evident and I was blessed with the opportunity to put those ideas into action,” Rice said, “The favorite part of my job would be seeing the growth in my students. Each child possesses an unequivocal amount of potential!

Rice says she has been motivated this year by her students. She continually works to develop new and engaging ways to increase students' love of books and reading. Rice hopes that all of her students will develop critical thinking skills to be able to “ think outside the box!”

“Mrs. Rice goes above and beyond for her students. She creates a culture for learning that is productive and conducive for all of her students while focusing on achievement,” Chance Chapman, principal at Stuart Public Schools, told TLI.

Stephanie Rice is an alternatively certified teacher and a graduate of Houston Baptist University.