Teacher Leadership Network

The University of Portland School of Education's Teacher Leadership Network (TLN) promotes professional growth and development, mentorship, and networking among educators in the Portland metropolitan area. Comprising local school and school system educators, classroom teachers, teaching and curriculum coaches, community educators, current students and alumni, our Teacher Leadership Fellows are committed to TLN's three-fold focus on professional development, networking, and mentorship.

TLN Areas of Focus

• Local activities provide yearly access to national expertise, issues, and best practices without the time and cost of conferences.
• The three-fold focus on professional development, networking, and mentorship provides for immediate relevance and support to current and emerging educational leaders.
• Yearly professional development opportunities linked to credit options and formal education credential programming. Low- or no-cost registration encourages a broad participation of local educators.
• TLN sponsorship, partnership, and support for educator participation in local education events, conferences, and meetings, including co-sponsored events with the Educational Leadership Network (ELN).
• A focus on mentorship and networking characterizes all TLN activities.

Upcoming Event Dates

• Fall 2020-2021 - Check back in September 2020
  

August 15, 2020 - University of Portland School of Education Invites TLN attendees to Share Comments

The School of Education at University of Portland is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on October 3-6, 2020. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the site team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the party's relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Please submit comments by August 15, 2020.

We invite you to submit written testimony to:

CAEP
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Or by email to: callforcomments@caepnet.org

Such comments must be within the specified period and based on the core tenets of CAEP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that:

• In CAEP's performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher candidates know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so that students learn. In the CAEP system, EPPs must prove that candidates can connect theory to practice and be effective in an actual P-12 classroom.
• A professional education provider that is accredited by CAEP is expected to be involved in ongoing planning and evaluation; engaged in continuous assessment and development; ensure that faculty and programs reflect new knowledge, practice, and technologies; and be involved in continuous development in response to the evolving world of education and educational reform.
• Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the respondent's relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to the university for comment prior to the review. No anonymous testimony will be considered.

Past Events

Feburary 11, 2020 - Mindfulness Tools to Prevent Burnout: Fostering Teachers' Social and Emotional Competencies with Dr. Deirdre Katz

Join the TLN for our first lecture event of the year!  The University is excited to have Dr. Deirdre Katz lead us in a conversation about using mindfulness to prevent teacher burnout.  Dr. Katz will be discussing strategies and resources around supporting the teacher's own social and emotional growth as well as ways to get teachers to a stronger more resilient space--in and out of the classroom.

PowerPoint Presentation: SEL, Mindfulness & Teacher Burnout 2020

April 11, 2019 - The Missing Link for Student Success: Executive Function Skills with Marydee Sklar

The University of Portland School of Education welcomed Marydee Sklar from Executive Functioning Success to evaluate executive functioning strengths and weakness and analyze what brain functions are required for academic success. Marydee discussed and shared exercises to calm the brain under stress and concrete strategies and tools to supports student's time management and organization.

Discover the neuroscience and tools that help all students to:

• Focus their brain to be ready to learn
• Arrive on time
• Start and complete assignments
• Meet project deadlines
• Activate the brain's reward system

The interactive presentation enabled teachers to:

• Evaluate the executive function skills of a student’s brain
• Determine which executive functions are required for independent seatwork and homework
• Explore brain differences that contribute to poor student performance
• Examine the brain activity for typical students, those with autism and those with ADHD
• Come away with practical tools to build students’ motivation, time awareness, future thinking and ability to strategically plan for homework completion
• Leave with a bibliography and guidelines to set up a professional learning community around
• The topic of executive functions

PowerPoint Presentation: Missing Link 2019 Presentation
Handouts: Activity Sheet
                 Learning Communities
                 Goals and Objectives

February 21, 2019 - Supporting Students Through Anxiety & Depression: Strategies for Navigating Mental Health in a Tech Heavy World with Dr. Holly Crossen

Dr. Holly Crossen, licensed clinical psychologist, spoke about the increase in anxiety and depression in our schools.  Dr. Crossen has been practicing for over 20 years specializing in child development serving at-risk children in the Portland Metro area. 

Dr. Crossen shared strategies and interventions to help teachers support students dealing with mental health issues.  She also discussed the implications for educators as caregivers to students who are impacted by anxiety and depression as well as the role of technology and social media in their lives. 

PowerPoint Presentation: Supporting Students Through Anxiety & Depression

March 2018 - Building a Culturally Responsive Classroom Community with Dr. Dyan Watson

We are excited to welcome Dr. Dyan Watson, whose primary research focuses on exploring how teachers semantically encode race, and the intersections of race and teaching. The presentation will be an interactive seminar that focuses on injustice, whether it's based on race, class, gender, language, or perceived sexual orientation. Dr. Watson will lead us through four "acts" that will  engage us in discussions with our colleagues from Oregon and SW Washington, as we work together to explore problems of practices and solutions in a supportive and collegial environment.

December 2016 - Inclusion with a Focus on High Performing Students

The phrase "students learn differently" describes the diversity in classrooms around the world that teachers are facing in the 21st century. As education is ever-changing, teachers need to be equipped with the knowledge to meet all student's needs. Attendees at this event had the opportunity to learn how to work with these challenging situations in their own classroom. Panelists included both elementary and secondary teachers and administrators in the Portland area about how they are integrating high performing students in their classrooms and schools.

Panelists and their presentation:
Dr. Sara Bruins | Assistant Principal | Central Catholic High School
Teri-Kay Johnson | Mentor Teacher | Holy Cross Catholic School K-8
     TLN Panel Presentation
Kiya Masunaga | Assistant Principal | Beverly Cleary K-8
     UP TAG PowerPoint Presentation
Dr. Michael Musick | Executive Director of School Management | Lake Oswego School District
     Five Year Trend for CHS2013 Presentation
     Curriculum Pathways with Revised GT Programs
     Guidelines for Math Acceleration
     PSAT Prediction Data
     Meeting the Needs of TAG and Accelerated Students (Secondary) PowerPoint Presentation

February 2016 - Driving with your Eyes Closed: How to See the Road Through the Data

The professional development session in February featured an event that benefited teachers across all disciplines in understanding DATA. Our faculty data specialist, Drs. Nicole Ralston and Jacqueline Waggoner presented a invaluable segment on DATA. What to do with data, how to read data, and why data is important. If you were unable to attend this event, below is the PowerPoint presentation that was created and utilized by our faculty.

TLN with KDP FEB 2016 Event 1
TLN with KDP FEB 2016 Event 2

December 2015 - Literacy: Utilizing Academic Vocabulary in Multiple Disciplines

The professional development session in December featured a focused academic vocabulary panel presentation with three of our most celebrated faculty members, Drs. Rich Christen, Tisha Morrell, and Peter Thacker. All attendees received a one(1) hour of professional development unit credit for this event. If you were unable to attend this event, below is the PowerPoint presentation that was created and utilized by our faculty.

Literacy: Utilizing Academic Vocabulary in Multiple Disciplines

TLN Contact Information