Learning and development teams are critical in enabling student-facing staff to provide a positive, holistic student experience. This session highlights the critical need for effective program evaluation in adapting to remote onboarding, especially in the context of a post-pandemic world. Emphasizing stakeholder engagement, preserving corporate culture, and leveraging lessons learned, the session provides essential insights to enhance the success of onboarding initiatives.
When I began my journey to the corporate environment, I connected with consultant Eva Brown to learn about what opportunities there are for former teachers. She gave me some excellent information and advice that I believe led me to my first experience outside education. After being in instructional design for about two years, Eva reached out to ask if I would be interested in sharing my story and my journey with other transitioning teachers through an interview on her YouTube channel.
Anna Hicks tells about her transition from classroom teacher to instructional design and sales enablement.
In 2020, I was a seventh-grade English Language Arts teacher, and my school was piloting a program rooted in problem-based learning for students. Collaborating with a sixth- and an eighth-grade teacher, we developed a series of units over a student's middle school journey that would empower their sense of self in their communities and the world around them. We then crafted a proposal to present this approach to the National Council of Teachers of English at the Annual Convention. Our proposal was accepted, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused the convention to reduce in format, size, and scope; unfortunately, our session was not included due to the limitations of the virtual event.
Through problem-based learning and inquiry in English Language Arts, students explore topics focused on their identities, their families, and their community. Three middle school teachers share units that empower students, encourage reflection, and implement research methods. The students will expand their understanding of themselves, race, equity, and social justice in an ever-changing world while meeting the academic expectations of the ELA classroom.