Elevating Educators with Get Your Teach On
Quality professional development programs are important for educators. And when those programs make a special effort to recognize, honor and celebrate the human being behind the teacher, truly amazing things can happen. That belief is the driving force behind Get Your Teach On, an organization that specializes in professional development and encouragement for educators and administrators in the form of conferences, workshops, events, online courses and virtual/in-school trainings.
“Professional development is essential to continue grow our craft as educators and build our personal repertoire of skill,” said Kellée Merritt, Principal of Spring Mill Elementary. “What makes GYTO different is their ability to also honor educator’s humanity, making them feel appreciated and respected for their work.”
Since 2018, the Foundation has provided multiple grants to offset registration fees for Washington Township Schools teachers and administrators hoping to attend GYTO conferences. During the 2023-2024 school year, Spring Mill Elementary received a grant to cover registration fees for two GYTO events, including the national conference in Orlando, Florida.
The national GYTO conference is designed for teachers and administrators of grades Pre-K through 8th, and includes guest speakers, entertainment and tons of hands-on, research-based workshops. One of the major draws of this event is the grade level-focused session tracks.
“I wanted to go to the GYTO National Conference because they have professional development based on the grade you teach,” said Nancy Patterson, kindergarten teacher at Spring Mill Elementary. “It was three full days of professional development just for kindergarten. They bring in teachers with so much knowledge and experience, and give you amazing tools and resources to use your classroom.”
In true GYTO fashion, the conference focused on more than just professional development. Organizers ensured teachers left the event feeling appreciated and loved for the incredibly important role they play in our communities.
“It encouraged my heart and fed my soul as an educator on so many levels,” said Ms. Patterson. “I came into the school year on high and fired up! I’m so grateful and blessed that I was granted this opportunity to go.”
Attending the conferences has also allowed MSDWT teachers and administrators to kickstart a new, expanded relationship with GYTO. While at the 2023 national GYTO conference, Ms. Merritt learned more about an exciting partnership between GYTO and the Indiana Department of Education.
This partnership included the development of Collaboration Sites, schools that recieve year-long training, coaching and support from the GYTO team. Nora Elementary School had been selected as a Collaboration Site for the 2022-2023 academic year, and GYTO was looking for different schools for the new year. Ms. Merritt applied while at the conference, and Spring Mill Elemntary was selected as one of twelve GYTO Collaboration Sites in the state of Indiana for the 2023-2024 school year.
“We had a lot of success that first year,” said Ms. Merritt. “The strategies we’ve learned have improved NWEA test scores and increased student engagement.”
The partnership between Spring Mill and GYTO will continue, as Spring Mill was recently selected as one of only two GYTO Indiana Collaboration Sites for the 2024-2025 academic year. Ms. Merritt was also invited to present at the 2024 National Conference and featured as a special guest on the GYTO podcast The FlipSide. These appearances help elevate Washington Township Schools on a national level.
“Having these opportunities for me to share my gifts and talents with GYTO would not have been possible if the Foundation had not accepted our initial grant proposal to send us to these conferences,” she said.
For more information on how you can support programs like these, click here.
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