JEROMESVILLE (8/29/22)--Connections. They're not just important in our personal lives, but also in the classroom, in the lunchroom, on the playground, on the bus, in the office and even the hallway. And school relationships don't just happen. They take work just like personal relationships.
Keynote speaker Ms. Kim Campbell brought this message to the Hillsdale staff on Friday, August 26 during their six-day long professional development training.
Ms. Campbell, a middle school teacher and Dean of Students from Minnesota, stressed that strong, positive relationships with students, families, and other staff help everyone keep going, even when it gets tough.
"Today was a great reminder about the importance of being intentional about connecting every day!" Mrs. Alyson Baker, Hillsdale Curriculum Director, said.
During the three-hour long presentation, Ms. Campbell interspersed lecturing with hands-on activities and got staff out of their seats with "brain breaks." Each of the activities and brain breaks is something that teachers could take back to the classroom with them to use with their students.
"If you sit too long on your bum, your brain goes numb," Ms. Campbell emphasized throughout the address, advising that teachers move students as often as their age.
Ms. Campbell energized the staff with her dynamic personality, heart, and humor as she demonstrated how to include the brain breaks without disrupting the flow of a lesson.
