New York State Educators: Enhancing Leadership, Character and Community

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MHTC MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center [MHTC] is to enhance teaching as a profession. The MHTC responds to the needs and interests of over 13,000 educators, along with parents and community members in Dutchess, Ulster and Orange counties.

The teacher center endorses reflective practice, continous inquiry, and collegiality. The center celebrates the talents of teachers, and encourages the sharing of those talents with others.

The teacher center is a place where the educator's voice is heard and a community of learners is built!

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Positive Vision + Caring Communities = Endless Possibilities

On Saturday, May 3, 2008 the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center sponsored a conference for New York educators at SUNY New Paltz. The professional development day provided the opportunity to understand the leadership principles, skills and program examples necessary to create a culture of character in school communities.

As the keynote speaker for the event, my presentation, Principles of Visionary Leadership for Educators as a Response to the Crisis of Character, focused on:

• Foundations of Leadership
• Contemporary Concerns
  • Crisis of Leadership
  • Culture of Violence
  • Shattered Communities
  • Filling the Void
• The Altruism Factor^TM
• A Call to Action for the Educator

The workshop sessions:

• Service Learning
  A dynamic teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and personal reflection
• Finding the Hero Without and Within
  A guided exploration of literature, both ancient and modern through the lens of the Heroic Journey Model
• PBIS and A.R.T. (Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports / Anger Replacement Training)
  An overview of both programs and discussion on implementing them on a school wide basis
• Preparing Young Leaders:
  Character Education and Community Involvement
  Cultivating a preventive system of education focused on educating from the heart to inspire lives of character and service to community.

provided attendees a dynamic opportunity to share experiences with their colleagues.

In the session I facilitated, teachers and administrators discussed the importance of persevering with character education programs while facing many challenging issues, such as significant state testing requirements and the pressures of social networking and technology concerns for educators, parents and youth. The group also emphasized the criticality of school professionals working collaboratively especially in response to early warning signs of students at risk and the need to cultivate initiatives to assist families with parenting skills.

The work of the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center is to be commended. The dedication and interaction among the educators and administrators in attendance made the event an overwhelming success.

READ MORE

Mid-Hudson Teacher Center	Click here to visit site
Rachel's Challenge	Click here to visit site
Character Education Partnership	Click here to visit site
Vincent Bove Blogs on Character	Click here to visit site