Teaching Learning Institute

Audience:  PK2 - Grade 5 Faculty and Administrators

Member School Cost:  $279.00 per person

Non-Member School Cost:  $284.00 per person

Dr. Matthew Housson received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 1996. He began his career at The University of Texas at Dallas, Callier Center for Communication Disorders. Dr. Housson has extensive experience diagnosing autism, attention disorders, learning disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders.

 

At The Housson Center, Dr. Housson and the clinical team provide individual and family psychotherapy services to address behavioral and emotional concerns, as well as conduct psychoeducational and psychological assessments for children, adolescents, and adults. Additionally, he enjoys parent training and working with families to identify appropriate educational environments and accommodations for optimal learning opportunities. He serves on various educational and community boards, including St. Michael Episcopal School, Oak Hill Academy, The Hillier School, The Winston School, and the Jerry M. Lewis, M.D. Mental Health Research Foundation.

 

Dr. Housson and his wife, Dr. Wells Housson, lives in Dallas with their four children. Passionate about the benefits of exercise and being outdoors, he rides his road bike and gets to his ranch as often as he can.

 

Dr. Kenyetta Wynn has nearly three decades of experience in education ranging from early childhood to college. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Vanderbilt University and holds a master’s degree in early childhood education and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction leadership from the University of Memphis. She has served as an administrator and classroom teacher in both independent and public schools. Currently, Dr. Wynn is the associate head of school at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School in Atlanta, Georgia, where she is the acting chief academic officer. In her role as associate head of school. Dr. Wynn partners with the head of school to ensure the school’s effective operation and continued success. Concurrently, she works cooperatively with administrators, faculty, and trustees to carry out Holy Innocents’ mission and overall strategic plan. Providing strong guidance to the academic leadership team, Dr. Wynn supports the offering of high-quality teaching and learning experiences to students, faculty, staff, and families. Before joining the Holy Innocents’ community, Dr. Wynn served as head of primary school at St. Francis Episcopal School in Houston, Texas.  

 

A mother of four, Dr. Wynn resides in Atlanta with her husband Donald and daughter Kimora. Dr. Wynn firmly believes that one of the greatest powers anyone possesses is in em”power”ing others.

Faculty and administrators in today's world regularly come across students who are delayed developmentally or struggling with gross and fine motor skills and speech issues. Participants will leave this session knowing when to make a referral for OT/PT or Speech services and the tools to confidently present those referrals to families. This session will present real classroom concerns as we talk through the problem-solving process, “Should I be concerned?”

 

Early Learning (2s - Kindergarten) Track - Presented by: Casie A Hough, MOT, OTR

Lower School (1st - 5th) Track - Presented by: Kelsey Baas, PT, DPT, C1/C2 BSPTS Schroth Certified

Both Early Learning & Lower School Track Speech Therapy - Presented by: The Housson Center

Motor Lab: Building the Brain and Body Connection
The Motor Lab helps develop the brain and body connection through fundamental skills and executive functioning techniques. Students in Prek, Kinder, and 1st grade visit the Motor Lab twice a week as one of their core extensions. In this session, you will become familiar with practices from the Ready Bodies, Learning Minds Program and learn how to incorporate them into your daily routine to see children motor into awesomeness!
Presented by: Leslie Metzig, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Amarillo, TX
 

The Missing Piece: Adding Depth to Students' Writing
When the next step to polishing a piece of writing is adding interest to an essay, many students are unsure of how to implement this skill. Participants will leave this session with strategies to guide their students' writing ability to add depth to their composition. Through literature and mentor sentences, students will master the elusive piece of writing---depth.
Presented by: Bobby Purcell, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Amarillo, TX

Play to Learn, Learn to Play - Explore Play-based Learning Goals, Benefits, Ideas and Practical Applications
What does PLAY mean to you? Where can you find PLAY in your classroom? Research-based studies suggest that students learn best through play. We will examine the common definition of play, and various stages of play, examine your play habits, and see how your perspective influences your classroom’s play offerings. We will also explore ways to play with the students in your class to promote and maximize learning. Play-based learning applies to all ages and stages--you’re never too old or too young to play!
Presented by: Shannon Lewis, Holy Spirit Episcopal School, Houston, TX
 

Lights, Camera, Action! The Civil War Through a Different Lens - Explore Project-based Learning And How It Impacts Students' Understanding of Content
We will understand the benefits of Project-based Learning (PBL), how it gives students of all ages a deeper understanding of the content studied, and how it makes the learning process purposeful, relevant, and significantly more meaningful. Collaborating with peers and channeling energy into relevant learning is essential and adds to the success of this process. We will show you how our fourth-grade students used a culmination of research, Southeast regional study, various texts, and book clubs to recreate a historical event from the Civil War in a Stop Motion Video format. The students worked together employing technology, creating storyboards, building sets, and filming that kept them highly engaged during this time. They learned that iPads and being on a team are not just for video games anymore!
Presented by: Christin Nguyen & Lynn Hardee, St. Francis Episcopal School, Houston, TX