An Update from TeachingWorks | COVID-19
March 30, 2020
An update from TeachingWorks | COVID-19
March 30, 2020
Dear colleagues:
Like you, we at TeachingWorks have watched with concern and uncertainty as the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded both across the globe and here in the United States. We have all been affected, whether directly or indirectly, personally or professionally. Our minds and hearts are with everyone who has been impacted by these unfolding events—particularly those who have lost loved ones and those who are most at risk. As we all navigate these unprecedented times, we wanted to share the proactive steps we’ve taken at TeachingWorks to ensure the safety of our staff and community members, and update you on the status of our summer programs.
First and foremost, we’ve taken the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the TeachingWorks team. Our Ann Arbor office is closed, and all of our graduate students and staff members are working remotely. We’ve suspended all company-related travel, and have converted many of our in-person partnership engagements to a virtual format. We’ve also canceled our March streaming seminar with Valerie Kinloch and our April Journal Club session with Alyssa Brandon and Phyllis Brandon. We hope to reschedule both of these learning opportunities for a later date.
Looking ahead, we are continuing to actively monitor COVID-19, and assess its impact on our future programs. Though the trajectory of the pandemic is uncertain, we are taking steps now to mitigate and manage potential effects on both the TeachingWorks Summer Institute and our certificate in practice-based approaches to methods instruction in teacher education. We are hopeful that both of these learning opportunities will include participants gathering together in person as planned. However, if the situation requires it, we have plans in place to convert portions of the summer institute to a virtual format and build upon the plans for virtual learning that were already in place for the certificate learning sequence. Those who have already registered for the summer institute will hear from us directly with more information about our contingency plans and how we will communicate updates with you in the coming days. Those who are interested in applying for the certificate learning sequence can learn more about our plans at our next informational webinar on April 1 at 3:00 p.m. EST.
We will share an update with all of our subscribers about whether or not we will proceed with the in-person components of the summer institute and the certificate learning sequence by May 1. Though our plans are to proceed with both of these learning opportunities in some capacity regardless of whether we can gather together in person or not, we know it can still be a difficult decision to sign up to join us. If you have any questions or concerns about the certificate learning sequence or the summer institute, please contact us at info@teachingworks.org. We are committed to staying in touch and keeping you updated.
In the meantime, we want to hear from you. At TeachingWorks, we are especially thinking of the parents, teachers, and teacher educators who must quickly organize and deliver remote learning opportunities for our children and pre-service teachers. Though the realities of the coronavirus have posed challenges for teaching and teacher training, they have also presented us with a unique opportunity to harness our collective imagination and innovation in service of our students. We are eager to hear from our partners and community members about the pressing needs you have, the successes you’ve experienced, and the helpful tools you’ve encountered in organizing remote learning for children and teacher candidates. You can share your experiences here. Our goal is to be a source of timely and relevant support and resources for our community members. We are grateful for any ideas and reflections you share with us to help inform this effort.
We hope for peace, safety, and good health for each of you and your loved ones. Please know that we are committed to exploring ways of supporting you and nourishing opportunities for us all to lean into each other during these challenging times.
In solidarity,
TeachingWorks
