A record number of educators gathered for four days of professional development and camaraderie this week at the Idaho Education Association’s 2024 Summer Institute in Lewiston.
Offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning and free for IEA members, Summer Institute is the premier professional development opportunity for educators in Idaho. Attendees learn from fellow educators, share their experiences, and earn up to four continuing education credits from Idaho State University.
This year, around 200 IEA members gathered Wednesday through Saturday on the Lewis-Clark State College campus for classes on everything from classroom management to educator self-care to leveraging AI in the classroom.
Dyslexia Re-Certification Class
Bobbie-Jo Bighill, a second-grade educator at Wallace Elementary in North Idaho, was most excited about the “Understanding and Supporting Dyslexic Learning” class. The state-accredited class, offered at Summer Institute for the first time this year, was developed to help educators meet a new requirement that one of an educator’s six re-certification credits be focused on dyslexia.
Specifically, Bighill, who just joined the teaching profession, said some of her lightbulb moments were learning to how to identify dyslexic learners in her class early in the yearand how teaching for dyslexia to the whole class can benefit all students.
“It was very helpful,” said Bighill as she joined two other Summer Institute attendees she met in class for lunch on Thursday. She also took a class in classroom management and was looking forward to a class about communicating with her students and parents.
‘Life-Changing’ Educator Self-Care
One of Bighill’s lunchmates was Andrea Lloyd, a special education teacher from Rexburg who called the “Educator Mental Well-Being” class she took “life-changing.”
Lloyd, whose work in special education often focuses on de-escalation and trauma, said the self-care theme of the class spoke directly to her own mental health needs as an educator and gave her tools that will help with her students.
“The way it’s being presented is phenomenal!” Lloyd said. “It gave me lessons I can take back to my students and my whole building.”
Union Organizing and Connecting with Colleagues
For Ashlee Larsen, a preschool special education teacher at Star Elementary, the best part about her first Summer Institute was meeting colleagues from around Idaho, including a college classmate.
“Being a special ed teacher in preschool, it’s kind of niche, so meeting other people in that realm has been really cool,” Larsen said. She also took classes in grant writing and building rapport with community members, parents and students.
And as the newly-elected secretary for the West Ada Education Association, she also sat in on a class about digitally organizing her local.
“There’s really something for everyone here,” Larsen said. “I’d recommend Summer Institute for everyone.”
