Our Mission

To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

 

Coming April 4! Dr. Timothy D. Kanold to Lead Wellness Sessions for Educators on Leadership and Physical/Mental Wellness: Thriving At Work and At Home!

Afternoon Workshop 

April 4 

1:00 - 4:00 p.m. 

Heartland AEA

Regional Education Center

6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston 

In this decade, teaching and leading in pursuit of improved student achievement is hard to do well – day in and day out. The work at hand takes its toll physically and mentally. During this highly interactive, sometimes funny, sometimes serious, and always engaging session, Dr. Timothy D. Kanold, uses the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework to take a deep dive into the physical and mental wellness challenges that exist in the daily life of all educators. The neuroscience research is crystal clear: Improved sleep and rest, food and hydration, and movement are interwoven together as a result of daily decision-making and the intentional planning for living a more balanced and active life. Participants will be (re)invigorated, (re)inspired, and (re)connected to the benefits of a sustainable and thriving home and work life. 

Outcomes: 

Participants can expect to: 

• Discover brain research associated with sleep, rest, hydration, movement and decision fatigue. 
• Consider specific strategies for incorporating improved sleep, rest, hydration, movement, balance, and decision-making routines into daily life. 
• Embrace the emotional wellness routine of mindfulness to build atomic habits that stick.
• Give the physical wellness routine of movement clout in everyday life. 
• Understand how to use the social wellness routines of trust and relationships to develop friendships and effectively collaborate with others. 

Registration 

There is no cost to attend. Registration includes a copy of Dr. Kanold’s book, Educator Wellness (2022).  

About Dr. Kanold 

Timothy D. Kanold, Ph.D., is former Director of Mathematics and Science and School Superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson HSD 125, Lincolnshire, Illinois, the birthplace of PLCs At Work. Also author of the best-selling and award-winning books HEART! (2017) and SOUL! (2021) and co-author with Dr. Tina H. Boogren of the best-selling book Educator Wellness (2022).

Discover the University of Iowa's Dynamic Programs for Educational Leadership – Attend an Informational Session to Learn More

If you are interested in earning a graduate degree in educational leadership, check out the dynamic programs offered by the University of Iowa including expanded scholarship opportunities for new and returning students! The UI Masters, Ed.S., Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs provide outstanding opportunities for learning and advancement with an emphasis on equity and social justice. 

Please join the UI for an informational session to visit with the UI leadership team. The event will be held:

April 11, 2023

5:00 p.m.

Heartland AEA 

Johnston Regional Education Center

6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston 

Register today! 

Application Deadlines

• Summer 2023 Session: April 30 
• Fall 2023 Session – July 1 
• *Ed.D. Cohort Application – Feb. 1 (Still Open)

Join Iowa PBS in Honor of Autism Acceptance Month with a Special Event Featuring the Film In a Different Key

In a Different Key Screening + Discussion 

April 13, 2023

6:00 - 8:15 p.m. 

Iowa PBS, Maytag Auditorium

6450 Corporate Dr., Johnston 

This screening and conversation will focus on the importance of inclusion and provide the opportunity for an open conversation. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book of the same name by journalists Caren Zucker and John Donvan, In a Different Key follows the mother of an autistic son as she finds and then befriends the first child ever diagnosed with autism – Donald Triplett, who still lives in the rural Mississippi town where he was born nearly 90 years ago. 

This documentary tells the stories of different people with autism and is a true story of love, difference and the fight to belong. Following the film screening, an interactive discussion will be moderated by Kris Steinmetz, Executive Director of the Autism Society of Iowa. Panelists will include Tyler Leech, an autism advocate who is featured in Iowa PBS’s documentary The Life Autistic, Evelyn Horton, BCBA, Vice President of Children Services with Balance Autism and Scott Atwood, Ph.D., Vice President of Adult Services with Balance Autism. 

Attendees will be able to ask questions anonymously during the conversation. This event is made possible in part by the Lainie Grimm Fund for Inclusive Programming at the Iowa PBS Foundation. 

Register for free

Iowa Dept. of Management to Hold Town Hall Meetings to Address Digital Inequality & Broadband Access

The Iowa Department of Management, Office of the Chief Information Officer announces they will conduct more than 50 public town hall-style meetings to get feedback from everyday Iowans on digital services, including broadband in their area. They want to hear from Iowans of all walks of life on how Iowans use the internet and digital services in general. 

If you ever felt like the digital world is passing you by, for whatever reason, this is your chance to speak up and help Iowa identify ways to help you and your community. Attendees will hear a short presentation on digital services followed by a discussion with the audience on the barriers and potential solutions for full participation in the digital aspects of society. 

All meetings will start at 6 p.m. at the designated locations and are anticipated to last about 90 minutes. Join in a town near you!  

For more information, contact the Office of the Chief Information Officer. 

Our Mission

To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

 

Get Ready! April 4 HAA Meeting with Dr. Timothy Kanold Leadership Workshop

At the Heart of Educator Wellness: Leadership Decision-making, Mindfulness, Relationship-building and Trust-building. Strategies for Leading a Thriving Workplace!

April 4
9-11:30 a.m.
Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Your leadership life story is a relationship story of learning how to effectively respond to daily emotions and events. How do you become the type of school leader and person others will want to follow and join as part of a relationally intelligent community? How do you effectively respond emotionally and socially to experiences of adversity and triumph?

Creating and sharing new knowledge with others is at the heart of any school with continuously improving levels of student achievement and thriving teachers who love their work. As school leaders you are expected to emotionally and socially adapt, shift, alter, adjust and subsequently lead a belonging and trust culture others will want to be a part of.

In this active and inspiring session, Dr. Kanold reminds each school leader how their daily positive emotional and social presence directly impacts their relationship and trust-building actions with others. He highlights mindfulness, trust, and relationship routines from the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework and provides strategies for improving trust, relational intelligence, and emotional regulation; while decreasing stress and anxiety each day!

Participants can expect to:

• Understand essential research behind the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework and its relation to student achievement.
• Consider essential research behind compassion and self-compassion as a pathway to encourage teacher retention and renewal.
• Embrace the emotional wellness routine of mindfulness to build atomic habits that stick.
• Understand how to use the social wellness routines of trust and relationships to develop effectively support a culture of collaboration.

Dr. Timothy D. Kanold is former Director of Mathematics and Science and School Superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson HSD 125, Lincolnshire, Illinois, the birthplace of PLCs At Work. Also author of the best-selling and award-winning books HEART! (2017) and SOUL! (2021) and co-author with Dr. Tina H. Boogren of the best-selling book Educator Wellness (2022).

Dr. Timothy D. Kanold to Lead Wellness Sessions for Educators on Leadership and Physical/Mental Wellness: Thriving At Work and At Home!

Afternoon Workshop
April 4
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

In this decade, teaching and leading in pursuit of improved student achievement is hard to do well – day in and day out. The work at hand takes its toll physically and mentally. During this highly interactive, sometimes funny, sometimes serious, and always engaging session, Dr. Timothy D. Kanold, uses the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework to take a deep dive into the physical and mental wellness challenges that exist in the daily life of all educators. The neuroscience research is crystal clear: Improved sleep and rest, food and hydration, and movement are interwoven together as a result of daily decision-making and the intentionally planning for living a more balanced and active life. Participants will be (re)invigorated, (re)inspired, and (re)connected to the benefits of a sustainable and thriving home and work life.

Outcomes: Participants can expect to:

• Discover brain research associated with sleep, rest, hydration, movement and decision-fatigue.
• Consider specific strategies for incorporating improved sleep, rest, hydration, movement, balance, and decision- making routines into daily life.
• Embrace the emotional wellness routine of mindfulness to build atomic habits that stick.
• Give the physical wellness routine of movement clout in everyday life.
• Understand how to use the social wellness routines of trust and relationships to develop friendships and effectively collaborate with others.Registration

Register at this link: https://bit.ly/3DLnbb8

There is no cost to attend. Registration includes a copy of Dr. Kanold’s book, Educator Wellness (2022)

About Dr. Kanold
Timothy D. Kanold, Ph.D., is former Director of Mathematics and Science and School Superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson HSD 125, Lincolnshire, Illinois, the birthplace of PLCs At Work. Also author of the best-selling and award-winning books HEART! (2017) and SOUL! (2021) and co-author with Dr. Tina H. Boogren of the best-selling book Educator Wellness (2022).

Join the 2023 Global Education Institute for Teachers and Learn How to Integrate Social Justice in Your Curriculum with Global Perspectives

The 2023 Global Education Institute for Teachers: Global Perspectives on Social Justice, will be held June 8-29, 2023 in a hybrid format. The institute is organized by the Global Education Program at the Stanley Center and University of Iowa International Programs and presented by the UI Stanley Museum of Art and College of Education.

K-12 teachers of all disciplines are invited to attend the institute and earn one license renewal credit. Join the institute co-directors and special guests to discuss how to apply global perspectives to social justice throughout the curriculum.

Mandatory live Zoom sessions will be Thursdays (June 15, 22, 29) from 9 - 10:30 a.m. and other sessions (small-group discussions, videos, office hours, etc.) will be throughout the month. There will be one day of in-person sessions on June 8 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on the UI campus in the new Stanley Museum of Art building.

FREE tuition and course materials for everyone! FREE housing to attend in person!

Application deadline is May 4, 2023.
*Registration is limited to teachers that have not participated in the last three years.

More information and an application may be found at https://international.uiowa.edu/2023-global-education-institute-teachers.

Our Mission

To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

 

Reminder: April 4 HAA Meeting with Dr. Timothy Kanold Leadership Workshop

At the Heart of Educator Wellness: Leadership Decision-making, Mindfulness, Relationship-building and Trust-building. Strategies for Leading a Thriving Workplace!

April 4
9-11:30 a.m.
Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Your leadership life story is a relationship story of learning how to effectively respond to daily emotions and events. How do you become the type of school leader and person others will want to follow and join as part of a relationally intelligent community? How do you effectively respond emotionally and socially to experiences of adversity and triumph?

Creating and sharing new knowledge with others is at the heart of any school with continuously improving levels of student achievement and thriving teachers who love their work. As school leaders you are expected to emotionally and socially adapt, shift, alter, adjust and subsequently lead a belonging and trust culture others will want to be a part of.

In this active and inspiring session, Dr. Kanold reminds each school leader how their daily positive emotional and social presence directly impacts their relationship and trust-building actions with others. He highlights mindfulness, trust, and relationship routines from the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework and provides strategies for improving trust, relational intelligence, and emotional regulation; while decreasing stress and anxiety each day!

Participants can expect to:

• Understand essential research behind the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework and its relation to student achievement.
• Consider essential research behind compassion and self-compassion as a pathway to encourage teacher retention and renewal.
• Embrace the emotional wellness routine of mindfulness to build atomic habits that stick.
• Understand how to use the social wellness routines of trust and relationships to develop effectively support a culture of collaboration.

Dr. Timothy D. Kanold is former Director of Mathematics and Science and School Superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson HSD 125, Lincolnshire, Illinois, the birthplace of PLCs At Work. Also author of the best-selling and award-winning books HEART! (2017) and SOUL! (2021) and co-author with Dr. Tina H. Boogren of the best-selling book Educator Wellness (2022).

Dr. Timothy D. Kanold to Lead Wellness Sessions for Educators on Leadership and Physical/Mental Wellness: Thriving At Work and At Home!

Afternoon Workshop

April 4
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

In this decade, teaching and leading in pursuit of improved student achievement is hard to do well – day in and day out. The work at hand takes its toll physically and mentally. During this highly interactive, sometimes funny, sometimes serious, and always engaging session, Dr. Timothy D. Kanold, uses the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework to take a deep dive into the physical and mental wellness challenges that exist in the daily life of all educators. The neuroscience research is crystal clear: Improved sleep and rest, food and hydration, and movement are interwoven together as a result of daily decision-making and the intentionally planning for living a more balanced and active life. Participants will be (re)invigorated, (re)inspired, and (re)connected to the benefits of a sustainable and thriving home and work life.

Outcomes: Participants can expect to:

• Discover brain research associated with sleep, rest, hydration, movement and decision-fatigue.
• Consider specific strategies for incorporating improved sleep, rest, hydration, movement, balance, and decision- making routines into daily life.
• Embrace the emotional wellness routine of mindfulness to build atomic habits that stick.
• Give the physical wellness routine of movement clout in everyday life.
• Understand how to use the social wellness routines of trust and relationships to develop friendships and effectively collaborate with others.

Registration
Register at this link: https://bit.ly/3DLnbb8

There is no cost to attend. Registration includes a copy of Dr. Kanold’s book, Educator Wellness (2022)

About Dr. Kanold
Timothy D. Kanold, Ph.D., is former Director of Mathematics and Science and School Superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson HSD 125, Lincolnshire, Illinois, the birthplace of PLCs At Work. Also author of the best-selling and award-winning books HEART! (2017) and SOUL! (2021) and co-author with Dr. Tina H. Boogren of the best-selling book Educator Wellness (2022).

Webinar for Educators: Classrooms + Workplaces, Building Work-Based Learning Partnerships

Learn how your school can develop work-based learning programs that help students jump-start their careers

With growing interest in work-based learning across the state, Iowa Workforce Development and the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council are hosting a work-based learning webinar via Zoom for educators on March 30 from 3-4 p.m. Register now!

Paula Wright, Musco Lighting Talent Outreach Manager and recently retired Oskaloosa School Superintendent, will help kick off the webinar. Featured topics on the agenda include high school Registered Apprenticeship and Quality Pre-Apprenticeship programs, school-year internships, summer internships, the STEM BEST (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) program, teacher externships and the Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning.

The webinar will cover what these programs involve, the resources available to help schools start and expand work-based learning and contact information for each of the presenters, who hope to have many follow-up conversations with attendees.

Deadline to Apply for DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center is March 26

The deadline for elementary and middle schools to apply for a fitness center worth up to $100,000 through the 2023 DON’T QUIT campaign is March 26.

The Governor’s Office partnered with the National Governor’s Fitness Councils for its 2023 DON’T QUIT! Campaign to provide three schools with a state-of-the-art DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center. The equipment will be installed over the summer of 2023 and includes strength training, cardio and circuit training equipment. This is a gift, not a grant. Each fitness center is financed through public/private partnerships with companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Elevance Health Foundation, Nike, and Wheels Up.

To apply, please complete the attached application. For your awareness, the application does include a video portion, having a representative explain why you need a new fitness center and what you plan to do with it.

Applications will be taken until March 26, 2023. Please make sure your nomination has the full support of your school district and meets the qualifications listed at the beginning of the application.

Qualifications:

• The school must be a public or public charter school.
• The majority of students must be between the ages of 8-14 years old.
• The school must have a room on the school’s property that is available and ready for equipment installation at the beginning of the summer 2023.
• The room must be approximately 900-2000 square feet.

Please email the application as a Word document (.doc, .docx) to apply@natgovfit.org. Please direct any questions to kelly@natgovfit.org. More information can be found on their website: www.natgovfit.org. Downloadable applications can be found here: https://natgovfit.org/apply-now/.

Join Iowa PBS in Honor of Autism Acceptance Month with a Special Event Featuring the Film In a Different Key

In a Different Key Screening + Discussion

April 13 from 6:00 - 8:15 p.m.

Iowa PBS, Maytag Auditorium, 6450 Corporate Dr., Johnston

This screening and conversation will focus on the importance of inclusion and provide the opportunity for an open conversation.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book of the same name by journalists Caren Zucker and John Donvan, In a Different Key follows the mother of an autistic son as she finds and then befriends the first child ever diagnosed with autism – Donald Triplett, who still lives in the rural Mississippi town where he was born nearly 90 years ago. This documentary tells the stories of different people with autism and is a true story of love, difference and the fight to belong.

Following the film screening, an interactive discussion will be moderated by Kris Steinmetz, Executive Director with Autism Society of Iowa. Panelists will include Tyler Leech, an autism advocate who is featured in Iowa PBS’s documentary The Life Autistic, Evelyn Horton, BCBA, Vice President of Children Services with Balance Autism and Scott Atwood, Ph.D., Vice President of Adult Services with Balance Autism. Attendees will be able to ask questions anonymously during the conversation.

This event is made possible in part by the Lainie Grimm Fund for Inclusive Programming at the Iowa PBS Foundation. Register for free: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/574739530407

Our Mission

To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

 

Reminder: April 4 HAA Meeting with Dr. Timothy Kanold Leadership Workshop

At the Heart of Educator Wellness: Leadership Decision-making, Mindfulness, Relationship-building and Trust-building. Strategies for Leading a Thriving Workplace!

April 4
9-11:30 a.m.
Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Your leadership life story is a relationship story of learning how to effectively respond to daily emotions and events. How do you become the type of school leader and person others will want to follow and join as part of a relationally intelligent community? How do you effectively respond emotionally and socially to experiences of adversity and triumph?

Creating and sharing new knowledge with others is at the heart of any school with continuously improving levels of student achievement and thriving teachers who love their work. As school leaders you are expected to emotionally and socially adapt, shift, alter, adjust and subsequently lead a belonging and trust culture others will want to be a part of.

In this active and inspiring session, Dr. Kanold reminds each school leader how their daily positive emotional and social presence directly impacts their relationship and trust-building actions with others. He highlights mindfulness, trust, and relationship routines from the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework and provides strategies for improving trust, relational intelligence, and emotional regulation; while decreasing stress and anxiety each day!

Participants can expect to:

• Understand essential research behind the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework and its relation to student achievement.
• Consider essential research behind compassion and self-compassion as a pathway to encourage teacher retention and renewal.
• Embrace the emotional wellness routine of mindfulness to build atomic habits that stick.
• Understand how to use the social wellness routines of trust and relationships to develop effectively support a culture of collaboration.

Dr. Timothy D. Kanold is former Director of Mathematics and Science and School Superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson HSD 125, Lincolnshire, Illinois, the birthplace of PLCs At Work. Also author of the best-selling and award-winning books HEART! (2017) and SOUL! (2021) and co-author with Dr. Tina H. Boogren of the best-selling book Educator Wellness (2022).

Join Our Workshop with Dr. Timothy Kanold: "Your Physical and Mental Wellness: Thriving At Work and At Home!"

Share with your school leaders, teachers, coaches, counselors and more!

In this decade, teaching and leading in pursuit of improved student achievement is hard to do well – day in and day out. The work at hand takes its toll physically and mentally. During this highly interactive, sometimes funny, sometimes serious, and always engaging session, Dr. Timothy D. Kanold, uses the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework to take a deep dive into the physical and mental wellness challenges that exist in the daily life of all educators. The neuroscience research is crystal clear: Improved sleep and rest, food and hydration, and movement are interwoven together as a result of daily decision-making and the intentionally planning for living a more balanced and active life. Participants will be (re)invigorated, (re)inspired, and (re)connected to the benefits of a sustainable and thriving home and work life.

Participants can expect to:

• Discover brain research associated with sleep, rest, hydration, movement and decision-fatigue.
• Consider specific strategies for incorporating improved sleep, rest, hydration, movement, balance, and decision- making routines into daily life.
• Embrace the emotional wellness routine of mindfulness to build atomic habits that stick.
• Give the physical wellness routine of movement clout in everyday life.
• Understand how to use the social wellness routines of trust and relationships to develop friendships and effectively collaborate with others.

April 4
1 - 4 p.m.
Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Register at this link: https://bit.ly/3DLnbb8

There is no cost to attend.
The Educator Wellness book will be provided to participants

Heartland AEA to Host District Career Guidance Plan Workshop for Future Ready Network on March 23

The Heartland AEA Future Ready Network meeting on March 23 will be a District Career Guidance Plan Workshop. Districts are encouraged to bring members of their District Career Guidance Team to review their plans and explore the trends with feedback to continue to improve opportunities for all students. Plans need to be submitted to the Regional Planning Partnerships by March 31. Please complete this survey to indicate how and if your team is planning to attend by March 6 so we can plan for space accordingly.

Library & Digital Resources Newsletter: Discover New Ebooks, Videos and Professional Learning Opportunities!

In this issue of the Library & Digital Resources newsletter:

• Goldie's History Ebooks and Kits
• New Videos in Learn 360
• New Dav Pilkey Ebooks
• OneClick Update
• Annual School Library Survey Coming Soon
• Professional Learning: Readings

Our Mission

To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

 

Heartland Administrators' Association Meeting Reminder, March 7

The Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) meeting will be held on March 7 from 9-11:30 a.m. at Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston. Lunch will be provided immediately following. This will be an in-person meeting, with no Zoom option. The session will not be recorded.

College and workforce readiness speaker Brooks Harper will present, “Passionately Preparing the Next Generation.”

It is time to revitalize, recharge and be impassioned in your profession! Re-energize your faculty and staff and let Brooks adjust the lens by which they view their roles and excite them about the tremendous opportunities their positions provide every day. Brooks will discuss the power of gratitude, value development, investing in others and avoiding burnout; increasing your team’s morale and ability to provide passionate performance.

Read more about Brooks

Watch his video!

SAVE THE DATES
April 4

• Timothy Kanold, Ph.D., Solution Tree, Educator Wellness

May 2

• Future Ready Task Force
• Recognition of Retiring Superintendents

HAA meetings are scheduled from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, Rooms 107A/B. Lunch to immediately follow. View the speaker series flyer to learn more.

Dr. Timothy D. Kanold to Lead Wellness Sessions for Educators on Leadership and Physical/Mental Wellness

Dr. Timothy D. Kanold is former Director of Mathematics and Science and School Superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson HSD 125, Lincolnshire, Illinois, the birthplace of PLCs At Work. Also author of the best-selling and award-winning books HEART! (2017) and SOUL! (2021) and co-author with Dr. Tina H. Boogren of the best-selling book Educator Wellness (2022).

Morning Session for Superintendents and District Leaders (90 minutes)

At the Heart of Educator Wellness: Leadership Decision-making, Mindfulness, Relationship-building and Trust-building. Strategies for Leading a Thriving Workplace!
Your leadership life story is a relationship story of learning how to effectively respond to daily emotions and events. How do you become the type of school leader and person others will want to follow and join as part of a relationally intelligent community? How do you effectively respond emotionally and socially to experiences of adversity and triumph?

Creating and sharing new knowledge with others is at the heart of any school with continuously improving levels of student achievement and thriving teachers who love their work. As school leaders you are expected to emotionally and socially adapt, shift, alter, adjust and subsequently lead a belonging and trust culture others will want to be a part of.

In this active and inspiring session, Dr. Kanold reminds each school leader how their daily positive emotional and social presence directly impacts their relationship and trust-building actions with others. He highlights mindfulness, trust, and relationship routines from the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework and provides strategies for improving trust, relational intelligence, and emotional regulation; while decreasing stress and anxiety each day!

Participants can expect to:

• Understand essential research behind the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework and its relation to student achievement.
• Consider essential research behind compassion and self-compassion as a pathway to encourage teacher retention and renewal.
• Embrace the emotional wellness routine of mindfulness to build atomic habits that stick.
• Understand how to use the social wellness routines of trust and relationships to develop effectively support a culture of collaboration.

April 4

9-11:30 a.m.

Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Afternoon Session for School Leaders, Teachers, Coaches, Counselors and more!
(3-hour session with a 15-minute break)

Your Physical and Mental Wellness: Thriving At Work and At Home!
In this decade, teaching and leading in pursuit of improved student achievement is hard to do well – day in and day out. The work at hand takes its toll physically and mentally. During this highly interactive, sometimes funny, sometimes serious, and always engaging session, Dr. Timothy D. Kanold, uses the Wellness Solutions for Educators™ framework to take a deep dive into the physical and mental wellness challenges that exist in the daily life of all educators. The neuroscience research is crystal clear: Improved sleep and rest, food and hydration, and movement are interwoven together as a result of daily decision-making and the intentionally planning for living a more balanced and active life. Participants will be (re)invigorated, (re)inspired, and (re)connected to the benefits of a sustainable and thriving home and work life.

Participants can expect to:

• Discover brain research associated with sleep, rest, hydration, movement and decision-fatigue.
• Consider specific strategies for incorporating improved sleep, rest, hydration, movement, balance, and decision- making routines into daily life.
• Embrace the emotional wellness routine of mindfulness to build atomic habits that stick.
• Give the physical wellness routine of movement clout in everyday life.
• Understand how to use the social wellness routines of trust and relationships to develop friendships and effectively collaborate with others.

April 4
1 - 4 p.m.
Heartland AEA, Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

Register for the afternoon session at this link: https://bit.ly/3DLnbb8

There is no cost to attend.

The Educator Wellness book will be provided for the afternoon session.

Check Out the Heartland AEA Digital Learning Newsletter March 2023

In this issue of our Digital Learning newsletter:

• Heart of Innovation Keynotes Announced
• Host a Digital Learning Micro Summit
• Computer Science PD Week
• Google Updates
• Audiobooks
• Want to Earn Some Credits?

Ninjafying the Unicorn of Pear Deck: The Teacher Dashboard

Wait….Ninja and Unicorn in the same sentence? Sold! Tell me more….one of the unicorns of premium access to Pear Deck is the teacher dashboard. You might be familiar with using the projector view when facilitating a session in Pear Deck. However, if wanting to ninjafy your Pear Deck skills, you need to dive into the teacher dashboard and discover the additional features you can unlock to create a more dynamic experience for your learners.

Here are just a few ninja level skills the teacher dashboard provides:

• Spotlight specific student submissions when showing responses by staring their replies
• Provide real-time feedback to individual student responses
• Hide replies that might distract from the overall learning experience
• Open the dashboard on a separate device (phone, tablet, etc) for greater mobility

We hope these teasers about the teacher dashboard spark some insights on how you can ninjafy your Pear Deck skills further.

Each month, be on the lookout for a variety of tips, tricks and testimonials shared via our newsletter, the statewide Iowa AEA website and via social media (@iowa_aea, #iowaaea, Heartland AEA Twitter).

For more information or to share your favorite Pear Deck features and ideas, check out the AEA website!

Heartland AEA to Host District Career Guidance Plan Workshop for Future Ready Network on March 23

The Heartland AEA Future Ready Network meeting on March 23 will be a District Career Guidance Plan Workshop. Districts are encouraged to bring members of their District Career Guidance Team to review their plans and explore the trends with feedback to continue to improve opportunities for all students. Plans need to be submitted to the Regional Planning Partnerships by March 31. Please complete this survey to indicate how and if your team is planning to attend by March 6 so we can plan for space accordingly.

Great News! UNI is Hosting Two Leadership Camps This Summer for License Renewal Credit

The University of Northern Iowa Institute for Educational Leadership received a grant called Leading and Learning with Character through the Kern Family Foundation. As part of the grant, UNI continues to host Leadership Camps (approved for evaluator renewal) for $75. The two camps being offered at Heartland AEA this summer are:

CANCELLED: Leadership Camp 2.0: New Iowa Standards for School Leaders
June 22-23, 2023

Leadership Camp 1.3 with Special Education Focus
July 24-25, 2023

Free lunch is provided.

Heartland AEA Literacy Newsletter Features National Read Across America Day and More!

In this issue of the Heartland AEA Literacy newsletter:

• Celebrating National Read Across America Day Through an Equity Lens
• Self-Regulated Reading Guides for Teachers and Parents
• Best Practices for Tier 2 and Tier 3 Literacy Interventions
• Middle Tennessee State Dyslexia Center expert minute video series
• Learning Bit By Bit
• SERP Institute Adolescent Literacy
• Spring and Summer Literacy Classes

Heartland AEA Preschool Administrators Newsletter March 2023 is Now Available

In this issue of our Preschool Administrators’ newsletter:

• Heartland AEA Community of Practice for Preschool Administrators
• IQPPS Desk Audit
• PW-PBIS Cohort Application
• ACHIEVE Professional Learning
• Assessment & Assessment Windows
• Professional Development
• Resources

For additional support, contact Brianna Sayre Geiser or Amy Hanken.