TMI Episcopal Panthercast

Episode 22: Jill Cross, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction

In this episode, Jill Cross, TMI’s Dean of Curriculum and Instruction, talks in depth about curriculum mapping, professional development, and academic technology. Listen as she shares her journey from museum studies and teaching into curriculum development and shaping teacher leaders.

Jill talks about the importance of attending conferences for independent school teachers and shares how the experience, collaboration, and networking benefits teachers and their students in the classroom. With a focus on faculty professional development at TMI, Jill talks about the various opportunities that faculty have for both individual and group professional development. From recommended TED talks and online conferences to faculty-led sessions and guest speakers, there are opportunities that fit into everyone’s schedule and interests. Jill also gives us more detail on how the curriculum mapping process at TMI has been unfolding, what lies ahead, and how it benefits the overall education of a TMI student.

Jill is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher who’s been in education for over 15 years. She was named a 2016 ASCD Emerging Leader and is a recognized ASCD Influence Leader and Colonial Williamsburg Master Teacher. She earned bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of South Florida and her master’s in Museum Studies from the Johns Hopkins University. She joined the faculty at TMI in June 2017.

Episode 16: Valerie Tamez, Director of Development

In this episode, Valerie Tamez, Director of Development, explains giving at TMI and talks about the various components that fall under the umbrella of annual giving, including the TMI Fund, special events, honorary and in-memoriam gifts.

She goes into detail about the significance of each component and how participation plays a role in seeking grants, accreditation, and foundations that view participation as a metric of the community. TMI asks all members of the community, from faculty and staff to parents and alumni, to participate in the TMI Fund at any level that is meaningful to each person.

Valerie talks about the TMI Fund as the single most important philanthropic priority of TMI’s annual giving programs. It allows us to add the layers that make TMI excellent and create the full TMI experience through things like enriched programs, professional development, and campus improvements.

The TMI Fund goes toward:

• Greatest Need and helps fund the school’s most pressing, urgent needs.
• Great People and provides recruitment and retention of experienced teachers, professional development, and financial assistance to ensure a diverse student body.
• Great Programs and sustains and updates curriculum and technology.
• Great Place and supports the enhancement of facilities and classrooms and the maintenance and beautification of our campus.

Valerie also spoke about how fundraising events–and the sponsorship and participation opportunities that come with those–fit into the annual giving program. She also gave an update about the Stars Over TMI gala planned for this spring on Saturday, April 6, 2019, as the signature event of our 125th anniversary year and major fundraising event.

Be sure to listen to the end as she shares what inspires her to stay focused and dedicated to the TMI community.

 

LINKS:

TMI Fund kick off video: https://youtu.be/I3hel0qxh5A

TMI Fund information: https://www.tmi-sa.org/page/support-tmi/tmi-fund

Donate online: www.tmi-sa.org/giving

 

Valerie Tamez joined the TMI community in March 2018. She holds a bachelors from the University of Texas at San Antonio and brings 17 years of fundraising and relationship-building experience to TMI.

Episode 8: Sherry Lim, Science Teacher and Outdoor Education Program Coordinator

In this episode, Sherry Lim, Science Department Teacher and Outdoor Education Program Coordinator, shared her story of going to school to become a researcher and how working with UTeach in college helped her discover her love for teaching. Following her dreams and passions, she taught abroad in Korea and attended culinary school at the same time. She returned to the states and began working for JW Marriott, completed her master’s degree, and then heard about an opening at TMI in 2016 that offered her everything she was looking for.

Sherry talks about the TMI garden and its part in the Middle School Life Sciences curriculum, raising chickens, composting and running the TMI food-waste program in the AP Environmental Science classes, and how Upper School students get hands-on learning through sampling soil and water testing. The senior students also work to solve problems in the garden, such as flooding.

The entire TMI community is always invited to come experience and volunteer in the garden on Fridays after school from 4pm-6pm or during the Dig-In Days throughout the year. In addition to supporting the garden and Outdoor Education Program through volunteer days, the entire community is invited to participate in the Box Tops for Education program. Contests throughout the year for collecting Box Tops help fund projects for the outdoor space.

Following another of her passions and searching for ways to support the Outdoor Education Program, Sherry started the TMI Baking Club. Her 7th grade students created the club about a year and a half ago with the purpose of raising funds for the Outdoor Education Program; at the time, the chicken coop was in need of a new roof and this served as the perfect opportunity to raise money. Winners of the Box Tops collections contests always receive a sweet treat bag from the Baking Club. The goal this year is to raise $1,000.

Finally, Sherry shares a few funny stories about the animals and tells us what inspires her to teach.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION:
https://www.boxtops4education.com/ 

BONUS APP:
https://www.boxtops4education.com/bonusapp

 

Episode 2: Rob Friedrich, Science Department Chair

TMI Science Department Chair, Rob Friedrich, and I sat down for this Panthercast episode to dive deep into his passion for science, teaching, and the upcoming research expedition to Dominica. Starting his 19th year teaching at TMI, Rob shared his journey through school and how he stumbled into becoming a teacher. Sharing a number of anecdotes and opening up about his own struggles with math during school, he gives insight and encouragement to students who may be facing similar challenges.

We talk about the formalized effort to integrate classes across the different subjects and how TMI strives to develop the whole person, teaching students to be leaders in their communities and good people. The integration of classes helps students to achieve mastery in their subjects by learning how to speak across domains, knowing how to communicate effectively, and having the ability to draw upon a variety of skills and experiences. This year the chemistry classes will be working with the art department on a variety of projects using painting and photography while music will be integrated into the physics classes.

Rob also talks in depth about the summer research expedition open to students next year. Students will be traveling to Dominica to work with researchers in the field for two weeks to assist with collecting data. They’ll be spending a week in the rainforest and a week in the coral reef learning various research techniques.

Dominica Information: https://www.tmi-sa.org/page/campus-life/student-trips#Dominica
Operation Wallacea: https://www.opwall.com/about-opwall/

Finally, be sure to listen until the very end to find out what inspires him to teach, his most memorable moment at TMI, and something most people don’t know about him!