Professional development among teachers and staff is one of the key reasons Saint Ursula Academy consistently scores such high academic ratings.
Professional learning throughout an educator's career is essential to staying at the forefront of their specialty topics. Saint Ursula invests in its teachers and makes sure they have the resources and opportunities they need to be the best they can be for themselves and for SUA students.
SUA Spanish teacher Sarah Scoville took five weeks of graduate classes last summer at the University of Salamanca in Spain. The program was offered through Connecticut Central State University. During her study abroad experience, she says something she greatly enjoyed was being able to connect with other Spanish teachers.
“My classes were Advanced Spanish Grammar, Spanish Literature, and Culture,” said Saint Ursula Academy Spanish Teacher, Sarah Scoville. “The professors have had very impressive teaching strategies. Having new colleagues spread throughout the US and beyond is a valuable asset that the program develops. It gave me the opportunity to learn about the flow at their schools and see how I can adapt some of their best teaching skills to fit my classroom norms.”
In addition to her courses, Scoville participated in cooking classes, Flamenco dance class, attended a Flamenco show, and took some personal trips to Lisbon,
Madrid, Alicante, Cordoba, Sevilla, and Barcelona.
SUA teachers will again continue their education and some will be traveling this summer. They plan to bring their new knowledge back to the classroom to enhance and enrich their classroom experience.