Teacher represents Greenwood at Klingenstein Summer Institute

Teacher represents Greenwood at Klingenstein Summer Institute

9/22/2025

When most Greenwood staff and students were heading off on summer vacation this June, Ms. Anna Spota was packing her bag and heading to New York for the prestigious Klingenstein Summer Institute for Early Career Teachers. The 12-day intensive fellowship brings together teachers from all over North America to “explore curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment design in their teaching discipline, informed by current research and practice in three key areas: mind brain education;

equity, inclusion, and belonging; and, social-emotional learning – all to better understand and design for how students learn, grow, and thrive.” Ms. Spota says she is honoured to have participated in this professional development opportunity. She caught up with Life@Greenwood to share more:

How did your time at the Klingenstein Center come to be? I had heard so many wonderful things about the program both from close friends who are past alumni of the network and from current colleagues at Greenwood. I felt really fortunate to have the opportunity to apply and also to have the support and encouragement from all the previous positive success stories.

What kind of coursework, topics, projects did you undertake during your time at the Summer Institute? For 12 days, the KSI ‘25 cohort engaged in numerous activities, readings, and discussions. Plenary sessions, often led by guest speakers, covered topics like learning, gender inclusion, community building, the teacher's role in an AI world, racial literacy and Universal Design. When not in lectures, the cohort collaborated in home or discipline groups, focusing on improving teaching and classroom navigation for 2025 and beyond.

The program included a personal philosophy statement, performance-based assessment and a final reflection.

What are two or three key takeaways that you learned from your time there? How will you incorporate these into your teaching practice at Greenwood? The first significant takeaway from the plenary session was the crucial role of teachers in an AI-driven world. I quickly connected this insight to my assigned readings and plan to integrate this learning into my classes, my work with Greenwood's AI working group, and the CIS Ontario AI Leadership PLC this year.

Also, the importance of dedicated time for teacher reflection, irrespective of experience, was highlighted. I feel that it is beneficial at any career stage to reflect on past experiences while maintaining a future-oriented perspective.

Why do you think Professional Development is important for educators? Professional Development is important for educators because we are always learning. Whether it is from our students or peers, we have made a commitment to helping one another through the capacity of education. To me, involvement in Professional Development not only fosters and fuels curiosity but also allows educators to refine their craft and leads us to new paths of inspiration by broadening perspectives through new experiences.

What advice would you give other teachers who are considering a summer program like this? Always remember your core motivation. Be receptive to giving and receiving feedback, even in areas outside your comfort zone. Lastly, set aside time to process new information and be patient with yourself as you integrate what you've learned.

We acknowledge with gratitude the Ancestral lands upon which our main campus is situated. These lands are the Ancestral territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabek and the Wendake. The shared responsibility of this land is honoured in the Dish with One Spoon Treaty and we strive to care for the land, the waters, and all creatures in the spirit of peace.

We are responsible for respecting and supporting the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. When away from this campus we vow to be respectful to the land by protecting and honouring it. We will create relationships with the people and the land we may visit by understanding the territories we enter and the nations who inhabit them.