Last spring, many UTNO members expressed interest in receiving professional development on topics that would apply directly to their work with students in classrooms. This year, UTNO is pleased to offer a professional development series that considers a range of pedagogical and instructional approaches that are student-centered, responsive and reflective, and rooted in relationships.
Each workshop stands on its own, so you can sign up for one without the need to commit to the others; while together the workshops will provide participants with a rich array of tools to engage and support their students.
September 12, 2026
9:00AM-12:00PM
Register here for location
Beyond Classroom Management Places educators at the center of the debate on compliance over motivation; autonomy; and how traditional structures are used. Rewards, sanctions and punishments are used to keep order. Instead, let’s learn ways that classroom operations can support student learning and personal growth, creating a learning-responsive environment rather than a sterile one that stymies creativity and autonomy. These experiences ask educators to reflect on how their instructional and managerial procedures as well as their own behaviors and policies can impede the intended outcome of a well-run class.
This Workshop will be led by Dr. Richard Baker
Foundations of Effective Teaching is a professional learning course designed to inspire and support educators in becoming reflective practitioners while meeting the highest expectations of the profession.
These sessions will be led by Dr. Danielle Troullier and Dr. Richard Baker
October 10, 2026
9:00AM-12:00PM
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Section A: Re-Envisioning the Learning Environment consists of three modules: Transforming Your Teacher Identity, Creating Class Community and Facilitating the Learning Environment. These elements combined promote a climate and culture where teacher and student identities are celebrated and affirmed, social-emotional learning is intentionally planned for and integrated into the classroom ethos, and student agency is supported through equitable, responsive classroom management systems co-created to provide the necessary structure students need to thrive.
November 14, 2026
9:00AM-12:00PM
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Section B: Re-Envisioning Engagement and Instruction consists of four modules: Engaging Every Learner, Principles of Instruction, Feedback for Deeper Learning and Maximizing Learning Time. Participants will investigate foundational research and engage in practical learning experiences designed to increase student interest and engagement, foster autonomy and choice, and activate deeper learning using culturally responsive cognitive and instructional processes and feedback. This section concludes with a culminating module that pulls together all the big ideas and themes from the full course to support participants in creating local plans for maximizing learning time inside and outside of the classroom.
February 20, 2026
9:00-12:00
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Practice and develop writing practices that can engage students across subjects to advocate and express themselves. Educators will also have an opportunity to hear more about The Writing Workshop for Educators-an intensive summer two-week graduate professional development program focusing on critical literacy for social justice, hosted by Andover Bread Loaf at Phillips Academy.
Andover Bread Loaf (ABL) reimagines education based on a pedagogy of care that, through writing and the arts, ignites change in youth, adults, and educators by providing the space, trust, and freedom for them to develop their intellectual, leadership, and collaborative skills. Using these tools, they can transform themselves and their communities while working toward social justice.
The Writing Workshop for Educators is an intensive summer two-week graduate professional development program focusing on critical literacy for social justice.
This Workshop will be led by Mia Rotondo
March 13, 2026
9:00AM-12:00PM
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Experience the power of the arts to help students build emotional literacy skills, make connections and promote inclusion. Using KID smART’s With Feeling curriculum (free, arts-integrated, online SEL lessons) as a jumping off point, teachers will access tools to support students in developing language and constructively expressing their emotions. After engaging in these social-emotional arts integrated lessons, participants will leave with strategies to facilitate a range of emotional literacy activities to better serve ALL students.
This Workshop will be led by Mia Rotondo
April 10, 2026
9:00-12:00PM
Register here for Location
Restorative practice is a framework based on mutual respect, building strong and caring relationships, taking responsibility for the impact of one’s actions on others in their community, and repairing harm. It offers ways to strengthen relationships between individuals and the larger sense of connection within communities, and is often used to resolve conflicts, as well as to create dialogue and bridge gaps among members of communities. In contrast to approaches that frame harmful actions as subject to punishment, restorative practice seeks to repair harm.
In this workshop, our trainers will introduce participants to some restorative approaches, with an emphasis on how they can successfully be used in schools to promote greater equity, stronger relationships, and more inclusive learning environments.
Bios of Trainers:
Dr. Richard Baker began as a music educator in St. Charles Parish Public Schools in 1997. From 2002-2013, he was the Fine Arts Program Coordinator for the Louisiana Department of Education. He was an assistant professor at Southern University (2013-2017) and an associate director in the LSU School of Education (2017-2022). He is the Director of Research and Strategic Development for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers & School Employees. Dr. Baker holds Louisiana certification in instrumental music, vocal music, supervisor of student teaching, principal, and parish/city school supervisor of instruction. He earned the B.S. in music education (Ball State University), M.Ed. in educational administration (University of New Orleans), and the Ph.D. in education theory, policy and practice (Louisiana State University).
Mia Rotondo is an activist educator with 20 years of experience in the classroom serving students whose needs are often not met in the general education setting. Mia works closely with fellow radical educators, students, and community members to build and facilitate flexible, child-led learning spaces. In 2007, she co-developed an award-winning theatre education program in Philadelphia focused on celebrating neurodiversity. Over the past several years she has partnered with KID smART and The Kennedy Center to develop and provide professional development around creating more joyful and just spaces that provide arts integrated experiences for ALL learners.