Classroom Creativity and Relationship-Building

Dr. Jacie Maslyk is assistant superintendent of the Hopewell Area School District in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, as well as a published author and education speaker. Dr. Maslyk is a true believer in relationships, finding them a vital component of the learning process. Harkening back to her early education, Maslyk points to the enthusiasm of one particular chemistry teacher that not only sparked her interest in science but education as well. 

“We had this sense that he cared about us. Whether chemistry was something I was interested in, he made me interested in it because he connected with me and made sure that I understood the concepts. He found ways to build a relationship with me that made me want to learn.”

Personalizing PD

Maslyk takes that same enthusiasm for building relationships into her professional development work. “I make sure that the professional development that I provide within my home district is personalized. [I make sure] there are opportunities for teachers to talk and connect. I don’t have a very large school district, but there are people in our district who work in one building who don’t know people in the other building, and that’s a huge concern for me. I’m always building in ways for them to have conversations to connect around ideas that they’re passionate about. It’s also the way I plan the PD outside my district,” she says.

The Power of Conversation 

When designing sessions, Dr. Maslyk looks to make them very hands-on. She is interested in STEAM and maker education and looks for creative tie-ins wherever possible. These are topics that she will be examining during her sessions at FETC 2020. She is excited about infusing technology in innovative ways during her sessions but points to avoiding technology as the center point. “I want the teachers, leaders and tech coaches who are within those sessions to have face-to-face conversations about what’s working in their school or their district and the connections that they have made outside their school community.”

She tries to make sessions engaging by using a little bit of technology, so everybody walks away with what she refers to as a “little nugget of goodness.” But more importantly, she sees the importance of critical face-to-face conversations. It’s important that people connect from different states and get to know one another and share social media platforms. She is aware of all facets involved in the relationship-building process during the session experience.

Telling the Administrators Story

Recently, Dr. Maslyk has heightened her passion for writing, whether it’s books or blogs, and she continues to embark on new literary adventures. Her latest endeavor is a joint effort with a teacher in her district that details the relationship between an educator and a school district leader. As she adds, “I think it’s a unique angle. There aren’t any books out there that tell both of those stories. We’re hoping to share that with everyone and throw out [the idea] that just because she’s a teacher and I’m a leader doesn’t mean we don’t have a relationship that not only can help each other learn and grow, but also sets a great model for kids.”

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