This newsletter summarizes the 2026 Beginning Teacher Summer Academy (BTSA) for first-year and early-career teachers in Hawaii. It covers summer academies held across complex areas, professional learning communities (PLCs) for years 2-4 teachers, and a series on cultivating a culture of belonging. Includes quotes and feedback from participants.
This document is a newsletter from the Hawaii Teacher Induction Center summarizing the 2026 Beginning Teacher Summer Academy (BTSA). It is intended for educators, administrators, and stakeholders involved in teacher induction and professional development in Hawaii.
The first section covers the BTSA for first-year teachers, held across complex areas such as Aiea-Moanalua-Radford (AMR), Baldwin-Kekaulike-Kulanihako'i-Maui (BKKM), Farrington-Kaiser-Kalani (FKK), Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt (KMR), Kapa'a-Kaua'i-Waimea (KKW), Ka'u-Kea'au-Pahoa (KKP), Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua (LMW), Castle-Kahuku (CK), Kailua-Kalaheo (KK), Pearl City-Waipahu (PCW), and Nanakuli-Wai'anae (NW). It includes participant quotes and highlights of activities like collaborative…
The second section describes the BTSA for years 2-4 teachers, which featured four virtual Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Topics included Supporting Multilingual Learners to Success, Social Emotional Learning for Students and Teachers, Special Education Building Capacity and Community, and Cultivating a Culture of Belonging. Each PLC was facilitated by teacher leaders, including Hawaii's Teachers of the Year.
The newsletter also includes outcomes and participant feedback for each PLC. For example, the Supporting Multilingual Learners PLC focused on sheltered instruction methods, the SEL PLC covered trauma-informed practices and classroom management, the Special Education PLC addressed IEP scheduling and AI tools like MagicSchool AI and NotebookLM AI, and the Culture of Belonging series combined classroom observations with discussions on inclusive environments.