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everyone, my name is Jillian, most of you are aware

that my teaching situation is a little bit different.

I work for mosquito control.

And so in terms of this project, I really considered

my staff, you know, my fellow teachers and how I

can develop job headed professional development for them so that

essentially our students which are our citizens and even our

fifth grade students for me, you know, how that training

can better prepare and make them more effective out in

the field and during those interactions with the citizens.

So what I did was um my first went back

and looked at Sopida's definition of job embedded professional development.

And so um this definition really spoke to me a

little bit more because it talked about learning in the

context of the job setting.

And so since ours is a little bit different than

that traditional classroom setting, um it's still ties very tightly

to this definition, especially when she talks about, you know,

it's related to the things that they're learning and their

experiences and reflecting on their specific work and so being

able to take those field experiences regardless of what department

they're in because I surveyed all departments, all staff um

being able to come together and do some of that

cross training and learning from each other to also kind

of bleed into, you know, more of this team building

and bonding together as well as those learning experiences.

So for us, um what I really want that to

mean in those jobs, embedded learning opportunities are, you know,

highlighting those cross training lessons and um keeping the training

frequency the same since they liked it.

We kind of do more training heavier in the winter

time because it's drier mosquitoes are not as busy.

Um, but I also want to see how they do

with some spread out because they do like these occasional

learning experiences.

And so um, for the sake of moving forward, I

picked monthly, so once a month they will have a

different kind of training and we'll talk about those.

Um, and then Again within those trainings and beyond those

trainings, not only do I want them to build relationships

with each other in their own departments, but across departments

and as a staff as a whole, we are only

about 35 people, so it makes it a little bit

easier for us to do some small groups and whole

group and kind of grow and build together both both

personally and professionally.

So we'll talk a little bit about that as well.

And so for the monthly trainings, what that looks like

for us, um, are you know, those, again, those opportunities

to learn, we're going once a month within these trainings,

I really want to develop what I'm referring to is

these living binders and I'll talk a little bit about

those. And then again, of course the staff bonding, sorry,

my dogs playing in the background.

Um, so to start those monthly topics in the coming

months. So first one will be next month, it will

be public education, which is my department.

So a lot of the staff indicated on their survey,

you know, they want to learn more, they want to

know what it is that all these other departments are

doing. And so my role as a public education specialist

within the district is to was to come in, create

a school program, integrate that school program and deliver that

school program.

And so I've done that with at 1/5 grade level.

It is very successful, very popular.

The goal then in the futures that is to develop

a middle school program and also a high school program

so that the kids are hearing from us throughout multiple

years in their school life.

So that way, if they stay after high school after

college and become residents and citizens of our county, then

they have a better understanding of what it is that

we're doing at mosquito control.

And so beyond that we are also hoping, you know,

we started with fifth grade because they're a great age.

They are very easily excitable.

Um, and so after my visit, you know, they go

home and tell their families which is the goal and

one of the challenges that I give them.

And so, um, I recently had to do some trainings

at both the state and national level.

And one thing I have found in all of this

pandemic craziness.

Um you know, is the virtual aspect and the in

person hands on was a little bit different because one

of the things that I had to talk about in

these trainings that I had to lead were my programme,

how I put it together, what's in it, what we

do, how we do it.

And so what I want to do with the staff

are um the mock fifth grade programs, Will the information

be a little bit basic?

Yes, because of course everybody's adults, but I'm in the

classroom talking to nine and 10 year olds.

And so By going through that it gets everybody a

little bit on the same page, on the information that's

shared, whether they're 10 or 110, um and also gives

them an opportunity to see what it is, it's actually

happening in the classroom because with those programs, I'm also

doing hands on labs and activities with the students.

And so having the staff actually go through and do

that and understand those things will hopefully build on their

knowledge as well.

So that'll be next month or this coming month.

May june will be history.

So this is actually a presentation.

We have a local historical society association and they had

invited me to come out and do a talk about

the history of mosquito control.

Definitely something that um is interesting to note, doesn't really

pertain to much to our daily interactions out in the

field with each other with citizens.

And so what um this topic came about because it's

one very different than the May topic um you know,

may heavily hands on and super interactive june.

My idea is, you know, it's more story like so

you can kind of come in, have a relaxing either

afternoon or morning.

Um and here this history and I already have a

presentation together for that.

So that's kind of works and mesh as well.

And let's us get started quicker with those first two

months and then for july will transition to the Entomology

department. So for Entomology a lot of the staff indicated,

you know, they want to know what it is this

department's doing what's great is we just hired on a

third entomologist.

So between the three of them they'll each have, you

know, different roles within the training and be able to

explain some of the same things in different ways.

So they'll all add really valuable perspectives to this type

of training for the staff.

You know, we are very research based in that department

and they do things like resistance testing and um are

constantly testing different types of traps.

And so having the field staff understand that and understand

things like why it's important to um calling those landing

great counts, helps bring some of that knowledge to them.

August will be a label review.

This is going through all the chemical data sheets for

all of the insecticides that were using.

Um We've done this in the past but we've done

it very differently.

This one will be very more very much in detail.

You know, what is what is this chemical?

How does it work against the mosquitoes?

Um why is it effective?

Why do we use it?

Those types of details?

Much much more important for them to understand?

So we'll be a little bit more in depth.

And so this is kind of where um the living

binder idea came from in that throughout all of these

trainings they'll have handouts, they'll be able to take notes,

um Different types of dichotomy keys depending on the trainings.

And be able to take those handouts and just continuously

add it to their binder.

So then they have this reference file with them wherever

they go.

They are typically on the road.

So it's something that they can easily keep in their

drugs last training in september that they've all been asking

for for much, much longer than, you know, this semester

is adult ID and I am going to come back

to this training but simply having some practice and different

ways to identify different adult mosquitoes.

So with that the idea is these groups going jumping

around a little bit here um to really, really big

parts and to really big elements to this plan of

action. I really want to build on those four building

blocks from um Yandle hoppy and dana.

So um you know that knowledge source, the knowledge for

practice. We're constantly attending conferences and we kind of come

back and that information kind of trickles down and is

shared with some of the staff but we have to

be better about that because then it helps the rest

of the staff who didn't attend those conferences or webinars

or you know uh presentations understand the new technologies and

the way our industry and field is developing and growing

and changing.

Um And then what's nice is the other three knowledge

sources, the in practice of practice and the reflection to

me those three all kind of go together so that

hands on practice that interactive nous.

Um the mock programs, you know, really helps them build

that knowledge base and then by being able to take

those interactions with each other and in those trainings they

can then take those out in the field and with

more and more service requests that we already do and

those interactions with the community with citizens, whether through those

requests or um at community events, they're able to reflect

back on some of those trainings and go build on

that knowledge for knowledge type.

Um You know, we really kind of fall into content,

which is really, really important.

Uh Coming on, I found that everybody had to bits

and pieces here and there, but nobody was really on

the same page of the same thing, same message, and

so that's kind of really where I want our staff

to go.

Um Yeah, and then it makes it easy when they

fill in for each other, you know, if let's just

say um to field staff, go to um same person's

house for different service requests in different times of the

year, but they have different information that's essentially making more

work for us in the long run.

Um And then the um orientation falls with both in

and out.

Um And then the learning needs is kind of where

I wanted to come back to a little bit with

that adults I.

D. Class.

Um And we'll get there a little bit but um

you know by doing monthly creates this slow and kind

of steady detailed and very accommodating way of learning and

to add to these building blocks for our staff.

So you know the learning needs.

Um I wanted to specifically point out the adult I.

D. We just recently sent four or five staff members

to an adult I.

D. Course that was hosted by somebody else.

But we had one staff member who has vertigo issues.

And so he had trouble looking in the microscope and

couldn't attend the rest of the training he needed to

leave early.

And one thing that I've just recently developed is an

educational trailer and inside that educational trailer are two different

types of microscope.

One is instead of just an eyepiece that you are

looking into and kind of shuffling everything around on the

stage. Excuse me it's just one larger screen.

The other microscope um is just the eyepiece but you

don't physically look through it.

It connects to either a larger monitor or tv.

So by not having to focus so tightly in with

one I threw that microscope he would be able to

participate but because that wasn't available in that class he

couldn't but this is something that he could do with

our in house I.

D. Training and so he'd still be equal with his

peers and knowledge but we're also meeting those learning needs.

So that is um something that's going to be really

important and super effective for our staff and all of

these trainings, that one in particular was my favorite example

and then the other part of that I mentioned earlier

was this idea of, you know, the bonding their roles

are very structured and that they're typically working by themselves,

but at the same time, you know, these departments are

very well developed teams and so we Like to give

them opportunities to not only boost morale within their departments

but across departments and as an entire staff because again,

we're really, really small were 35 maybe um full time

staff and so by doing that, that coaching from us

to leading the trainings also boosts their knowledge, their confidence

and so that learning from each other can happen as

well and then um from there very briefly, you know,

the what's next, how do we move forward?

Because I only did um trainings to september, so september

ends our fiscal year.

So from october on um you know hopefully we can

build on a training budget and kind of get that

into our budget and have more room for that to

do some more in depth training for the staff.

And then um we are currently in the process of

um acquiring a new property, building, a new facility and

we're able to kind of add to this wish list.

So now I will be adding designated spaces and for

trainings and um create those back porch areas, which is

really exciting.

Um And then I added um my references but I

am eager to hear your feedback and appreciate it.

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