KY ASCD

Explorium of Lexington

Bluegrass Center for Teacher Quality

Matthew B. Courtney is the Founder and Executive Director of the Bluegrass Center for Teacher Quality.  Before creating the Bluegrass Center for Teacher Quality (BCTQ), Matthew worked as an elementary music educator at Mayfield Elementary in Richmond, KY.  After spending several years watching his friends and colleagues struggle to meet their professional learning goals, Matthew created BCTQ with the mission of providing high quality, research based professional learning opportunities to teachers; free of charge.  In his role as Executive Director, Matthew works with teachers to ensure that they have the professional knowledge and skills they need to be successful in a wide variety of situations.  He is also engaged in researching professional learning techniques and travels to speak about the importance of teacher leadership in professional development. 

Matthew attended Eastern Kentucky University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in K-12 Music Education and the University of the Cumberlands, where he earned his Master of Arts degree in Teacher Leadership.  Matthew has served as the President of the Kentucky Education Association’s Central District (2011 - 2014) and the Treasurer of the Kentucky Association of Supervision and Curriculum Design (2013 - Present).  Matthew is an active member of his community.  Currently he sits on the Board of Directors for the Explorium of Lexington and serves as their Education Chair.

Education

Professional Learning

Adult Learning

Teacher Leadership

English

Matthew's Blog

Matthew's Website

NEA Leadership Summit

SXSWedu

Adult learners bring a wide range of experiences and concerns to the table.  In this interactive session, Matthew will walk you through the best practices for adult learning.  Topics include the theory of andragogy, activities to engage your audience, and tips on creating a visually appealing presentation.

No More Boring PowerPoints: Engaging Adult Learners

Teachers are constantly being told what to do.  Instead of sitting back and listening, teachers need to start doing some of the talking!  By taking control of professional learning, teachers can begin to take control of the quality of their profession.  This talk will review a model of teacher led professional learning and explore its potential for changing the way we teach teachers. 

Teachers Teaching Teachers: The Path to a New Professional Identity

Framed around personal stories and experiences, Matthew shares the ten leadership lessons he learned in his journey from a first year classroom teacher, to a leader in the teachers union, and now in his role as a leader in the non-profit sector.  This talk includes an optional workshop to help participants apply the leadership lessons in a decision making process.  

From the Field: Lessons in Teacher Leadership

Founder and Executive Director 

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