Workshop Options (Format and Scheduling) The goal of any professional development activity is to provide exposure to new ideas, nurture reflection on current practices, and support teachers as they strive to maximize student learning. For professional development to be effective it must be aligned with the needs of the school or district, as well as be flexible enough to suit the logistics of the district. In order to meet your needs, there are several options for professional development opportunities, both in content and format.
Single Day Sessions
In single day sessions, the goal is to provide a flow of new ideas and to challenge teachers to explore new ways of teaching. Single day workshops are also critical in generating enthusiasm for these new ideas. Sue provides the school or district with a master copy of practical handouts to accompany the session, which allows teachers to leave with a renewed excitement as well as the resources needed to implement the ideas shared. Following these workshops, Sue will be happy to provide schools and districts with ideas for sustaining the momentum through school-based or district-based activities.
Multiple Day Sessions
Multiple-day sessions allow schools and districts to engage in more intensive professional development. They can be configured in a variety of ways to suit the needs of the school or district. Schools might prefer a 2-3 consecutive-day workshop, to allow teachers to more fully explore strategies and ideas. In multiple day sessions, there is more time to discuss implementation of ideas and elaborate on both the activities and the theory underlying each activity. Multiple day sessions may be consecutive days or may be spread over several months (ie. one day in September, October, and December) to allow teachers to implement ideas between sessions and return to the followup session with questions and insights. Modifications of multiple day workshops might include action research projects or teacher study groups between sessions.
Summer Workshops
Summer workshop times are available. Summer workshops allow for more in-depth exploration of topics or provide school districts with opportunities to offer workshops to a variety of teachers or on a variety of topics over several consecutive days. Schedule early if you are interested in this option as summer times fill quickly.
Sue will work with your district to provide the professional development experience that best suits your needs and works within your schedule.
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