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Professional Development Tools

Whether you’re looking for something as simple as the perfect icebreaker, or a plan for a full-day in-service session for 100 teachers at many grade levels, this is where we share our tried and trusted tips for successful professional development sessions.

Latest Content
Coaching Minute: Explore

Heather Rader explains the value of surfing the web with a professional development purpose in this quick video tip.

Resourceful and Cheap: Professional Development That Sparks Learning and Change

Jennifer Allen provides a sample agenda and inexpensive resources for leading a professional development session on anchor charts.

Coaching Cycles Matter

Julie Wright explains how coaching cycles fit into the larger scheme of ongoing professional development. She includes templates for planning and protocols in her piece.

Where Am I Going and How Did I Get Here?

Melanie Quinn shares a simple professional development activity to help teachers match their beliefs and practice.

Resource Round-Up for Text Types

Heather Rader sets out to provide engaging, resource-packed professional development by helping teachers gain a deeper understand of text types, using children's books as mentor texts.
 

Teaching Is Like . . .

Kim Campbell shares a fun activity for a staff meeting or the launching of any new study group.

An Ideal Professional Bookshelf: The Important Book for Teachers

Help teachers get back to their reading and teaching roots with this classic professional development activity from Ruth Shagoury.

Coaching Minute: Reading Habits

Heather Rader explains why professional reading needs to be a priority for literacy coaches in this quick video.

Writing Conference Role-Plays: Learning to Listen In

Ruth Shagoury uses role-plays in professional development to help veteran and novice teachers hone their conferring skills.

Classroom Visits for Professional Development Insight

Jennifer Vincent finds that classroom visits are a good alternative to surveys when analyzing teachers' professional development needs.

Learning from Students

What makes a great teacher? Jennifer Schwanke asks students, and the provocative responses are wonderful food for thought.

Picture It: Mirroring

See what mirroring looks like in a professional development context.

Compass Points and Collaboration

Jennifer Vincent uses “compass points” to help colleagues understand differences in learning and collaborative styles.

Pits and Peaks

Jennifer Vincent mines a truly unlikely source for inspiration, and creates a document many teachers can use to express triumphs and struggles with technology.

Picture It: Live Demonstration

This photo captures the power of live demonstrations in professional development.

Systems Thinking and Educational Change

Julie Wright shares some tips for using systems thinking in developing plans for instructional change in schools and districts.

Coaching Minute: Voice Memos

Heather Rader explains how she uses voice memos to help in planning and sharing information in this quick video tip.

Teacher Blogs in the Digital World

Julie Johnson introduces blogging to teachers in a digital learning class, and shares “mentor blog” resources to help any teacher get started with blogging.

Coaching Minute: Music

Heather Rader talks about the power of music in setting the tone for professional development in this quick video tip.

Coaching Minute: A Stash of Student Work

Heather Rader explains the many uses for a stash of student work for literacy coaches in this quick video tip.

Meaningful Transitions During Professional Development Sessions

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan share ideas for making transitions during professional development sessions lively, meaningful, and respectful.

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