Subject Matter Expertise

Students Must Have Meaningful, Equitable Learning Opportunities

Our professional development helps district leaders, administrators, coaches, and teachers build content knowledge and hone pedagogical skills. Using our 5D framework, they deepen subject matter expertise, learn to teach for understanding, and use assessment techniques to measure student success.
Professional development sessions illustrate strategies for adapting academic curriculum to diverse student needs.

Mathematics:

• Techniques for effective classroom questioning; for using manipulatives in concept development; for ongoing formative assessment
• Intellectual lessons that link to curriculum standards for local districts and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• Methods for fostering meaningful student discourse that promotes mathematical reasoning
• Ways to create classroom environments where students take risks, learn from mistakes, collaborate, participate, and communicate mathematically

Reading:

• Tools for examining needs of emergent, early, transitional, and fluent readers
• Lessons in structures of reading instruction: read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading
• Practical ideas for using students’ favorite and familiar texts to teach reading
• Methods for using formative assessment to inform “in the moment” reading  instruction

Writing:

• Guides to examining and using curriculum standards to develop units of study
• Ways to create a blueprint for crafting daily writing lessons that meet state and national standards
• Introduction to mentor texts that can provide students a clear vision of the writing they’re expected to do
• Methods for using formative assessment strategies – particularly conferring with students --  to inform writing instruction