Professional Development
Our staff have received training and developed content and materials to share with educators during half-day, full-day, and early dismissal in-services. We can also develop a plan to include in-district observation and coaching to support the differentiated professional development needs of your staff. Please contact Barb Hansen at Teachwell Solutions to develop a plan to meet your professional development needs at [email protected] or 605-367-7680. We welcome your suggestions for topics not listed. Please contact us, or share your ideas by completing this Google Form.
Teacher Effectiveness System
This training may include the SD Framework for Effective Teaching (Danielson Model) and/or components of the Student Learning Objectives (SLO) process, including developing assessments and establishing differentiated growth goals. This may be presented in a large-group or small-group setting or as individual coaching. |
Principal Effectiveness System
As school leaders implement the Principal Effectiveness System during the 2016-2017 school year, Teachwell Solutions staff can provide training or guidance on both the Professional Practice Standards as well as setting AMO or SPI goals for their Student Growth Rating. |
Webb Leveling
Teachers should have a solid understanding of the Webb Levels in order to increase rigor and create and environment where all students can learn at a high level. Educators should understand the cognitive depth of the tasks they are using in their classroom and apply Webb's DoK to help them design better instruction within their respective standards. |
Higher Order Thinking
Applying an understanding of Webb Leveling, teachers will create tasks and assessments for use in their classrooms. Teachers will analyze existing tasks and assessments, and make adjustments when necessary to achieve the desired cognitive depth. |
Data Analysis
Your staff or leadership team will be guided through a thorough study of the data collected throughout the year, analyzing results from the state assessments, and making connections with district-specific data. |
DIBELS
DIBELS is an assessment used to measure the acquisition of early literacy skills from kindergarten through sixth grade. Training options are available for both teachers who are new to administering and scoring DIBELS assessments, or who are looking for a refresher. Additional information can be found on the Literacy tab. |
Assessment Design
Teachers will develop an understanding of the different types of questions and assessments. They will develop a blueprint to ensure that their assessment reflects the appropriate content and depth of knowledge necessary to evaluate student achievement. |
Standards-Based Grading
"If your grading system doesn't guide students toward excellence, it's time for something different." (Patricia L. Scriffiny, Educational Leadership magazine). Teachers will develop standards-based grading practices, and may work toward establishing standards-based report cards. |
Close Reading Strategies
Teachers will be guided to develop practices to guide their students through a process for disciplined re-reading of inherently complex and worthy texts. |
Text-Dependent Questioning Techniques
The Common Core State Standards expect students to use evidence from texts to present careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information. To help students develop these skills, teachers will learn to make use of text-dependent questions: questions that can only be answered by referring back to the text. |
Literacy Integration (6-12)
Teachers will explore and develop strategies to integrate the Anchor Standards for Reading and Writing into their classroom practices. |
Differentiated Instruction
During this training, teachers will establish meaning for the term "differentiated instruction" and consider various options to differentiate instruction in order to meet the needs of all learners. |
Active Participation in Learning
Providing easy-to-use alternatives to the “stand and deliver” approach to teaching that causes so many students to tune out – or even drop out – this workshop presents dozens of ways to engage K-12 students in active learning and allow them to demonstrate the depth of their knowledge and understanding. In this class we will explore the high cost of disengagement, look at higher-order thinking in an active way, and try out these active methods. |
Vocabulary Development (K-8)
Forget copying definitions from the dictionary and completing boring worksheets! Word mastery comes from intimate knowledge of language. From prediction to practice to performance, students from all backgrounds can discover how to make words their own. After incorporating this vocabulary plan into your daily instruction, you and your students can become vocabulary masters, too! This workshop will help teachers teach all students to learn and love vocabulary. |
Additional Topics Currently in Development:
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Book Studies
Teachwell Solutions staff will lead several book studies throughout the school year. If you know of a book that would make a great book study, we would welcome your suggestions. Please contact us with your ideas, or submit them in this Google Form. |