Are you ready to elevate your teaching and boost student achievement? Join us to discover effective strategies to implement Explicit Direct Instruction in your classroom. This training emphasizes clear expectations and active student engagement, equipping you with tools to structure impactful lessons and foster a supportive learning environment. Whether you're a seasoned educator or new to the field, this session will empower you to enhance student achievement and inspire lifelong learners.
In this session, you will learn from middle school teacher participants in the Empowering Teacher Learning program who have engaged in a novel approach to professional development using Micro-Credentials. Micro-credentials provide a personalized pathway for educators to enhance their learning and can significantly contribute to their professional development plans for the year. We will explore the concept and best practices in using Micro-Credentials and their potential influence on the future of professional learning in North Carolina. We will also address the experiences of middle school teachers in completing these credentials and share their possible impacts on student learning. Join us to learn more about these important topics and their implications for education.
Reading for Pleasure: Attendees explore and discuss a wide array of books, sharing their feelings about the experience. Many students stop reading for pleasure in third grade, stagnating fluency growth. I decided to bring that kind of reading back. The results? 6th Grade Growth Data (Title 1 School): 62% grew 1-3 grade levels on iReady diagnostics, 6.4% average increase on Check-ins (as compared to a DECREASE in students not on the program), 8% more proficiency on the EOG, as compared to students not on the program. How do we get students to do this? What’s the buy in? Experience Incentive: Materialism vs. Experientialism object lesson followed by talk. Reward field trips are more satisfying and enrich life context for many disadvantaged students. How it works: Program slideshow, including strength training analogy (weightlifting fails video), book notes accountability piece, field trip ideas, photos, and personal student success stories.
Most would agree that middle level educators must be optimistic, enthusiastic about young adolescents, authentic, and welcoming for a diverse group of students. And most have heard propositions about teachers being the “light of students’ lives” or using one’s “light to illuminate the world.” These sayings illustrate the heliotropic effect – the theory that all cultures (i.e., school cultures) strive toward the most positive images they hold of themselves. All living organisms instinctually move toward the light (positive, life-giving energy) and away from the dark (negative, harmful energy). And, as we believe, successful middle schools require a “welcoming, inclusive, and affirming” environment for all, (Bishop & Harrison, 2021). Middle level educators possess the tremendous power to be the decisive element in the classroom, whether light or dark. Any individual in the middle school community can “be the light” when they create positive, affirming, “enlightened” environments that understand, respect, and value young adolescents.
Organizational Structures (e.g., interdisciplinary teams, common planning time, advisory programs) provide the foundation of effective middle grades pedagogy. From embracing interdisciplinary teams and professional learning communities (PLCs), to implementing advisory programs, this session examines how to effectively implement organizational structures to maximize student learning and build positive school community. Specific strategies and sample schedules will be shared for using common planning time to support interdisciplinary teams, PLCS, and grade level teams, as well as establish an advisory program that fosters student success and well-being. Participants will be asked to engage in small group activities that model teaming and middle school advisory.
Expository writing helps students process, analyze, and communicate complex information, aligning with the inquiry strand of the North Carolina Social Studies standards. This session presents a 7-10 day scaffolded unit plan that builds expository writing skills through evidence-based analysis and structured expression. With tools like brainstorming activities, outlines, and differentiated supports, students gain confidence while learning to evaluate and present information effectively. Participants will receive ready-to-use materials and practical strategies to promote inquiry-driven writing in their classrooms.
The North Carolina Collaborative for Mathematics Learning (NC2ML) is a group of educators from all over the state who are dedicated to supporting the teaching and learning of mathematics. Recently, a group of 6-8 co-designers came together to develop a collection of resources that support the development of empathetic perspectives, growth mathematical mindsets, and high quality, equitable mathematics practices in all teachers. All of our resources are free to the public. Come to this session to get a glimpse of all NC2ML has to offer!
The term "soft skills" must be replaced by the more appropriate term "Power Skills." The foundation of these skills including getting organized, checking email regularly, establishing timelines, and more is missing in the toolkit of many of today's students. Let's examine the problem in a seminar format and together generate a practical plan of action to ensure that our students and their parents/guardians can work together to achieve success in the classroom, at home, and in life.
