CULLOWHEE (August 8, 2014)—North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching, a national leader in professional development for teachers, will offer “Daylong Programs” at the Cullowhee campus in September to help teachers meet one of the challenges of a new school year—leaving the classroom to participate in professional development.
For teachers, the beginning of the year is one of the worst times to be out of the classroom for an entire week. However, this also is the best time to implement new instructional and managerial strategies. Throughout September five “Daylong Programs” are being offered by NCCAT to help solve this issue.
All daylong sessions begin at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Teacher Assistants are welcome to apply. Applicants must be employed full-time in North Carolina public schools.
Dates and information for the daylong programs:
Hands-on Literacy Activities
Monday, September 8
Tuesday, September 9
Wednesday, September 10
Thursday, September 11
In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell tells us that to become expert at anything requires about 10,000 hours of practice. Unfortunately, our struggling readers will never make that investment of time if they hate what they are asked to do. Participants in this daylong program will learn how to transform worksheets, fluency practice, and other solo efforts into engaging activities that still reinforce essential literacy skills. The agenda for each "Hands-on Literacy Activities" daylong program is the same. Sign up for only one. Teachers at the K–5 grade levels are encouraged to attend.
Early Grades Literacy and Poverty
Wednesday, September 17
Thursday, September 18
The majority of teachers are middle-class, Caucasian, and female. Using the first of Stephen Covey’s seven habits, “seek first to understand, then to be understood,” teachers will investigate some of the fundamental differences between people raised in the middle class and those who live in generational poverty. They also will learn several teaching techniques to help students organize their thinking and writing and interact with each other more positively. The agenda for each "Early Grades Literacy and Poverty" daylong program is the same. Sign up for only one. Teachers at all grade levels and in all subject areas are encouraged to attend.
Behavior Management for Novice and Veteran Teachers
Monday, September 22
The average teacher spends about 20% of the time attempting to regain students’ attention—that’s one full day of instruction every week lost to non-instructional activity. Participants in this workshop will receive a crash course in behavior management. They will learn the four basic causes of most student misbehavior and how to address each. They also will practice making transitions from one activity to another. By the end of the day, participants should feel more confident and possess a plan for organizing and managing their classrooms. Teachers at all grade levels and in all subject areas are encouraged to attend.
Brain Research and Your Students
Tuesday, September 23
Humans forget far more than they remember; the trick is remembering the important stuff. Participants in this program will learn how to use what we know about the brain to increase the likelihood that students will attend to, process, store, and retrieve important material. All teachers at every grade level are encouraged to attend. Teachers at all grade levels and in all subject areas are encouraged to attend.
Teaching Beyond the Test: Getting the Most out of Formative Assessment
Thursday, September 25
In the current high-stakes atmosphere, the word “assessment” has become conflated with “testing.” Truly helpful, formative assessment is an ongoing process that need not involve any testing. Participants in this program will learn multiple assessment techniques and examine how to use the information they obtain from them. Teachers at all grade levels and in all subject areas are encouraged to attend.
Applicants who are employed full-time in North Carolina public schools may sign up with an electronic registration form. Visit http://www.nccat.org/programs/daylong-programs.
For more information on this or other programs contact Teacher Services: 828-293-5202, 800-922-0482 or email [email protected].