Writing instruction is not only important but also vital for today’s students. Yet finding the time to teach writing in the elementary classroom can prove challenging. In this program, teachers will explore the various purposes for writing, the writing process, and strategies to integrate writing in other content areas. Additionally, teachers will investigate creative strategies to motivate students to write.

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Designed for teachers in grades 3–12.

The world of STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math—provides a rich environment that motivates children to want to learn more. Children often prefer reading about spiders and dinosaurs to fictional characters. STEM activities help students build vocabulary, incorporate problem-solving skills, and analyze complex text with real-world applications. Maximize classroom time by integrating literacy with the natural connections of STEM disciplines. Experience lessons that give students a desire to read, promote problem solving, and model strategies to cultivate reading comprehension. Join us as we make messes, break things, and create minds-on STEM learning environments.

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Designed for teachers in grades 4–12.

Teaching reading skills in English/Language Arts classes and across the disciplines is an almost guaranteed way to help students retain content. Unfortunately, the tendency to focus on content is often an enemy to the ultimate goal of building reading skills. Without a repertoire of reading strategies, students are not able to independently comprehend text. In order to teach students to read effectively, teachers must ensure they are not simply suppliers of information about a particular text but also instructors of techniques to build reading skills using relevant materials. Participants in this program learn how to incorporate reading skill lessons into their curriculum that are enticing to struggling, reluctant, and disengaged learners.

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Math instruction involves much more than understanding of standards. Come learn how to live a “math life” and think like a mathematician while incorporating math standards and digital learning into your instruction. We will explore differentiated support and consider best practices through John Hattie’s work Visible Learning for Mathematics. Learn how the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) effective teaching practices and the standards for mathematical practice reinforce pacing and students’ meaningful understanding of important mathematics. Select appropriate math tasks that give all students access and opportunity for learning.

Click here to apply now.

Math instruction involves much more than understanding of standards. Come learn how to live a “math life” and think like a mathematician while incorporating math standards and digital learning into your instruction. We will explore differentiated support and consider best practices through John Hattie’s work Visible Learning for Mathematics. Learn how the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) effective teaching practices and the standards for mathematical practice reinforce pacing and students’ meaningful understanding of important mathematics. Select appropriate math tasks that give all students access and opportunity for learning.

Click here to apply now.

Open to teachers in their first, second, or third year of teaching, this program supports motivated beginning teachers by strengthening their knowledge base and classroom expertise. Through experiential learning, teachers will explore pedagogical concerns including differentiated instruction, brain-compatible teaching, assessment, the effect of poverty on achievement and behavior, and classroom management. Come prepared to build professional competence and confidence, improve student achievement, and reinforce your commitment to this critically important profession.

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Generation Z has never known a world without cell phones, texting, and the Internet. Our students are more comfortable with the use of technology than former generations. However, this technology-driven style of learning seems to have resulted in a generation of learners who seek immediate gratification—are prone to boredom and ready to jump to the end of the book. How do we teach the Zs? In a mash-up of professional education—a blend of an EdCamp, an interdisciplinary conference on active learning and assessment, and a gamification boot camp—educators will answer that question.

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North Carolina’s 2017–2018 Teachers of the Year are invited to join us on Ocracoke Island to examine educational leadership and positive responses to institutional change. Teachers of the Year have heard the call to leadership, but what is the next step? Discover how to continue your growth as an educational professional. True leadership emerges naturally from the integrity and identity of the leader. Explore your own integrity and selfhood in a community of other dedicated teachers who are embracing leadership in their own lives. Look into your leadership strengths and areas of growth by focusing on challenges inside and outside the educational realm. This program will not focus on management principles. Rather, taking our own lives as text, we will explore our inner character to become more conscious of the foundation from which we lead. Join in our dialogue about how teachers can spread their enthusiasm for learning to other members of the school community.

Invitations will be mailed to system level Teachers of the Year in March 2018.

Designed for teachers in grades K–3.

Discover new ways to turn reading strategies into writing opportunities that deepen comprehension and extend student learning. This intensive, interactive program will focus on the power of the teacher as the mentor-model in exploring multiple tools for unlocking thinking in the classroom—through the process of uncovering your own writing life. Strategies will include the use of journal responses, writing as inquiry across the content areas, and the power of authentic interactions with poetry and prompts.

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Canvas, North Carolina’s Learning Management System (LMS), is your place for one-stop learning and course management. Teachers will become familiar with the features of Canvas such as the settings, notifications, and tools in building a course. Create modules using a variety of items such as discussions, assignments, quizzes, and content pages. Set up generic or tailored rubrics for use with a variety of content. This program is designed for beginning users and will allow time to experiment, collaborate, and build at your own pace. Teachers will have a module or more ready to implement on returning to the classroom.

Click here to apply.