Designed for teachers in grades 4 to 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 the content is a real enemy to the ultimate goal of building reading skills. Without a repertoire of reading strategies that can be applied to any text, reluctant, struggling and disengaged students are not assured enough opportunities to read throughout the school day. In order to teach students to read effectively, teachers must be sure that they are not simply suppliers of information about a particular text but also instructors of techniques to build reading skills using materials that are relevant to their students. Participants in this program will review ideas about how to incorporate reading skill lessons into their curriculum so that they are enticing to struggling, reluctant, and disengaged learners.

Reading, as the old saying goes, is fundamental. However, not all public school students have access to the variety of materials necessary to build a strong reading foundation. Research grant opportunities for purchasing books, digital devices, and other materials to aid in literacy instruction. Explore multiple means of acquiring literacy-related donations and discover open-access materials online. Finally, participate in the sharing of strategies for the effective use of these resources.

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.

Research indicates literacy coaches have a direct impact on literacy instruction and student achievement in today’s schools. Coaches use their role in the schools to enhance others’ abilities through motivation and support. This can oftentimes be an overwhelming and daunting task. This program will offer inspiration, guidance, training, modeling of strategies, and evidence based practices for the 21st century elementary literacy coach.

North Carolina’s 2016–2017 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 2017.

Designed for teachers of the elementary grades.

Today’s classrooms are filled with diverse students who have unique learning needs. Students identified with special needs have specific learning goals as mandated by their IEPs. This program is designed for elementary teachers who would like to enhance their repertoire of literacy strategies to meet the various needs of all students in their classroom, including students who are identified with special needs. Teachers will investigate various exceptionalities and explore ways to accommodate and modify literacy assignments and instruction to meet their specific learning goals.

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.

Designed for teachers of grades K–6.

On Monday afternoon, August 21, 2017, all of North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse. A sliver of the western part of the state will experience a total solar eclipse for approximately two and a half minutes. NCCAT will partner with Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) to present a training opportunity at our Cullowhee campus that teaches participants a variety of methods and strategies to host a successful community solar eclipse event.

30 kindergarten through sixth grade teachers (15 teams, two teachers per team) will be selected to participate in the training. Each team will be provided with a kit to take back to their school. Participants must commit to hosting a community event on the day of the solar eclipse, August 21, 2017, and must submit a post event evaluation. The training will include topics such as mythology and misconceptions about the sun and our solar system, moon phases and how eclipses happen, solar observing safety measures, activities and planning ideas.