FOR CREC STAFF ONLY: All CREC teachers are welcome to attend this annual event! Sessions will encourage meaningful collegial conversations; inspire collaborative problem solving and innovative thinking; and result in resources for immediate classroom application. Year 2/3 teachers are asked to register here for sessions that are outlined in the Teachers Academy catalog.
To understand what it means and what is necessary to be a CREC teacher; to learn critical content to plan for the coming school year; to encourage meaningful collegial conversations; and to inspire collaborative problem solving and innovative thinking.
Audience: All Grades, Focus: Elementary Education, General (Environment, Instruction)
Description:
1. To provide educators with practical strategies and techniques to build positive student-teacher relationships.
2. To enhance educators' understanding of student motivation and provide them with tools to increase student engagement in the classroom. 3. To equip educators with the knowledge and skills to cultivate a growth mindset among their students. 4. To empower educators to create a supportive and inclusive classroom environment that promotes student success and overall well-being.
Instructions for Participants: Come ready to participate and engage.
Audience: Secondary (6-12), Focus: General (Environment, Instruction), This workshop will focus on a classroom management approach that will enable teachers to build a positive classroom culture allowing teaching and learning to be in the forefront of every lesson. A focus on Equity and Restorative Practices makes this approach fair and effective for all. The presentation will be interactive using (& modeling) engaging instructional strategies to present and teach about classroom management strategies, as actively engaging students is essential in a well-run classroom. The presentation will also contain a role-play where the presenter will act as the teacher setting up the classroom expectations and the plan with the participants, who will be the students in the class. This will show the participants how a school year can start, including the expectations, the verbiage to use, and the creation of the classroom culture the teacher desires for all. Teaching is joyous and creative and a well-run classroom takes the focus off compliance and promotes an engaging, creative, and nurturing environment where everyone flourishes! Come ready to engage, create, and enjoy creating a positive classroom environment because teaching is a joyous and creative way to spend your life and a well-run classroom only adds to that joy!
Audience: Pre-K and K, Focus: Social Studies, Equity, Participants will learn to recognize their own biases in an effort to create an anti-bias learning environment. This includes celebrating similarities and differences, normalizing neurodiversity, fighting injustice and gender norms. We will share our thoughts, ideas and resources to use in the classroom. The benefit of collaborating with other educators is priceless! Laptop, open mind, positive attitude, loose clothes that are comfortable and easy to move in. Participants will not need any materials for the workshop. Participants are welcome to bring their laptop and their favorite inclusive book (children's story or teacher resource).
Audience: All Grades, Focus: General (Environment, Instruction), All CRECies can benefit from knowing more about GoogleDrive! This workshop will focus on the "Big Four" - Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms. The first half of the workshop will be a tutorial-style lesson, with freebies for you to copy and personalize. The second half of the workshop will be time for you to develop documents, organize folders, or create something new with help or on your own! Participants will receive a free GoogleSheet work week calendar already aligned to the CREC Calendar!
Audience: Elementary General (K-2), Focus: SPED, MLL, Intervention, In this session, we will explore Module 1 of the EL Education curriculum in order to familiarize ourselves with the parts and structure of modules, units, and lessons. We will deepen our understanding of the skills in Module 1 build over time and make a plan for implementation. Bring: Laptop - Module 1 EL Manual Teacher Guide and Teacher Supporting Manual
Audience: Elementary General (PK-5), Focus: Elementary Education, This professional development course is designed for educators gearing up for the start of the school year. Dive deep into the foundational principles of effective classroom management tailored specifically for elementary settings. Through our interactive session, participants will learn to establish clear expectations, foster positive relationships, and implement proactive strategies to create a conducive learning environment. From establishing routines to cultivating a positive classroom culture, educators will gain valuable insights into setting the stage for success. In addition, this course offers strategic guidance on planning for the start of the school year. Explore techniques for designing engaging lesson plans, organizing classroom materials, and effectively managing time and resources. Participants will leave equipped with a comprehensive toolkit of classroom management techniques and a well-thought-out plan to launch a successful academic year. Don't miss this opportunity to become a master of elementary classroom management and planning. Join us and embark on the journey towards educational excellence. Bring: Classroom Supplies: Since the course focuses on classroom management and planning, participants may find it helpful to have access to basic classroom supplies. Please bring anchor chart paper & markers (or I can provide this to participants) to make a "Routines & Procedures" checklist to use those first two weeks of school in their classrooms.
Audience: Lower Elementary (K-2), Focus: Elementary Education, In Organizing and Executing Literacy Small Group, participants will analyze and interpret DIBELS data (universal screen data) to form differentiated small groups. The main takeaways of Organizing and Executing Literacy Small Group are to establish, create, and learn how to modify small groups throughout the year, what activities to complete during small group instruction for both the teacher(s) and independent work, and how to effectively organize all materials for groups. Bring: lap top, pencil/pen, paper
Audience: All Grades, Focus: Elementary Education, Special Education, In this training we will review what behavior is and is not, we will discuss the difference between classical and operant conditioning. Paricipants will be able to identify the difference between reinforcement and punishment. We will discuss various schedules of reinforcement and how that impacts behavior. We will review what makes reinforcement effictive and/or ineffective. Bring: laptops
Audience: All Grades, Focus: Art and Music, Elementary Education, English Language Arts, Foreign Language, General (Environment, Instruction), Math, Physical Education & Health, Science, Social Studies, Special Education, This session is designed to educate and empower all educators to better understand and support AAC users. Participants will explore different types of AAC (no tech, low tech, high tech), understand the pros and cons of each type, learn how to obtain AAC, create mini lessons to boost the use of core vocabulary words and more. As a result of their learning, teachers will have a better understanding of AAC and increase their knowledge and confidence around how to teach individuals who use AAC to communicate.
Audience: All Grades, Focus: Art and Music, Elementary Education, English Language Arts, Foreign Language, General (Environment, Instruction), Math, Physical Education & Health, Science, Social Studies, Special Education, This session is designed to introduce teachers to a variety AI platforms and the practical applications for use in the classroom.
Audience: All Grades, Focus: Father Engagement , This professional development session will introduce educators to effective strategies for engaging fathers in their children's classrooms. Participants will explore the importance of father involvement in education and learn practical methods to bridge the gap between fathers and the classroom environment. Participants will need, laptops, note taking supplies and a creative mindset.
K-12, all subjects
Audience: All Grades, Focus: Racial Justice, This session is designed to inform educators of what racial inequities look like and sound like in a school setting and how to talk about them. Participants will explore how the idea of "whiteness" came to be, how white supremacy was established and how it has affected our educational system. As a result of their learning, educators will be able to participate in refined conversations about race and power and be able to skillfully interrupt educational inequities.
Audience: Secondary (6-12), Focus: General (Environment, Instruction), This session is designed to guide teachers through the process of developing their own standards based proficiency scales, rubrics and success criteria. Participants will have the opportunity to design new criteria for both formative and summative assessments, and will engage in the process of workshopping existing rubrics and criteria to align to Standards Based Grading. As a result of this learning, teachers will be able to use their scoring criteria as a way to provide formative and summative feedback to students throughout the learning process. Please bring either your CREC Curriculum documents, an upcoming unit of study or your favorite assessment!
Audience: All Grades, Focus: Elementary Education, General (Environment, Instruction), Description: 1. To provide educators with practical strategies and techniques to build positive student-teacher relationships. 2. To enhance educators' understanding of student motivation and provide them with tools to increase student engagement in the classroom. 3. To equip educators with the knowledge and skills to cultivate a growth mindset among their students. 4. To empower educators to create a supportive and inclusive classroom environment that promotes student success and overall well-being. Come ready to participate and engage.
Audience: Pre-K - Lower Elementary & Special Education, Focus: Special Education, In this session we will review the effectiveness of reinforcement. Pariticipants will learn about the 7 steps of instructional control (cooperation with learning), and plan to implement strategies to enhance student cooperation with learning. Bring: laptop, note book, pen/pencil
Audience: Lower Elementary (K-2), Focus: Elementary Education, English Language Arts, In EL K-2 Skills Block Lesson Make & Take, participants will be provided with useful resources from the EL Curriculum to maximize their planning for Literacy Skills instruction. This session is designed to give teachers time to make and take lessons and activities that are ready to use in their classrooms in an organized system. As a result of this session, teachers will be able to prepare Skills Lessons with supplemental materials by Cycles to differentiate for their students during Small group instruction. If teachers have a small laminator or hanging file box, they may be utilized.
Audience: Pre-K and K, Focus: Social Studies, Equity, Participants will learn to recognize their own biases in an effort to create an anti-bias learning environment. This includes celebrating similarities and differences, normalizing neurodiversity, fighting injustice and gender norms. We will share our thoughts, ideas and resources to use in the classroom. The benefit of collaborating with other educators is priceless! Participants are welcome to bring their laptop and their favorite inclusive book (children's story or teacher resource).
Audience: Elementary General (PK-5), Focus: SPED, MLL, Intervention, In this session, we will explore Module 1 of the EL Education curriculum in order to familiarize ourselves with the parts and structure of modules, units, and lessons. We will deepen our understanding of the skills in Module 1 build over time and make a plan for implementation. Bring: Laptop - Module 1 EL Manual Teacher Guide and Teacher Supporting Manual
Audience: Elementary General (PK-5), Focus: Elementary Education, This professional development course is designed for educators gearing up for the start of the school year. Dive deep into the foundational principles of effective classroom management tailored specifically for elementary settings. Through our interactive session, participants will learn to establish clear expectations, foster positive relationships, and implement proactive strategies to create a conducive learning environment. From establishing routines to cultivating a positive classroom culture, educators will gain valuable insights into setting the stage for success. In addition, this course offers strategic guidance on planning for the start of the school year. Explore techniques for designing engaging lesson plans, organizing classroom materials, and effectively managing time and resources. Participants will leave equipped with a comprehensive toolkit of classroom management techniques and a well-thought-out plan to launch a successful academic year. Don't miss this opportunity to become a master of elementary classroom management and planning. Join us and embark on the journey towards educational excellence. Classroom Supplies: Since the course focuses on classroom management and planning, participants may find it helpful to have access to basic classroom supplies. Please bring anchor chart paper & markers (or I can provide this to participants) to make a "Routines & Procedures" checklist to use those first two weeks of school in their classrooms.
Audience: All Grades Focus: Father Engagement Areas of Focus: INSTRUCTION: Instructional Strategies, Tools, and Approaches This session will learn and discuss the intersection of instructional strategies and father engagement in the classroom, recognizing the pivotal role fathers play in their children's education. Through exploring tailored approaches, tools, and inclusive teaching methods, we aim to cultivate an environment where fathers feel empowered to actively participate in their child's learning journey, fostering a stronger bond between home and school for enhanced student success. Instructions for Participants: Participants will need, laptops, note taking supplies and a creative mindset.
Audience: All Grades, Focus: Science, "This session is a work session where teachers will have the opportunity to plan their first weeks of school with support of the Curriculum Supervisor. *View curriculum documents *Map out their first unit and lessons *Ask questions about curriculum and instruction" Bring: Please bring a laptop and your resources for planning, included printed materials if that is your preference.
Audience: Secondary (6-12), Focus: Math, In Secondary Mathematics Planning for Impactful Instruction participants will look at common components of the math instructional blocks and have time to review the curriculum documents and plan instruction for the start of the school year. The main takeaways of Secondary Mathematics Planning for Impactful Instruction are to gain a better understanding of instructional expectations at CREC and plan lessons that fulfil these expectations.
Culturally responsive education is a pedagogy used to validate students' varied experiences, and to teach to and through their strengths. Successful implenetation of this practice encourages teachers to engage with students with backgrounds that differ from their own ethnically, linguistically, racially, and economically. Instructions for Participants: Participants only need laptops.
Audience: Pre-K, Focus: General (Environment, Instruction), In Building Community in the Preschool Classroom, participants will learn engaging and effective strategies for large group circle times and play planning. Participants will also learn about planned environmental supports for communicating class norms. The main takeaways are to leave with tips for planning and implementing engaging circle times that utilize community building circle time activities, routines, props and environmental supports that promote positive relationships with preschool aged children.
Audience: Secondary (6-12), Focus: General (Environment, Instruction), Erin combines knowledge she has learned as a science teacher, yoga teacher, trauma survivor, and parent to create a calm, happy, peaceful, student-driven learning environment. In this workshop we will work to understand trauma and other underlying causes of common behaviors. We will practice many techniques for creating emotional safety in the classroom, and gain new tips and tools for helping students learn to self-regulate and succeed. This is an interactive participatory workshop where we will move, get to know each other better, laugh and have fun while stretching our minds and sharing best practices that have worked for us. You will leave with many new teacher tricks that you can put into practice immediately to improve the vibe of your classroom. Laptop, open mind, positive attitude, loose clothes that are comfortable and easy to move in.
Audience: All Grades, Focus: Special Education, In this session, we will review various ways to collect data for behavior intervention plans. We will review case consideration, and ways to streamline the data collection process. Graphing Data for PPT meetings will also be reviewed. Bring: Bring computer, data sheets you've used previously.
Audience: Elementary General (PK-5), Focus: Elementary Education, English Language Arts, In Fluency Buddies, educators will discover a daily classroom strategy that has proven to enhance reading achievement for all students. The key takeaways from Fluency Buddies include an engaging presentation supported by data, demonstrating an effective and simple method to improve students' reading abilities in the classroom.
Audience: All Grades, Focus: Multilingual Learners, In Foundations for Teaching Multilingual Learners, participants will learn about the identification process for Multilingual Learners, strategies for teaching MLs, and how to use Ellevations to support multilingual students. As a result of their learning, teachers will be able to understand how Multilingual Learners are identified, the needs of MLs based upon their language levels, strategies to support MLs, and how to use Ellevations to access data on their ML students lessons to support them.
Audience: Upper Elementary (3-5), Focus: Special Education, The session is designed to introduce special education teachers to the Geodes reading program which supports comprehension for students receiving Wilson instruction. Participants will learn the scope and sequence of Geodes and how to align Geodes with each step of the Wilson program in order to provide students with decodable, authentic, rich texts. As a result of this training, special education teachers will learn a new method for providing reading comprehension instruction to students who struggle with decoding. Bring: Knowledge of Wilson or Fundations will be helpful for this session.
Audience: Secondary (6-12), Focus: English Language Arts, Math, Special Education, Intervention Teachers, This session will look at quick literacy and numeracy assessments that will guide you for the coming school year. Additionally, we'll share activities that will help you provide data for PPT meetings throughout the school year.
Audience: K-8, Focus: Elementary Education, English Language Arts, General (Environment, Instruction), In “Revolutionize Writing: Writing Strategies to Scaffold Thinking” participants will learn how to use structured writing activities to scaffold and simplify writing assignments for students. Participants will become familiar with activities from The Writing Revolution (by Hochman & Wexler, 2017) and will create and modify assignments to improve students’ written expression and critical thinking. The main takeaways of “Revolutionize Writing: Writing Strategies to Scaffold Thinking” are activities generated during the session for use in the teacher’s classroom; a deeper knowledge of English syntax; and targeted strategies to improve students’ sentences, paragraphs, and essays. Please bring a laptop and charger! Any anticipated assignments and assessments might also help to make this work more relevant and meaningful.