Professional Development Options

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Happy Teachers — Happy Students!

Below you will find many of the professional development (PD) sessions that I presently offer. This page is separated into different topic sections:

  • Menus
  • Differentiation
  • Nature and Needs
  • Identification and Assessment
  • Creativity and Instructional Strategies
  • Social and Emotional
  • Other

For a description of each session, click on the arrow at the end of each session’s box.

Menus (Choice Boards)

Menus are a way to offer choice for all levels of students. In this session, we will discuss the various formats and considerations when developing menus. Come with units in mind you would like to spice up and leave with at least one menu you have developed for immediate use in your classroom.

Can be used for Creativity and Instructional Strategies (C&I) for Texas 30-hour training.
Menus are a way to offer choice for all levels of students. In this session, we will discuss the various formats and considerations when developing menus. Come with units in mind you would like to use for brainstorming!
People have asked for a session on how to write task statements for choice boards (menus). So here it is! This session will discuss how to brainstorm task ideas and match ideas to products. Come with an upcoming unit in mind and leave with tasks at various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy that can be used on a menu format of your choice!
Menus can be so much more than just enrichment tools. Are you already using menus but want to do more? This session will introduce participants to new ways they can incorporate menus into their instruction including warm-ups, homework, interactive notebooks, and even more experiences. Examples shared and templates provided!
Although menus can presented in K-12, multi-content sessions, districts often find greater implementation of the technique when the audience is broken down into more specific groups by grade level (K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12; elementary and secondary) or by content areas (math, science, social studies, and language arts). This allows me to focus in on uses, designs and considerations that are specific to different needs. If you would like a menu session for elementary math, high school science, or K-1 bilingual, I can design it specifically to meet your needs.

Problem Based Learning (PBL)

Problem Based Learning (PBL) is on its way to becoming an educational buzzword. This session will provide participants with an introduction to PBL including its importance, how it works, and how to manage the implementation and support process. We will then investigate different types of problems students could investigate at different grade levels. Participants will leave with at least one brainstormed "problem" they could incorporate into their instruction.

Nature and Needs of the GIfted

This sessions provides participants the opportunity to investigate the nature and needs of gifted students. Participants will begin with an examination of the evolution of gifted education. Then we will discuss the unique qualities or "nature" of gifted students that distinguish gifted students from high achieving students. Lastly, participants will work to identify the needs created by these unique natures discussed during the session. Participants should be prepared to participate in large and small group discussions and share observations from their experiences.

In Texas, this six-hour session is designed to be Nature and Needs of the Gifted (Day One) of the initial 30-hour GT training.

Creativity and Instructional Strategies

Problem Based Learning (PBL) is on its way to becoming an educational buzzword. This session will provide participants with an introduction to PBL including its importance, how it works, and how to manage the implementation and support process. We will then investigate different types of problems students could investigate at different grade levels. Participants will leave with at least one brainstormed "problem" they could incorporate into their instruction.

Differentiation

Differentiation should not be an addition to classroom lesson, but instead be a part of teachers’ teaching “lifestyle.” This session shares various low/no prep differentiation strategies which can be used with any topics and during every aspect of the lesson cycle in the classroom. Participants should come prepared to experience each strategy, brainstorm its applicability in your specific content, and leave with ideas you can use right away in your classroom!

In Texas, this six-hour session is designed to be Differentiation Day of the initial 30-hour GT training.
Differentiation should be a way of thinking; a method of approaching each lesson that you teach, every day. This workshop demystifies the eternal questions: What exactly is differentiation? How can I differentiate and meet everyone's needs and still get everything else done? As we discuss the nuts and bolts of differentiation and why it is important for our students, you will be introduced to over eight different differentiation strategies from low preparation (none) to higher preparation (10 – 15 minutes). Participants will experience all of these strategies first hand as they discuss the nature and needs of gifted students. Come prepared to actively participate, discuss ideas with peers and brainstorm how each activity can be used immediately in the classroom.
Menus are a way to offer choice for all levels of students. In this class, we will discuss the various formats and considerations when developing menus. Come with units in mind you would like to spice up and leave with at least one menu you have developed for immediate use in your classroom.

Can be used for Creativity and Instructional Strategies (C&I) for Texas 30-hour training.
This is a hands-on, minds engaged session which focuses on strategies that can be used with all students in any content but really challenge and meet the needs of the gifted! Leave with ideas you could use right away.
This is a hands-on, minds engaged session which focuses on strategies that specifically selected to challenge and meet the needs of the gifted in bilingual or ESL classrooms! Leave with ideas you could use right away.

Identification and Assessment of the Gifted

In this session, participants will discuss the Identification and Assessment of the gifted as set forth in the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students. Participants will also examine the work of Irby and Lara who specialize in the identification of Hispanic Gifted/Talented students.

In Texas, this six-hour session is designed to meet the criteria for ID & A (Day Two) of the initial 30-hour GT training.
Participants will examine the work of Irby and Lara who specialize in the identification of Hispanic Gifted/Talented students, focusing on the different clusters found in the Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instrument (HBGSI).

Other/Update Only Sessions

This cut-up, glue-down, some-what messy course has participants making and taking 9 different book formats. These products can be used in all content areas to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in varied ways. Prepare to brainstorm how to use each book in your classroom to allow for differentiated experiences! Please bring: a bag to collect your products, a pair of scissors and a glue stick. Prepare to have fun, and dress to get a bit messy!
This experiential session provides the opportunity for teachers to play various games that are often found on their shelves and in the gifted resource closet. The games in this sessions are selected to enhance communication, creativity, and thinking skills. NOTE: Although the teachers will be playing games of their choosing throughout the session, there are multiple discussions focused on the processing of how each game can contribute to higher level thinking.

Note: This session is limited to 52 people (or less) and requires two rooms that are near each other (a large game room where games can be set up - libraries, small gyms, work well), and a processing room (where groups of four are set up for starting the session and processing in-between each game session).