WORKSHOPS
Stellar Teaching Strategies
Making every minute count, we share a toolbox full of methods for teachers to use at the beginning, middle, and end of dynamic and functional lesson designs. This workshop strategically models techniques, and then provides research-based evidence to explain the efficacy in order for teachers to continue to explore resources and best practices on their own. Keeping a dynamic mix of options is the secret to engagement and sparking interest in learning. We use novelty, emotion, social interaction, reflection, and the appropriate amount of challenge.
Nurturing a Positive School Climate
This workshop is preceded by a conference call with school leadership to customize for your school’s unique needs. Based in motivation research, elements of a positive school culture from the perspectives of students, teachers, and leadership are revealed. A prescriptive approach to implement an action plan, with input by leadership, is formally presented to your faculty and staff. Awareness and trust building are key components to successful positive school climate. We provide the rationale, plan, and help for you to get buy-in as you build a core team of positive leaders.
Preparing for Accreditation
Accreditation often marks one of the most important landmarks in a school's history. After consulting with the school leadership, this workshop will be tailored to meet the specific needs of the school, while ensuring that all basic components of preparing for accreditation are covered and that all stakeholders are an integral part of the process. The school preparation process includes: Putting together the Steering Committee; Conducting Surveys and Needs Assessments; Developing the Strategic or Self-Improvement Plan; and Preparing for the Actual Visit. By the end of the workshop, the school leadership will have the tools and skills necessary to successfully and confidently embark upon the accreditation process insha'Allah.
Curriculum Mapping for Your School
Curriculum mapping is transformational for schools in that it establishes a strong institutional curriculum and documents a solid, real-time, authentic, and operational plan. This workshop provides a comprehensive approach to implementing a system-wide curriculum mapping procedure within your institution. Administrators, curriculum leaders, and teachers alike will learn the proper tools to make institutional decisions that close curriculum gaps and redundancies across grades and subjects. Teachers will learn how to develop short, intermediate, and long-term plans that follow a standard and skills based teaching approach.
Data-Driven Lesson Design and Differentiated Instruction
Schools administer standardized tests and teachers are constantly assessing students -- but what happens next? Schools that are highly performing implement planned use of data and create a school-wide culture of analysis and inquiry. In this workshop you will learn the process of data driven decision-making and how that can translate into increased student achievement and facilitate differentiated instruction in the classroom. A step-by-step process will help schools sift through data and transform it into action items: ask the right questions, collect the data, analyze the data, set priorities and goals, develop strategies, and reflect on the results.
Social-Emotional Learning
Social-Emotional Learning has come a long way since Daniel Goleman first published Emotional Intelligence in 1995. An increasing body of research shows that social-emotional literate children not only achieve higher academically, but also perform better later on at jobs and life relationships.
School must involve all stakeholders in order to plan to systematically teach children a social-emotional set of skills. This workshop will introduce participants to the concepts and structure of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) implementation in a school. This will include the Five SEL Core Competencies: Self-Awareness, Responsible Decision-making, Relationship Skills, Social Awareness, and Self-management.
The participants will then study their own school and work together to establish a blueprint for an Emotionally Literate School, starting with the Readiness stage, then planning the Implementation and Sustainability phases.
