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

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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 of grades 6–12

MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) is the umbrella under which all educational practices fall. It has two main pillars: RtI (Responsiveness to Instruction/Intervention) and PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports). These two areas incorporate all academic and behavioral learning. What have we learned from the experts over the past decades? What does the research tell us about optimal teaching behaviors that equate to maximum learning outcomes? How can we change our behavior to ensure positive and thriving student behaviors? This program is intended to offer the big picture—the major areas that will yield the biggest impact, some of the latest research, as well as practical implementation suggestions and resources. Plan to leave with ideas, resources, and a game plan for your classroom and possibly your school!

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Designed for teachers in grades 3–5.

The NC Math Standards emphasize developing conceptual understandings through modeling and application. Determining how to facilitate these understandings requires collaboration and strategic planning. We will explore and practice strategies for increasing student success by delving into the NC Math Standards and instructional frameworks. We will create contexts for mathematical concepts that lead students to deep understandings and plan a differentiated math classroom that engages students of all skill levels in lessons.

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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.

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Designed for teachers in grades K–8.

How do we take a standardized curricula and design instruction to align with the diverse learning needs of the students in today’s classrooms? How do we ensure students are engaged and motivated to learn? How can we design and implement lessons that ensure student success? This program will help teachers answer these questions by examining elements of lesson design and planning that focus on the learning processes of the students. Teachers will incorporate these elements with evidence and research-based instructional strategies as they design and create lessons for student learning in their classroom.

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Designed for teachers in grades 4–12.

Our public schools are encountering a multicultural diversity challenge. Minority students (and all students) need to see positive verbal and visual images of children like themselves in the books they read. When children see themselves in books they are motivated to read more books and read more often. It can increase self-esteem and make them feel part of the larger society. Reading literature about people from other cultures can increase sensitivity to those who are different from themselves, improve their knowledge of the world, and help them realize that although people have many differences, they also share many similarities. Learn to identify and evaluate books and online literacy resources that you can use to build a positive multicultural classroom. Become familiar with grants and other sources you can use to acquire multicultural resources.

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Many schools are jumping on the Maker Movement bandwagon and are creating MakerSpaces and Maker Carts for students and teachers to use. However, often times we put things in place and then ask ourselves, now what? In this program, teachers will have an opportunity to explore what is next for our MakerSpaces while keeping an equitable lens in mind. We will focus on how to create an environment that allows all students to work collaboratively in order to create innovative projects that are tied to content standards.

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Designed for teachers of grades 6–8.

During the middle years, students move from concrete to abstract thinking. Developing understanding, not simply rote memorization of concepts, is imperative in these grades. Through integration of mathematical practices, we will create contexts for mathematical concepts that lead students to deep understandings of the why and how of middle grades standards. Collaborate with colleagues to develop a differentiated math classroom that engages students of all skill levels in lessons.

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The North Carolina FIRST Lego League (NCFLL) has quickly spread across NC with over 500 teams last year. Students in grades 4th-8th compete by designing and programming LEGO Mindstorm robots, working in collaborative teams, and engaging in research projects about real-world challenges such as recycling and hydrodynamics. This program will give you the tools you need to not only maintain a LEGO Robotics team at your school but also program and test autonomous robots. We will focus on robot programming, leading research projects, and finding support.

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