WES Faculty Engage in Summer Professional Development
Every summer, our faculty engage in professional development (PD) to ensure our teaching methods reflect best practices in educational research. This year, our team participated in PD around the topics of Responsive Classroom® techniques, diversity, our new Bridges in Mathematics curriculum, reading, writing, STEM, and the Zones of Regulation.
Responsive Classroom®
Elementary School teachers participated in a four-day Responsive Classroom® workshop that focused on building a strong classroom community and supporting students’ social and emotional development.
National Presbyterian’s Diversity Institute
This three-day institute focused on the work and curriculum of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle School educators, with the theme of “Committed to the Work: Combating Bias & Developing Culturally Responsive Teaching in the Classroom.” Sessions focused on how educators and administrators can accurately identify and dismantle biases in their work and school community, as well as cultivate culturally responsive teaching in the classroom.
Bridges in Mathematics
Several Elementary School teachers participated in professional learning focused on delivering high-quality mathematics instruction using our Bridges in Mathematics program.
Reading Horizons
Multiple teachers attended a two-day training for Reading Horizons, an explicit phonics curriculum that helps every K-3 student build a solid foundation in reading and spelling. The program provides a framework for teaching the basic building blocks of the English language from the simplest concept to the more complex with explicit, systematic instruction.
Writing
Teachers grew their professional skills around teaching writing to upper Elementary students.
Zones of Regulation
Early Childhood teachers joined a webinar on Zones of Regulation, a framework designed to foster self-regulation and make social emotional learning stick.
