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Happy Thanksgiving!
We are thankful to educators everywhere for the work you do to help students flourish. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at McREL!
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Curiosity Works | Changing Schools, vol. 78, Fall 2017
Curiosity has the power to reframe teaching, learning, and leading, unleashing more effective improvement and innovation efforts at schools of every performance status. This issue of Changing Schools looks at how curiosity affects student learning and the professional practices of teachers, principals, and system leaders, and how schools and districts can leverage the power of curiosity. We also explore a unique teacher coaching model that uses "triads" ---- teams of three teachers taking turns as coach, coachee, and observer ---- to turn traditional coaching inside out.
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Success Story | Rural region of central Arizona finds success with a train-the-trainer approach to professional development
Keeping the schoolhouse doors open is hard enough in rural Arizona. High-quality professional development for the faculty and leadership seemed like an unattainable luxury. But the Yavapai County Education Service Agency wouldn't give up, and found success by forging a train-the-trainers partnership with McREL. Affordable and sustainable, the initiative relies on local educators who have become authorized facilitators in the Classroom Instruction That Works and Balanced Leadership frameworks. Now professional development is "part of our culture in this area," in the words of one small-town principal.
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Success Story: "Turnaround" school in Colorado actually turns around...with help from Classroom Instruction That Works
Colorado applies the hopeful phrase "Turnaround Plan" to struggling schools, but the reality is that many of them fail to meet the state's targets and get reprogrammed out of existence. Gilcrest Elementary challenged that pattern by bringing in a McREL consultant to help implement the strategies in our Classroom Instruction That Works
titles. With new practical tools and newfound confidence in themselves, the faculty turned things around so convincingly that Gilcrest soon was recognized as one of the Centennial State's fastest-improving schools. "The results are incredible," the district superintendent says.
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Blog Post | Can compassion cure indifference?
With the rise in the level of incivility and indifference in the U.S., researchers say we're losing our ability to empathize. What can educators do to help students who are emotionally burned out? Brain research suggests that compassion, which activates different neurons in the brain than empathy, could be the answer. With modeling, support, and encouragement from teachers and parents, students who engage in service-oriented activities can not only be taught how to be compassionate, but also learn how to sustain it, McREL president and CEO Bryan Goodwin writes.
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White Paper | Peer Coaching That Works: The power of reflection and feedback in teacher triad teams
In this free white paper, we describe the research that supports teacher-to-teacher peer coaching and lay out the components of an effective coaching triad, with participants taking turns coaching, being coached, and observing. While school leadership can promote an environment that values and encourages trusting working relationships, the real work of coaching needs to be planned and executed by teachers themselves, the authors say.
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McREL Bookstore | Holiday sale!
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10% off storewide in the McREL Bookstore!
10% off through December 31, 2017 | USE CODE: HOLIDAY10.
Now is the time to think about holiday gifts for yourself (or your favorite educators). Enjoy 10% off our entire book catalogue through the end of 2017. Happy Holidays from McREL! (This code cannot be combined with other discount offers.)
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2018 Professional Learning Events
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We're excited to announce our 2018 Professional Learning lineup! We've added several new innovative sessions, both in the summer and fall, and are offering a bonus: Each of our Denver-based academies and workshops now includes extended coaching for the 2018-19 school year to support your continued development!
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 Tools for Classroom Instruction That Works Academy (LA-Metro)
Gain 50 classroom-ready teaching tools to support deeper learning! Join educational leaders and authors Dr. Harvey Silver and Cheryl Abla as they present practical instructional tools from the upcoming book,
Tools for Classroom Instruction That Works
(co-published by McREL and Thoughtful Classroom™ and available in December 2017). Aligned with McREL's Classroom Instruction That Works strategies and framework, this professional learning academy is an intensive learning, working, and planning session for teachers, instructional coaches, principals, and central office PD leaders.
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Tools for Classroom Instruction That Works Academy (Denver)
Aligned with McREL's renowned Classroom Instruction That Works strategies and framework, this two-day academy will deliver an intensive learning, working, and planning session for classroom teachers, instructional coaches, teacher mentors, principals and assistant principals, and central office PD leaders. Participants will also receive a personal copy of the book, Tools for Classroom Instruction That Works.
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 Helping ELLs Flourish With Academic Language Development (Denver)
This two-day professional development workshop will help all teachers ---- general education and ELL specialists ---- apply effective research-based instructional strategies to the five stages of language acquisition and develop students' academic language during subject-matter instruction, using McREL's Academic Language Framework. Registrants will receive a coupon code to get 20% off the recommended book for this class.
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 School Leadership That Works: Evidence-Based Strategies for Sharpening Instructional Focus, Managing Change Processes, and Creating Shared Vision (Denver)
Discover the leadership responsibilities that are most strongly connected to student achievement and learn practical strategies to develop a purposeful, positive school community, initiate and manage change within your school, and choose the right focus for your school's improvement initiatives. Registrants will receive a coupon code to get 20% off the recommended book for this class.
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District Leadership That Works: Connecting Strategic Vision, Action, and Results Across Your System (Denver)
During this 3-day session, participants will learn the principles of high-reliability systems and the actions used in health care, aviation, and other complex industries, and how these principles can be effectively applied to education systems. Determine the current state of your district systems and begin to map steps toward improving the quality of instruction and reducing variability in instructional quality within and among your schools.
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Unleashing Student Curiosity to Learn (Denver)
Explore why and how curiosity can be sparked and sustained within your students, helping them become engaged, motivated, self-directed learners who "own" their educational journeys. Get tools, tips, and ideas for creating challenging learning tasks and higher-order questions that push students to deeper levels of content understanding and application. Registrants will receive a coupon code to get 20% off the recommended book for this class.
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Managing Change: Evidence-Based Strategies for Starting and Sustaining New Policies, Practices, and Processes (Denver)
Change is constant in schools: Every new program, policy, or procedure comes with the need to implement and manage change well. Attend this research- and evidence-based session to learn the keys to helping your school team not just survive change, but thrive in it. Registrants will receive a coupon code to get 20% off the recommended book for this class.
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Instructional Coaching That Works (Denver)
Learn a new, more effective approach to instructional coaching that is focused on inside-out, strengths-based peer coaching that brings small teams of teachers together, building on the bright spots while learning and growing as peers and professionals. You'll leave this session knowing how to create belief among your school team that personal and collective growth are possible, and use data to drive coaching decisions that will have positive effects on outcomes that matter to all.
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JULY 17-18
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SEPTEMBER 20-21
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How to Move Your School from Improvement to Innovation: A Guided Pathway for Success (Denver)
You'll leave this intensive two-day session with an understanding of the important differences between an inside-out, curiosity-driven approach to school improvement and an outside-in or top-down approach. Learn how to focus for improvement or innovation; how to identify high-leverage strategies for action; and gain an understanding of the importance of monitoring change, both for the organization and for individuals.
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JULY 19-20
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SEPTEMBER 27-28
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Weeklong Chats on Twitter
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Looking to grow your professional learning network? Join us for our weeklong Twitter chats, where participants share best practices, strategies, and common (or uncommon) struggles and successes. Follow us on Twitter and use the hashtag #McRELchat to share your thoughts and ideas on each week's theme with other educators.
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Topic | Work-Home balance
November 27-December 3
How do you balance your work and home life?
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Topic | Differentiating homework
December 4-10
How do you differentiate homework for your ELL students?
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Topic | Holiday traditions
December 11-17
What is your favorite holiday tradition that you share with your students?
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December 18-24
Are you the teacher you'd want your own family member to have as their teacher? Why?
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November 30-December 2
| San Antonio, Texas
Join McREL staff for sessions and visit with us in the exhibit hall to learn how we partner with education service agencies across the country to deliver great professional learning, coaching, and strategic consulting to their member districts and schools.
- Leading to Learn: Evaluation of an innovative school leadership program. Co-presented by Karen Bumgardner and the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative on Thursday, Nov. 30, 10:45 a.m.
- Evaluation Systems: Optimizing levers of support. Co-presented by Bryan Goodwin and Region 13 ESC on Friday, Dec. 1, 2:45 p.m.
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McREL: Helping educators flourish
"The Classroom Instruction That Works and Power Walkthrough professional development workshops provided excellent and practical information, and the McREL team has been very responsive to the requests, suggestions, and needs of our district."
David A. Smith, Chief of Staff, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
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