PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This week we had a week long professional development. On Monday, Barb and I did an all-day session on Writing Through the Year for 4th and 5th grade teachers. We shared how to set up a community in your classroom, the new writing curriculum, how to use writer's notebooks and several mini lessons to get them started. We had close to 60 teachers take time out of their last days to join us.

Then on Wednesday we did the same thing with the second and third grade teachers. We had so much fun with them today. They were a wild bunch, but so full of great ideas they were willing to share with each other.

On Tuesday we took a class on how to teach ELL students. Our trainer was Jo Gusman from California. She had us up and moving most of the day. We gained so much knowledge but had so much fun doing it.

Tomorrow the entire school district teachers meet at the coliseum for a full day of training. It sounds like it is going to be great. Can't imagine that many teachers all in one place. We hope to kick off the year with a BOLD new beginning!