Professional Development

The CPC P-3 professional development system integrates online learning modules with in-person, follow-up support for classroom and program applications. Mentors support HTs and CALs in the implementation of professional development.

Goals :

  • Advance the quality and alignment of preschool–3rd grade teaching within each CPC P-3 site.
  • Promote the capacity of each site’s leadership team in advancing the CPC P-3 model.
  • Help build a preschool–3rd grade professional learning community within and across sites.

Resources

PD Facilitator Check-in Sheet

Purpose: Using their Teacher PD Planning Sheet, teachers practice implementing the target strategy they’ve chosen. After a few weeks of regular implementation, HTs schedule a time to observe the teacher and use this PD Facilitator Check-In Sheet to look for evidence of the strategy being implemented, children’s responses during the activity/interaction, and identify what resources supported and what barriers prevented its use.

Instructions: Afterwards, the teacher and HT re-examine the target strategy and modify as necessary. For example, the teacher may wish to delve deeper into the strategy, extend it to another area of the classroom, or switch gears and try something new for the next few weeks.

Teacher PD Planning Sheet

Purpose: After viewing an online module about high-impact practices that support student learning, teachers choose specific strategies and activities to focus and plan around. Using this planning sheet, they are encouraged to think about which strategy or module component to practice, its impact on student learning or well-being, and how it will be implemented. The times of day, student groupings (e.g., small group), and frequency are outlined.

Instructions: Teachers plan for the implementation of the target strategy in both child-initiated learning and teacher-directed instruction. Finally, teachers generate ideas on how to extend the use of this strategy to family and home connections.

Erikson Knowing the Child Form

Purpose: Classroom teachers fill out this form to reflect upon and highlight the role of observation in the classroom, which can help inform their instructional practices.

Instructions: Over a 6 week period, classroom teachers take a closer look at the ways in which they are coming to know a particular student in their class. Perhaps there is a student or family new to the school who seems to be in need of some extra support. Using this form, teachers document insights that have come as a result of observations, conversations, listening to and watching a child’s interactions with peers, and his/her response to the classroom environment.

Erikson PD Planning Tool

Purpose: This planning tool is used to help determine the needs, strategies, and logistics of PD implementation.

Instructions: This planning tool is used by the PD instructional leadership team in collaboration with Erikson and the mentors to plan for the upcoming year.

Erikson MCPC PD Guide

Purpose: The Midwest CPC Expansion Project’s Professional Development system has been designed with the intent of enriching and advancing school-based efforts to promote teacher growth and effectiveness. This guide provides instructional leaders with with the guidelines for PD implementation.

Instructions: Use this guide with the PD instructional leadership team to plan and implement PD.