EdConnective Learn

Interactive Workshops for your School or District

EdConnective expert instructional coaches deliver a unique interactive experience with EdConnective Learn. Participants don’t passively listen like traditional “sit and get” PD. EdConnective experts facilitate breakout rooms, large group learning, and individual work during 1, 2 or 3-hour format sessions. EdConnective Learn interactive workshops are a perfect complement to our more intensive 1:1 partnerships.

Current Workshops Available

Don’t see the topic you’re looking for? Contact us, custom development of workshop content is available.

Foundations: Essential Skills for New Teachers

Foundations: Essential Skills for New Teachers will guide first and second-year teachers in how to set up their classrooms for success. We will discuss three crucial mindsets to building a strong classroom community: consistency, compassion, and confidence.

Teachers will then adapt norms, routines, and procedures and plan their classroom layout to facilitate building a strong classroom community. Finally, teachers will collaborate to plan their first two weeks of instruction, emphasizing building relationships and community within the classroom and setting the tone for successful instruction.

Audience: Teachers

Duration: 3 Hours

Topics of Focus:

Topic 1: Consistency, Compassion, and Confidence | Identify acts of consistency, compassion, and confidence that will positively impact student perceptions and behaviors.

Topic 2: Setting Up for Success | Adapt norms, select and adapt routines that are important to their classroom, and plan a layout for their classroom.

Topic 3: The First 10 Days | Map out community-building activities, how to teach classroom routines and expectations, and how to spiral in content in the first two weeks of class.

Reaching Unresponsive Students

Our Reaching Unresponsive Students workshop targets how to motivate and support students who are disengaged from the classroom community and from learning. We begin by discussing research-proven initiatives to increase attendance and overall engagement for students who are chronically withdrawn from their school community. We then focus on in-class scaffolds for off-task students, practicing least invasive redirections and quick conversations with students to keep class rolling. Finally, we engage in practicing intentional, positive reactions in challenging situations in order to create a trusting and safe space for students to learn and grow. 

Audience: Teachers

Duration: 3 Hours

Topics of Focus:

Topic 1: Increasing Attendance and Engagement

• Discuss and troubleshoot barriers to attendance and engagement for students

• Identify proven strategies to improve attendance and engagement

• Collaboratively create a success plan for a student or group of students

Topic 2: Least Invasive Redirections and 1:1 conversations

• Outline and observe the least-invasive “ladder” of redirection during instruction

• Role-play crucial conversations with students who are struggling to succeed in class

Topic 3: Reshaping Our Reactions

• Identify and practice using a protocol for intentional and mindful reactions in challenging scenarios with students, that emphasizes empathy, curiosity, and an asset-oriented mindset

Teaching Mindsets to Maximize Learning

Effective teaching begins with effective teaching mindsets. Teaching Mindsets to Maximize Learning facilitates inward reflection of teachers on eight mindsets: Access, Justice, Simplicity, Creativity, Asset Oriented, Relationships Matter, Joy & Being a Life Long Learner.

A deep dive then takes participants into 2 mindsets, giving them practical strategies to ensure they’re able to incorporate those mindsets into their approach to classroom management and instruction.

Audience: Teachers or Lead Educators

Duration: 3 Hours

Topics of Focus:

Topic 1: Practicing Self-Care | Explore strategies for self-care that address mental, physical, and social well-being.

Topic 2: Overview of the Teaching Mindsets | Define and reflect on eight mindsets to maximize student learning.

Topic 3: Mindset Deep Dives | Discuss concrete strategies to “shift our lens” and be more intentional for 2-3 specific mindsets from the following: Joy, Asset-Oriented, Simplicity, Relationships, or Life-Long Learner (These can be determined by the workshop facilitator or chosen by the client).

Conflict and Trauma-Informed Teaching

Conflict & Trauma-Informed Teaching examines and discusses how educators adopt mindsets and behaviors that support students who have experienced trauma or are engaged in active conflict.

We begin by examining key practices of trauma-informed teaching and a continuum of restorative practices that teachers can employ. We then practice multiple restorative strategies to address conflict within a classroom quickly. Finally, we use a series of case studies to discuss how to frame and bridge the missed learning and trauma students have experienced in the last few years.

Audience: Teachers or Lead Educators

Duration: 3 Hours

Topics of Focus:

Topic 1: Trauma-Informed teaching | Discuss how teachers can take a more proactive stance when student trauma surfaces

Topic 2: Promoting Restoration After Conflict | Examine and discuss specific mindset shifts that lay the foundation for restorative practices

Topic 3: Bridging Learning Gaps | Analyze student behaviors to hone in on learning gaps in skill, knowledge, capacity, will, cultural competence, and emotional intelligence.

Increasing Student Engagement

Increasing Student Engagement introduces practical strategies for engaging students to help teachers troubleshoot engagement in the context of their own classroom. They're also be given tools to explore engagement resources that fit their curriculum and students. We begin by examining Schlecty’s levels of student engagement and discuss the importance of "authentic" student engagement. Participants then collaborate to solve common challenges to student engagement and to choose and plan one engagement strategy they will implement with students in the coming week.

Audience: Teachers

Duration: 3 Hours

Topics of Focus:

Topic 1: Best Practices of Engagement | Discuss the importance of engagement in impacting student achievement through Schelecty’s levels of engagement.

Topic 2: Troubleshooting Engagement | Brainstorm and define common challenges to authentic engagement within the classroom

Topic 3: Exploring Engagement Resources | Select specific technology-focused and/or non-technology-focused engagement tools in collaborative groups to explore.

Differentiation for Diverse Learners

The Differentiation interactive workshop is centered on the philosophy that effective differentiation is a mindset, not a strategy. It focuses on the simple, easy-to-implement practices and shifts in perspective that facilitate differentiation in each classroom. We discuss differentiation through two avenues.

First, we discuss "in-the-moment" differentiation, and then planning for differentiation. We provide in-the-moment differentiation practices, discussing ways to practice differentiation as a response to qualitative and quantitative data the teacher is observing within the classroom. Finally moving to the planning phase to ensure teachers have concrete takeaways they can use immediately.

Audience: Teachers

Duration: 3 Hours

Topics of Focus:

Topic 1: Differentiation as a Mindset | Discuss what effective and intentional differentiation means within the context of a diverse group of learners

Topic 2: Differentiating Instruction In-the-Moment | Identify space within the class for qualitative observation and in-the-moment processing of formative assessments to recognize students’ needs for differentiation

Topic 3: Planning for Differentiation | Identify and practice methods for differentiating instruction through content (how teachers deliver information), process (how students make sense of information), and product (how students express information).

Listen, Reflect, Impact!

The past 2 years has magnified much of the trauma students and teachers experience when they leave the school building. Leaders are looking for new ways to support teachers, and it’s critical to get it right!

During this session, school and district leaders will take away tools for providing support to teachers and staff members, helping to answer questions such as:

• How do I create an environment where teachers feel heard and respected?

• What supports can I put in place so teachers don’t feel the level of stress they did this past year?

Audience: School and District Leaders

Duration: 2 Hours

Topics of Focus:

Topic 1: Enacting Systems to Listen and Respond to Teachers | With a focus on the locus of control and effective, empathetic listening, participants will explore and practice effective listening and response to trauma experienced by teachers and staff.

Topic 2: Creating Impactful Change in Culture | Prioritize and discuss small but impactful changes that will have the highest positive impact on teachers and students, with an emphasis on building relationships, earning respect, facilitating reflection, and encouraging rest.

Building Strong Relationships with Students and Families

Relationships underpin everything that happens in a teacher’s classroom. Our workshop on Building Relationships begins with a discussion on the importance of intentionality in building relationships through routines, conversations and demeanor. We support this mindset of relationship building with concrete strategies using EdConnective’s four core competencies for relationship building. Finally, we discuss how to expand relationships by engaging and building trust with students’ families and the community.

Audience: Teachers

Duration: 3 Hour

Topic Summary:

Topic 1: Relationship Building as a Skill | Guide teachers in building self-awareness of the social dynamics involved in developing student-teacher relationships

Topic 2: Strategies to Build Relationships | Explore strategies to build relationships with students, including building student awareness of other students, practice unconditional acceptance, build an asset-oriented mindset and increase critical consciousness.

Topic 3: Fostering Family Engagement | Discuss the importance of communication with and to families by exploring the five principles of effective family engagement.

Fostering Engagement Through Play, Movement & Independent Learning

Although rapid adaptation stretched educators unlike ever before, new skills and strategies were gained during remote/hybrid learning that can help teachers be more effective in the classroom. Participants get hands on with innovative techniques and leave with the tools and mindset to adapt some of the best remote strategies to the in-person classroom.

Audience: Teachers

Duration: 3 Hours

Topic Summary:

Topic 1: Adapting Remote Strategies | Analyze what worked well in remote learning and discuss how to adapt it to the in-person classroom.

Topic 2: Play and Movement | Exploring and practicing 3 research-based, culturally responsive strategies to incorporate play and movement into classroom learning.

Topic 3: Fostering Independent Learning | Discuss and practice strategies to foster self-directed learning and independence in the classroom, decreasing the teacher's role as "sage on the stage.”

Checks for Understanding: Using Formative Assessments in the Classroom

Our interactive workshop on Checks for Understanding helps teachers navigate not only how to gauge student understanding during class, but also how to respond to student misunderstandings immediately after getting feedback.

Teachers begin by practicing both quick checks, to get a pulse of student understanding, and using engaging online and pen-and-paper formative assessments to provide real-time feedback on student learning during class. They then discuss how to build a positive culture of error that encourages students to expect and learn from errors, and practice whole-class and individual strategies to respond to student misunderstandings.

Audience: Lead Educators or Teachers

Duration: 3 Hour

Topic Summary:

Topic 1: Checks for Understanding: An Overview | Establish common parameters for getting valid and reliable information about student understanding during class, and what types of Check for Understandings exist.

Topic 2: Formative Checks for Understanding | Engage in a group jigsaw to explore digital and pen & paper formative assessment tools and plan how to incorporate the tools into existing lessons in order to get more student feedback

Topic 3: Responding to Student Misunderstanding | Discuss strategies to create a culture of error, and watch examples of teachers that welcome student error and use them as opportunities for learning.

Self Care for Teachers with NO TIME for Self Care!

Teachers have little time for anything other than teaching. Self care is oft spoken of, but rarely acted upon. Time constraints are real, but self care doesn’t have to be pushed aside, in fact it’s critical to maintaining a healthy professional life and asset-oriented mindset!

During this interactive workshop, teachers will take away practical strategies for incorporating self care into their daily routine, supporting social and emotional well-being and a positive mindset in an otherwise demanding environment.

Audience: Teachers

Duration: 1 Hour

Topics Covered (15-20 minutes per topic):

Topic 1: Teacher Perspectives on Self Care

Topic 2: Discussing and Defining Self-Care

Topic 3: Practicing and Planning Self-Care

Inspiring a Positive Classroom Culture

Our Positive Classroom Culture workshop helps teachers build a foundation of mutual respect in their classroom, and establish an environment that is welcoming, nurturing and comfortable for students. We begin by examining and planning effective norms and routines for each participant’s classroom. We then practice small, meaningful skills that help teachers become a “warm demander,” or a force for positivity, consistency and high expectations for their students. Finally, we discuss how to build strong, meaningful relationships with students that engender trust and collaboration. 

Audience: Teachers

Duration: 3 Hours

Topic Summary:

Topic 1: Establishing Norms and Routines | Plan simple but impactful norms that establish a positive classroom culture

Topic 2: Developing a Positive Presence | Discuss and examine Zaretta Hammond’s warm demander mindset and its impact on classroom culture

Topic 3: Building Relationships as a Skill | Guide teachers in building self-awareness of the social dynamics involved in developing student-teacher relationships

Improving Feedback Through Coaching

How do you shape observation and feedback cycles to effectively improve teacher practice? In this workshop, coaches will analyze how to employ observation data to design highly-focused, practice-based coaching sessions that show immediate results, while also discussing how to support teachers socially, emotionally and in their own self-care practices.

Audience: Coaches and Lead Educators

Duration: 3 Hours

Topic Summary:

Topic 1: Supporting teacher self-care

Topic 2: High-impact data in recorded observations

Topic 3: Planning and executing a feedback meeting (practice and role play)

Facilitating Effective PD

When conducting Professional Development for school and district staff, it can be challenging to get everyone physically in the same location at the same time. PD can be effectively delivered virtually in an interactive format, so your "sit and get" presentations will be a thing of the past.

Audience: Lead Educators and Coaches

Duration: 3 Hour

Topic Summary:

Topic 1: The Basics: How to structure a PD that is organized and targeted 

Topic 2: Providing Space: How to create a safe-space within your PD so that teachers know they are being heard and welcomed, and that their ideas will help drive the session forward.

Topic 3: Providing Practice: How to create engaging activities that will provide teachers with actionable strategies and takeaways to implement in their classroom

Establishing Clear Classroom Norms and Routines

Pivotal to establishing a strong classroom community is creating clear classroom norms and routines that provide students with consistency and stability within the classroom environment. During this workshop, participants will learn practical strategies and get concrete practice in setting effective norms and routines within their classroom.

Audience: Teachers

Duration: 1 Hour

Topic Summary:

Topic 1: Setting Norms in class (Co-created norms)

Topic 2: Implementing a new routine (Role Play)

Topic 3: Routines & Expectations (Strategy list + Teacher observations)

Custom Workshops

Not seeing the topic you want? Let’s work collaboratively to determine a topic and appropriate duration for the Workshop. We’ll enlist the expertise of our content developers, who all have teaching experience, many with administrative experience, and all with post-graduate degrees in an education-specific field.

• 4-6 weeks notice necessary to develop and deliver new topic.

• Customization premiums apply and vary depending on the requirements.

1:1 Virtual Coaching | 1:1 Leadership Coaching | Workshops | 1:1 Coach the Coach

Begin Planning an EdConnective Interactive Workshop for your School or District: