This summer, the Iowa Department of Education is hosting free regional learning sessions for public school districts across the state. These workshops will highlight the evidence-based practices of Instructional Rounds, CHAMPS and Engaging Learners.
Registration is now open and schools are encouraged to coordinate their registration at a district-level through one point of contact. There is no limit on the number of district participants, and schools are welcome to bring as many teachers as needed to support these learning initiatives.
Descriptions for each workshop are listed below.
Instructional Rounds
This three-day regional workshop is intended for school leadership teams, such as district office staff, principals, instructional coaches and building leadership team teachers. Instructional Rounds allow teams to build a common understanding of collective teaching and learning, reduce variability and provide data to inform professional development opportunities. This workshop will demonstrate the protocol for rounds and how participants can learn from one another.
Instructional Rounds workshops will be offered at the following dates and locations:
● June 5-7, Des Moines
● June 17-19, Cedar Falls
● June 24-26, Iowa City
● July 9-11, Denison
CHAMPS
The two-day regional workshop on CHAMPS targets new K-12 teachers, teachers who need additional support and school leadership team members. CHAMPS is an evidence-based, proactive approach to classroom management that guides the teacher in making decisions about managing behavior with an effective, positive classroom management plan. Teachers will learn how to create a supportive learning environment, how to set and communicate expectations with students and align CHAMPS with existing positive behavior supports and programs, among others. Additionally, administrators and instructional coaches will better understand how to provide a collaborative structure to sustain the implementation of CHAMPS in the classroom.
CHAMPS will be offered at the following dates and locations:
● July 10-11, Des Moines – Elementary and secondary training
● July 29-30, Iowa City – Elementary and secondary training
● Aug. 1-2, Dubuque – Elementary only
● Aug. 5-6, Denison – Elementary only
Engaging Learners
The full-day workshop on Engaging Learners is prioritized for all teachers and school leadership teams. Participants of the Engaging Leaders regional session will learn strategies to put students at the center of their learning, including engaging reluctant students to actively think, talk and write. Activities will assist teachers to engage students to learn academic vocabulary, comprehend content, correct mistakes and make deeper connections.
Engaging Learners will be offered at the following dates and locations:
● July 15, Denison – Elementary only
● July 16, Newton – Elementary only
● July 17, Des Moines – Secondary only
● July 18, Iowa City – Elementary only
● July 19, Cedar Rapids – Secondary only
Participating school districts will receive additional information on exact location, time and what materials to bring after their registration is submitted.
Questions regarding the regional learning sessions can be directed to Department consultants Sarah Seney and Heidi Anthony-Plahn.