Professional Development
& Team Building

Charter Schools Christian SchoolsPrivate SchoolsProfessional Learning Communities (PLC)Project-Based Learning (PBL)

The goal of professional development is not to have some training where everyone gathers around to learn something only to forget tomorrow what was learned today. The goal for professional development is to stretch the knowledge and skills of the participants. But just like a single class won’t provide a student with what they need, a single presentation for educators won’t be enough either. That is why a “coach approach” for professional development will do more for your organization than anything you’ve done to date. The “coach approach” is a training and then a coaching follow through until what has been learned, has been applied.

We already know enough to successfully teach all children whose education is important to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.
~ Ron Edmonds

Professional Development & Team Building

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (PLC)

Your team will reach its potential only if you reach your potential.

~ John C Maxwell

We provide 2, 3, or 4-day workshops for a group or team to learn the protocols and experience the “how” of putting together Professional Learning Communities. Our “Professional Learning Community” model provide teachers and administrators a clear process for building collaboration and working together to solve the most urgent problems or issues that happen in the classroom or school setting.

Our PCL model is an opportunity to build your unique “learning community” so your time working together gets the results you’ve always wanted. Once you learn these protocols, you can use them over and over again. You’ll learn how to frame the issues that happen and find solutions as a team. In addition, there will be no need for follow up. This training sets you on the right path and from there – you can quickly and easily make it your own.

Our workshops provide an exciting culture change for your team.
  • The initial training is followed up with Group Coaching for PLC leaders to ensure that the work builds effective momentum and gets the desired results.
  • Our PLC work is fundamental for collaborative efforts to unpack curriculum, design curriculum maps, address power standards, improve instructional models, use new knowledge gained from professional development, and improve morale.
  • Collaboration requires a framework for effectiveness. People talk about Professional Learning Communities, but they don’t provide the framework to keep them going when things get in touch. Our PLC model builds upon itself and the more it is practiced, the faster the results.
Greater Trust Collaboration How to Work as a Team
Improved Methodologies Shared Lessons Dialogue about Students
Using Time Better Teacher-Led PD Feedback on Important Issues
Data Gets Reviewed New Classroom Techniques Greater Student Engagement
Increase your energy and enthusiasm for what you’re doing.

For several years there has been a great deal of movement in schools to use some type of Professional Learning Community model. It has had some benefits and the research behind it has brought about some improvements but it hasn’t brought about enough improvement primarily because it is generally not owned by the teaching staff. Let’s work together and do this right!

Our PLC training is designed to be owned, operated, and implemented by the teachers. The training empowers teachers to utilize the information, put their own teams together, and begin to take ownership of their results.

Because our training is combined with follow-up Group Coaching, the implementation is assured and the outcomes measured.
Professional Development & Team Building

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING (PBL)

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
~ Benjamin Franklin

The ProEdCoach – Project-Based Learning training is a well-designed instructional approach that works every time for you and your students. If you want professional development that moves teaching and learning to a whole new level of impact and results, this is what you want.

During our PBL training, you will learn the skills of how to establish a PBL program in your school. Teachers will walk through the process, learn the skills, practice the protocols, and begin designing their first PBL unit. Within a few days you’ll be on your way to building a PBL program applies educational content to real-life situations. You will gain new skills for communication which will include clarifying what you really your students to learn. You’ll design culminating projects, driving questions, group contracts, and a set of rubrics that changes they way adults and students understand how education can and should be done. There is a unique self-confidence that happens as a result of PBL training. That confidence changes everything that happens in your school. This IS the best methodology for instruction. Isn’t it time that you learned how to do it?

Trainer – Mr. Jerry Holtgren

What are the benefits of Project-Based Learning in your school?
  • There is an excitement in the school that cannot happen any other way.
  • Parents love sending their children to your school.
  • Attendance improves as the students do not want to miss.
  • There is a better relationship between the school and the community.
  • The culture throughout the school improves.
  • Student work and projects become a “must-see” within the school grounds.
  • Discipline issues are greatly reduced as students quickly find areas of their interest.
  • Teacher collaboration increases for the PBL teachers.
  • Teachers gain clear ideas of what they want or need for their professional development.
  • Curriculum discussions are rich and focused.
How will teachers and school leaders benefit from PBL?
  • You think differently about your community and school.
  • You engage parents as part of what you’re doing.
  • You will find businesses and community organizations that will reach out to you.
  • You will think differently about teaching – making it a lot more fun.
  • You will have a better relationship with your peers.
  • You will find that you’re gaining “trust” with others.
  • You will organize your time more effectively and efficiently.
  • You will get excited about going to work every day.
  • You will share more about your school, your class, your students, (and your district).
  • You will have lesson plans that integrate subject areas within the PBL framework.
  • You will build accountability for your work that proves that you’ve taken your students to higher levels of achievement.
Professional Development & Team Building

Charter Schools – Christian Schools – Private Schools

It’s time to re-engineer our schools and you’re just the ones to do it. There are multiple areas where we can work that can put your school on a trajectory to surpass anything you have imagined to date. It’s time to stop replicating the public schools and think differently.

At the heart of our educational culture there are two visions for the future. One is to build on the traditions of 3,000 years of wisdom, goodness, and knowledge, while empowering our children to live a better life. The other is a corrupted outlook for the future that is designed to make pawns out of the children while removing the traditions that allowed each generation to have a better life than the previous.

Let’s design coaching conversations, training, actions, and self-accountability measures for making better plans for the future of the children and school personnel. This includes but it not limited to topics like culture, assessments, instructional methodologies, evaluations, time, classroom design, standards, skill attainment, grading, parental responsibilities, qualifications, collaboration, curriculum, communication, and much more.

There are antidotes to the current issues that our educational entities are facing but the current trajectory of our schools will only lead to further decay. We must aspire to something more and build a school culture that is so strong that the battering rams of hate, discontent, politics, and evil will not be able to break through your walls of success, teamwork, wisdom, knowledge, and excitement for the future.

The future for our children will require students to become critical thinkers, have cross-functional skills, an ability to lead as well as follow, time management, self-management, adaptability, analytical thinking, numeracy, questioning skills, and a global perspective to prevent the pervasive negative influencers.

This is NOT a pre-packaged program for change based on some theoretical ideas. This is a step-by-step approach based on coaching, research, support, and a relational design that will help you achieve what you’ve always wanted for your students, teachers, and parents. It is also the most cost-effective program you could ever use for what you really want to do.

Professional Development & Team Building Plan

Step 1 - Identify

You will identify your challenges and we will explore the issues that have kept you and your team from the outcomes you’ve been looking for.

Step 2 -Discover

You will discover how to prioritize what is the most important, how to communicate it, and get things done that matter most.

Step 3 - Activate

You will activate insights, talents, ideas, and the plans that are the natural outgrowth of the work we are doing.

Step 4 - Develop

You will develop action-oriented plans, delegate responsibilities, build systems of accountability, and give the support necessary to get the results you want and need.

Step 5 - Engage

You will engage in continual improvement processes that give you a new framework for every person reaching their full potential.

Step 6 - Growth

You will grow in confidence, insights, and leadership abilities throughout the organization. Your students will grow in achievement. Your attendance, participation, impact, and reputation will grow also.