Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools educators had a busy couple of days with professional development last Monday and Friday, and John F. Kennedy High School and West Forsyth High School both reached out to share what they were working on.
At Kennedy, teachers took a novel approach to refining their classroom strategies by holding mock classes for each other. Teachers observed each other’s lessons from the perspective of students and offered feedback on the rigorousness, complexity, and inspired curiosity of the curriculum. The fresh perspective was helpful for teachers who are considering how to get their students more engaged with classroom content.
“Deeper learning is a framework that we can use to make sure we’re focusing on Portrait of a Graduate Skills,” said Kennedy Assistant Principal Rachel Scott. “It gives us a chance to ask the clarifying questions that students might ask us.”
At West Forsyth, educators joined together for in-depth conversations about pedagogical subjects. Social Emotional Learning, the UnboundEd Planning Process for demystifying lesson plans, methods for creating more engaging instruction, and rotations covering inclusive practices were all on the docket. Assistant Principal Tavia Gilmore lauded her staff for the energy and enthusiasm they brought to the discussions, and she looks forward to seeing new insights in action in classrooms.
“These were very involved PD sessions,” Gilmore said. “We are quite proud of the open-mindedness and intentionality everyone brought to the discussions.”
Thank you to all of our teachers for the hard work you put into professional development for the sake of our students!