While students enjoyed the day off from school, faculty and staff in the district participated in a day dedicated to professional development and instructional collaboration on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Faculty at Harley Avenue Primary School and James H. Boyd Intermediate School came together to focus on enhancing literacy support for students in grades K-5. Through mini workshop exercises, educators collaborated on specific features of different reading levels including text characteristics, behaviors/strategies and questions to ask students about the text. They also discussed challenges students face while developing their literacy skills.

At Elwood-John H. Glenn High School and Elwood Middle School, faculty and staff held small group discussions by grade level and department. While sharing lesson plans and module examples, educators discussed the type of instructional approaches that will be most beneficial for student learning.

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Gary Furman strongly encourages the collaboration between teachers for professional development. “Collaboration is key to enhancing teacher instruction and understanding student needs,” he said. “It’s a way for teachers to learn from each other and better decipher Common Core Standards.”