Principal’s Corner by Nick Sofio

With no school for students on April 14, Albert Lea teachers were busy with a full day of their own of learning.

Elementary teachers gathered at Brookside to participate in a variety of learning opportunities to sharpen their skills and deepen their knowledge to provide the best teaching and learning strategies to the students of Albert Lea.

The morning kicked off with Kenneth Griswold, Albert Lea Area Schools coordinator of technology integration, greeting our teachers and laying the foundation for a successful day of learning from each other. After reviewing the pre-planned learning sessions, collaboratively creating a number of other sessions, the schedule was set and our teachers set out for an exciting day of learning.

Traditional professional development day is typically structured with a sit and get model, meaning participants assemble in a large group where one person presents on one topic to everyone in attendance.

Our day was developed to offer teachers a number of learning sessions from which to choose during each of the four learning blocks. This model allows teachers to tailor their learning to best meet their individual needs and interests.

Another great feature from our day is that the learning sessions were led and facilitated by teachers from each of the four elementary buildings. Teachers collaborating within these relevant learning sessions strengthened and deepened teacher learning. In most cases, teachers are able to begin using these new strategies very soon after their day of learning.

Learning session topics offered teachers the chance to learn reading and math strategies, new technology features, and meeting the social and emotional needs of students. A few examples would include the Hawthorne fifth-grade team facilitating a session on using math manipulatives to build conceptual understanding; a number of technology sessions on Chromebooks, iPads, and the use of SeeSaw and HyperDocs; and strategies for working with English language learners.

Energy and excitement was extremely high as we concluded our day together. Teachers were eager and ready to begin to use their newly acquired knowledge in their classroom.

Nick Sofio is the principal of Lakeview Elementary School.