Foundations of Effective Teaching: Cultivating a Student-Centered Classroom

Foundations of Effective Teaching is a blended model professional learning course designed to inspire and support educators in becoming reflective practitioners while meeting the highest expectations of the profession.

Section A: Re-Envisioning the Learning Environment consists of three modules: Transforming Your Teacher Identity, Creating Class Community and Facilitating the Learning Environment. These elements combined promote a climate and culture where teacher and student identities are celebrated and affirmed, social-emotional learning is intentionally planned for and integrated into the classroom ethos, and student agency is supported through equitable, responsive classroom management systems co-created to provide the necessary structure students need to thrive.

Section B: Re-Envisioning Engagement and Instruction consists of four modules: Engaging Every Learner, Principles of Instruction, Feedback for Deeper Learning and Maximizing Learning Time. Participants will investigate foundational research and engage in practical learning experiences designed to increase student interest and engagement, foster autonomy and choice, and activate deeper learning using culturally responsive cognitive and instructional processes and feedback. This section concludes with a culminating module that pulls together all the big ideas and themes from the full course to support participants in creating local plans for maximizing learning time inside and outside of the classroom.