ENGLISH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Great Minds® offers a range of professional learning opportunities that maximize student learning. Wit & Wisdom®, Wit & Wisdom in Sync™, and Geodes® come to life and have the greatest impact when teachers deeply understand and know how to implement them. Our professional development sessions and implementation support offerings, facilitated by our teacher-writers and experts, teach educators how to get the most out of Wit & Wisdom.
Research demonstrates that three elements are needed for successful curriculum implementation—a rigorous curriculum life Wit & Wisdom, strong professional development, and ongoing implementation support. With those three components, Wit & Wisdom will flourish in your schools.
Virtual Offerings Available
We now offer virtual Wit & Wisdom professional development, inspired by the same learning design and goals as our in-person offerings. Virtual offerings are not just recorded online courses; rather, it consists of live, facilitator-led sessions that are engaging and interactive.
Virtual Private PD
Come together with educators from your school or district for a private Wit & Wisdom PD session. Great Minds facilitators will work with up to 35 participants in a distance learning environment.
Virtual Implementation Support
Sign up for virtual Implementation Support designed to help leaders support teachers in effectively implementing Wit & Wisdom
Virtual Open Enrollment
Join educators from around the country for an open enrollment virtual PD session. Designed for 20–35 participants, sessions are led by two Great Minds facilitators. View the schedule and sign up for a session at the link below.
“We saw the Wit & Wisdom materials and loved them, the quality of the texts, and the rigor of the curriculum.”
-Shawn K., Superintendent, Lauderdale County Schools, RIPLEY, TN
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS
The Wit & Wisdom team has crafted a multi-year professional development sequence to support teachers, ELA coaches, and school leaders. Sessions are designed by our team of teacher-writers and led by educators who are expert implementers of the curriculum, who draw on their classroom experience and expertise with the curriculum to help participants prepare for and sustain successful implementation.
Launch Wit & Wisdom
The first in the Wit & Wisdom professional development sequence, Launch Wit & Wisdom is an introduction to the curriculum’s research foundation, learning design, approach to knowledge building and complex texts, and module and lesson components. The virtual session is split into two parts for scheduling flexibility.
Lead Wit & Wisdom
In this session, leaders learn about the what and why of Wit & Wisdom and how to lay the groundwork for successful implementation through effective planning and preparation. The virtual session is split into two parts for scheduling flexibility.
Module & Lesson Study
This session takes participants deep into the curriculum’s structure and offers practical planning tools and strategies. The virtual version is split into two parts for scheduling flexibility.
Writing in Wit & Wisdom
This session dives into Wit & Wisdom’s text-based approach to teaching informative, opinion/argument, and narrative writing. The virtual version split into two parts for scheduling flexibility.
Focus on Fluency
In this session, educators explore how fluency contributes to student literacy as well as best practices for teaching it.
Testing and Wit & Wisdom
In this session, educators learn more about the demands of statewide English language arts assessments, research on effective approaches to test preparation, and how Wit & Wisdom prepares students for statewide ELA assessments.
Getting Started with Geodes
This session is an introduction to Geodes’ accessible, knowledge-building approach to early literacy. To support successful implementation, it provides educators with helpful resources and a flexible framework for planning Geodes instruction.
Implementation support services
Wit & Wisdom also offers Implementation Support Services designed to help leaders build their capacity to support effective implementation. Working closely with Wit & Wisdom Implementation Leaders, district and school leaders deepen their knowledge of the curriculum and their skills in leading, observing, and coaching.
- Guided Observations for Leaders
- Wit & Wisdom Custom Strategic Planning
- Understanding Wit & Wisdom’s Design—Knowledge Building
- Understanding Wit & Wisdom’s Design—Complex Texts
- Understanding Wit & Wisdom’s Design—Writing
- Learn Anywhere with Wit & Wisdom in Sync™
- Strengths-Based Site Visit (in person only)
Guided Observations for Leaders
In this session, leaders explore what successful implementation looks like, how to identify and develop teachers’ strengths, and how to support teachers with coaching, professional learning community work, and other means.
Wit & Wisdom Custom Strategic Planning
Tailored to education leaders’ specific needs, these flexible coaching sessions provide a wide range of support, from creating multi-year implementation plans to strategizing to solve implementation challenges.
Understanding Wit & Wisdom’s Design—Knowledge Building
Designed for leaders and coaches, this session explores Wit & Wisdom’s approach to knowledge building and student literacy and how this approach affects instruction.
Understanding Wit & Wisdom’s Design—Complex Texts
This session explains complex texts, shows why they are essential to literacy development, and demonstrates how Wit & Wisdom teaches students to read complex texts closely.
Understanding Wit & Wisdom’s Design—Writing
Complementing the Writing in Wit & Wisdom PD session for teachers, this session examines the elements of effective writing and Wit & Wisdom’s approach to writing instruction.
Learn Anywhere with Wit & Wisdom in Sync
This session supports educators in deepening their understanding of how to maximize student learning with Wit & Wisdom in Sync through in-person, distance, or hybrid instruction.
Strengths-Based Site Visit (In Person Only)
This in-person session empowers educators to identify strengths in implementation and to develop implementation strategies.
Plan PD or Coaching for your School
Whether you're ready to register for a session or you're still making a plan for professional learning, connect with us! Together, we’ll make the best plan for your implementation timeline and goals.
