ENGLISH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Great Minds® offers a range of professional learning opportunities designed to maximize student learning. Wit & Wisdom®, Wit & Wisdom in SyncTM, and Geodes® come to life and have the greatest impact when teachers deeply understand and know how to implement them. Our professional development sessions, taught by our teacher-writers and experts, teach educators how to get the most out of Wit & Wisdom.

For Wit and Wisdom, rigorous curriculum, implementation support, and professional development support a successful implementation.

We believe that educators need three things to successfully implement Wit & Wisdom – the rigorous curriculum itself, strong professional development, and ongoing implementation support. With those three components, Wit & Wisdom will flourish in your schools. 

Implementing Wit & Wisdom

We now offer virtual Wit & Wisdom professional development, inspired by the same learning design and goals as our in-person PD. Virtual PD is not just an online course; rather, it consists of live, facilitator-led sessions that are tailored to your teachers’ needs.

Virtual Private PD Testing

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.

A selection of award-winning picture books including Owl Moon, The Keeping Quilt, and Moon Rope.

“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, Memphis, TN

VIRTUAL PD SESSIONS

The Wit & Wisdom team has crafted a multi-year professional development sequence to support teachers, ELA coaches, and school leaders. Sessions are designed and led by our team of teacher-writers, 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 session is split into two parts for scheduling flexibility.

Lead Wit & Wisdom

In this session, educators learn about the what and why of Wit & Wisdom and how to lay the groundwork for successful implementation through effective planning and preparation. The 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. It 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. It is 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, Levels 1 and 2

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.

VIRTUAL COACHING SESSIONS

Wit & Wisdom virtual coaching sessions are designed for new and experienced classroom teachers, math coaches, and school leaders. Grade-level teams and professional learning communities are encouraged to participate together to enrich the experience and build upon their learnings. 


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 tips for creating continuous learning plans to providing model lessons.

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

This session examines the elements of effective writing and Wit & Wisdom’s approach to writing instruction.

Learn Anywhere with Wit & Wisdom in Sync

In this session, teachers explore how to use Great Minds’s new Learn Anywhere Plans to support continuous learning as they toggle between in-person instruction with Wit & Wisdom and distance learning with Wit & Wisdom in Sync™.

Strengths-Based Site Visit (In Person Only)

This in-person session empowers educators to identify strengths in implementation and to develop implementation strategies.

Students discuss geometric art at a table.
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 development, connect with us! Together, we’ll make the best plan for your implementation timeline and local goals.