Professional Learning

Professional Learning opportunities for District 56 Staff

Seasonal educator-led professional learning opportunities for D56 Staff. Course descriptions and registration information can be found here.

District 56 is offering professional learning clock hours for those who participate in virtual discussions on approved podcasts.

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Instructional Coaching

The instructional coaching program for District 56 Staff

Our Mission

In District 56, we make professional learning visible by helping educators identify the current reality, set goals, prioritize high-impact strategies, and partner with them until those goals are met.

Our Values

We value one to one professional learning. We use coaching to inspire and nurture a community of professional learners, who feel encouraged to take action and demonstrate enthusiasm for teaching and student learning. We prioritize the emotional wellness of all staff and each child.

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The Partnership Principles

Equality	Choice	Voice	Dialogue	Reflection	Praxis/ Practicality	Reciprocity
The instructional coach recognizes collaborating teachers as equal partners and truly believes that each teacher’s thoughts and beliefs are valuable.	An instructional coach’s goal is to meet teachers where they currently are in their practice and offer choices for learning.	Instructional coaches view coaching as a process that helps teachers find their voice, not a process determined to make teachers think a certain way.	Partners engage in conversation, learning together as they explore ideas. Instructional coaches avoid manipulation, engage participants in conversation about content, and think and learn with collaborating teachers.	Partners don’t dictate to each other what to believe, they respect their partners’ professionalism and provide them with enough information, so that they can make their own decisions.	For instructional coaches this means that, in partnership with collaborating teachers, they focus their attention on how to use ideas in the classroom as those ideas are being learned. Praxis means the professional learning will be focused on the day-to-day realities of a classroom.	In a partnership, all partners benefit from the success, learning, or experience of others- everyone is rewarded by what each individual contributes. One of an instructional coach’s goals should be to learn alongside collaborating teachers.