Inside-Out PD, AVID, and the world of the International Baccalaureate will be working closely together this year at Windsor Mill Middle School. On the heels of being named both an AVID school and an IB School for Global Communications, WMMS is setting the foundation for a year of focused learning. Inside-Out PD, the WMMS PD framework, is a streamlined and purposeful school-based professional development model that holds teacher learning at its core. It is designed to simplify the ‘asks’ of teachers and to ensure that the learning provided applies directly to teachers’ practices and classrooms. The Inquiry Teams (PLCs) reflect the initiatives of the district and school and the goals of teachers and can be tiered to reflect the variety of needs of teacher interest and experience. This year, WMMS has three Inquiry Teams: Responsive Instruction, AVID, and Project-Based Learning, a teaching and learning practice central to IB. The STAT teacher meets with the FITz—the Facilitators of the Inquiry Teams--to train them in facilitating their teams. The Inquiry Teams meet monthly for PD responsive to their purpose and to engage in a coaching practice centered on the artifacts teachers bring based on the previous month’s learning. Sharon Walder, Facilitator of the Project-Based Learning Inquiry Team said of the Windsor Mill PD model, “Inside-Out PD has benefitted me because I have the opportunity to work on new ideas and try new things which ultimately has made a positive difference in the classroom. I have also had opportunities to work collaboratively with other staff members.”
Inquiry-Team Facilitator, Joseph Bensley, and STAT Teacher, Niamh McQuillan model the coaching process for other team facilitators.
Inquiry-Team Facilitators (left to right) Adam Berkowitz, Sharon Walder, Krystal Hockenbrock, and Joseph Bensley engage in the coaching process to prepare for an Inquiry-Team meeting.
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