STEPPING UP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING AT
ST. GEORGE'S

This past summer, while the students of St. George’s were busy with their own interests outside school, teachers here were hard at work honing their skills as educators. It proved to be a very busy summer with many opportunities offered to St. George’s staff. Once again, St. George’s Centre for Learning Enrichment (CLE) continues to be at the forefront of child-centered professional development, ultimately resulting in enhanced student outcomes.

Here are some examples of the high-caliber, world-class training provided as part of the St. George’s 5-year professional development plan and demonstrating our ongoing commitment to providing the best teaching skills for all our teachers. As you will see, differentiated instruction, or the ability to offer learning tasks that challenge all learners while providing appropriate scaffolds, as well as enrichment, continue to be of primary focus.

Differentiated instruction at The Summer Institute for Academic Diversity, Virginia
Intensive workshops attended by several St. George’s teachers at both the ES and HS levels deepened understanding and skills in the implemention of five key aspects of excellence in the classroom, including, but not limited to: a focused, high-quality curriculum; establishing a positive community of learners; orchestrating flexible instructional styles to allow for various learner-needs; and challenging a wide-range of learners.

Third Annual St. George’s Summer Institute, Montreal
This program, through the implementation of research-based best practices in education, both lays the foundation for excellence in teaching and learning for newly hired teachers, as well as further develops those practices among returning teachers as they develop their classroom materials.

St. George’s CLE Professional Development Workshops, Montreal
Two-days of intensive training, attended by all St. George’s educators, began a process which will continue throughout the year to assist teachers in the analysis of student work in order to ultimately improve the student’s ability to think critically. As well, curriculum maps continued to be an important part of designing classroom material that is aligned, and will build the student’s competencies with challenging tasks and necessary support.

The Schwartz Family International Leading Science Teacher’s Program Graduate Meeting, New York
As an off-shoot to previous Weizmann Institute of Science seminars, our teachers were provided with enhanced knowledge in the implementation and integration of technology into the science curriculum across grade levels. In addition, in keeping with our greening of the school, energy and sustainability were also featured topics.

The Brain & Learning Summer Institute at Lawrence Academy, Groton, Mass.
In order to stay abreast of cutting-edge findings from affective and social neuroscience, our participants acquired intensive training from professionals at Harvard and
S. California Universities in connecting brain and cognitive science to the classroom. In so doing, they will achieve a new understanding of students’ learning and behavior, improve instructional practice and enhance student outcomes.

 Toronto Summer Institute for AP Studio Art, St. Clement’s School, Toronto
AP Studio Art at St. George’s is going digital thanks to this intensive course that enables St. George’s students to take full advantage of developments in this area. This course has increased significantly in popularity, and is attended by future artists as well as students interested in medicine who pursue a focus in robotics and/or anatomy. The completion of the exam portfolio by graduation has led to further educational opportunities for our students at prestigious art colleges including Cooper Union, Chicago School of Fine Arts and NYU.

AP Calculus Training Course, St. Clement’s School, Toronto
St. George’s is now able to provide a College/CEGEP equivalent AP Calculus course to applicable, accelerated grade 11 students as a result of this workshop and accreditation.

Mathematics Workshops, Grade 11 reform, St. George’s
At St. George’s, optimal guidance and support for our teachers as they work at implementing the Quebec Education Program is of crucial importance. Through the tutelage of professionals at the University of Virginia and NASA, St. George’s is able to adapt the requirements in a unique way that is most efficient for our students to learn.