Durham Public Schools PL

Presenters: Christine Fierro | christine_fierro@dpsnc.net | Instructional Coach
Location: Hillside High School Room 118
Description: Learn about the tenets behind and about Peter Liljedahl's "Thinking Classrooms". We will engage in non-curricular thinking tasks, explore practices 1-3, and plan for possible curricular thinking tasks.
Subject Area(s): Arts, Global Languages, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, ELA , Healthful Living
Topic(s): Increased Rigor (DOK), Student-Centered Learning
Targeted Instructional Grades: 7th Grade, 9th Grade, 11th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade, 10th Grade, 12th Grade
Targeted Roles: Teachers

Presenters: India C. Williams | indiac_williams@dpsnc.net | Teaching and Learning Coach
Location: Hillside High School Room 109
Description: We will explore the Science of Reading to learn how decoding X language comprehension = reading comprehension. This session is tailored to all core and elective contents.
Subject Area(s): Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, CTE, ELA , Healthful Living
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction, Explicit Teaching, Reading‚ Writing‚ Thinking‚ Speaking‚ Listening, Differentiation/Scaffolding
Targeted Instructional Grades: 7th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade
Targeted Roles: Instructional Coaches, Interventionists, Teachers

Presenters: Brenda Blue | brenda_blue@dpsnc.net | K-5 Teaching and learning Coach
Location: Hillside High School Room 111
Description: The goal is to equip teachers with strategies to design and deliver lessons that purposefully increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes.
Subject Area(s): Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, ELA
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction, Equity, Explicit Teaching, Increased Rigor, Reading‚ Writing‚ Thinking‚ Speaking‚ Listening, Beginning Teachers, Culturally Responsive Practices, Differentiation/Scaffolding, English Learner Services, Exceptional Children, MTSS, Student-Centered Learning
Targeted Instructional Grades: 1st Grade, 3rd Grade, 5th Grade, 7th Grade, Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, 4th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade
Targeted Roles: Instructional Assistants, Itinerant Teachers, Teachers

Presenters: Susan Parent | susan_parent@dpsnc.net | instructional coach
Location: Hillside High School Room 113
Description: Learn foundational fraction concepts and build understanding with hands on Fraction Kits. Each teacher will make and take their own fraction kit with lessons and games ready to go!
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Topic(s): Beginning Teachers, Standards Aligned Instruction
Targeted Instructional Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade
Targeted Roles: Instructional Assistants, Interventionists, Teachers

Presenters: Tamika Satchell | Tamika_Satchell@dpsnc.net | Teaching and Learning Coach
Location: Hillside High School Room 108
Description: This professional development session will focus on strengthening the I Do and We Do phases of gradual release by helping teachers plan intentional modeling, guided practice, and clear connections to the standards. We’ll focus on understanding the standards deeply, designing purposeful "I Do" models that show real thinking, and creating "We Do" tasks that actively move students toward independence. Teachers will walk away with concrete strategies to adapt team plans to fit their teaching style and their students’ needs, ensuring that what’s planned on paper powerfully impacts learning in real time.
Subject Area(s): Mathematics, ELA
Topic(s): Explicit Teaching, Standards Aligned Instruction
Targeted Instructional Grades: 1st Grade, 3rd Grade, 5th Grade, Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, 4th Grade
Targeted Roles: Teachers

Presenters: Priscilla Graves | priscilla_graves@dpsnc.net | Curriculum and Instructional Management Coordinator; Malika Becton | malika_becton@dpsnc.net | Curriculum and Instructional Management Coordinator
Location: Hillside High School Room 206
Description: This interactive workshop will explore proven, research-based strategies to increase student engagement across content areas and grade levels. Participants will examine practical tools and techniques—such as active learning, student voice and choice, and technology integration—to foster a more inclusive and energized learning environment.
Subject Area(s): Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, CTE, ELA
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction, Digital Teaching and Learning, Assessment for Learning, Beginning Teacher Support, Coaching and Mentoring, Culturally Responsive Practices, Differentiation/Scaffolding, English Learner Services
Targeted Instructional Grades: 7th Grade, 9th Grade, 11th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade, 10th Grade, 12th Grade
Targeted Roles: Assistant Coordinators, Assistant Principals, Instructional Coaches, Mentors, Teachers

Presenters: Alina Castillo | alina_castillo@dpsnc.net | 6-12 Math Specialist; Kenya Lawrence | Kenya_Lawrence@dpsnc.net | 6-12 Math Specialist
Location: Hillside High School Room 103
Description: Participants will leave this seminar equipped with ready-to-use problem-solving routines and strategies that align with the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice. These routines will serve as daily entry points for students to engage in meaningful mathematical thinking and collaborative exploration. Teachers will learn how to design tasks that challenge students to reason abstractly, construct viable arguments, and persevere through complex problems. Back in their classrooms, participants will implement these routines to create a culture of inquiry and growth, where students take ownership of their learning and develop the confidence to tackle unfamiliar challenges.
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction, Increased Rigor, Reading‚ Writing‚ Thinking‚ Speaking‚ Listening, Culturally Responsive Practices, DPS Adopted Resources, Standards Aligned Instruction, Student-Centered Learning
Targeted Instructional Grades: 7th Grade, 9th Grade, 11th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade, 10th Grade, 12th Grade
Targeted Roles: Instructional Assistants, Instructional Coaches, Interventionists, Teachers

Presenters: Lakisha Bridges | lakisha_bridges@dpsnc.net | Coach; Stephanie Brock | stephanie_brock@dpsnc.net | Math Specialist
Location: Hillside High School Room 112
Description: In this seminar, we will focus on strengthening conceptual teaching and learning in the elementary mathematics classroom. Participants will explore the Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) model as a powerful framework for building deep, transferable mathematical understanding. Through hands-on engagement with tools such as base ten blocks, fraction tiles, and counting collections, teachers will gain practical strategies for making abstract concepts accessible and meaningful to all learners. Join us as we bring mathematics to life through intentional, research-based practices that support student reasoning, retention, and confidence.
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction, DPS Adopted Resources, Equity, Increased Rigor, Reading‚ Writing‚ Thinking‚ Speaking‚ Listening, Culturally Responsive Practices, Standards Aligned Instruction, Student-Centered Learning
Targeted Instructional Grades: 1st Grade, 3rd Grade, 5th Grade, Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, 4th Grade
Targeted Roles: Instructional Assistants, Instructional Coaches, Interventionists, Teachers

Presenters: Matt Hickson | matthew.hickson@modernclassrooms.org | Director
Location: Hillside High School Room 104
Description: This session is ONLY for elementary grades 3-5 math teachers who have signed up for the year-long Modern Classrooms/Eureka2 Partnership. During this 2 day summer training, educators will receive access to a full year of adapted Eureka2 Math​​ materials and will learn practical methods to use ​the Modern Classrooms approach with E​M2 to meet every learner’s needs.
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Topic(s): DPS Adopted Resources, Differentiation/Scaffolding
Targeted Instructional Grades: 3rd Grade, 5th Grade, 4th Grade
Targeted Roles: Teachers

Presenters: Christine Fierro | christine_fierro@dpsnc.net | Instructional Coach
Location: Hillside High School Room 118
Description: Learn about the tenets behind and about Peter Liljedahl's "Thinking Classrooms". We will engage in non-curricular thinking tasks, explore practices 1-3, and plan for possible curricular thinking tasks.
Subject Area(s): Arts, Global Languages, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, ELA , Healthful Living
Topic(s): Increased Rigor (DOK), Student-Centered Learning
Targeted Instructional Grades: 7th Grade, 9th Grade, 11th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade, 10th Grade, 12th Grade
Targeted Roles: Teachers

Presenters: Justine Daniel | justine_daniel@dpsnc.net | Teaching & Learning Coach
Location: Hillside High School Room 113
Description: In this session strategies and classroom activities to build classroom culture, trust and a sense of belonging will be shared and modeled. Activities range from Week 1 activities to build a positive learning environment to strategies on how to engage learners through reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Subject Area(s): Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, ELA
Topic(s): Communication Skills, Reading‚ Writing‚ Thinking‚ Speaking‚ Listening, Beginning Teachers
Targeted Instructional Grades: 5th Grade, 7th Grade, 9th Grade, 4th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade, 10th Grade
Targeted Roles: Instructional Assistants, Teachers

Presenters: Liz Moffitt | elizabeth_moffitt@dpsnc.net | Director of Math & Science
Location: Hillside High School Room 102
Description: In this session, middle and high school math teachers will learn tools and strategies to integrate building fact fluency with their core instruction. They will also make connections between their content standards and the most relevant operations for fluency development.
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction, Digital Teaching and Learning, DPS Adopted Resources, Standards Aligned Instruction, Student-Centered Learning
Targeted Instructional Grades: 7th Grade, 9th Grade, 11th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade, 10th Grade, 12th Grade
Targeted Roles: Coaches, Teachers

Presenters: Tamika Satchell | Tamika_Satchell@dpsnc.net | Teaching and Learning Coach
Location: Hillside High School Room 108
Description: This professional development session will focus on strengthening the I Do and We Do phases of gradual release by helping teachers plan intentional modeling, guided practice, and clear connections to the standards. We’ll focus on understanding the standards deeply, designing purposeful "I Do" models that show real thinking, and creating "We Do" tasks that actively move students toward independence. Teachers will walk away with concrete strategies to adapt team plans to fit their teaching style and their students’ needs, ensuring that what’s planned on paper powerfully impacts learning in real time.
Subject Area(s): Mathematics, ELA
Topic(s): Explicit Teaching, Standards Aligned Instruction
Targeted Instructional Grades: 1st Grade, 3rd Grade, 5th Grade, Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, 4th Grade
Targeted Roles: Teachers

Presenters: Delphia Daniels | delphia_daniels@dpsnc.net | Literacy Coach; Latoya Johnson | latoya_judd@dpsnc.net | Teaching and Learning Coach
Location: Hillside High School Room 105
Description: This session gives teachers tools to increase student engagement using five of Hattie’s highest-impact strategies. We’ll focus on helping students show their thinking in visible ways—through discussion, feedback, reflection, or peer teaching. Teachers will learn what covert engagement and overt engagement look like, and why both are important in every classroom. We’ll walk through each strategy with real examples, build understanding, and give teachers space to plan lessons using what they’ve learned. Activities like the “Apply It!” planning challenges will help teachers match engagement strategies to their own content. The session also includes a reflection and exit ticket to help teachers decide what to try first and what they might still have questions about. We’ll start by sparking curiosity and making connections to what teachers already do, then build new learning in a way that’s clear and usable. Strategies are modeled, discussed, and practiced with support—and teachers will leave with next steps they can use right away. Teachers will need access to the curriculum materials (HMH, ARC, Eureka2, etc.) for planning purposes.
Subject Area(s): Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction, Effective Feedback Strategies, Explicit Teaching
Targeted Instructional Grades: 1st Grade, 3rd Grade, 5th Grade, Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, 4th Grade
Targeted Roles: Teachers

Presenters: Priscilla Graves | priscilla_graves@dpsnc.net | Curriculum and Instructional Management Coordinator; Malika Becton | malika_becton@dpsnc.net | Curriculum and Instructional Management Coordinator
Location: Hillside High School Room 206
Description: This interactive workshop will explore proven, research-based strategies to increase student engagement across content areas and grade levels. Participants will examine practical tools and techniques—such as active learning, student voice and choice, and technology integration—to foster a more inclusive and energized learning environment.
Subject Area(s): Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, CTE, ELA
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction, Digital Teaching and Learning, Assessment for Learning, Beginning Teacher Support, Coaching and Mentoring, Culturally Responsive Practices, Differentiation/Scaffolding, English Learner Services
Targeted Instructional Grades: 7th Grade, 9th Grade, 11th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade, 10th Grade, 12th Grade
Targeted Roles: Assistant Coordinators, Assistant Principals, Instructional Coaches, Mentors, Teachers