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: 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: Amanda Bowers | amanda_bowers@dpsnc.net | K-5 Science Specialist
Location: Hillside High School Room 200
Description: Join us for an engaging and interactive professional development session designed to deepen your understanding of the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) outlined in the NC Essential Standards and the new K–12 Science Standards. In this 3-hour workshop, Durham educators will explore how to foster authentic scientific thinking and problem-solving by integrating SEPs into dynamic, cross-curricular learning experiences. Through hands-on activities, collaborative lesson design, and real-world examples, participants will: Analyze how SEPs support inquiry-based and equitable science instruction. Discover strategies to creatively integrate literacy, math, social studies, and the arts into science lessons. Explore student-centered approaches that build scientific reasoning, collaboration, and communication skills. Align interdisciplinary instruction with North Carolina’s science standards and local curriculum goals. Leave with ready-to-implement resources, lesson frameworks, and ideas to energize your classroom. Whether you're looking to enhance your current practices or reimagine your approach to science instruction, this session offers practical tools and inspiration to support all learners in becoming critical thinkers and innovative problem-solvers.
Subject Area(s): Science
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction, DPS Adopted Resources, Reading‚ Writing‚ Thinking‚ Speaking‚ Listening, Culturally Responsive Practices, Differentiation/Scaffolding, Outdoor Learning, Standards Aligned Instruction, Student-Centered Learning
Targeted Instructional Grades: 1st Grade, 3rd Grade, 5th Grade, Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, 4th Grade
Targeted Roles: Assistant Principals, Instructional Assistants, Principals, Specialists, Instructional Coaches, Interventionists, Teachers

Presenters: Emma Refvem | emma_refvem@dpsnc.net | 6-12 Science Specialist
Location: Hillside High School Room 105
Description: After a full year of implementing North Carolina’s new science standards, this session offers science educators a space to reflect on their teaching experiences, analyze instructional alignment, and collaborate to refine their practice. Through structured reflection, analysis of curriculum resources, and hands-on design time, participants will identify successes and challenges from the past year and co-create materials to better support rigorous, equitable, and student-centered science instruction. This session builds teacher capacity to use Durham Public Schools curriculum resources to plan and deliver differentiated, standards-aligned instruction while fostering curiosity, professional collaboration, and sustained impact into the next school year.
Subject Area(s): Science
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction, Student-Centered Learning
Targeted Instructional Grades: 7th Grade, 9th Grade, 11th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade, 10th Grade, 12th 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: 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

Presenters: Brian Whyte | brian_whyte@dpsnc.net | Teaching and Learning Coach
Location: Hillside High School Room 203
Description: Overview on the components of gradual release lesson planning (I do, You do, We do)
Subject Area(s): Science
Topic(s): Curriculum and Instruction
Targeted Instructional Grades: 7th Grade, 6th Grade, 8th Grade
Targeted Roles: Teachers