Professional Development Workshops

This workshop will discuss policy changes to the HSE Exams in Massachusetts and compare the GED and HiSET Exams. Attendees will also leave with strategies to help your students pass the exams with higher scores.

Educators of multilingual learners of English undertake extensive curriculum preparation – and they also strive to build dynamic and rigorous lessons for meaningful learning to take place. Foundations in Teaching Adult Multilingual Learners of English aims to support newly certified and/ or volunteer teachers with minimal teaching experience in utilizing effective lesson planning strategies, tools, and resources to ease this impressive workload. In this 2-part workshop, participants will identify criteria for dynamic language acquisition and determine components in creating an engaging, communicative, learner-centered lesson plan. Come ready to explore and collaborate – and take away useful resources and a personalized lesson plan template!

Executive function refers to the mental processes that regulate self-directed and goal-oriented behavior. This workshop aims to provide educators with a foundational understanding of executive function and its impact on student learning. Participants will explore essential executive functioning skills such as planning, organization, time management, self-regulation, prioritization, task initiation and persistence, motivation, and mental flexibility.

The workshop will also delve into the concept of cognitive load and how it relates to lesson design, helping educators create lessons that accommodate students’ cognitive capacities. Additionally, strategies for improving student motivation will be introduced, enabling students to engage more effectively with their learning.

By understanding executive function and recognizing the challenges faced by students with executive function deficits, educators can develop effective lesson plans, design engaging activities, and foster a motivating learning environment both in and out of the classroom.

In the language classroom, some of the most impactful moments arise spontaneously from authentic exchanges. Yet, for newer teachers, veering off the lesson plan to embrace these opportunities can feel daunting. This workshop is designed to equip new teachers with practical strategies and adaptable activity templates. Participants will explore how to integrate strategies into their teaching repertoire effectively. Attendees should plan to bring examples of your current curriculum or textbook to facilitate discussions and tailor the strategies to your specific context. Grounded in second language acquisition research, this workshop draws inspiration from Dogme ELT and task-based language teaching principles. However, no prior familiarity with these concepts is necessary—this workshop is entirely focused on enhancing classroom practice.

Learn how to build a list of community resources for your students. Where do you start? Who can best help your student? How do you make referrals, and to whom? This workshop will help you build your Advising Toolkit.