Professional Development Workshops

This workshop is designed to equip Adult Basic Education (ABE) educators with practical, learner-centered methods to transform math instruction. Moving beyond traditional rote memorization, the session focuses on fostering a “math-positive” classroom environment where students are encouraged to explore mathematical concepts through inquiry and active participation. Participants will gain hands-on experience with strategies such as Number Talks and inquiry-based problem-solving, while learning to differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of adult learners. By addressing the psychological barriers and math anxiety often present in ABE settings, the workshop provides tools to connect abstract mathematical concepts to real-world applications, such as personal finance, workplace readiness, and health literacy. Educators will leave empowered to help their students build the mathematical confidence and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of daily life.

In this workshop, Sianna Loftus, the Massachusetts State Chief Examiner for HiSET and GED, will discuss High School Equivalency (HSE) testing options in Massachusetts. This workshop will include comparisons of the two HSE exams offered in Massachusetts and information on state testing policies and initiatives. Participants will have opportunities to ask questions, consider case studies, and discuss practical ways to support HSE test takers throughout the workshop.

In this workshop we will explore a variety of interactive online tools that citizenship teachers can use to make their lessons more engaging, such as Padlet, Wayground (formerly Quizizz), and Flippity. With these tools, teachers can help students prepare for all aspects of the naturalization interview: the civics test, the reading and writing tests, and the speaking test based primarily on the N-400 application. The tools are effective in both in-person and online classes, and they can be used to create asynchronous activities for homework or self-study. We will also discuss recent changes to the civics test and the naturalization process.

In this workshop, teachers will acquire a few key principles that make teaching beginners more effective: giving multimodal directions, breaking tasks into achievable pieces, narrowing the focus to reduce cognitive load in reading and listening, and providing scaffolds to support oral and written communication. Participants will learn how these principles apply to teaching speaking, listening, reading, writing, pronunciation, and vocabulary, and will leave with many activity ideas for teaching that cater to beginner English learners. Veteran teachers will learn new activity ideas that incorporate these principles.

In this interactive workshop, we will learn why and how to apply a growth mindset when one leaves their comfort zone and enters the “learning/stretch zone”. This multi-purpose workshop will help prepare your students as they face a challenge (whether that’s speaking up at the grocery store or using a newly learned idiom), and you could apply these techniques in your personal life, too! You’ll leave with material to teach and activities to do with your adult learners, plus a heavily-researched takeaway tool that will increase student and personal motivation!