Hendersonville Elementary School has a diverse population. In order to meet the needs of the variety of cultures and cognitive levels of students, teachers must prepare for the students in advance in order for them to succeed in STEM. In order for this to occur, PD must be focused on meeting students where they are, and boosting their academics in order to increase individual student growth.

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Exceptional Children

Our teachers of Exceptional Children have provided training on differentiation of instruction and assignments to our general education -teachers so that all students get the support they need to be able to participate in the learning activities of the class. All students, but especially our struggling students, are enthusiastic when they learn with technology and our principal and PTO have worked hard to make technology available to all of our teachers and students. We have used the expertise of our own staff to provide professional development on how to use hardware such as SMARTBoards and iPads and software such as Google Docs, Notebook for the SMARTBoard, IXL for math, and Google Pages. Each of these pieces plays a role in engaging our students. At the core of our work is the content, so teachers have attended professional development in science and math in our school, across the district, and at our mathematics state conference. The more deeply we understand the content, the better we are able to differentiate the support our students need to master the content.

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We have also had specific training for students that have a difficult time processing vocabulary, such as ESL students. All teachers have recently attended Literacy Framework with Dr. Max Thompson.  His two-day professional development seminar included the following in order to meet all students’ needs in the classroom:

 

• Choosing exemplary practices and research-based strategies for our students

• The HCPS literacy framework-what it is and why it is important

• Structuring the classroom environment to best meet ALL student needs

• The power of writing

• The importance of text structures  to student understanding

• Choosing grade level text, and how to scaffold effectively

 

These instructional practices are targeted towards all students and differentiating needs, including ESL, AIG, EC, and low performing students.  

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Low-Performing/EC

In order to provide classroom support for our low performing students, teachers at Hendersonville Elementary attend professional development geared toward our at-risk students.  This school year all EC teachers attended a beginning of the year Staff Development to review procedures for reaching and teaching our population. Staff is reminded of our lending library with resources geared towards meeting the needs of diverse learners. In addition, various teachers have participated in the following workshops: Letterland Training Follow Up for Elementary EC, ESL, and Reading Specialists, HCPS Literacy Professional Development, Specially Designed Instruction & Progress Monitoring, EC Nonviolent Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI), FBA/BIP Behavior training, NASA webinar, “Don’t Count NASA Out of Your Math Classes,”

 

English Learners

To provide support for English Learners, the EL teacher attended Project GLAD training. This training utilizes research based strategies to empower students to use critical thinking skills in preparation for college and future careers. The EL teacher also attended a training on trauma sensitivity. The goal is to build executive functioning within students through social stories, self-regulation and behavior plans.

 

Academically and Intellectually Gifted

In order to address the specific needs of Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) students, Hendersonville Elementary teachers attended a professional development session focused on gifted learners. During this session, an AIG specialist shared the characteristics of gifted students as well as the specific pathways of giftedness that the county recognizes. The AIG teacher collaborates classroom teachers at the school and plans differentiated units that are based on student needs.  The AIG teacher also integrates STEAM activities into units for students.  Staff members are scheduled to attend an Intel: Problem and Project Based learning workshop.  The workshop will focus on how to setup PBLs in the classroom to challenge all students.  The PBLs will integrate many components of STEAM.     

 

The instructional coach also provides frequent meetings and check-ins on students with special needs during bi-weekly meetings.  She ensures that these students’ needs are being met through STEM and if any additional materials and training is needed for these students to experience success. During these meetings, trackers are developed in order to follow growth on these students and meet needs along the way.

Along with this particular professional development, Henderson County Public Schools has committed itself to providing teachers with quality PD that focuses on differentiating instruction for growth in ALL STUDENTS.  Below is a list of PD that teachers were able to choose from in order to meet diverse needs. During the year, all teachers must complete two full days of differentiation PD in order to meet the needs of diverse learners including ESL, AIG, EC, low performing students, etc.