Ready to Teach

The Cooperative teaching team kicked off the school year with our annual Summer Institute. Summer Institute offers intensive training designed to steep classroom teachers and program leaders in the Cooperative's shared curriculum, assessment, and classroom management tools, as well as the essentials of data driven instruction and other teaching resources.

This year, for two weeks starting on July 25th, new and returning teachers in Cooperative classrooms had the opportunity to learn from subject matter experts and collaborate with their peers in preparation for the new school year. The Summer Institute curriculum covered Creative Curriculum; assessments used by Cooperative partners, the DRDP, PKOF/KOF, and CLASS; Concious Discipline, a trauma-responsive, developmentally-appropriate approach to classroom management; training on the use of Learning Genie, an online platform that enables management of student portfolios, data analysis, and parent communication; and a session on data-informed instruction with trainers from AppleTree Institute, a national leader in pre-K instruction.

Summer Institute provides a strong foundation for ongoing teacher development that will continue throughout the school year. As part of its commitment to supporting teachers and growing program quality, the Cooperative makes ongoing professional development sessions and regular teacher coaching available to its teachers. This year, Cooperative teachers will continue to work with the experts in data-informed instruction at AppleTree and receive instructional coaching through Teach For America’s TFA Accelerate program. The generosity of the Cooperative’s philanthropic partners makes these instructional resources and technical assistance possible at no cost to our partners.