Created by the team of teacher–writers behind PhD Science Texas, our in-person and virtual professional development (PD) sessions include options for teachers and leaders. These sessions ensure strong initial implementation as well as sustained success.
Come together with educators from your school or district for an in-person or virtual PD session. Great Minds® facilitators will work with up to 30 participants in each session.
Looking for modeling and observation of day to day classroom practices? Or to better understand the nuances of the curriculum so you can customize it in your classroom? If so, PhD Science Texas Personalized Coaching might be a good option for you.
Foundational PD sessions build and deepen new educators' understanding of the curricular design and pedagogy of PhD Science Texas. Sessions help both teachers and science leaders learn how to implement PhD Science Texas with confidence.
Educators explore instructional shifts within the curriculum's learning design, approach to knowledge building, and curricular structure through its use of authentic phenomena, hands-on investigations, and coherent storyline.
Choose from two of the three-hour sessions listed below to complete your foundational professional development journey.
These sessions cover important topics and components that are beneficial in laying a strong foundation for a successful implementation.
Leaders will learn how to support a successful implementation by developing knowledge of the curriculum components and learning design and identifying key indicators of a successful PhD Science Texas implementation.
This session helps educators better understand the process of internalizing a module, including the progression of science content knowledge, standards addressed, assessments, and investigations.
Participants discover how to nurture and empower students to drive their learning by establishing and maintaining a positive classroom culture and classroom norms.
Educators identify the components that are necessary for managing and facilitating a student-driven classroom as they plan and prepare for upcoming instruction.
This session deepens understanding of the curriculum learning cycle, demonstrating the cyclical process students use to build knowledge, emphasizing the importance of using phenomena to drive instruction, engaging in scientific practices, and exploring coherent storylines.
This session explores the importance of using collaborative conversations to build student knowledge while developing tools and strategies to support the nuances of crucial curriculum components such as the anchor model and anchor chart.
This session explores the importance of using collaborative conversations to advance science instruction while providing tools for leaning into students' natural curiosity to motivate learning using crucial curriculum components such as the driving question board.
Teachers identify pacing challenges, explore curricular resources, and hear from experienced implementers to support pacing decisions when planning and preparing for instruction.
Participants identify how discourse supports a student-driven classroom and explore a process for discourse that includes support in laying a solid foundation, planning, facilitating, and reflecting on student-led discourse.
Educators build upon their understanding of differentiation and explore additional differentiation resources as they plan and prepare for instruction.
Teachers see how the formative Checks for Understanding assessment tool can help them monitor learning as well as guide planning and instructional decisions.
Teachers discover how to leverage related phenomena to support students in transferring and applying science content knowledge.
We know that when teachers feel prepared and well-versed in the curriculum, students thrive. To set educators up for success with PhD Science Texas, our team created the three-year plan. With integrated professional development and personalized coaching, this plan will help all teachers feel confident with the curriculum.
Foundational Professional Development Sessions
Foundational Professional Development Session
Foundational Professional Development Sessions
Sustaining Professional Development Sessions
* These sessions can be flexibly interchanged from our full list of Sustaining PD offerings based on district needs and conversations with your Implementation Lead.
Sustaining Professional Development Session
Sustaining Professional Development Session
* These sessions can be flexibly interchanged from our full list of Sustaining PD offerings based on district needs and conversations with your Implementation Lead.