

Southwest Suburban Federation of Teachers
Diverse. Dedicated. Determined.
Professional Development for the
2022-2023 School Year

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EARN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS
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ALL CLASSES ARE FREE OF CHARGE TO LOCAL 943 MEMBERS
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LEARN FROM NATIONALLY TRAINED INSTRUCTORS
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CLASSES ARE PROFESSIONALLY CREATED AND NATIONALLY RESEARCHED
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CLASSES INCLUDE TOPICS RELEVANT TO STUDENTS AND TEACHER SUCH AS: ELL, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL STRATEGIES, READING & WRITING SKILLS, CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, AND ASSESSMENT SKILLS




Foundations of Effective Teaching - Michelle Gustafson and Beth Keblusek
Wednesday, January 11, 2023 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (REMOTE) - PD Hours: 2
Course Description: This course addresses the fundamental aspects of teaching and learning that are relevant for teachers and classroom paraprofessionals in all subject areas. We will take a deep dive into practices and strategies to maximize engagement for learning at all levels. Topics include strategies for: student engagement, collaborative learning, scaffolding, and questioning techniques for differentiated learning.
ELL 101: Language and Literacy - Nuhie Faheem
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (REMOTE) - PD Hours: 2
Course Description: This class will explore best practices in literacy curriculum and instruction for English learners and demonstrate strategies that develop literacy skills and reading comprehension for English learners.
Improving Comprehension of Narrative Text - Shannon Mural
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (REMOTE) - PD Hours: 2
Course Description: This workshop will guide teachers to use the structure of expository texts to help us plan instruction to improve students’ comprehension of informational text. In this unit, we will explore a framework to use when planning comprehension instruction for expository texts. We will identify specific strategies to address the goals within this framework, highlighting effective questioning strategies that will help students gain a deeper understanding of expository texts.
Accessible Literacy Framework - Michelle Gustafson and Beth Keblusek
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (REMOTE) - PD Hours: 2
Course Description: How does one provide reading instruction to students with developmental or intellectual disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy or Down syndrome? ALF is grounded in the premise that reading is at the center of most activities—in and out of school. The essential components of reading instruction—phonological awareness, sound blending, initial phoneme segmentation, letter-sound correspondence, decoding and shared reading—are covered and framed to address emerging literacy needs of students with complex communication needs.
Beginning Reading - Nuhie Faheem
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (REMOTE) - PD Hours: 2
Course Description: The Beginning Reading class will include engaging strategies for students to master the 5 Pillars of Early Literacy. The 5 pillars are Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension.
Reclaiming Assessment - Brian Jurinek
Wednesday, March 8, 2023 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (REMOTE) - PD Hours: 2
Course Description: This class provides an overview of assessment practices that can benefit students and teachers. In this course participants will learn about the need for balanced assessments systems and the power of culturally responsive pedagogy, curriculum and assessment to ensure that students are engaged in authentic learning.
Improving Comprehension of Expository Text - Shannon Mural
Wednesday, April 12, 2023 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (REMOTE) - PD Hours: 2
Course Description: This workshop will guide teachers to use the structure of narrative texts to help us plan instruction to improve students’ comprehension of narratives. In this unit, we will explore a framework to use when planning comprehension instruction for narrative texts. We will identify specific strategies to address the goals within this framework, highlighting effective questioning strategies that will help students gain a deeper understanding of narrative texts.
