If you’ve been around SABES long enough, you’ve probably heard somebody mention “HQPD.” What is HQPD, you ask? In SABES, this stands for High Quality Professional Development. For the SABES PD Centers and for you, HQPD means:
#1 – We choose PD topics that address your learners’ and your needs.
Whether you want to understand the principles of second language acquisition or backward design; get better at formative assessments, culturally responsive teaching, or differentiation; learn strategies for teaching digital literacy, civics, pronunciation, or vocabulary; or address the needs of beginners, low literacy learners, or learners with a disability, the ESOL PD Center offers a variety of PD that helps you help your students reach their learning goals.
Where you come in: Please let us know what you think by completing and returning evaluation forms at the end of our PD sessions. There is always a space for you to suggest additional topics.
#2 – We design PD to support you in applying what you’re learning into your teaching practice.
Most of our PD is made up of multi-sessions and sustained over the course of several weeks or months, with time and support built in for you to try out new strategies, tools, and techniques in your teaching practice and receive feedback. We also offer coaching to help support you after a workshop or workshop series has ended.
Where you come in: Please attend all the sessions in multi-session PD offerings. Even if you haven’t kept up with the self-paced modules or haven’t yet tried out anything, you will still benefit from hearing from fellow participants, and these colleagues will benefit from your participation and feedback
#3 – Our PD facilitators are knowledgeable and experienced.
All our PD providers are subject-matter experts in ESOL, and include nationally recognized PD professionals, curriculum developers, university professors, textbook writers, and ESOL teachers from right here in Massachusetts. They know the current research and they know from experience, and often skillfully model in their PD delivery the very teaching practices that they’re encouraging you to try.
Where you come in: We are always looking to expand our team of consultants. If you have something valuable that you’d like to share with the field, or if you know of presenters you’d like us to bring here, please let us know by contacting Dori McCormack at dmccormack@edc.org
#4 – Our PD is aligned to Massachusetts priorities and standards.
The information you receive and experience in our PD is consistent with Massachusetts and national standards and guidance, and will support you in meeting expectations around curriculum development and evidence-based instructional practices. We work closely with ACLS to ensure that you do not get contradictory or mixed messages. We also work closely with our out-of-state providers to ensure that they adapt their materials and messaging to you, a Massachusetts audience.
Where you come in: Work with your program director and educational leaders to identify program goals and priorities and seek out relevant PD to contribute to your program’s continuous improvement.
#5 – Our PD is interactive and collaborative.
Our PD includes face-to-face webinars where you can share ideas and reflections and get support from colleagues and workshop leaders. We also offer discussion boards, study circles, communities of practice, book groups, program-based PD, and team support and coaching.
Where you come in: Consider attending PD as part of a team of colleagues and continue to work together to implement what you’re learning. Ask SABES for a coach to help your team!
We are, quite literally, here for you!
