Resources for New Staff

Are you welcoming new colleagues to your team this fall? We’ve got you covered! The SABES Program Support PD Center offers a number of professional development opportunities that can supplement your program’s orientation and help new team members get to know the field, develop best practices, and connect with other practitioners as they get comfortable and find success in their new roles. Below are some highlights of current offerings; PSPDC staff are also happy to meet with you and/or your staff to develop a tailored plan.

Foundations for New Staff (FNS)

FNS is essential for any new adult educator, regardless of their role. FNS starts by centering our students, grounding new practitioners in the “why” of our work as adult educators. It then zooms out to offer participants a full understanding of the people, systems, and philosophies that drive our field. FNS is an online, facilitated, asynchronous course, so participants can complete it at their own pace and participate in discussions with colleagues from across the state.

You can register here for the December FNS course, which will run from 12/5 to 12/30. 

• “It was really valuable that you kept returning to the question of ‘Who are the students?’ and 'What do they want/need?' in order to remind me (as a teacher) of what my overall mindset should be while teaching.”

Art of Advising

In addition to Foundations for New Staff, Art of Advising introduces practical tools, strategies, and approaches for new  and experienced advisors who are looking to refresh their knowledge and skills. Art of Advising has consisted of four online, synchronous sessions with independent activities to be completed in between session. It is now being developed as an online course. Keep an eye on the calendar for the next offering in 2023.

• “Thanks to the Art of Advising, we now know what to do as advisors, how to advocate for ourselves, and use resources from reliable sources.”

Introduction to Digital Literacy

Introduction to Digital Literacy is a five-part series that presents new and experienced instructors, advisors, and other practitioners with frameworks, strategies, and tools for incorporating digital literacy into their practice. The series consists of an Introduction to Digital Literacy: “Where to Begin!, followed by four workshops covering each of the frameworks recommended by ACLS: Maryland Digital Literacy Framework, Northstar Digital Literacy Standards, SkillRise (ISTE), and Teaching Skills that Matter. “Where to Begin!” is a blended workshop with an online, synchronous session and a follow-up project and review via discussion board; the remaining sessions online and synchronous.

• “I just want to thank you again for the great presentation. Great info!“

Volunteer Coordinators Sharing & Learning Group

New and experienced volunteer coordinators are welcome and encouraged to join the Volunteer Coordinators Sharing & Learning Group. Offered four times per year, this opportunity connects volunteer coordinators to share the challenges and successes of practice in an informal discussion. New volunteer coordinators are also welcome to schedule time with our Volunteer Support Coordinator to answer questions and help them get up and running. 

• "We recruited new volunteers for both in-person and remote."