To further extend ESI employees' professional growth opportunities, we've created an onsite program to complement our online Substitute Success 7 modules. Substitute teachers in Isaac School District are the first to participate in the program, which consists of fourteen 90-minute classroom sessions during the year, with each one expanding on one of the online modules.
The focus of the sessions is classroom management strategies, and the content can be applied across grade levels and content areas. Each session includes community building activities, exemplar videos and strategy cards as part of a toolkit that can be used in teaching assignments throughout the year. After substitutes complete the first year of the program, they are eligible to move onto subsequent levels of professional development that continue to deepen and extend their learning as a teacher.
"It's a perfect way for our employees to continue refining their practices in the classroom and to get valuable on-the-job training," says Tom Hancock, Vice President of Human Resources at ESI.
"The importance of the substitute teacher role is often overlooked but they are incredibly vital to our students' success," says Victor Diaz, Isaac School District Human Resources Coordinator. "Substitute teachers must have strong instructional and pedagogical skills and a commitment to learning. ESI has become an important partner in this work, preparing professional workshops that increase the quality and depth of our teachers."
We're dedicated to rolling out our professional development opportunities to benefit not only the teachers and their confidence in the classroom, but also the students of Arizona's school districts. Stay tuned as we make our professional development programs available to all our clients in the near future. Or, please contact us for more information about this program.