Empowering Educators: Insights from Our Professional Development Workshops
At Marylhurst, our teachers are true craftspeople in their profession—thoughtful, creative, and deeply committed to their students’ growth. They are voracious readers, curious explorers, and lifelong learners, always seeking new ways to refine their practice and bring fresh ideas into the classroom. Whether diving into the latest research, experimenting with innovative teaching strategies, or engaging in meaningful professional development, our educators approach their work with passion and purpose. Their dedication ensures that our students experience a dynamic, engaging, and enriching education tailored to their needs. In addition to the ongoing collaboration and learning throughout the year, we set aside three dedicated professional development days to focus on enhancing our teaching practices and addressing student needs. Last Friday, our teachers engaged in targeted professional development workshops focused on dyslexia support, executive functioning skills, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). These sessions provided valuable insights, tools, and strategies we are eager to integrate into our classrooms.
Supporting Executive Functioning in Middle School
Our Herons (middle school) teachers participated in a workshop on executive functioning (EF) skills essential for student success. These include organization, time management, impulse control, and working memory—skills that help students take on academic challenges and personal responsibilities. By proactively teaching these skills, our teachers can better equip students to manage their workload, stay organized, and become more independent learners.
Building On Our Understanding of Dyslexia
Teachers from our Sparrows (K/1), Meadowlarks (2/3), and Ravens (4/5) classes participated in a comprehensive dyslexia workshop, exploring the latest research and best practices in literacy instruction. This workshop provided hands-on experiences, including a dyslexia simulation, which helped educators better understand the challenges students with dyslexia may face.
Universal Design for Learning: Creating Inclusive Classrooms
One of our teachers deeply delved into Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This framework removes barriers to learning by designing lessons that are accessible to all students from the start rather than retrofitting accommodations later. She added to her understanding of offering students different ways to interact with material in personally meaningful ways and providing students with options to demonstrate their knowledge.
Putting Learning into Action
Our teachers are already incorporating what they learned from these workshops into their daily practice, ensuring that students benefit from evidence-based strategies and inclusive teaching approaches. Whether explicitly teaching executive functioning skills in middle school, implementing structured literacy techniques for students with dyslexia, or designing lessons with multiple entry points using UDL, these professional development experiences are helping to shape the way we support learners.
