Professional Development
We have designed our schools to nurture a rich intellectual life for teachers. You will have access to accomplished master teachers and sophisticated professional learning opportunities.
The Deeper Learning Institute
Through the Deeper Learning Institute, we aspire to build an enduring institution that will prepare the most inspiring, effective teachers this country has seen. Our plan is to create a new approach to teacher preparation while showcasing our obsession with exquisite instruction.
Vibrant Learning Every Summer
HVA’s annual month of learning is the centerpiece of our continual improvement cycle. This month gives teachers an opportunity for reflection on the prior year and planning for the upcoming year. Starting with our opening Community Day and culminating with our Closing Ceremony, it is truly a special experience. Teachers observe master lessons, develop unit plans, study pedagogical methods, improve school systems, and all while playing ping pong, basketball, yoga or dancing, eating real fruit pops, and building bonds of friendship with colleagues throughout our school system!
Weekly Professional Learning
School teams gather weekly on Friday afternoons to collaborate and intellectually prepare for their lessons. During these periods, we also engage in professional learning sessions to refine and advance our practice.
Peer Observation and Feedback
Our classroom doors are always open! We embrace constructive feedback to improve our instruction. On any given day, teachers observe each other and debrief to share ideas and strategies.
In-Class Coaching
Throughout the school year, teachers receive individual or small group instructional coaching in real time while teaching. You will receive guidance on planning a lesson, teaching the lesson, reviewing and analyzing your teaching, and looking at student work from the lesson.
Looking at Student Work
During our authentic assessment sessions, teachers look at student work together and discuss implications for instruction and curriculum. While we do analyze quantitative assessment data, we do not value shallow analysis of numbers alone. We value deep analysis and thoughtful discussions centered on the sophistication of student thinking.
Workouts
Workouts take our faculty meetings to a new level. Originally inspired by Jack Welch, workouts are sessions in which teachers and staff identify school-wide problems and tap into our collective wisdom to develop solutions and continually improve our schools.
