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•Feb. 20, 2025Project Connect Plus
Would you like to refine your teaching practice, and observation, documentation, and interpretation skills to positively impact student learning? Have you ever wondered how you can see teaching and formative assessments as two sides of the same coin? Project Connect Plus provides FREE professional development to kindergarten teachers about how to conduct formative assessment to guide your instruction, using powerful and playful Instructional Routines that support children’s language, literacy, and early mathematics.
What is Project Connect Plus?
Project Connect Plus is about learning to understand and meet children’s needs through observing, documenting, and interpreting children’s behavior and thinking. Teachers will learn how to use powerful and playful Instructional Routines to deepen children’s skills, knowledge, and understanding in language, literacy, and early mathematics. The routines can be easily incorporated into classrooms regardless of program type or school curricula. These specific, repeatable, and research-based routines give teachers an on-the-ground method to monitor teaching, learning, and social-emotional development to build strong classroom communities of learners.
What will Project Connect Plus offer kindergarten teachers?
- Deeper knowledge of children’s development in math and language/literacy, including dual language learning
- Protected time during each PLC day to try out new teaching practices and observe and document children’s development on required KIDS measures
- Collaboration with peers and Teach Plus early childhood specialists to analyze child data and use KIDS as formative assessment
- Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that will meet five times virtually during the school day throughout the school year
- Opportunities to connect with other kindergarten teachers across Illinois to share best practices
- Receive a copy of the book, The Power of Instructional Routines–Connecting Assessment and Joyful Teaching in Kindergarten, with concrete suggestions for connecting playful learning to rigorous content
- ISBE PD Hours for high-quality, kindergarten-focused professional learning experience
- Honorariums for teachers participating as Action Researchers
As a Project Connect Plus Teacher, you will:
- Attend an online 90-minute kick-off event in August
- Work on self-paced learning tasks that include watching videos and readings from The Power of Instructional Routines book
- Attend five online PLC sessions throughout the school year
- Implement Instructional Routines introduced during the PLC with small groups of students from your classroom on the same day as the PLC, with the opportunity to debrief afterwards
- Have the opportunity to apply to become an Action Research teacher–an additional component that happens alongside the PLCs. If selected, you will be mentored by a Teach Plus early childhood specialist
Information Sessions:
If you are interested in learning more about this unique professional development opportunity, please register for one of the following information sessions to learn more:
If you are a kindergarten teacher and would like to apply to be a Project Connect Plus teacher, please fill out this form.
If you are a principal and would like your teachers to participate, please fill out this form.
If you have any questions, please contact Rebeca Itzkowich at ritzkowich@teachplus.org.
Teacher and Principal Testimonials
“Project Connect is different from other professional development I’ve had in the past, because I can use the information right away. I like being able to apply it that day. I like that it is kindergarten specific.”
Tracy
Blue Ridge Teacher
“What’s different with Project Connect is that I’m able to dive in deeper on certain topics than I would with other PD. I can understand the why behind what I am doing. I like that I get to bring new experiences to my classroom that students love.”
Imoni
Bellwood Teacher
“Project Connect has been an amazing PD opportunity for my Kindergarten team. We appreciate the flexibility in the design of the PD, which has facilitated finding coverage for teachers to attend on a particular day. At a time when a teacher’s job is so challenging, it is wonderful to be able to support them in attending job-embedded PD!”
Claudia Lopez
Principal, CPS Fairfield Academy
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