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According to a Rand survey, 99% of teachers in the U.S. participated in at least one summer professional learning activity and believed them to be relevant, helpful for improving instructional practice, and as useful as other PD-related activities provided by their schools and districts. Even though summer is right around the corner, it’s not too late to get your educators better prepared for the fall. Catapult Learning’s professional development brings a holistic approach to educator training to support your teachers and help them address a range of academic challenges.
Strong Summer Professional Learning Is the Foundation for Success
Individual learning fuels district-wide success. The stronger your educators are, the better the student outcomes will be—and that’s always the aim for any district. Summer is the ideal time for teachers to strengthen their skills and hone their craft by being able to focus solely on themselves so they can be at their best for their students.
By zeroing in on improving areas of opportunity and bolstering strengths, educators can start the new school year with more confidence and enter the classroom equipped with the tools and strategies to make an impact.
Catapult Learning’s professional development experts work with each district and school to tailor and execute an implementation plan aligned to specific needs and requirements. We do this through a combination of:
- Job-Embedded Coaching: One-on-one and team coaching gives educators real-time support. Our bench of 250+ coaching experts is the largest in the country.
- Instructor-Led Workshops and Institutes: These professional learning forums bring discoveries and research-based best practices to leaders and educators.
- PDNow On-Demand Platform: Our asynchronous online professional learning platform delivers 24/7 access to relevant content and resources, reinforcing coaching and workshop learning.
The Importance of Training New Educators
Each year, districts like yours bring in eager new educators who can’t wait to make a difference in the classroom. However, what they learn in college may not prepare them for the realities of a classroom environment as sufficiently as they hoped. Therefore, it’s critical for districts to prioritize summer professional development for new teachers before they step foot into their classroom.
With effective summer PD, new teachers can practice and perfect their instructional methods, learn how to best and most effectively communicate with students,
work on behavior strategies, and build their executive function and resilience before they have to put it all into practice during the school year. This type of preparation is invaluable, as new educators get to walk through different scenarios that help prepare them for what’s to come.
When this professional learning is exclusively designed for new educators, it becomes even more useful. For example, Catapult Learning offers a professional development package specifically for new teachers. We partnered with Praxis, the world’s largest, private educational and workforce research and measurement organization, to create our New Teacher Math & Essentials bundle. This PD package is fueled by Praxis math data and research on new educator subject matter understanding and core competencies that address key areas of need for new teachers.
This professional learning:
- Is designed exclusively with new educators, paraprofessionals, and emergency certified teachers in mind.
- Includes instructor-led workshops on Key Math Concepts and Practical Application, Classroom Management, & more.
- Comes paired with our asynchronous PDNow platform to reinforce educator development through over 10 hours of online courses.
By designing this PD to directly address priority areas for new and aspiring educators, the learning enables them to strengthen classroom instruction with a focus on math and core competencies.
Training and Support Helps Prevent Teacher Burnout
Consider these findings:
- A 2022 Gallup poll revealed that 44% of American K-12 teachers reported feeling burned out often or always. The same poll showed that K-12 teachers are the most burnt out professionals in the country—14% higher than any other profession or industry.
- A 2022 National Education Association survey found that 67% of its members who were polled consider burnout to be a “very serious” issue, with 90% of the respondents believing it to be a “somewhat serious issue.”
- More than one-quarter (28%) of educators experience symptoms of depression, which is nearly twice the rate as any other profession.
These statistics are just the tip of the iceberg. Educator well-being is at a tipping point, and it needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Because educators who are stressed and unhappy are educators who are ineffective in the classroom—and that’s a detriment to both students and districts.
Catapult’s Educator Well-Being professional development package effectively addresses the wellness, resilience, and self-care of educators so your teachers are ready to set a tone of positivity and engagement for the school year. We offer a three-day wellness institute combined with our Educator Well-Being training, which:
- Is designed to support, engage, and inspire all educators and leaders.
- Includes instructor-led workshops on Promoting Teacher Self-Care and Wellness, Mental Health Literacy, and more.
- Comes paired with EmpowerU Educator Resilience Training, which includes 12+ hours of virtual resilience, self-care, and wellness training.
- Offers educators a virtual portal to 1:1 coaching from one of our experts.
Catapult Learning Summer PD Sets Your Educators Up for Success
With the new school year quickly approaching, now is the time to implement summer professional learning for your educators. Catapult Learning’s PD is effective, holistic, and tailored to meet your district’s or school’s specific needs.
of educators agree that the learning objectives and content they received this year are valuable to their professional learning1
12022 Catapult Learning End of School Year Leader & Educator Survey
of educators said they were committed to applying what they learned in the program to their instructional planning and delivery1
of leadership agree our coaches were experienced educators who support and encourage their teachers’ professional development1
To learn more about our professional development offerings, visit https://catapultlearning.com/programs/professional-development/.