Bobbie Solley Center of Excellence in Teaching

Dr. Bobbie Solley, former director of education development for Healing Hands International and a retired professor from Middle Tennessee State University, has worked in collaboration with the College of Education to establish the Bobbie Solley Center for Excellence in Teaching at Freed-Hardeman University. 

Utilizing the mantra, “Reaching Students, Empowering Teachers, Transforming Instruction”, the center’s mission is to develop teacher and school leaders committed to making a positive impact on student learning and fostering high student academic achievement for diverse student populations. 

Professional development activities are always free of charge for attendees and will use a variety of innovative methods, including coaching, mentoring, seminars, workshops, diversity sensitivity training and many others.  Building on partnerships already established with Chester County Schools, Columbia Academy and Middle Tennessee Christian School, the center seeks to develop additional partnerships throughout West Tennessee and eventually in other regions of the state and beyond.

Please see below for upcoming professional development opportunities.

SPRING 2023 SESSIONS

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

All sessions are virtual, free, and one-hour.

In order to receive a certificate of completion, we kindly request that your camera is enabled and you are present for the duration of the session.

Upon completion of each session a personalized certificate is emailed to you with the session title, name of presenter(s), date, and number of professional development hours noted.

JANUARY SESSIONS

8 literacy practices

Session Summary:

Not to be outdone by the world of mathematics, this session will introduce 8 literacy practices that include the major types of thinking that complex texts and our standards demand of students. Participants will gain an understanding of each practice, analyze a TCAP released item to see how each of the practices is reflected in our end-of-year assessment, and apply what they have learned to an upcoming lesson of their own.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: teachers in grades 2-8.

progression of learning: geometry

Session Summary:

The standards in mathematics began with the progression of a topic across a number of grade levels.  This session focuses on the progression of learning that students travel through K-12 as they learn geometry.  We will look at the purposeful sequencing of teaching and learning expectations across multiple developmental stages, ages, or grade levels with geometry.

February SESSIONS

teacher content knowledge

Session Summary:

This session will provide insight into the Teacher Content Knowledge indicator in the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM) rubric.

TASK BEFORE YOU ASK!

Session Summary:

Are you looking for ways to get a "pulse check" to gauge each student's learning as you deliver instruction? Formatively assessing all students' thinking takes planning and organization to allow for everyone to be engaged before sharing begins.  This session will provide multiple strategies you can implement in your classroom immediately to involve ALL students with a task that checks for understanding before you open the floor for responses. 

INTENDED AUDIENCE: elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educators

Supporting Writing Through Scaffolding

Session Summary:

Writing is hard to do and often even harder to teach. Yet, we know that it’s an important literacy practice that supports proficient reading and critical discourse. In this session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of key writing standards, explore how writing responses are scored at the state level in order to set student goals, and take away effective and easy-to-implement scaffolds to improve all students’ writing. This session is ideal for teachers in grades 3-8.

Progression of Learning: Data and Statistics

Session Summary:

The standards in mathematics began with the progression of a topic across a number of grade levels. This session focuses on the progression of learning in K-5 with data and then 6-12 with statistics. We will look at the significant connections between work with data in the lower grades and analyzing the data in the secondary setting.

MARCH SESSIONS

BIG PEOPLE LEADERSHIP, LITTLE PEOPLE LEADERSHIP

Session Summary:

Educational leadership is unlike any other because we must master the ability to lead adults and children....... AT THE SAME TIME! Though the fundamentals of being a good leader are the same wherever we are, leading children while leading adults requires a specific set of skills that we will discuss in this session.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: current or potential k-12 administrators

Progression of Learning:  Numbers and Operations

SESSION SUMMARY:

The standards in mathematics began with the progression of a topic across a number of grade levels. This session focuses on the progression of learning needed for students to fully access the four operations with whole numbers, fractions and decimals in grades K-6. We will look at the impact this progression has on grades 7-12.

April SESSIONS

Progression of Learning: Functions

Session Summary:

The standards in mathematics began with the progression of a topic across a number of grade levels. This session focuses on the progression of learning in functions. Functions describe situations in which one quantity is determined by another and this work begins in Kindergarten and spans to high school. We will look at the impact of the foundations of functions in lower grades to accessing multiple types of functions in high school.

Session Summary:

Do you wish your college students were more eagerly engaged in class discussions? Then this session is for you! Discover techniques for using questioning as a powerful tool to inspire thinking and sharing as you facilitate adult learning environments.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Anyone who leads adult learning environments (professional trainings, college courses, church classes, etc.)