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Professional Development
Public Schedule
Exploring & Maximizing the Reading Writing Connection to Build Literacy
Date:
September 30, 2025
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Indian Lake Middle School, Media Center, 8920 Co Rd 91, Lewistown, OH 43333
Grade:
K-5 Literacy Teacher and Instructional Coaches
This session will focus on aligning frequent and purposeful writing with your current reading curriculum. Explore strategies that draw on your current resources to build writing skills and that use writing to improve reading. This workshop will include time to delve into your reading series materials and plan writing assignments that you can start using right away with students.
Improving Student Performance
Date:
October 1, 2025
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Indian Lake Middle School, 8920 Co Rd 91, Lewistown, OH 43333
Grade:
K-12
This workshop provides an in-depth overview of the Collins Writing Program. It shows educators (in any content area) how to use the Five Types of Writing to increase students' understanding and retention of course content while simultaneously increasing student involvement and motivation to learn. The day will be engaging, interactive, and entertaining.
Picture This! Overcoming Student Writing Resistance in the Content Areas by Using Graphics
Date:
October 23, 2025
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Online – Access information will be emailed to registrants.
Grade:
5-10
Graphics have great versatility when it comes to building content-area skills, and quizzing is proven to deepen understanding and increase retention. This online workshop guides educators in using curriculum-based graphics (charts, diagrams, maps, primary source images, etc.) to build content vocabulary, help students fine-tune observation and analysis skills, and even anticipate test questions. Combined with a manageable system for grading writing in the non-ELA classroom, teachers will see greatly improved subject-area performance with just a few minutes of practice each week.
Improving Cross-Curricular Engagement, Understanding and Constructed Response with Sentence Expansion
Date:
November 11, 2025
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Online – Access information will be emailed to registrants.
Grade:
4-12
The sentence expansion framework introduced in this online workshop provides opportunities for students to develop the habit of building information-rich sentences while learning course content. Using this framework, a basic sentence is expanded by including details from the content that students are studying. The tools and strategies provided to participants are to guide students as they learn to develop content-rich, mechanically-correct sentences within the context of everyday learning. Sentence expansion is a highly effective strategy for improving and reinforcing content knowledge, can be assessed quickly by the educator, and can easily be used in little time across all content areas.
Exploring and Maximizing the Reading-Writing Connection to Build Literacy
Date:
November 12, 2025
Kristine Gibson
Location:
The Royal Banquet Hall, 613 Hope Road, Eatontown, NJ 07724
Grade:
K-5
This session will focus on aligning frequent and purposeful writing with your current reading curriculum. Learn how to maximize reading comprehension and manage the many writing and discussion tasks embedded in your reading series. Explore strategies that draw on your current resources to build writing skills and that use writing to improve reading. This workshop will include time to delve into your reading series materials and plan writing assignments that you can start using right away with students.
Complete Assessment Makeover! Improving Assessment and
Feedback Across the Curriculum
Date:
December 2, 2025
Kristine Gibson
Location:
The Royal Banquet Hall, 613 Hope Road, Eatontown, NJ 07724
Grade:
3-10
Hands-on learning and the ongoing improvement of assessment strategies emphasizing literacy development are always best practice. In this workshop, participants will explore how to assess students' understanding of course objectives through a variety of formal and informal written tasks. Participants will learn how to create both formative and summative assessments--from in-the-moment quickwrites to multi-faceted real-world projects and everything in between--and how to provide immediate, quality, and actionable feedback that will promote continued learning and a growth mindset.
Revising and Editing Reboot: Simple Strategies That Build Revising and Editing Skills
Date:
December 8, 2025
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Online – Access information will be emailed to registrants.
Grade:
3-10
This online workshop offers practical strategies to help students take greater ownership of revising and editing their writing. Rather than relying solely on teacher correction, participants will learn how to embed quick, effective revision routines that empower students to check and improve their own work. The workshop focuses on shifting responsibility to students, making the revision process more efficient and impactful—without taking up significant class time.
Revising and Editing Reboot: Simple Strategies That Build Content Knowledge
AND Revising and Editing Skills
Date:
December 10, 2025
Kristine Gibson
Location:
The Royal Banquet Hall, 613 Hope Road, Eatontown, NJ 07724
Grade:
3-10
Too often, when we assign writing, students’ greatest desire is to pass their work from their desk to yours as quickly as possible. It’s no wonder we routinely collect error-splattered work that appears as if it was never checked by the student; it probably wasn’t! If we want students to check their work, we have to make it a priority in our classrooms, and we need to teach students how to do it, but it need not be laborious or time-consuming. The tools and strategies in this workshop guide students as they learn to develop content-rich, mechanically-correct sentences and essays within the context of
everyday learning. These highly effective techniques reinforce content knowledge, build writing habits, can be assessed quickly by the teacher, and can be used easily in little time across all subject areas.
Building Blocks to Success: A First-Year Teacher’s Guide to Engagement, Accountability, and Classroom Routines
Date:
December 15, 2025
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Morris-Union Jointure Commission, PD Center, 340 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ
Grade:
3-12
This workshop provides foundational strategies for creating an efficient, well-managed classroom that supports student engagement and learning. Participants will learn how to establish clear routines, set consistent behavioral and academic expectations, and implement practical techniques to increase participation—especially among less confident or less verbal students. The workshop also covers research-based instructional strategies to improve clarity, accountability, and feedback across all content areas.
Harnessing the Science of Writing to Improve Thinking and Learning
Date:
December 19, 2025
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Morris-Union Jointure Commission, PD Center, 340 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ
Grade:
3-12
This workshop focuses on the understanding of where writing fits in with the growing focus being on the science of reading. Current research on how students learn to write and practical strategies to apply that knowledge in the classroom will be explored. Participants will examine the connection between writing, thinking, and learning, and gain tools to design effective writing tasks, improve content understanding, and build strong writing habits. This workshop emphasizes balancing fluency, content, and mechanics while simplifying assessment and feedback through clear instructional focus.
Making Mechanics Matter: Holding Students Accountable for Your Biggest Writing Pet Peeves
Date:
January 13, 2026
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Online – Access information will be emailed to registrants.
Grade:
4-10
During this online workshop, participants will learn strategies that tackle one of the biggest challenges facing any teacher who collects written work from students—poor mechanics! Learn what the essential conventions of formal language are, how to teach them, and most importantly, how to coach students toward applying these skills within their own writing and hold them accountable for doing so. Stop being a copyeditor for your students; make mechanics matter!
Complete Assessment Makeover! Improving Assessment and Feedback Across the Curriculum
Date:
January 14, 2026
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Morris-Union Jointure Commission, PD Center, 340 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ
Grade:
3-10
This workshop focuses on designing meaningful assessments that integrate reading, writing, and speaking to measure students’ understanding of course objectives through real-world tasks aligned with state standards. Participants will explore how to create a range of assessments—from quickwrites to complex projects—and how to provide timely, actionable feedback that fosters a growth mindset. Emphasis will be placed on practical strategies for promoting literacy, critical thinking, and student reflection throughout the assessment process.
Activities That Promote Close Reading and Thoughtful Text-Based Response
Date:
January 22, 2026
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Morris-Union Jointure Commission, PD Center, 340 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ
Grade:
3-8
This workshop will focus on fully preparing participants to plan, assign, and quickly evaluate assignments designed to improve close reading skills and text-based writing. During this workshop, participants will learn key, routine assignments that significantly impact student achievement in cross-curricular literacy. Participants will be able to guide students in organizing and structuring key assignments (summaries, compare and contrast essays, arguments, and text analyses) that demonstrate and increase understanding of both fiction and nonfiction texts. The assignments align perfectly with the performance tasks that appear on state assessments and are easily modified to meet individual classroom and subject-area curricula.
Managing and Improving Writing Skills and Habits in the Primary Grades
Date:
February 2, 2026
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Morris-Union Jointure Commission, PD Center, 340 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ
Grade:
K-2
Research shows that the frequency of writing is directly correlated to student growth in writing. However, finding time for writing and providing students with meaningful feedback on their writing is a challenge in the primary grades. During this workshop, participants will learn practical strategies and techniques to help their students gain writing fluency, become comfortable thinking on paper and develop the essential writing skills they need for future academic success, starting as early as kindergarten. Strategies addressed align with the NJ Student Learning Standards and are compatible with any existing English Language Arts (ELA) program.
Literacy Power Tools: How to Include Authentic and Relevant Literacy in the CTE Classroom
Date:
February 10, 2026
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Morris-Union Jointure Commission, PD Center, 340 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ
Grade:
9-12
Designed for career and technical education (CTE) and elective educators, this workshop focuses on integrating literacy strategies that enhance professional communication skills. Participants will learn how to reinforce course content while improving students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in real-world workplace contexts. This workshop provides practical tools to design and implement an effective, sustainable communication program tailored to the CTE classroom.
Sentence Building: From Basic to Breathtaking
Date:
March 5, 2026
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Online – Access information will be emailed to registrants.
Grade:
4-10 ELA
This online workshop offers practical strategies to help students write clear, correct, and compelling sentences. Participants will learn to use sentence templates that guide students from basic to more sophisticated structures, improving grammar and style. With focused criteria and logical progression, these activities support students in mastering sentence construction, while encouraging creativity and voice in their writing.
Embrace the Past! Using Past Work to Practice New Skills
Date:
March 9, 2026
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Morris-Union Jointure Commission, PD Center, 340 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ
Grade:
3-10
Student writing—both strong and flawed—can be a powerful teaching tool. This workshop explores how to use real student samples to model effective writing techniques, highlight common errors, and strengthen revising and editing skills. Participants will learn practical strategies for leveraging past student work to build clarity, accuracy, and confidence in current writing instruction.
Retrieval Routine: A Daily Learning Routine That Works
Date:
March 13, 2026
Kristine Gibson
Location:
Online – Access information will be emailed to registrants.
Grade:
6-12
Based on the latest cognitive research, the Retrieval Routine offers four short, high-impact activities designed to boost student understanding and retention across all subject areas. These five to ten minute strategies help combat forgetting, promote learning accountability, and strengthen students’ ability to recall and apply knowledge. Participants of this online workshop will explore how to integrate these routines into daily instruction to enhance long-term learning and engagement.
Improving Student Performance Through Writing and Thinking Across the Curriculum Grades K-2
Date:
Dates Coming Soon
Dr. Lauren Cunningham
Location:
Westmoreland IU - Hanna's Town Room, 102 Equity Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601
Grade:
K-2
This is our foundation session and it shows teachers in any subject area how to use the Five Types of Writing to increase understanding and retention of course content, build student involvement and motivation, and efficiently and fairly evaluate student writing in a manner that not only improves student skills, but increases student confidence.
Improving Student Performance Through Writing and Thinking Across the Curriculum Grades 3-5
Date:
Dates Coming Soon
Dr. Lauren Cunningham
Location:
Westmoreland IU - Hanna's Town Room, 102 Equity Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601
Grade:
3-5
This is our foundation session and it shows teachers in any subject area how to use the Five Types of Writing to increase understanding and retention of course content, build student involvement and motivation, and efficiently and fairly evaluate student writing in a manner that not only improves student skills, but increases student confidence.
Online Graduate Courses - Stay Tuned!
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