We are looking for schools that serve students in grades 4 and 5. We would like to serve two or more eligible teachers at a school.

SIM PD can support teachers who: Serve as the primary math teacher of record for students in either Grade 4 or Grade 5; Have at least one prior year of teaching experience; Are not engaged in extensive extra professional learning due to a performance plan; and Provide at least half of their math instruction in English.

Yes, if allowed per district policy, coaches will be paid hourly and teachers will receive a stipend for participating in SIM PD. In addition, teachers will receive gift cards for completing data collection activities.

Teachers spend a total of 15 hours in SIM PD activities across the school year. In each of the three SIM PD modules, teachers participate in two workshops (one hour each), two practice sessions (one hour each) and one debrief session (one hour). There is flexibility with scheduling, although we recommend spacing one module’s five hours of activities into 1-hour sessions spread over the course of 6-9 weeks. Coaches spend approximately 55 hours on SIM PD across the school year. These hours include training from AIR staff, time spent preparing for and delivering SIM PD activities to teachers, and ongoing support check-ins with AIR staff.

Schools and teachers only need the resources that teachers already use for regular instruction, such as a room with wifi and a computer or smartboard that can receive a Zoom conference call.

Schools and teachers can determine when to conduct the SIM PD activities. Some schools choose to implement during the school day (e.g., during planning periods) and others decide to implement after school. All SIM PD activities need to be completed within one school year. SIM PD activities typically take place in-person, but as needed we can discuss virtual implementation. Our team will work with schools and teachers decide the location for the activities.

The PD focuses on questioning and discussion strategies for supporting student learning in math. They can be applied to any lesson in any math curriculum.