Chapters International

In this online workshop, teachers and instructional leaders will learn a universally designed, three-step protocol for classroom conversations that is useful in building essential questions and fostering more reflective classrooms. Participants emerge from this workshop with a go-to method to build inquiry-based classrooms that leverages social emotional learning activities with academic content to drive student engagement. All participants receive one-year access to Teach Different's professional learning community after the workshop is finished.

Objectives:

Participants will:

Understand why conversations are important for promoting engagement and inquiry
Learn a 3-step protocol for starting and managing conversations
Learn how to use Google forms to prepare and assess conversations
Strategize how to use conversations to promote social-emotional learning
Strategize how to use conversations as hooks for academic content
Build an original conversation and essential question from scratch using the 3-Step protocol

Target Audience:

Instructional coaches, school/district administrators, teachers for Middle and High School.

Agenda:

Session 1 - 2 Hours:

Universal Design and Conversations - A Match Made In Heaven
Conversation modeling
Unpacking the 3-Step Protocol
Q & A
Looking ahead:Session 2 - Conversations As Fuel For Social Emotional Learning

Home Learning: Review of CASEL’s five competencies

Session 2 - 2 Hours:Conversations As Fuel For Social Emotional Learning

Model SEL conversation
Discussion: Which of CASEL’s Core Competencies do your students struggle with most and why?
Picking the right SEL conversation for your students
Share out selected conversations
Q & A
Looking ahead:Session 3 - Conversations As Hooks For Academic Content

Session 3 - 2 Hours:Conversations As Hooks For Academic Content

Model conversation with curriculum connections
Picking the right conversation for your curriculum
Share out selected conversations
Q & A
Review 3-step protocol and implementation strategies including Google form
Looking ahead:Session 4 - Building Your Own Conversation From Scratch

Home Learning:Implement a conversation with students/adults

Session 4 - 2 Hours:Building Your Own Conversation From Scratch

Debrief conversations
Build your own conversation from scratch
Q & A

Dan Fouts

Dan is a practicing high school social studies teacher from the Chicago land area with 30 years of experience. In this role he has led curriculum teams, served as departmental instructional coach and spearheaded the creation of a philosophy elective which he has taught for 10 years. Critical thinking, love of questioning and conversation are what Dan values most in education.

Along with his twin brother Steve, he co-founded Teach Different which specializes in helping educators and parents start and manage conversations using a powerful 3-step protocol. His passion is to teach how to use this conversation protocol in conjunction with essential questions to give young people and adults alike the courage to speak, listen and understand.

As part of his work with Teach Different, Dan has presented extensively at a state and national level on inquiry-based instruction techniques including a recent webinar series offered by the National Council for the Social Studies.

Dan and his brother produce and host the Teach Different podcast which showcases the benefits of inquiry-based instruction, critical thinking and the art of conversation.

Dr. Steven G. Fouts

Steve is a social entrepreneur with over 20 years of teaching experience in K-16 education and is currently CEO of Teach Different, a professional development organization from Chicago that has pioneered a 3-Step conversation technique for the classroom. Steve has experience teaching philosophy on the undergraduate level and has spent over a decade teaching mathematics and social studies to underserved student populations from Chicago’s west side. He has published numerous articles about social justice and equity in K-12 education and is a member of Educators for Excellence, a non-profit organization devoted to policy advocacy for K-12 classrooms.