Professional Development

At Buena Vista University, we are committed to your lifelong learning and success. We offer a variety of topics to satisfy your professional development and continuing education needs.

• Professional development opportunities

  Strengthening Secondary Writing Skills (for teachers serving grades 9-12)

  • CCSS/ICCS Best Approaches for Supporting Student Creative Writing in the Secondary Classroom 
  • CCSS/ICCS Best Approaches for Supporting Student Academic Writing in the Secondary Classroom 
  • CCSS/ICCS Best Approaches for Supporting Student Research Writing in the Secondary Classroom 
  • Uniting Teacher Writing Expectations Across the Curriculum 

  Building Vocabulary 

  • Revisiting Marzano: 6 Steps to Building Content Area Vocabulary in Middle School (for all content teachers serving 5-8) 
  • Revisiting Marzano: 6 Steps to Building Content Area Vocabulary in Middle School (for all content teachers serving 5-12) 
  • Creating Word Rich Classrooms: Secrets Content Area Teachers Never Learned About the Power of Words (for all content teachers serving 9-12)

  Strengthening Secondary Reading Skills

  • Turn Around Strategies to Help Students Struggling with Textbook Reading (for all content teachers serving 5-12) 
  • Turn Around Strategies to Help Students Struggling with Reading Motivation (for all content teachers serving 5-12)
  • Building a Robust Classroom Library (for ELA teachers serving 5-12)
  • Building a Robust Content Area Library (for all content teachers serving 5-12)
  • Beyond the Textbook: Using Print, Digital, and Media Resources to Support Content Area Comprehension (for all content teachers serving 5-12)
  • Helping Students Find the Reading Zone: The Secret to Falling in Love with Reading (for ELA teachers serving 5-12)
  • Literary Theory in the High School Classroom (for ELA teachers serving 5-12)
  • After School Book Clubs for At-Risk Students (for teachers & librarians serving 5-12)
  • Secondary Summer Reading Programs: Do’s, Don’t’ s and Definitely’ s (for teachers, librarians, and admins serving 5-12)
  • Reading Through a Critical Lens: Introducing Literary Theory to Build Comprehension (for ELA teachers serving 9-12)
  • New Definitions of Reading: Generation Z's Relationship with Print, Digital, and Media Text (for all content teachers serving 5-12)
  • Young Adult Literature Survey of 21st Century Genres (for ELA teachers serving 5-12)
  • Developing a Novels Course for the High School Curriculum (for ELA teachers serving 5-12)
  • Reimagining Independent Reading Programs: Moving Beyond AR Toward College Readiness (for ELA teachers and librarians serving 9-12)
  • Graphic Novels as Alternative Text (for all content teachers and librarians serving 5-12)
  • CCSS/ICSS: Understanding Text Complexity and How to Implement Complex Texts Across the Curriculum (for all content teachers serving 5-12)
  • CCSS/ICSS: Revisiting Text Complexity Part I: Quantitative Approaches to Measuring Readability (for all content teachers serving 5-12)
  • CCSS/ICSS: Revisiting Text Complexity Part II: Qualitative Approaches to Measuring Readability (for all content teachers serving 5-12)
  • CCSS/ICSS: Revisiting Text Complexity Part III: Reader & Task Considerations (for all content teachers serving 5-12

  Community Literacy

  • Combating Book Deserts: How to Fuel Book Access and Reading Engagement in Low Literacy Communities (for teachers, librarians, administrators, and community volunteers serving k-12)
  • Little Libraries: Creating Your Own Community Literacy Outreach (for anyone interested in promoting community literacy)
  • Books on Wheels: BVU's Book Beaver Bibliotrike: Sharing Our Story to Help You Build Your Own Books on Wheels Program (for anyone interested in promoting community literacy)

  Performance Literacy

  • Performance Reading Workshop: Narrative Voice and Dramatic Delivery (for all content teachers serving 5-12, and interested community members)
  • Storytelling Workshop I: How to Tell a Tale Channeling Your Inner Drama Mama (for ELA & TESL teachers serving 5-12, and interested community members)
  • Storytelling Workshop II: How to Teach Storytelling Skills Using Classroom Curriculum (for ELA & TESL teachers serving 5-12, and interested community members)
  • Readers Theatre: The Secret Fluency Builder for Middle & High School Readers (for ELA & TESL teachers serving 5-12)
  • CBRT: Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre: A Creative Approach to Engaging Students in Content Area Curriculum (for all content teachers serving 5-12)
  • Poetry Jam Workshop: Exploring Poetic Phrasing, Rhyme, Rhythm, Beat and Dramatic Delivery (for ELA teachers serving 5-12)

  Literacy & Standards

  • Standards-based writing instruction
  • Balanced Literacy
  • Small Group Reading
  • The 3 ELA Shifts

  Physical Education

  • Professional Development for Physical Education Teachers: Integrating Classroom Subjects into Physical Education

  Special Education

  • Inclusive Education
  • Working with Families of Children with Disabilities
  • Differentiating Instruction 
  • Co-Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms

  English as a Second Language

  • Inclusive Education
  • Supporting English Language Learners (ELLs) in the Classroom
  • Strategies for ELLs

  Other

  • LGBTQIA+ Training/Inclusion

Continuing Education

Buena Vista University offers a variety of continuing education opportunities to expand your knowledge and build upon your experience. Our courses, workshops, and webinars equip you with the essentials to stay current in your practicing field.

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Contact Us

Buena Vista University
ATTN: Strategic Partnerships
610 W Fourth Street
Storm Lake, IA 50588
strategicpartnerships@bvu.edu

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