SEEL Professional Development

SEEL Professional Development Model

Training in SEEL instructional practices is guided by appreciative inquiry (AI) methodology. The AI approach connects teachers to their core of positive values, beliefs, experiences, and attitudes, thus motivating them to improve their practice.   AI sessions build on strengths rather than focusing on problems in teaching. They engage professional development participants in reflecting on goals and practices, situate training in real classroom contexts, and promote planning and problem solving as participants collaboratively refine unit and lesson plans. AI enables participants to identify and build on their positive experiences, strengths, and capacities (Cooperrider & Whitney, 2005).

The AI process takes participants through the following steps: 

• Discover what they value, appreciate, or believe about early literacy instruction
• Dream about what they think an ideal early literacy program would be like
• Design/co-construct the components of that dream utilizing the SEEL content (e.g., by considering sample plans, filling out a planning framework, selecting from an array of contexts, and constructing activity plans that fit well with the chosen themes)
• Develop an action plan for achieving the goal or dream with guidance/support from literacy coaches and research-based curricular resources. 

Such a plan situates the experience in the classroom, encourages use of an array of SEEL contexts and activities, and provides opportunities to share results and refine the planning based on implementation experience. The AI action plan is a formative process, with iterative steps enabling continuous refinement of practice.

Professional Development Activities

In the SEEL professional development process, participants collaboratively explore how the SEEL content and strategies can assist them in achieving their goals in creative and gratifying ways. SEEL professional development is delivered through a series of

•  workshops,
• in-class demonstrations,
• lesson study, and
• weekly peer team meetings.

Workshops

Workshops include the following:

• Presentation of content and rationale for a comprehensive interactive early literacy curriculum
• Live and video demonstrations of explicit and embedded playful practice of SEEL content (e.g., phonological awareness, print-related letter knowledge, vocabulary, comprehension)
• Opportunities to practice planning playful activities and creating thematic unit plans (weekly and monthly) in which particular curricular goals and individual student needs are addressed in light of targeted curricular themes   
• Participation in collaborative co-planning, which develops teachers’ capacity to brainstorm and reflect on possibilities
• Use of a manual with planning resources and instructional activities

In-Class Demonstrations

Demonstration activities are presented in the teachers’ classrooms by SEEL project staff, with full implementation of developed lessons. Staff members model instruction, discuss various strategies with teachers, and provide support to teachers in monitoring student progress, making decisions about which strategies to use, and choosing times to transition to new activities. Through the staff modeling, teachers learn how to expose children to frequent, salient opportunities to notice and use literacy targets. Instruction can also be given to help teachers in responding to children’s inputs and in structuring participation to give children extensive practice opportunities. Following the demonstration, team members participate in a debriefing session during which they discuss the observed strategy, suggest alternatives, and evaluate progress.

Lesson Study

In lesson study, teachers collaboratively plan a SEEL lesson and select one teacher on their team to teach the co-created lesson. The SEEL lesson is video taped so teachers can re-view it as they provide feedback. Then the team revises the lesson, and another teacher implements it in his/her classroom. This process is considered completed when each of the teachers on the team has had an opportunity to implement the lesson.

Peer Team Meetings

Participants operate within a peer team in which teachers work and plan together, visit and review classrooms, and participate in discussions and decision-making procedures (Hord, 2004). Peer team meetings provide participating teachers with the opportunity to collaborate on implementing the SEEL framework, which includes consistency of strategy use, transfer of skills, and increase in focused instruction for students (Beck & Dennis, 1997; Ehren, 2000; Simon, 1995). During these meetings teachers and SEEL project staff share integrated lesson/activity plans, discuss adaptations, and provide mutual support in making instructional decisions based on assessment data.

Additional information

To discuss professional development further, please contact Dr. Barbara Culatta, associate dean of Brigham Young Young University's McKay School of Education.