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Hi Everyone!   Here's a quick recap of the Kickstart PD I offered to my teachers and explained during the 5,000 member celebration event! Click the link at the end of the post to view my resources on the Padlet!

I created a guided practice cheat sheet/menu to share with teachers who attended my optional PD, and had them LAMINATED so it felt special

I created paper invites to "Lunch & Learn" PD and gave two weeks notice. I hosted several days in a row to give everyone a chance to attend.

I hand delivered the invitations and went during strategic times so I could also chat with teachers.

I sent an email reminder with a Google form RSVP the week of the event.

I created paper exit tickets , being sure to ask "What's your next step?"

I hosted the PD!  It was very informal and conversational (it was lunchtime, after all), but I did find a few minutes to talk about the menu and handpicked a few strategies for individual teachers based on their content area and teaching style to talk about. I even starred those on their menus and wrote their name on the top so they could see I was thinking about their courses and needs.

I made sure they filled out and turned in their exit tickets before leaving.

I followed up within a couple days to talk about what they wrote on their exit ticket and asked to partner with them on their next step!

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Check out this Invitation (Square) designed by Mrs. Richelle Rindlisbacher.

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Check out this document designed by Mrs. Richelle Rindlisbacher.

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Printed these and cut in 2. Put them in mailboxes

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Template- Door Dash Order Form (paper version)

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Template- Door Dash Order Form (paper version)

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Check out this design designed by Victoria Daglian.

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k-12

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Template- New Year, New Mindset: Goals and Boundaries PD (k-12)

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Template- New Year, New Mindset: Goals and Boundaries PD (k-12)

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Tips for fostering student independence to support small group instruction

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a list of activities to boost critical thinking

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Template- From Feedback to Feed Forward (6-12)

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Template- From Feedback to Feed Forward (6-12)

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Have to share how brilliant Allison's Kickstart PD idea is.  When I started as a new coach, I was pretty frustrated, and needed to figure out HOW to get coaching cycles going.  That was the exact moment I serendipitously found her and the Kickstart event.  I had absolutely nothing to lose, so I went all in, following each and every step.   I designed a kickstart pd right away....and like 2 people came.  I kept at it though, and tried new topics, all while cultivating relationships and doing coaching cycles with each person who participated.  And, over time, more and more people started coming!  By the end of last year, a good 1/3 of my classroom teachers were coming to any given Pop Up.   I call them "Pop UP PD," because they are so organic--they can pop up at any time, whenever I hear a need for something.  I keep the format consistent, ALWAYS serve popcorn (get it?) and have plenty of chocolate on hand.   Now, a year and a half later,  several teachers are asking to collaborate to develop their OWN Pop Up PD!    Allison Petersen, you are a miracle worker! Just in case anyone is interested, here's the same flyer I always use. (Not sure how clear it is in the picture--these are two separate pages, side by side).   I have a Pop Up that starts on Monday, so this is currently the flyer that's posted everywhere teachers will see it.  Made it in Canva--super simple! Try the Kickstart--it's truly a game-changer!

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Behind the Scenes: Planning a Collaborative Study

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Collaborative Studies: The One Where Invitations Are Sent

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In this post, readers learn about what are collaborative studies as well as how to build interest through invitation!

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https://www.catchingupwithcasey.com/blog/collabstudiessignup

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​Or perhaps you're here for the first time! If that's the case, hop on over to the first post in this blog series all about Collaborative Studies and how to introduce them to teachers. THEN, read on in this post, PART TWO, to learn about what it looks like to get teachers signed up!

​Of the four parts to this blog series, this is quite possibly the easiest and least complex piece. Now, it's important to state here that following the first steps that are listed in this blog series is extremely important. Once you have done so, and have gotten the word out about collaborative studies, it's time to settle down and plan your collaborative study events! This can be done many different ways. You may decide to host collaborative studies monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly and pre-plan the topics across the year. You also may choose to host collaborative studies sporadically based on patterns noticed across the classroom. To make this decision, think about the culture and climate of your school, the initiatives of administration, and the current teacher workload. No matter the case, be sure your teachers know what to look forward to as the year goes on. *Side note: My first time implementing collaborative studies, I decided to host them monthly. It did have its benefits, but I suggest hosting them bimonthly or quarterly so that you might illicit better teacher turn out.*

You now have a broad plan for the year, you know your first topic of study (more on this in a future blog post!), and now you're ready to get teachers signed up! This will require you to take a step on the bridge of vulnerability. You're essentially giving teachers power to say "yes" or "no" to what you are proposing. And, let's face it, a "NO" kind of hurts, even if you've vowed to yourself not to take it personally! This is how a carefully written sign up form can be super helpful to both you and the teachers completing the form. So let's visit the secrets to building the form and then we'll jump into the logistics of getting it out to teachers and, more importantly, completed and submitted!

Secrets to Building the Form
The easiest way to get teachers signed up is by sending out a Google Form. You can also use Sign Up Genius, but I find that Google Forms are much more user friendly and can easily be customized. And, of course, I have a great form template ready for you to download. Simply scroll down to get your copy!

You'll notice in the template that there is space for all the details of your collaborative study and topic of choice. These details are much like a session description you might find on any conference pamphlet. Make it as enticing and intriguing as possible and cater to the unique personality of your campus. This should be what teachers see first on the form. Whether they are interested or not, I request that all teachers complete the form. Therefore, they will include their name, email address, and grade level (if needed).

The next part is where you can allow them to "let you down easy" and also can give you a ton of great information about where the teachers are in relation to the content being studied. Include only positively stated options for involvement. Not only does this ease the pain of the "no's" for you as the host, but it also encourages a positive attitude toward collaborative studies, even if the teacher chooses not to participate.
Here are possible participation options to include:

YES! I want to learn more!

YES! I want to learn more AND feel comfortable leading parts of this study!

I'm interested in this topic, but am unable to join this time.

No thanks, but I look forward to joining another study in the future! (You can even include a portion with this statement that encourages teachers to include a topic they WOULD be interested in studying!)​

If you're wanting to know more about what exactly teachers are interested in learning about in regard to the topic of study, you might include an additional section for them to specify. This could be a drop down menu, several items to be checked, or an open response text box.

Logistics of Getting Forms Completed and Submitted
Got the form done?! Ready to hit "send"?? First and foremost, have a dear friend or colleagues proof read it. And then let your administrator know that you're going to send it out. If you're not completely comfortable with sending it out, or you believe it will have more weight coming from an administrator, you could ask them to send it on your behalf. Ideally, you'd want it to come directly from you. The best option, if you're using Google, is to email it using the option through Google Forms. This will allow you to see who has responded and who has yet to respond.

You won't simply email the form and await responses. The primary way to gain the most responses is by visiting teachers or striking conversation about it in passing: "Hey, have you seen the email about the upcoming collaborative study? Be sure to respond soon. I can't wait to find a way for us to partner and learn together!" Another way to gain responses is by including information about the collaborative study and the form you're expecting them to complete in multiple formats and outlets. If you send a weekly newsletter, include the Google Form link or QR code on the newsletter. Post a few flyers at various locations throughout the school (perhaps the bathroom- as was the case for this flyer!).

These collaborative studies are meant to be more casual than formal and are optional. Make it enticing, relevant, and professional, but never underestimate the power of FUN! As you are marketing this idea of collaborative studies, show your enthusiasm and interest in the things that are on the teachers' minds and seek out their expertise.
After all, to collaborate is to partner with others in the quest to better ourselves collectively for the sole purpose of supporting the broader audience: our students.

Until next time, when we dig into WHAT to do when teachers attend the collaborative studies, grab this free Google Form template and get your teachers signed up!

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​Or perhaps you're here for the first time! If that's the case, hop on over to the first post in this blog series all about Collaborative Studies and how to introduce them to teachers. THEN, read on in this post, PART TWO, to learn about what it looks like to get teachers signed up!

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And so you've made it to the end- that's all there is to it! If you've gone through the first three parts of this blog series , you know all there is to know about implementing collaborative studies!

This last post on the blog series is SUPER fun! This is where we get to think about all of the possibilities of topics and modes of delivery. The only problem is that the possibilities are actually ENDLESS!!

Have more ideas?! Share away and let us know how it goes! ​Together, our ideas are limitless. Any of the possibilities listed above can be combined, tweaked, stretched, and arranged in a way that makes the collaborative learning experience one that attendees LOVE and remember!

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Learn the unlimited topics and modes of delivery for implementing collaborative studies with educators!

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Vicki said she would change the following things:

Avoid coffee - logistics of keeping it hot!

Attach exit ticket to the PD

The 'support small' was a little confusing

She got 83 responses and 10 follow up sessions from this.