Target Audience: Measurable Results: Practical Steps To Improve Student Achievement
In schools, the pressure to perform on measurable assessments (KSA, ACT, and others) sometimes seems unbearable. Schools often resort to gimmicks and motivational techniques that, even when effective, are short-term solutions. These efforts are exhausting – for the students and the staff. In this series, you will discover substantive systems and structures that can be put into place, leading to lasting, sustainable improvement in academic performance.
9 Hours Total EILA Credit
Contact david.young@ckec.org with questions.
Target Audience: Teachers, Instructional Coaches, Administrators
Thinking Maps is a set of 8 visual patterns that correlate to specific cognitive processes. Based on the building blocks of brain-based learning, they are used across all grades and content areas to build critical thinking, problem-solving, comprehension, and communication skills necessary for academic success in every domain. Participants who register for this training will sign up for a three-day cohort during the 2025-2026 school year. Day 1 will introduce participants to the basics of the implementation of Thinking Maps. Days 2 and 3 are designed to help teachers move beyond the basics by building on their base of knowledge by utilizing Thinking Maps in their classrooms. Participants in this cohort will receive a FREE, physical copy of Thinking Maps: A Language for Learning, 2nd Ed. Teacher’s Guide.
Day 1 Overview (9/11/2025):
- Examination of building blocks of brain-based learning
- Introduction to the Defining Characteristics of Thinking Maps
- Learning the Thinking Maps: 8 Visual Patterns for Critical Thinking
- Strategies for developing independent learners: teaching the maps to students
Day 2 Overview (11/10/2025):
- Use color to rehearse, enhance, and add rigor to content knowledge
- The metacognitive importance of the Frame of Reference for rigorous and reflective thinking
- How to use multiple maps and help students build maps in cooperative teams
- Strategies to help students communicate ideas and take information off the map
Day 3 Overview (1/27/2026):
- Vocabulary development strategies
- Strategies to help students communicate ideas and take information off the map
- Writing short, constructed responses off the map
- Identifying text structures for note-taking
$375 fee for CKEC members
$500 for non-CKEC members
District Bundle Option: Every fifth registration from a district is free.
For more information, contact Erin McIver (erin.mciver@ckec.org)
Target Audience: Instructional Coaches, Instructional Leaders, Teacher Leaders who facilitate PLCs
Effective PLCs don’t happen by accident—they happen on purpose. Join us for a powerful professional learning series designed to transform your PLC process from theory to action. In this hybrid experience, participants will engage in three one-hour virtual book study sessions exploring Make It Happen: Coaching With the 4 Critical Questions of PLCs at Work by Kim Bailey and Chris Jakicic. Together, we’ll unpack key ideas, reflect on current practices, and prepare to take our PLCs to the next level.
The series will culminate in a full-day, in-person session where participants will collaborate with other PLC instructional leaders to plan, revise, and refine their PLC structures. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your impact, this series will give you the tools and time to truly make it happen.
| 9/18/25 |
10/16/25 |
11/20/25 |
12/4/25 |
| 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Virtual |
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Virtual |
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Virtual |
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. In-Person |
1 Hour PD/EILA for each virtual session attended. 6 Hours PD/EILA for in-person Session attended.
$75 Fee for Member Districts and $125 Fee for Non-Member Districts
Contact holly.lawrence@ckec.org with questions.
Target Audience: Classroom Teachers, Special Education Teachers, Instructional Coaches, School Leaders, District Leaders
What does it take to design a lesson that’s clear, cohesive, and cognitively engaging? In this hands-on session, we’ll dive into the 7 Components of an Ideal Lesson and explore how they align with the brain-based 6-phase model for student learning.
Participants will explore high-impact strategies for each component—like using flashbacks to support retrieval practice and congruent learning targets that drive everything from hooks to exit slips. But this isn’t just theory—we’ll give you time to create, refine, and workshop your own lesson plans using the 7 components as a guide. You’ll walk away with practical tools, peer feedback, and a customized plan to bring your lesson design to the next level.
Free for Member Districts and $125.00 for Non-Member Districts
Contact holly.lawrence@ckec.org with questions.
Target Audience: Teachers, School Leaders, Deeper Learning Teacher Leaders, Instructional Coaches, Library Media Specialists, Educators with limited experience with AI
Don’t be spooked by artificial intelligence! This full-day, in-person workshop will help educators unmask the mysteries of AI and how it works. We will explore the powers, limitations, and ethics of using AI-powered tools in the classroom. Participants will discover a variety of AI-powered tools and gather practical strategies and resources to bring AI to life in their teaching!
Free for Member Districts and $125.00 for Non-Member Districts
6 Hours of PD/EILA Credit. Contact holly.lawrence@ckec.org with questions.
Target Audience: General Education and Special Education Math Teachers grades 6-12; Instructional Coaches; Administrators
Are you looking for ideas to transform your middle or high school math class into a place where students want to learn and are engaged mathematicians? Vibrant learning encourages students to take ownership of their learning–to make it matter to them. In this workshop, you will unlock the power of rich tasks that challenge students to reason, problem-solve, and collaborate. Participants will learn how to foster a classroom culture where students explore big ideas, ask questions, and take intellectual risks. You will be equipped with ready-to-use strategies that bring energy and purpose to every math lesson.
Participants will be asked to bring in at least one lesson that they can rework during the workshop.
Free for District Members and $125.00 Fee for Non-Members
6 Hours of EILA will be available. Contact mark.helton@ckec.org with questions.
Target Audience: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Coaches, & Administrators
Are you passionate about transforming your teaching practices and fostering a richer learning experience for your students? Join the CKEC Deeper Learning Cohort—an exclusive, year-long professional development opportunity designed for educators committed to promoting deeper learning in their classrooms. Meeting four times throughout the school year (September 24, November 18, February 4, and April 21), this cohort provides a collaborative space to explore innovative strategies, engage in meaningful dialogue with like-minded peers, and receive ongoing support from experienced facilitators. Participants will gain practical tools and resources that can be immediately implemented to enhance student engagement, critical thinking, and creativity. As part of the cohort, educators will also receive copies of three essential professional books: Teaching for Deeper Learning: Tools to Engage Students in Meaning Making, 50 Strategies to Boost Cognitive Engagement: Creating a Thinking Culture in the Classroom, and Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner. Ideal for teachers eager to grow professionally and deepen their impact, this cohort will empower you to create vibrant, student-centered learning environments.
6 hours of EILA credit will be provided for each session attended.
$199 Fee for Member Districts and $325 for Non-Member Districts
Contact lindsey.ellis@ckec.org for more information.
Target Audience: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Coaches, & Administrators
Transform your classroom from passive knowledge consumption to one of active, dynamic engagement! In this in-person session, you will explore strategies designed to foster deep-level processing and active participation. Using 50 Strategies to Boost Cognitive Engagement: Creating a Thinking Culture in the Classroom as our anchor text, we will analyze practical methods to build a thinking-centered learning environment. Participants will receive a copy of the book and walk away with innovative ideas and actionable strategies to shift from traditional, teacher-centered models to a culture of thinking and meaningful engagement. Learn how to sustain a thinking classroom and reimagine student engagement—from passive participation to driving curiosity and learning.
6 hours of PD/EILA credit will be earned upon completion of this workshop.
$50 for Member Districts and $125.00 for Non-Member Districts
Contact lindsey.ellis@ckec.org for more information.
Target Audience: Elementary Writing Teachers, Instructional Coaches
In-Person Session
Participants will learn essential strategies for building and maintaining a strong writing community in the elementary classroom. Discover what students should know and be able to do as writers, along with key instructional practices that support growth and foster independence. We will explore how to use assessment to benefit students, tailoring feedback and instruction to develop writers. Participants will also learn how to shift agency from teacher to student, creating a classroom environment where writers feel empowered and responsible for their own work. The first 15 participants to register will receive a copy of the book Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing to support the application of these practices in their classrooms.
6 hours of PD/EILA credit will be provided.
Free for Member Districts, $125.00 Fee for Non-Member Districts
Contact lindsey.ellis@ckec.org with questions.
Target Audience: Math Teachers grades K-12, Co-teachers, Special Education Teachers, Instructional Coaches
Transform your mathematics classroom into an active thinking environment where every student is engaged and challenged! This full-day, in-person workshop, based on Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, will explore the 14 optimal practices for thinking that create an ideal setting for deep mathematics learning to occur. During this interactive workshop, participants will explore research-based practices that create the optimal conditions for learner-centered, student owned deep mathematical thinking and learning.
6 Hours of PD/EILA Credit
$125.00 Fee for Non-Member Districts. Contact holly.lawrence@ckec.org with questions.
