One voice, One focus: All students achieving.

Preston County Schools, WV. One voice, one focus: all students achieving. I have had the pleasure of providing multiple professional development programs for Preston County during their annual summer teacher academies. Building off of our momentum from previous year they asked for something even more novel and rewarding.

The Need: Our program intent conversations zeroed in on two desired outcomes. To build stronger grade level and subject matter teacher working relationships and to introduce and remind teachers of ways for making learning and teaching fun. We would have two separate groups on two separate days, each around 80-100 participants for 2.5 hours total.

The Solution: Do you have any experience working with teachers at the tail end of their summer break? I knew going into this program… it better be engaging…something they can get excited for.  And two…teachers work in independent silos (their classrooms)…for them to work together as colleagues can be a challenge…any team activities would need to be planned with this in mind.  Ultimately we thought the perfect event would be a win win philanthropic team event… Bike Building! Not just Bike Building…but team bike building.  Meeting the intentions of the retreat while providing bicycles for each schools’ afterschool program.  Teams would be responsible for the construction of one bike each.  Bike tools and parts would be earned through the completion of tasks.  Each task reinforced the outcomes of the event. First team done was crowned winner!  But wait…everyone is a winner…especially the kids who will be riding the bikes!

The Results: Eight bikes successfully constructed…bikes are now being utilized by each school’s after school program.  Teachers shared resources, built relationships, were exposed to content instruction strategies, and shared in a heart-warming assembly challenge.