DLD brought about time for teachers to collaborate across grade levels, from school to school. Our PE teachers trained with bows and [school-safety] arrows, to prepare for a soon-to-be archery unit for students. Art teachers traveled to a neighboring school district to learn with experts from the River Arts Festival. Math teachers worked together to evaluate math instruction materials for the upcoming school year. Elementary teachers in lower grades worked with an outside instructor to enhance their knowledge and practice of target based grading.
There were many sessions throughout the day, including a session about Ready Graduate by Ethan Constant and a special ACT preparation session for high school teachers taught by guest educator and ACT representative, Wes Gentry. Teachers went over the test itself, focusing on improving student outcomes by tailoring teaching strategies to data connections and ACT standards. Later in the day, elementary teachers gathered to hear a session by Milken Educator Award winner, Alexa Guynes, who shared her expertise on the TCAP Writing Assessment after serving on the TN Department of Education writing committee.