How much PD is necessary to implement a full year science program?
The length of time suggested for each Professional Development session varies, depending on the curriculum being taught and the experience level of the teachers. Generally, we recommend at least one full day to give teachers who are new to an inquiry-based curriculum a basic understanding of the structure and best practices involved in teaching it. We recommend an additional 1-2 days to explore the content and activities that are specific to each unit of the chosen curriculum. Recommendations might vary depending on the needs and goals of a school. Most schools request that their teachers have the opportunity to go through the majority of activities for the unit, while others might prefer a high-level refresher course. The most important thing is to ensure that teachers are both familiar and comfortable with inquiry-based teaching by the end of our workshops. Time should be spent modeling inquiry teaching and discussions, dealing with classroom and materials management, working with li
