June daylong workshops in Helena, Missoula, and Great Falls

We're excited to offer three six-hour professional development sessions this summer, one each in Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula.

Reading to Learn and Learning to Read in the Social Studies Classroom

June 14, 2024, Fort Missoula (10 Fort Missoula Rd), Missoula. Cosponsored by The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. Register here.

June 21, 2024, Montana Wild (2668 Broadwater Ave), Helena. Register here.

Designed for all K-12 teachers, this 6-hour workshop (9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.) will provide dozens of practical strategies to support readers of all ages and ability levels in engaging with social studies content. Tammy will demonstrate strategies through the lens of Montana, Tribal and US history. She will include unique methods to support students' use of textbooks and complex primary sources and build essential background knowledge through disciplinary literacy. Discover how reading to learn and learning to read are reciprocal and co-occurring processes. 

Appropriate for teachers grades 2-12. Participants will earn 6 OPI Renewal Credits. Participation is free and lunch is provided. A limited number of travel scholarships are available.

About the Presenter: Dr. Tammy Elser directs Literacy, Equity, and Excellence, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction option at Salish Kootenai College for in-service educators and teaches preservice educators literacy methods. The author of The Framework: A Practical Guide for Montana Teachers and Administrators Implementing Indian Education for All, and a dozen integrated Indian Education and college- and career-ready aligned curricula, Tammy focuses on practical strategies supporting current and future teachers to achieve both equity and excellence for all students. 

Crossing Disciplines with Montana: A History of Our Home

June 26, 2024, Aspen Room at Great Falls School District Office (1100 4^th St S), Great Falls, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Register here. 

Interested in engaging your elementary students in active learning while helping them understand the world around them? Looking for ways to integrate ELA, IEFA, math, art, and social studies so you can cover multiple standards with a single lesson? The new fourth through sixth grade curriculum, Montana: A History of Our Home, was created with you in mind!

Montana: A History of Our Home has closely aligned its lesson plans to the ELA standards. See how you can teach writing, close reading, fluency, and other ELA skills while teaching Montana history and IEFA. The curriculum also includes math practice and art lessons as well! 

Attend this 6-hour training to explore skill-based, hands-on lesson plans designed to teach geography while teaching Montana history.

Appropriate for teachers grades 4-6. Participants will earn 6 OPI Renewal Credits.

About the Presenters: Hali Richmond teaches a combined third and fourth grade class in Sunburst Montana. Jodi Majerus Delaney teaches a combined Montessori fourth and fifth grade class in Helena. Both Jodi and Hali are MTHS Teacher Leader  in History Fellows and both have been named Centennial Bell Montana History of the Year, Jodi in 2017 and Hali in 2023.