Professional Development
We believe the best teachers are reflective, life-long learners and because of this we provide extensive opportunities for professional learning to our faculty at the American School of Barcelona. ASB provides a variety of ways for teachers to reflect on their craft, learn about the newest educational practices, and learn new approaches and successful strategies from one another. Professional learning at ASB comes in many forms, from individual coaching to peer collaboration to attendance at international conferences and workshops.
Johanna Cena
Director of Teaching and Learning
Professional Development Summary 2015-2021
International Conferences
Each year, we send teams of teachers to international conferences as both participants and presenters. Some of these conferences include: MAIS (Mediterranean Association of International Schools), ECIS (European Council of International Schools), and ELMLE (European League for Middle Level Education), AERO (American Education Reaches Out) and JOSTI (Jefferson Overseas Schools Technology Institute). In addition, many of our teachers attend IB workshops and Google Summits throughout the year and Teachers College Reading and Writing Summer Institutes.
On Site Professional Learning
Perhaps most importantly, professional learning is not only about conferences and experts, it is an ongoing process in which our ASB teachers are constantly involved. Vertically aligned subject area teams meet twice a month in professional learning communities to refine curriculum, analyze student work, and to share and review their instructional practices. Grade level teams in elementary and middle school meet weekly to align instruction and address student needs. Divisions meet as teams twice a month as well.
Individual and group coaching is another form of professional learning at ASB. An Instructional Coach works with K-5 teachers to refine instructional practices, align curriculum, and provide support and resources. At the secondary level, the Teaching and Learning Coordinator supports teachers with curriculum, resources, and feedback on instructional practices.
Finally, ASB promotes the concept started by John Dewey of “classroom as laboratory.” We believe we can best study teaching and learning in the classroom setting. That’s why we support a variety of peer visitations and observations structures designed to provide opportunities for teachers to learn from and with one another in the lab of the classroom. At ASB, it is quite common to see teachers visiting one another’s classrooms and/or meeting to review and refine the instruction and student practice they are observing.
Mary Ehrenworth
Reading and Writing
Caty Berger Kaye
Service Learning and PBL
Paul Andersen
K12 NGS Science
Alicia Luick
Language Arts
