Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Edgemont Mentors

Dates: 8/26/2025 to 6/4/2026

Over the past twenty-two years, the Mentor Program has become an integral part of the Edgemont School District. This seminar provides systematic support for teachers new to Edgemont and recognizes and rewards the knowledge and skill that experienced Mentor teachers bring to new teachers. The program is a rich opportunity for the professional development of expert teachers who are now trained to work with their new colleagues. This year the Mentors and new teachers will continue to refine and develop the program. This seminar assists the Mentor teacher in defining his/her role and its relationship to the new teacher. Mentor teachers will meet together to identify needs, discuss problems, and seek solutions. Course topics include roles and responsibilities of mentoring, teacher collaboration, and effective communication. Mentor teachers participate in creating this unique program designed specifically to meet the needs of the Edgemont staff.

There will be an additional 8 hours of asynchronous work to be completed outside of the scheduled meeting times.

11. STI - 6538 - Articulating Leadership Across Departments 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: SMS Department Chairs

Dates: 9/4/2025 to 6/11/2026

Middle School department chairs serve on the Principal's Cabinet and are relied on for a wide variety of responsibilities. We are the leaders of curriculum in our departments as well as being responsible for hiring and supervising the staff in our departments. It is imperative that we have time to collaborate as we try to work with the administration. This year will be a little different as we will have an interim principal and assistant principal so that may bring some unique challenges. Maintaining consistency in our practices ensures that the middle school functions as well as it does.

The department chair serves as an advocate for one's own department while at the same time supporting the wider mission of the school. As a result, healthy and open discussion about school issues must occur regularly. Scarsdale's commitment to educational excellence and evolving state regulations require department chairs to work collaboratively to examine current practices and continue to adapt to changes. The Middle School department chairs, in the role of teacher evaluators, will function as a study group to review various duties including staff observation and evaluation, and progress with school goals. Participants will work across departments to ensure consistent approaches are being utilized. Through this course, the chairs plan to work collaboratively to follow or modify current practices as well as to prepare for upcoming initiatives.

Participants will attend all meetings. The course minutes will provide detail of what was discussed and accomplished.

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 9/25/2025 to 5/28/2026

8

This course empowers elementary educators to design and implement authentic, engaging, and cross-curricular learning experiences through Project-Based Learning (PBL). Participants will explore how inquiry-driven instruction fosters deeper understanding, student agency, and meaningful connections across subject areas. By engaging in collaborative planning and reflective practice teachers will learn how to guide students in developing critical thinking, creativity, and real-world problem-solving skills . Emphasis will be placed on designing integrated units that align with standards while encouraging innovation, curiosity, and collaboration in the classroom.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Understand the core principles of Project-Based Learning and its benefits for elementary students.
Design interdisciplinary PBL lesson/units grounded in inquiry and student agency.
Facilitate learning environments that support exploration, voice, and authentic assessment.
Use PBL to connect among selected disciplines - literacy, math, science, social studies, and the arts in meaningful ways.

This course is ideal for elementary educators seeking to bring energy, relevance, and innovation to their classrooms through student-centered, integrated learning experiences.

This 3-credit course will be structured so that participants can engage with the large group through 6 in-person class session, and in smaller project groups for 6 asynchronous sessions.

Signing up with grade-level team members from your building is encouraged!

19. STI - 6588 - K-12 Integrated Unit Design - Edgemont

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 Edgemont

Dates: 9/26/2025 to 11/22/2025

This course is a work session in which teachers will create new integrated units or upgrade current units of study to fit the 21st Century classroom. The goal is to facilitate changes in the way both content and skills are being delivered to enable students to become autonomous learners. It will also allow for teacher work time where they can evaluate ways in which they can increase their own productivity by using technology for communication and collaboration. Teachers will evaluate current technology use in their classroom and explore how to incorporate technology effectively into their teaching to promote student learning and increase engagement.

Participants will take current units of study or create new units where they will integrate different district technology. We will use our feedback protocol to create multiple iterations of their project using instructional feedback from the group.

Course Requirements:
Participants will take current units of study or create new units with usable work samples/instructional materials. They will also create a lesson or unit plan write up.

20. STI - 6556 - School Nurse Study Group 2025-26

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Nurses

Dates: 9/29/2025 to 4/20/2026

Teachers, parents, and students often look to district nurses as resources for advice on health issues that arise in the news or in the schools. Medical information is constantly being updated, and the school nurses require adequate time and opportunity to meet with colleagues to discuss the latest findings in their field. Study group participation provides the nurses a venue to read, listen, and share information that will enhance health office practices.

Participants will choose books, articles, podcasts and documentaries on topics that are relevant to school health office concerns. Through reading, viewing, participating in discussions, and sharing daily-based practice information, school nurses will become better-informed advocates for their students and families.

Participants will create and share a document reflecting on the course content and its impact on their role as a school nurse.

21. STI - 6564 - Building Community at Greenacres Through Picture Books (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 9/29/2025 to 6/15/2026

At Greenacres we seek to further build community through the reading and study of common picture books. Each month classes at all grade levels will read and explore a picture book with a theme or topic such as friendship, perseverance, family or courage. Each class will study this picture book and expand their understanding through projects, reflections, illustrations, author studies or close reading of the author's craft. Books can also be used in the many buddy classes further deepening the relationships between older and younger students. Picture books are one of the few things that can be shared from kindergarten to fifth grade. Through this study of a common book as a school, shared understanding and experiences will be developed. There will be a "Book of the Month" bulletin board that displays the title. Classes can add their reflections to the board to further build community.

To begin each session, teachers will share and reflect on how they used the previous month's book with their students. They will show student work and discuss how this book further deepened their student's understanding of the theme highlighted in this book. Then participants will closely study the book chosen for the upcoming month. Teachers will discuss ways they can enhance the reading of the book with their classes through activities and projects with their class. They will collaborate with grade-level colleagues to plan and implement their ideas. Teachers will share test practices around the teaching of reading.

Teachers will produce lessons around the reading of this picture book of the month. They will further their craft as they work collaboratively to plan these lessons and activities. They will reflect on the work they do with their students after they implement these lessons.

22. STI - 6534 - Foundations of a Scarsdale Education for Tomorrow Elementary Level (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Elementary new teachers

Dates: 9/30/2025 to 5/20/2026

8

Foundations of a Scarsdale Education for Tomorrow Elementary Level Model lesson plans, constructive feedback on instruction, and tips on school culture and classroom management are all critical in helping new teachers be successful. In Scarsdale, a school-based mentor assists new hires with adapting to school culture and common practices in the first year. In addition, Scarsdale teachers benefit from individualized curricular guidance from K-5 district coordinators in Math, Science, and English Language Arts. As teachers gain more experience in the Scarsdale schools, this Foundations course scaffolds their professional development and mentorship in their first years so they can take maximum advantage of the professional resources available to them throughout their careers. Throughout the school year, classroom teachers, mentors, and helping teachers will engage each other in an examination of instructional methods, content, curriculum, and student learning and understanding to improve classroom teaching and learning. New teachers will receive support for their Math, Science, Reading and Writing curricula from the district coordinators through regular consultations in and out of the classroom and half day professional development workshops. The mentor component of the course includes four after-school seminars with mentors and mentees that address district-wide best practices as well as confidential weekly meetings with the assigned mentor teacher. They will also attend the ST@C Portfolio sessions.

23. STI - 6535 - Foundations of a Scarsdale Education for Tomorrow Special Education Elementary Level (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Grades 6-8

Dates: 10/7/2025 to 6/2/2026

8

Does your co-teaching partnership feel more like "one teaches while one watches"? You're not alone. Many ICT teams struggle to move beyond the traditional helper model, missing opportunities to leverage both teachers' expertise and truly serve all learners. When ICT partnerships work well, magic happens: all students access grade-level content with meaningful support and benefit from enhanced instruction, and both teachers grow professionally. But without intentional collaboration skills and shared planning strategies, even well-meaning partnerships can fall short of their potential.

This hands-on course addresses the critical need for professional development that builds both the collaborative skills necessary for effective ICT partnerships and the curriculum design competencies required to create cohesive, differentiated instruction that serves all learners. Participants will engage in collaborative planning sessions where ICT teaching pairs work together to design inclusive lesson plans, practice implementing different co-teaching models (team teaching, parallel teaching, station teaching, alternative teaching), and develop shared assessment strategies. The course directly connects to the curriculum by having teams analyze grade-level standards and create differentiated instructional materials that address diverse learning needs while maintaining academic rigor. Participants will create practical classroom resources, including co-planning templates, differentiated lesson plans, assessment rubrics, communication systems, and implementation timelines for immediate use in their ICT classrooms.

Aside from the required in-person sessions, 11 hours will be completed asynchronously, either in partnerships or individually.

32. STI - 6593 - Wellness In and Out of the Classroom (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/7/2025 to 3/10/2026

Wait List

Research shows that teacher mindfulness and mental well-being lead to increased performance, self-compassion, and resilience, as well as reduced stress and burnout. Professionals receiving mindfulness interventions also experience less emotional exhaustion and increased job satisfaction. Studies similarly demonstrate the connection between teacher well-being and student learning. For example, decreases in teacher stress and burnout lead to increases in student social-emotional intelligence, academic learning, and empathy. As a result of completing this course, teachers will identify practices and methods that positively contribute to stress reduction and emotional wellness. They will learn how to bring more mindfulness and wellness work into their own lives and the lives of their students.

Each session will begin with a short meditation or yoga practice to come together and settle in as a community. We will then delve into the benefits, history/philosophy and experience of wellness practices such as yoga, meditation, nature walks, artistic expression, mindful movement, and journaling. Teachers will explore both theory and practice. Participants will learn about a variety of applications in the classroom and how to apply mindfulness and wellness in all areas of their lives, both in and out of the classroom. Upon completion of the course, participants will present a lesson or unit that incorporates wellness practices. Teachers will reflect on the readings and practices studied in the course, noting which practices were most effective to the teacher, and how he/she can incorporate the practice into his/her life.

There is a $20 material fee for this course to be paid directly to the STI with your tuition.

33. STI - 6591 - Collegial Research Group: Music and Performing Arts

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/8/2025 to 3/25/2026

8

Arts education is continually shifting to meet the needs of students in a changing world. As educators, such a response involves taking stock of curriculum and pedagogy in order to meet the needs of those in our community. While our classrooms are led by individual educators, our collective concept of this work continually benefits from collaboration. In so doing, discussions of what, why, when, and how we teach become important points. What are we (and our students) doing today that help us meet our educational moment, and what comes next?

Join us for a session that brings arts educators together for fruitful dialogue. In true Scarsdale fashion, we encourage educators to share an overview of our current courses in the K-12 performing arts classrooms (curriculum) and how our students are tasked with engaging with this work through teacher practices (pedagogy). Discussion and sharing will allow us to borrow from one another, gain a more complete scope of the K-12 curriculum, and propose/envision adjustments that may carry us forward as we look to new foci of curriculum and pedagogical practices.

Participants will be encouraged to adapt these conversations to meaningful learning that can be brought into the classroom. Examples of such a project will be:
*Creating a new lesson/unit
*Revamping the focus of a course
*Writing about new realizations/philosophy of our classrooms
*Creating a scope and sequence for one or more courses
*Practicing a new pedagogy with a colleague

34. STI - 6595 - Teacher as Reader: Edgemont 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Edgemont Teachers K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/8/2025 to 5/6/2026

In Teacher as Reader, we gather once a month to discuss a book (either a novel or a work of creative nonfiction) and explore how it affected us personally and as educators. We also discuss craft and points of view and how they work in the text. Reading can be a profound way to deepen our empathy and understanding of others' experiences and it can also help us reflect on our own lives. Our discussions expand our understanding of the texts, and help us to build community as a staff. The books are selected to prompt interesting discussion and to expose us to a variety of perspectives. The experience of reading and discussing has also fed into the curriculum, with some books making their way into the English curriculum.

In this course, we will read and discuss books. The discussions can serve as a model for how to have open-ended, inquiry-based discussions with students. We also have opportunities to write reflections about the books, and to learn about what inspired the writing of the books.

The final project will invite participants to connect their reading with their work as an educator in some way. Participants can respond creatively, in a written reflection, lesson plan, or a visual art project with a reflection.

35. STI - 6571 - Reflective Practice Seminar 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 10/9/2025 to 5/7/2026

When teams of teacher practitioners meet and reflect together on the core issues of effective teaching and learning, they can promote positive change in the classroom and in the school culture. The goal is to build a community of learners among colleagues through an examination of shared activities common to all subject areas and grade levels.

In this yearlong course, participants will look collaboratively at concrete examples of teacher and student work examining and applying various protocols for reviewing student work. Teachers will observe in each other's classrooms and are encouraged to participate in activities designed to understanding the culture of a school. The group meets twice a month; members will develop a set of reflections on their work with students and colleagues. Members also will complete a set of peer observations as the year progresses.

Participation in all class sessions and completion of coursework fulfills requirements for Professional Performance Review (Option A) for the 2024-2025 academic year. Documentary films will be used to examine teaching strategies in a variety of scenarios.

36. STI - 6574 - Keeping Current with Middle Grade and Young Adult Literature 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: 3-12

Dates: 10/9/2025 to 6/11/2026

Research shows that the two most important instructional design factors influencing reading motivation and comprehension are access to books and personal choice of what to read. This course is critical for students because it will support their teachers in reading and coming to know a wealth of fresh, new middle-grade (readers aged 8-12) and young adult (readers aged 12-18) literature. The course will support teachers in bringing these titles into their classrooms and their instruction.

This course is designed for educators (teachers, librarians, coordinators, administrators) to study current trends and titles in middle-grade (readers aged 8-12) and young-adult (readers aged 12-18) literature.

Not only will participants read MG & YA books of their choosing, but they will also study research related to trends in format and genre. An emphasis will be placed on classroom application in the form of book recommendations and readers' advisory. Another aim of the course is to support educators in conversations about books that may be perceived as controversial.

6 hours of this course will be asynchronous work where the participants will:
-Read at least one book per month and produce a book evaluation
-Read at least one professional article per month and respond to a discussion thread
-Film at least two student-facing book talks
-Complete a case study of at least one reader

37. STI - 6585 - Inquiry into Generative AI at the High School

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: HS Grades 9-12

Dates: 10/10/2025 to 5/13/2026

8

During this course, participants will continue to learn about how AI works and the ways it is being used in education and across different subject areas for workflows, study enhancement, engagement, and assessment. Participants will also learn to question the information received from AI tools to check for reliability, accuracy, and bias. Participants will also be confronted by at least two differing points of view on the degree to which AI has a place in schools, as the two course leaders have differing views on whether it is appropriate. The course format will consist of monthly meetings and individual exploration between sessions to observe and gain insight into how teachers and students interact with AI at other levels in our district and/or in other districts, to see what we think is appropriate for SHS. There will also be a break in the winter to engage in a K-12 experience to help with understanding throughout the district. Time will also be allocated to reflect and think together about the use of AI in the classroom, so we can make recommendations for our colleagues at the high school.

In addition to the in-person meetings, participants will complete 12 hours of monthly asynchronous work.

38. STI - 6597- Responsive Classroom at Heathcote (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5 Heathcote Faculty who have taken Introductory Responsive Classroom

Dates: 10/14/2025 to 5/12/2026

8

Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It consists of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers. Heathcote teachers have participated in Responsive Classroom courses through the STI. This year-long course will allow teachers to work together, to refine their knowledge and support each other as they implement their new skill base in their classrooms.

Teachers will work together to develop and implement strategies to build a sense of community within Heathcote classrooms and Heathcote School, encompassing a feeling that each person belongs to the group, brings strengths and weaknesses, and has something unique and special to contribute. This is essential to students' social emotional growth and development, self-esteem, ability to make and sustain friendships, and acceptance of self and others. Teachers will collectively explore resources to build classroom community: new books such as 80 Morning Meeting Ideas and Energizers, along with previous resources First 6 Weeks of School and The Power of Our Words.

Teachers will implement Responsive Classroom in their classes and will demonstrate their learning and use of the approach and the impact on their classroom community in the form of a written reflection, photos, student work, lesson plans, and notes, etc.

Aside from the in-person meeting dates, the group will spend 12 additional hours working on developing our school-wide agreements, both with and without students, at lunch and after school. Group members will engage in creating posters of the agreements that are displayed in the school building, and will develop logical consequence scenarios that tie into the agreements.

39. STI - 6616 - Responsive Classroom at Quaker Ridge

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5 Quaker Ridge

Dates: 10/14/2025 to 5/11/2026

8

Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It consists of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers.

Teachers will work together to develop and implement strategies to build a sense of community within Quaker Ridge classrooms and Quaker Ridge School, encompassing a feeling that each person belongs to the group, brings strengths and weaknesses, and has something unique and special to contribute. This is essential to students' social emotional growth and development, self-esteem, ability to make and sustain friendships, and acceptance of self and others. Teachers will collectively explore resources to build classroom communities: books such as 80 Morning Meeting Ideas, Energizers, First 6 Weeks of School, and The Power of Our Words. .

In addition to the in-person meeting dates, teachers will be asked to complete 8 hours of asynchronous work, which will include reading outside of class time and reflecting on their work with colleagues.

40. STI - 6579 - SMS AI Inquiry Group- Critical Thinking and Classroom Practice

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: SMS Grades 6-8

Dates: 10/15/2025 to 6/10/2026

8

As Artificial Intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into educational spaces, middle school educators must explore the pedagogical, ethical, and policy implications of using AI in the classroom. This inquiry-based professional development experience offers teachers the opportunity to collaborate, experiment, and reflect on how AI tools can sustain and elevate students' critical thinking skills while thoughtfully shaping classroom policy.

This course provides a unique balance of live discussion, peer collaboration, real-world experimentation, and asynchronous inquiry. Educators will engage in cycles of practice, reflection, and policy discussion to build a flexible framework for AI integration at the middle school level.

This course is designed for individuals who have either participated in the SMS Inquiry groups previously OR who have already begun using AI in their practice. This is not an introductory course.

In addition to the in-person meetings, participants will be required to complete 7 hours of online discussion and 3.5 hours of project development.

41. STI - 6572 - Teacher as Reader: Poetry in the Curriculum

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/15/2025 to 3/11/2026

Students often fear poetry and, if we're honest, so do teachers. But poets don't write poems to make their readers suffer, and good poetry is never didactic or self-important (no matter what your insufferable English teacher made you believe). Poetry should be enjoyed, and there's no better way to enjoy it than with a group of peers.

This course is a low-pressure way to expand your knowledge of poetry, whether you're a poetry pro or you haven't read a poem since high school. We'll start each session by independently reading a few poems, then I'll give a brief overview of a poetry concept or skill, and finally we'll spend the bulk of our time discussing the day's poems. Through those discussions, we'll learn various ways to approach poetry and share connections between the poems and our content areas.

We'll work with two prevailing assumptions:
1. Poems don't have just a single idea to teach us. There are many ways draw meaning from poems, and many ways to enjoy them.
2: Poetry is not just for English class. Educators of all content areas can find ways to integrate poetry -- and related thinking skills -- into our work with students.

42. STI - 6566 -Responsive Classroom at Fox Meadow (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Fox Meadow K-5

Dates: 10/16/2025 to 5/28/2026

8

Fox Meadow faculty has engaged in work for the last 3 years to learn and practice the Responsive Classroom approach. Many teachers are practicing Responsive Classroom regularly in their classrooms. Building on the momentum of last year's study group, teachers will join together once again to continue their practice. We will use our time together to share ideas, create resources, and debrief inter-classroom visitations; all to make us and our students stronger!

Teachers will have time to reflect on their experiences in the classroom with like-minded thinkers. They will develop projects/plans for their classrooms, such as outlines for morning meetings, lessons that involve academic choice, and plans for behavioral concerns. Teachers will visit each other's classrooms so that they can be a part of times such as morning meetings or closing circles, providing feedback to each other in areas like planning and language choice.

Teachers will become stronger in the RC approach. They will be expected to reflect on their experiences, provide written feedback for colleagues, and visit colleagues' classrooms to engage in lesson study.

In addition to the in-person meeting dates, teachers will be asked to complete 6 hours of asynchronous work, which will include reading outside of class time and reflecting on their work with colleagues.

43. STI - 6568- Executive Functioning Advanced

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 10/16/2025 to 1/22/2026

Many students who forget assignments, are disorganized, can't complete long-term projects, have trouble focusing, and experience difficulty with change, often have weak executive functioning skills. These students need to be taught explicit skills to become successful in school and in life after school. This course will take the EF skills that have been taught and integrate them into their teaching and classroom management.

The executive functioning skills targeted in my curriculum include: planning, organization, time management, task initiation, working memory, metacognition, self-control, sustained attention, flexibility, and perseverance. You will work throughout the year to build an effective EF curriculum. I will give you an in-depth lesson plan to follow with all the resources you need each week. You will be amazed at how easy it is to follow the lessons and how much fun your children will have. You will see your students using these skills all year long and improving their learning. You may also see some improvements in your own EF skills. Teachers will work together to develop and implement strategies to build Executive Functioning within their Greenacres classrooms. Each session I will introduce the upcoming lesson and will have a presentation from lower and upper elementary teachers demonstrating how they implemented and integrated EF skills in their classroom.

At the beginning of each session, we review the previous skill and exchange feedback. Then, I introduce the next skill with an in-depth lesson plan and links to many resources. Finally, I will give you the hands-on activity to be used the following week. All the resources are digital. The teachers must commit 30-40 minutes a week to teaching Executive Functioning.

Final Project will be examples of student work in EF or the teacher's lesson plans in EF for the year.

44. STI - 6586 - Building Community through Music: Choral Music 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/21/2025 to 6/9/2026

The purpose of this course is to show teachers how choral music fosters collaboration, listening skills, and provides a community bonding experience that promotes wellness and inclusion. Teachers from all buildings and levels will learn about choral arrangement and music education from district music teachers as they assume the role as performers in an ensemble. Teachers will gain a greater appreciation for music so they can more easily integrate the arts into their own teaching practice as they build connections across the district for future work across disciplines and grade levels.

Music teachers will lead monthly rehearsals as teachers learn repertoire over the course of the semester, with a final product of a public performance. In this course, participants will learn the fundamentals of vocal technique, program selection, and performance practice in addition to experiencing singing music across a variety of genres, styles, and decades.

There will be a $5 material fee collected for the music scores and practice tracks.

45. STI - 6589 - Exploring Innovative Educational Models

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/21/2025 to 12/9/2025

The Scarsdale School District has a long history of researching and implementing innovative educational models. The Alternative School, the CHOICE program, CivEd, and Senior Options are all examples of innovative practices that turned theory into practice in the areas of moral development and experiential education. Scarsdale continues to innovate through initiatives in project-based learning, competency-based education, and flexible learning spaces. This course will enable educators to further research new examples of dynamic, student-centered learning environments that enhance engagement, well-being, and academic success.

This course will research various alternative educational strategies, course designs, and schools within a school and serve as an incubator for new ideas in Scarsdale Schools. These ideas will be shared and explored within the group and potentially inspire new practices for the classroom, school, and even district consideration. In this professional discussion group, each individual or team will present a novel educational idea that will then be discussed using the tuning protocol.

In addition to the scheduled meeting dates, participants will be expected to complete 2 hours of asynchronous work.

46. STI - 6584 - AI Inquiry into Generative AI - Elementary Level

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Grades K-5

Dates: 10/22/2025 to 6/10/2026

8

During this course, participants will learn how Generative AI works and the ways it is being used in education and across different subject areas for workflows, study enhancement, engagement, and assessment. Participants will also learn to question the data received from Generative AI tools for reliability, accuracy, and bias. The course format consists of six meetings as well as individual exploration time between each session to gain insight into and experience with how teachers and students are interacting with Generative AI at the elementary, middle school, high school level and beyond. This Elementary Generative AI Inquiry Group STI is one of three courses running simultaneously at the district this year, the others being run at the MS and HS. The courses will culminate in the spring with participants from all levels getting together for a mega inquiry session. Please join us!

In addition to the in-person meetings, participants will also need to complete 10 hours of asynchronous work.

47. STI - 6587- Exploring Cultural Diversity Through Literature 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: All

Dates: 10/23/2025 to 5/7/2026

Teachers in a global community must understand the diverse customs and traditions of their students and colleagues. What better way is there to relate to others than through reading the stories that embed cultural perspective into the lives of real people? Literature selected from across the globe can foster a deep understanding of the racial, ethnic, and cultural groups within the school community, the nation, and the world. Through the reading of selected works of literature and group discussion, participants will learn about the daily lives and perspectives that exist within different ethnic, socio-economic, and cultural groups. Teachers will develop classroom activities that promote empathy, interest, and respect for the global community based upon the readings. The first book for 2025-2026 will be Dream Count Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Teachers will read and discuss books that explore diversity. These books will give teachers more opportunities to develop a curriculum around this theme. Some of these books, or excerpts, can be used to stimulate class discussion in any subject area.

The group will choose which books to read and discuss. At the end of the course, teachers write a reflection or lesson based on what they read.

48. STI - 6590 - Differentiating Instruction and Tier 1 Intervention Using Games

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 10/29/2025 to 2/25/2026

Multi-Tiered System of Support(MTSS) is a framework for intervention that helps teachers identify students' academic, behavioral, and social-emotional strengths and challenges. Within this framework, teachers provide targeted support for struggling students. The use of games and hands-on activities is an effective strategy for targeting specific skills that struggling students need to master. Games provide the repetition and review often needed to learn in an enjoyable and fun way. Children are active learners; games engage them in learning and can be used as an intervention within the MTSS framework.

This course offers teachers specific targeted skills that can be used in a Tier 1 intervention. Teachers will also examine their curricular areas in their grades to develop numerous and varied games to target particular learning problems. Participants should bring reference materials for the concept and skills they would like to individualize in their intervention.

Teachers will:
1. Share personal strategies, games, and activities to differentiate instruction.
2. Complete 10-15 new games or hands-on activities for the classroom that can be used as a Tier 1 intervention following the MTSS Framework.

There is a $25 materials fee that should be paid directly to the STI with your tuition

49. STI - 6594 - Reflect, Reframe and Recharge: Navigating Daily Challenges

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/29/2025 to 2/11/2026

Educators will develop strategies to reframe daily challenges and interactions they face in their profession. They will learn strategies to calm the mind and manage emotions so they are less reactive and more responsive. Although these techniques and tools are universal, they will be presented in the school community context to help teachers connect and practice using them in their classrooms. Teachers will use various techniques like meditation, mindfulness, interactive discussions, role play, journaling, reflection, and Q and A to explore the following topics:

Session 1: Thrive, Don't Just Survive - Be Intentional About Your Self-Care Action Plan
Session 2: Thoughts Matter
Session 3: Mind Over Moment
Session 4: The Stories We Tell- Belonging and Community
Session 5: Response-Ability: Rewiring Your Brain for Conscious Teaching
Session 6: Beyond Instruction: Shaping Humanity in the Age of AI

Each session will also be listed as a ST@C opportunity for those who cannot attend all 6 sessions.

50. STI - 6613 - Financial Literacy for Educators: November 2025 Cohort 59

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 11/5/2025 to 12/17/2025

This course seeks to build content knowledge and share [free] resources that can help support the mission of integrating personal finance education into the Scarsdale experience. Teachers will acquire financial literacy skills for themselves and their students through courses on the Next Gen Personal Finance platform (NGPF.org).

This course includes:
(1) 2 STI Zoom sessions:
STI Zoom #1: Wednesday, November 5th at 7pm
STI Zoom #2: Wednesday, December 10th at 7pm

(2) Live and On-Demand courses take place between November 17th - December 2nd. The 3 classes offered during this cohort are: Career, Credit, or Investing.

To get started, you will need to:
1. Register for a teacher account on NGPF.org using your school email address.
2. Enroll in a course for Cohort #59 on the NGPF site. You can find the courses by selecting Teacher PD & Community, then Certification Courses.

Please let us know if you have any questions to help you get started. We look forward to having you join us!

51. STI - 6617 - Responsive Classroom at Edgewood

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Dates: 11/6/2025 to 6/11/2026

8

Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It consists of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers. This year-long course will allow teachers to work together, to refine their knowledge and support each other as they implement their new skill base in their classrooms.

Teachers will work together to develop and implement strategies to build a sense of community within Edgewood classrooms and Edgewood School, encompassing a feeling that each person belongs to the group, brings strengths and weaknesses, and has something unique and special to contribute. This is essential to students' social-emotional growth and development, self-esteem, ability to make and sustain friendships, and acceptance of self and others. Teachers will collectively explore resources to build classroom community: new books such as 80 Morning Meeting Ideas and Energizers, along with previous resources First 6 Weeks of School and The Power of Our Words.

Teachers will implement Responsive Classroom in their classes and will demonstrate their learning and use of the approach and the impact on their classroom community in the form of a written reflection, photos, student work, lesson plans, and notes, etc.

Aside from the in-person meeting dates, the group will spend 12 additional hours working on developing our school-wide agreements, both with and without students, at lunch and after school. Group members will engage in creating posters of the agreements that are displayed in the school building, and will develop logical consequence scenarios that tie into the agreements.

52. STI - 6622 - Global Networking: An Introduction to Peru (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 11/12/2025 to 1/9/2026

Lost cities and ancient legends sweep across the mountains like mist across jagged peaks. Join us for an exploration of one of the most interesting places on Earth! Imagine what it was like for Hiram Bingham to come across a lost city hidden in the peaks of the Andes! The fog and vines cleared during his expedition to reveal an architectural marvel clinging to steep mountain peaks. Why was Machu Picchu abandoned? Who built it? How did they build it? What was the Inca society like during that era? What was their history? What were their customs? This course will help prepare us for an adventure exploring Machu Picchu and Cusco. We will hear indigenous voices speaking to us across the centuries through generations of traditional art. We will learn to better understand what happened when cultures mixed, clashed, collided, coexisted, and mingled. We gain a deep appreciation for how people in a different part of the world think and live. We will learn about an enriching vibrant culture.

Participants will collaborate during six-afternoon sessions that deepen their understanding of Peru's rich and varied history and culture. In addition to discussing history and politics, they will explore music, dance, food, and cultural traditions together. Several of the sessions will be hybrid/virtual experiences and will emphasize the following themes: History, Music, Food, Art, and Current Affairs / Politics. During the last in-person session, participants will begin projects that offer an opportunity to dig deeper into a topic of interest related to Peru.

53. STI - 6580 - Media Literacy and the Tools of Mass Persuasion

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 11/13/2025 to 4/16/2026

This course seeks to develop our understanding of Media Literacy and how technology resources, including AI, can be used to help students of all ages become literate, digital communicators and citizens, while raising their awareness of bias, persuasion, and misinformation in their online life. Participants will study techniques for encoding and decoding messages using different media formats such as video, audio, graphics, and text. They will create original content using tools such as, but not limited to Google's Workspace apps, WeVideo, Adobe Express, and Canva. In the end, they will be better informed to help young learners understand how media messengers are influencing the way they see themselves and their world.

Two additional meeting dates will be determined once the course starts on November 13th.

54. STI - 6621 - Responsive Classroom at Greenacres

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/8/2026

Many students in SMS have the accommodation to have "Text Read" to them. But sometimes the iPad can't read these documents. This ST@C is to understand why and how to fix this issue so all students have access when they need it.

66. ST@C - Math Fluency Book Club - Session 4

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/8/2026

The fourth session of the Math Fluency Book Club - Focusing on the book, Figuring out Fluency in Mathematics Teaching and Learning by Jennifer Bay Williams & John San Giovanni

67. STI - 6646 - Textiles as Texts: Reading and Writing through Knitting

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Dates: 1/8/2026 to 2/12/2026

Wait List

In World War I, British secret agents knitted scarves with Morse code messages to send information home about German troop movements, messages, train patterns, etc. In 2018, a woman knit two lines per day, using different colors to represent how long her commuter train was delayed; the scarf was later sold on Ebay for €7,550. Knitting has been used for years to transmit information, both essential and mundane.

In this course, you will learn the basic techniques of knitting (or more advanced ones if you're up for it) and explore the different ways in which data can be embedded into knitting. You will be able to choose what you would like to make and what data you would like to encode in it (with plenty of examples, both simple and complex).

Instruction will be matched to the needs of the knitters-from learning the very basics for beginners to whatever special techniques your project may require. Your finished knitted piece can function as the project for the course, along with a reflection on the process.

There are no additional materials fees; materials will be purchased (individually or collectively) after projects are selected.

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/14/2026

This session will be a review of both Session 1 (focusing on Drive and artifact collection/organization) and Session 2 (building a "public” facing portfolio with Google Sites).

This 2-hour session will give teachers time to continue building their portfolios by expanding on what they've already curated, organized, and started. They'll have plenty of time to add, edit, and revise their work with technical support available throughout the session.

Teachers are welcome to attend any or all of these sessions as needed. Participation in Sessions 1 or 2 is not required to join this combined session.

75. ST@C - Nearpod

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/15/2026

We have a subscription to this powerful tool, how can you use it with your students and streamline some of your work?

76. ST@C - 4th Grade QR Science Unit 2

Program: ST@C

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (All)

Dates: 1/23/2026 to 1/24/2026

Sewing and embroidery are fiber arts forms that can serve as a therapeutic practice while also promoting the development of fine motor skills. Creating hand-sewn projects can benefit our social-emotional health by allowing us to connect with others and release anxious thoughts as we mindfully stitch away our worries.

During this weekend workshop, participants will learn a variety of beginner sewing skills and embroidery techniques that they will combine to create their own hand-made fiber arts projects. Participants will look at the artwork of contemporary fiber artists and identify connections to their own content. Throughout the sessions, participants will brainstorm ways sewing and embroidery projects could be used, applied, modified, and taught within their own classroom contexts. Participants will leave the course with numerous prototypes to display in their own classrooms that could serve to introduce their own learners to this powerful medium.

Due to the slow-moving nature of sewing and embroidery, some pieces may still be in progress by the end of the course. Participants will be expected to finish their pieces outside of class and submit documentation of the completed artwork as their final project.

This course is being offered to new participants as well as a repeat course to expand studies. Course content will be differentiated to accommodate learners with prior experience.

There is a $15 material fee for this course.

87. STI - 6644 - Nuts and Bolts of Classroom Environments and Libraries (Jan 2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 1/23/2026 to 1/24/2026

8

One of the most important pathways to helping our students grow into lifelong readers is to ensure that students have books they can read with accuracy, fluency, and comprehension and that they have books that challenge them yet are within reach. Creating a classroom environment and library to support students when they are developing their reading identity behaviors, and habits of mind, will maximize engagement, independence, and reading development.

In this intensive 12-hour course, participants will delve into the fundamentals of establishing and maintaining a classroom library that both aligns with curriculum goals and nurtures a diverse range of reading identities. Throughout the sessions, educators will gain insights from the pedagogy and groundbreaking research of leading literacy experts such as Pat and Jim Cunningham, Freddy Hiebert, David Pearson, and Nell Duke. These insights will inform the hands-on workshops where participants learn to evaluate student reading needs, curate a varied collection of texts, and strategically organize books to maximize student engagement and access. The course will also cover the integration of decodable and leveled books, techniques for incorporating high-interest and culturally affirming texts, and the establishment of effective reading routines. Collaborative activities will guide participants in creating sample library layouts, devising book rotation schedules, and designing interactive reading activities that promote student independence and enjoyment. Additionally, teachers will collaborate to create actionable classroom projects like personalized reading challenges or student-led book reviews, equipped with new strategies to enhance their literacy instruction and seamlessly integrate these practices into their existing curricula.

88. STI - 6653 - Building Community through Dance: The 50s Era

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5 and SHS

Dates: 1/27/2026 to 4/7/2026

This course dives into the high-energy world of 1950s social dance, focusing on the foundational rhythms of Swing, Jive, and Rock ‘n' Roll. Course sessions will introduce participants to dance movements that are reflective of the 1950's dance genre. They will learn and explore dance sequences in connection with the rhythm and style of each musical selection. Moreover, in this course, teachers will move beyond passive observation and explore the vulnerability of being a learner in an unfamiliar field. As a result, participants will grow in the empathy and insight needed to support their most cautious or neurodivergent students. This hands-on approach shifts educators from observers to active allies, helping them cultivate a classroom culture rooted in individual expression and inclusive community.

There will be a series of (10) morning movement sessions. In addition, participants will schedule approximately 8 hours of breakout group practice sessions- Dates and times will be determined by the participants. The final meeting will be a performance at the SHS Annual Spring Dance Recital and then a follow-up performance at Jabberfest. The final project will include a personal reflection or a lesson plan to incorporate movement-enhanced learning in their classroom.

89. ST@C - Portfolio #4

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/29/2026

The fourth installment of Portfolio work for SMS Teachers

90. ST@C - Learning Ally Introduction at Fox Meadow

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/30/2026

Learn the fundamentals of Learning Ally, a resource of audiobooks for English Language Learners and students with reading deficits such as dyslexia and visual impairments. This (roughly 30-minute) session takes place in person at the Fox Meadow School in the Library.

91. STI - 6632 - One-Stop Google Express (Winter 2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 1/30/2026 to 1/31/2026

Grading got you bogged down? Is your Google Drive driving you crazy? Looking for ways to work smarter, not harder, and to organize your Google Life so you can have a life?

Hop on the One Stop Google Express and catch a glimpse of how this STI course is changing how individual teachers, teams, and departments are getting Google Drive, Google Classroom, and Google Sites to help them get to where they're going faster! All aboard!

92. ST@C - Elevate Your Creative Game with Canva

Program: ST@C

Dates: 2/2/2026

Canva is a giant in the graphic editing and social media industries. Communicate your ideas and captivate your audience with Canva's professionally designed templates for flyers, posters, presentations, and more. By the end of this workshop, you will have the skills to craft your message visually, while feeling like a graphic design wiz!

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