West Hawaii
Teacher Induction & Mentoring Program

This lively, interactive training will give K-12 educators dozens of practical strategies they can use tomorrow to better manage their classes and students. Both prevention and intervention techniques are shared and modeled. Every participant will walk away with the tools they need to create the safe and structured learning environment they’ve always wanted.

What You Will Learn

• • How to see the best in your toughest students

  • How to teach and reinforce procedures that maximize focus

  • How to use consequences to teach personal responsibility

  • How to de-escalate volatile situations with oppositional students

  • How to make visible the invisible elements of effective classroom management

This session dives into two essential frameworks for educators in Hawai’i: Nā Hopena A’o (HĀ) and ’Āina Aloha (A’A).

Nā Hopena A‘o or HĀ are six core outcomes that shape a well-rounded student: Belonging, Responsibility, Excellence, Aloha, Total Wellbeing, and Hawaiʻi (BREATH).  HĀ encourages us to create learning environments that nurture these qualities. While HĀ focuses on the learning environment, the ʻĀina Aloha (meaning "beloved land”) competencies support educators to integrate Hawaiian culture and knowledge into their teaching. The acronym for ’Āina Aloha is A’A (meaning “roots”), a metaphor for the intention to provide educators with tools that “root” their content to Hawai’i.

The three ’Āina Aloha competencies are:

1. 1. 1. ’Ōlelo Hawai’i: The Hawaiian language, fostering a deeper connection to culture.

      2. Kuana’ike: Traditional Hawaiian knowledge and practices, providing wisdom about living in harmony with the land.

      3. Honua: A sense of place, encouraging students to understand and appreciate the specific cultural and environmental features of Hawaii.

By integrating HĀ and ’Āina Aloha, you'll create a richer learning experience for your students, empowering them to find their identity and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

What You Will Learn

• • The six core outcomes of Nā Hopena Aʻo (HĀ) and how they shape well-rounded students. (Think BREATH!)

  • What ʻĀina Aloha (A’A) is and how it helps integrate Hawaiian culture and knowledge into your teaching.

  • Why integrating HĀ and ’Āina Aloha creates a richer learning experience and empowers your students.

Huaka’i to Strengthen My Sense of Belonging in Hawaii

8:15-8:30 Arrival

Aloha Circle

Ho‘olauna: Introductions to new friends and community

Kilo: Observation that focuses on the more subtle aspects of the environment

Hana: To work and provide service

Break

Moʻolelo: stories, myths, and legends

AloHĀ on a plate: Connect and strengthen HĀ through the stories and sharing of food

Mahalo Circle

12:45 A hui hou!

How do we double the speed of learning? By aligning lessons, objectives, and learning outcomes for organized and intentional teaching. That’s right: Teacher clarity is one of the most potent influences on student achievement. With an effect size of .84, it has the potential to double the speed of learning, according to the Visible Learning® research. When teachers are clear, students can plan and predict, set goals, and measure their learning progress.  

Teacher Clarity professional learning workshops unpack a process for designing instruction that invites students into the learning process. Working alongside peers, teachers learn how to explicitly communicate to students what they will be learning on a given day, why they’re learning it, and how to know if they were successful. The Teacher Clarity framework encourages a culture of assessment-capable visible learners who take ownership of their learning journey. And when learners have agency, student engagement and achievement soar.  

What You Will Learn

• • The core principles of Professional Learning Communities

  • Foundational knowledge of the PLC at Work process

  • The four key questions that guide PLC work and how they impact student learning

  • The work within PLT meetings

  • How to deconstruct standards identifying Learning Targets and Success Criteria

  • The value of communicating LT and SC with students

  • Components of Unit Plans in West Hawaii

  • Progress and Plans for PLC work in West Hawaii

This entertaining and fast-paced training will give K-12 educators dozens of brain-based strategies that can be used right away to keep students of varying abilities and learning styles involved and motivated to learn. Participants will learn, practice, and have modeled for them specific ways to increase movement, creative thinking, content-based talk, general participation and more during direct instruction and beyond.

What You Will Learn

• • How to get and maintain student attention

  • How to actively engage students during direct instruction

  • How to increase student retention of key information & concepts

  • How to increase movement, laughter, and content-based talk

  • How neuroscience informs excellent teaching & learning

In this interactive and entertaining training K-12 educators will learn how to increase student participation in class discussions, turn-and-talk, group work, and homework. A dozen techniques for designing better peer and group structures will be presented, practiced, and modeled. Take away specific, concrete strategies for putting reluctant learners firmly, but gently, on the hook for participating in the learning.

What You Will Learn

• • How to increase volunteers during whole class discussions

  • How to overcome “I don’t know” when cold-calling

  • How to increase participation during partner work

  • How to structure and reinforce rigorous group work

  • How to create equitable homework policies