Professional Learning

The winter/spring catalog is now available! Registration (for Tonawanda and Grand Island teachers only) is now open and closes January 15, 2026. Please remember you must also follow your district's registration polices in addition to our registration form (i.e. PDP and course approval).

The NYS Teacher Centers statewide organization also offers additional free programs. Please feel free to check them out!

All courses in our catalog are completely online and asynchronous, except for 7 Mighty Moves. There is no set time to log on to the course. Tasks for each will need to be completed during the date range specified and will involve collaborative online dialogue. Please contact Cheryl Herman, cherman@tonawandagrandislandteachercenter.org, with any questions. *Please note that the Teacher Center is no longer providing books for the studies, except for 7 Mighty Moves. 

Canva in Action: Collaborative Classroom Creation: This advanced Canva course will provide guidance on how to guide students in collaborative design projects. Participants learn to facilitate group work that builds creativity, teamwork, and technology skills while enabling students to create engaging visuals and showcase their learning. 15 hours, 1/19-2/27/26, Deanna Przepiora

Anxious Generation Book Study Part 2: Part 2 of this online book study on John Haidt’s The Anxious Generation deepens participants’ understanding of the challenges children face today. Educators will explore the gendered impact of phone use, the societal and spiritual dimensions of technology, policy considerations, and school–parent strategies for supporting students’ holistic well-being. *Completion of Part 1 Required. 15 hours, 1/20-2/10.26, Mike Bollinger

7 Mighty Moves Book Study: Discover fresh, research-based strategies to strengthen reading instruction through a book study of Lindsay Kemeny’s 7 Mighty Moves. Participants will explore one practical shift each week and plan how to bring these powerful strategies directly into their classrooms.In-person at Tonawanda. See flyer for all dates. 15 hours, 2/9-4/15/26, Nicole Vicki

The Power of Making Thinking Visible Book Study: Discover the power of Visible Thinking—a research-based approach from Harvard’s Project Zero that makes student thinking come alive. Using practical thinking routines and questioning strategies from The Power of Making Thinking Visible, educators will boost engagement, collaboration, and deep learning in any classroom. 15 hours, 2/23-3/13/26, Audrey Stafford

Literacy Support Briefs for Linguistically Diverse Learners: In this course, teachers will read and reflect upon the new NYS Literacy Support Briefs for Linguistically Diverse Learners. Various additional materials will be provided to correspond with the briefs and enhance your learning experience. *Can be used for ELL CTLE credit. 15 hours, 3/4-3/25/26, Katie Leven

Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning Book Study: Move beyond the “reading wars” in this book study of Natalie Wexler’s Beyond the Science of Reading. Explore how building knowledge, vocabulary, and writing—grounded in cognitive science—strengthens comprehension and helps close achievement gaps. 15 hours, 4/13-4/27/26, Jessica Bruno