Category: Uncategorized

Date:     June 17, 2026
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

Location: Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Ext. Center
          455 Research Drive
          Mills River, NC 28759

Fee:      Free

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact Richard Gabriel
at rgabriel@wresa.org if you need to change the name of the person
attending.

CEUs:     5 Contact Hours 
Limit:    40 Participants
Audience: 6-12 classroom teachers, STEM educators and instructional coaches,
          Curriculum specialists, and Administrators interested in 
          sustainability and STEM integration

What to Bring: Your own device

Summary:

Discover how buildings, homes, and everyday systems can bring energy efficiency concepts to life for grades 6–12 students. Educators will engage in hands-on investigations, tour a LEED-certified building, and leave with practical, standards-aligned Switch Classroom lessons ready for the classroom.

Description:

Is your school or district looking for engaging, hands-on ways to teach energy concepts while meeting 6-12 science standards? Join us for a full-day professional learning workshop focused on energy efficiency, building science, and real-world STEM applications using Switch Classroom lessons and investigations.

Participants will explore the science of energy efficiency through interactive instruction, a tour of a LEED-certified building, and classroom-ready investigations that can be adapted for middle and high school learners. This turnkey experience connects science standards to authentic, place-based learning and provides practical ideas educators can take back to their classrooms.

Workshop Agenda (Tentative):

• 9:00 – 11:00am

Introduction to Energy Efficiency & the Science Behind It

• 11:00am – 1:30pm

Tour of a LEED-certified building, followed by lunch

(Participants will drive themselves; the tour will occur immediately before lunch.)

• 1:30 – 3:00pm

Hands-on Energy Efficiency Projects & Investigations:

• Innovative Building Design Research Project
• Family Energy Awareness Challenge / Home Electricity Audit
• Investigating Passive Solar Heating Lab

If you have additional questions, contact Michelle Taylor at mtbenign@ncsu.edu or Ruthann McComb at mccombr@gmail.comEEEG

REGISTRATION COMING SOON!

 

Date:     November 5, 2026       
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

Location: WRESA   
          200 Ridgefield Ct, Suite 206
          Asheville, NC 28806

Fee:      $45  WRESA Members  
          $70  Non-members

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact LaDonna Sluder 
at lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 (ext 102) if you need to change
the name of the person attending.

CEUs:     5 Contact Hours 
Limit:    25 Participants
Audience: Teachers and Math Coaches, Grades 6 - Math 1
Bring:    Your Own Charged Device

Description:

This session will focus on conceptual teaching and learning in the middle-grade mathematics classroom. Join us as we examine the concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) model and delve into work with manipulatives such as Hands-on Equations and Algebra Tiles. This program is intended for math teachers in grades 6- Math 1.

Presenter: Emily Myers – Senior Math Specialist NCCAT

***IMPORTANT NOTE: Join us as we explore strategies that allow all students to thrive and grow into successful mathematicians who ask questions, engage in math discourse, and think critically. This program is intended for teachers in grades 6 through Math I and is part of a 4-day NCCAT badge series for secondary math. WRESA participants can take any number of the sessions; however, all four sessions must be completed to earn the NCCAT Math Badge. Below are the dates and the topics of the four sessions of the Secondary Math Badge series:

1. Sept 30, 2026 – Core Math Instruction Models and Practices
2. Nov   5,  2026 – Hands-On Math Learning for Middle Grades
3. Feb  4,   2027  – Facilitating Number Sense Routines
4. Mar 11,  2027 – The Reading and Writing Connection for Secondary

You must sign up and pay the fee for each session individually.

If you have additional questions, contact April Spencer at aspencer@wresa.org

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List.

REGISTER

Date:     September 30, 2026       
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

Location: WRESA   
          200 Ridgefield Ct, Suite 206
          Asheville, NC 28806

Fee:      $45  WRESA Members  
          $70  Non-members

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact LaDonna Sluder 
at lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 (ext 102) if you need to change
the name of the person attending.

CEUs:     5 Contact Hours 
Limit:    25 Participants
Audience: Teachers and Math Coaches, Grades 6 - Math 1
Bring:    Your Own Charged Device

Description:

This session will focus on core instructional models and practices that provide access and equity to all students while honoring their strengths and maximizing their potential. Join us as we examine the five practices of mathematical discourse as an instructional practice that allows students to author their knowledge. This program is intended for math teachers in grades 6- Math 1.

Presenter:  Emily Myers – Senior Math Specialist NCCAT

***IMPORTANT NOTE:   Join us as we explore strategies that allow all students to thrive and grow into successful mathematicians who ask questions, engage in math discourse, and think critically.  This program is intended for teachers in grades 6 through Math I  and is part of a 4-day NCCAT badge series for secondary math.  WRESA participants can take any number of the sessions; however, all four sessions must be completed to earn the NCCAT Math Badge.  Below are the dates and the topics of the four sessions of the Secondary Math Badge series:

1. Sept 30, 2026 –  Core Math Instruction Models and Practices
2. Nov   5,  2026  –  Hands-On Math Learning for Middle Grades
3. Feb    4, 2027  –   Facilitating Number Sense Routines
4. Mar  11, 2027  –   The Reading and Writing Connection for Secondary

You must sign up and pay the fee for each session individually.

If you have additional questions, contact April Spencer at aspencer@wresa.org

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List.

REGISTER

 

Date:     April 30, 2026       
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

Location: Haywood County Schools Conference Center
          112 Virginia Ave
          Waynesville, NC 28786

Fee:      $45  WRESA Members  
          $70  Non-members

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact LaDonna Sluder at
lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 (ext 102) if you need to change the 
name of the person attending.

CEUs:     5 Contact Hours 
Audience: K-12 PE teachers (Dress to move! We will be in a classroom 
          and in the gym practicing)
Limit:    75 

Description:

Get ready to move in this interactive, high-energy workshop designed for Physical Education teachers! We’ll begin by unpacking the new PE standards and what they mean for daily practice, then shift into the science and purpose behind what you do: how movement shapes the brain, supports learning, and fuels student well-being. Together, we’ll explore the neuroscience of movement to better understand your powerful role in students’ focus, motivation, and emotional regulation. You’ll have the chance to share ideas with fellow educators and walk away with ready-to-use activities for your next class. Come ready to move, reflect, and leave inspired by the essential impact PE has on the mind, body, and heart of every learner. 

Presenter: The instructor will be Dr. Natalie Boone from Mars Hill University.  Dr. Natalie Boone, Assistant Professor of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation at Mars Hill University, was named the 2021 University Teacher of the Year by the Physical Education Association of NCSHAPE. The award recognizes members for leadership, meritorious service, and active organizational involvement. Dr. Boone teaches at MHU, advises education students, and supervises student teachers. She leads workshops for physical education teachers through NC SHAPE, WRESA, and NCCAT and has served on NC SHAPE and WRESA boards.

If you have additional questions, contact Jill Chambers at jchambers@wresa.org

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List.

REGISTER

Date:     March 25, 2026  (Cancelled)     
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

Location: WRESA   
          200 Ridgefield Ct, Suite 206
          Asheville, NC 28806

Fee:      $45  WRESA Members  
          $70  Non-members

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact LaDonna Sluder
at lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 (ext 102) if you need to change
the name of the person attending.

CEUs:     5  Contact Hours 
Limit:    45 Participants
Audience: 6 - 12 Educators
What to bring?: your own device

Description:

This session explores how Harvard Project Zero’s Thinking Routines can enrich science instruction by making student thinking visible and fostering inquiry-based learning. Participants will engage with routines such as See-Think-Wonder, Claim-Support-Question, and What Makes You Say That? to support scientific observation, reasoning, and communication. The session will highlight how these routines align with the Science and Engineering Practices and can be used to deepen understanding of scientific concepts and phenomena. This workshop is designed for grades 6 – 12 science teachers and applies to all of their science subject areas.

Presenter:
Jennifer Redfearn, Ed.D. joined the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of
Teaching in August of 2023 in the capacity of Senior STEM Specialist. In this role, she
supports teachers across the state of North Carolina with professional development and
curriculum development regarding the New North Carolina Science Standards. Before
joining NCCAT, Dr. Redfearn served with Guilford County Schools as a high school
science teacher and central office administrator. She was recently honored with the
Distinguished Service in Science Education in North Carolina Award from the North
Carolina Science Teachers Association, and the Education Award from the National
Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc., Greater
Greensboro Chapter. Redfearn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a
Master of Arts in Teaching degree in Biology Education, both from North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University. She also holds a Doctorate in Curriculum
and Instruction, Secondary Education from Liberty University.

If you have additional questions, contact Jill Chambers at jchambers@wresa.org

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List. 

COURSE HAS BEEN CANCELLED

Date:     March 26, 2026 (Course Cancelled)      
Time:     9:00am – 3:00pm 
Type:     In-Person

Location: WRESA   
          200 Ridgefield Ct, Suite 206
          Asheville, NC 28806

Fee:      $125  WRESA Members  
          $250  Non-members

**NOTE: We have a No Refund policy for our WRESA courses. However, you
are welcome to send a colleague in your place. Contact LaDonna Sluder
at lsluder@wresa.org or 828-774-5681 (ext 102) if you need to change
the name of the person attending.

CEUs:     5 Contact Hours 
Limit:    50 Participants
Audience: K-12 Administrators, Curriculum Coaches and Central Office Administrators
What to Bring: Your own device

Description: 

Dawn Brookhart will provide professional development and learning focusing on the critical components of creating the conditions and modeling the expectations necessary to enhance student learning through Student-Focused Coaching.  The content will be grounded in the principles outlined in the book Instructional Leadership in Student-Focused Coaching:  Creating Effective Systems.  The training will provide practical insights and strategies for administrators, coaches, and educators. 

Administrators often struggle with balancing supervision and evaluation, which can create an imbalance in their role as instructional leaders.  This session highlights how coaching empowers administrators to model their expectations for teaching and learning, rather than directing them as traditional managers.  Through a collective leadership model, defined levels of autonomy help build trust and collaboration, not only between the coach and administrator, but also with the instructional staff.  Together, the coach and administrator move the model forward, with teachers leveraging the coach’s services and utilizing the administrator’s instructional support to improve student learning.  Participants will engage in collaborative conversations and immersive learning experiences to understand what it takes to lead complex change as instructional leaders in schools.  

Presenter: 

Dawn Brookhart, M.A.T., M.Ed., is an educational leader and consultant with nearly 30 years of experience in K-12 education. She has helped schools create evidence-based improvements that enhance student success, earning local and national recognition. Dawn founded a dyslexia and reading training academy in Pennsylvania and has held various leadership roles, including Principal and Director of Curriculum and Instruction. As a passionate advocate for the science of reading, she focuses on empowering educators through professional development and coaching. Dawn co-authored the book *Instructional Leadership with Student-Focused Coaching* and co-founded Ed Cap Consulting, LLC, along with The Reading League Pennsylvania. Her work emphasizes collaboration and high-quality education for all students.

Contact Candie Sellers at csellers@wresa.org with any questions.

If you are unsure whether your school system is a WRESA member, click  WRESA MEMBER List.    

COURSE CANCELLED

Hope to Reschedule