Individual Training Opportunities

The National Paideia Center offers a series of professional development institutes designed specifically for individuals or small teams of colleagues who are interested in furthering their expertise with the Paideia Program. Many schools that are on the way to becoming fully realized Paideia Schools for Creative Thinking use these institutes to train school leaders in advance of offering on-site, whole-school training for their faculties.

INTRODUCTION TO THE PAIDEIA SEMINAR

Designed for new practitioners, the Paideia Socratic Seminar is an integrated literacy cycle built around formal instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking. The purpose of Paideia Seminar is to develop and advance students’ ability to think conceptually and communicate collaboratively. This two-day training includes an adult Paideia Seminar and addresses the key components for seminar facilitation. Participants will analyze each component of the seminar cycle, plan for its implementation, and practice seminar facilitation.

ADVANCED PAIDEIA SEMINAR FACILITATION

Offered to educators who have completed the Introduction to Paideia Seminar training, this institute is focused on furthering the mastery of Paideia Seminar facilitation. During this two-day event, participants will be invited to reflect on past Paideia Seminars and explore the nuances of text selection, question development, facilitation, and participation. Instructional time will also be spent developing a comprehensive Paideia Seminar schedule for a classroom or school.

INTRODUCTION TO THE PAIDEIA CLASSROOM

This training is appropriate for continuing Paideia practitioners who want to supplement their Paideia Seminar expertise. The fully functional Paideia Classroom makes use of three separate but complementary "columns" of teaching and learning: didactic instruction of information, intellectual coaching of academic skills, and facilitated seminar discussion of ideas. Over two days of training, participants will analyze all three columns and design a fully integrated instructional model so that students experience a Paideia Classroom each and every day.

INTRODUCTION TO THE PAIDEIA PROJECT

Appropriate for continuing Paideia practitioners, this offering is an in-depth exploration of the Paideia Project—a planning process that builds authentic units of study that culminate in quality student products for a real-world audience. Over the course of the training, participants will analyze components of successful projects and receive help in designing a powerful and memorable Paideia project for a classroom or school.