Professional Development

high impact professional learning

We know that high-quality, ongoing professional development for teachers is one of the most effective ways to impact student achievement in reading and writing.

But we’ve probably all participated in isolated workshops or webinars in the past that left us feeling confused about next steps, anxious about upcoming challenges, and frustrated about the lack of practical strategies for real classrooms.

Supporting literacy proficiency, district-wide

My colleagues and I support educators—teachers, coaches, and administrators alike—with ongoing, research-based professional learning experiences that are driven by educator goals, build readily-transferable knowledge and skills, and positively impact student learning in literacy.

The books and resources I’ve authored provide the foundation for our learning together. And one of my approved consultants or I facilitate every learning experience.

No matter your curriculum, approach to literacy instruction, or the student population you support, we offer customized professional development opportunities and virtual events to meet your needs, aligned to my books and materials.

Customized literacy consulting

We tailor experiences for professional growth to match both the big-picture vision of your district, as well the individual goals of educators and students in your building.

Customize the format of delivery (in-person or online), language of instruction (English or Spanish), and instructional focus. With literacy consultants skilled in scaffolding learning for students with a range of backgrounds, needs, and abilities, we can support your school with any literacy topic from my books and publications.

tailored to your goals

Instructional focuses could include assessment, one-on-one or small group teaching, bilingual or dual language instruction, content area literacy, interventions and supports for students with specialized needs, and more.

To support teachers, coaches, and administrators in transferring knowledge and strategies to real classrooms, we apply differentiated structures for best practices in adult learning. Side-by-side modeling in classrooms, one-on-one coaching, and small group reflections are formats that might be used.

Our Process

identify opportunities
We get to know all of the learners in your school. From a conversation with a professional learning specialist to on-site evaluations, we work with you to identify opportunities for growth.
set goals
We work together to analyze your data and set goals that honor your budget and time constraints.
make a plan
Your goals then inform how we craft a customized, purposeful, ongoing (ideally, multi-year) professional learning plan.

monitor progress
We get to work implementing our plan! We continuously monitor progress and respond to the specific needs of students, teachers, coaches, and administrators along the way.
communicate
In between our visits and as our work together comes to an end, we offer clear guidance on how to continue making progress toward ongoing goals.
celebrate
We celebrate your successes and continue to look forward, as we know the journey of reading, writing, teaching, and learning is a neverending one.

let's learn together

Open enrollment workshops and webinars

In addition to customized professional learning in your district, you can join me for online and in-person open enrollment workshops or webinars.

Grow in your understanding of research-driven practices, interact with a global community of learners, and get immediately practical strategies while learning from your home or school. Together, we’ll explore a wide range of critical, high-interest reading and writing topics. All professional learning is grounded in research and strategies from my books, and is led by me (at times with support from colleagues).

Check out my calendar to see upcoming events that teachers, coaches, and administrators can register for today.

Jen's calendar

Testimonials

"This workshop helped me better personalize small group reading instruction. I have only attended one session of the PD so far and I found it refreshing, engaging, interesting, and Jerry was great. I left this workshop feeling like I spent time learning something I would actually use in the classroom."

— Rosa Bonilla, 3rd Grade Teacher
“Molly has a realistic approach as she helps us reach the needs of our students. She models the lessons and strategies that we can replicate with our students. During our meetings, we have the opportunity to discuss our needs and progress. Each time, Molly has offered suggestions and interest in our work. She is absolutely lovely and we look forward to additional learning as the year progresses.”

— Shannon Ticali, 2nd Grade Teacher
“Working with Lainie has been so impactful on student writing at Gaines! She has helped to determine needs and goals for the whole school, teams of teachers, and individual teachers. Her work is differentiated and ‘just in time.’ For example, as a result of Lainie's first week with us, students in 2nd grade went from writing very little to writing every day. She has a way of helping teachers move from a deficit mindset to a "what are the students ready for" mindset. She has also had a huge impact on me as a coach, helping me become more intentional with my time and helping me set goals for coaching work.”

— Elisa Beth Trotter, Instructional Coach
“Dr. Maraia has been a pleasure to work with. He has established a great rapport with our teachers and specialists. The work in the classroom is beginning to take form, as teachers are becoming more and more familiar with their students as readers. We hope that we are able to continue this work with Dr. Maraia, as he has had a positive impact in our teachers growth.”

— Vanessa Proietto, Vice Principal
“Leah was a fantastic source of knowledge! My colleagues and I have learned so much from her! Her feedback is to the point and makes sense.”

— Renee Hynes, ELA (English Language Arts) Instructional Coach
“Darren is a super-clear communicator. I appreciate that he shared the nuts and bolts of the program while also embedding the big WHY (why this work can be a vital component in our reading support--and HOW it can be implemented).”

— Liz Lueras, MTSS TOSA (Multi-Tiered System of Support, Teacher on Special Assignment)
The learning experiences we have had with Jennifer Serravallo’s consultants have created a variety of access points for staff in Naperville to choose from when considering which instructional shifts to make first. There are always many ideas to implement the next day and others to save to explore or try in the future. Whether on-site or virtual, the learning is not a “one and done,” which has led to shifting beliefs and practices to impact readers’ and writers’ learning.

-Dr. Noor S. (Naperville, Illinois)

Frequently Asked Questions

All professional learning is led by me (Jen) or one of my approved literacy consultants. Each consultant works closely and regularly with me, to grow in their own professional learning and collaborate on school planning.
Yes. Our team is equipped with the knowledge and skills to support diverse educators and students, in a variety of unique situations and settings. We are skilled in aligning teaching and learning to language goals, students with IEPs, advanced students in need of challenge, and/or multilingual learners (English Language Learners).
No. While we firmly believe that assessing student learning is critical for planning and delivering differentiated instruction, we do not use our time together to prepare students for test taking achievement specifically. We believe strong literacy and content instruction year round is the best preparation for literacy assessments.