The John Cooper School Leads in Professional Learning

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The John Cooper School welcomed 35 teachers from fellow independent schools across the region for a four-day learning experience led by Cooper Lower School teachers Tammy Meredith and Jessica Ott.

“The John Cooper School Summer Institute is an opportunity to learn the framework of balanced literacy in a hands-on way while connecting with other private school teachers,” says Cooper teacher Jessica Ott. Reading and Writing Workshop is a student-centered approach to teaching students reading and writing skills.

Throughout the week, participants engaged with presentations from Cooper teachers and networked with one another. Training activities included planning engaging mini lessons, creating small group toolkits, and marking up mentor texts to use in their future workshop instruction.

“After five years, the Institute has become something I look forward to each summer,” Lower School Head and Institute founder Teresa Robson says. “It’s wonderful to watch our teachers pay their knowledge forward in ways that benefit teachers and students throughout the region. And the synergy that happens when dedicated educators are in the room together is energizing for facilitators and participants alike.”

The John Cooper School has now held several Summer Institute sessions, each year equipping another cohort of educators with the opportunity to gain new insights and skills before the start of a new school year.