Learning-Focused Relationships

This interactive virtual seminar, based on the book Mentoring Matters: A Practical Guide to Learning-focused Relationships by Bruce Wellman and Laura Lipton (2018), explores the important relationship between mentors and those that they support. The sessions develop mentors from simply handholding and advice dispensing to becoming skillful growth agents in a virtual or face-to-face environment. Five two-hour virtual sessions offer practical tools, specific templates, and technical tips for educators who serve as growth agents to increase the effectiveness of professional practice in their organizations. (10 hours Synchronous with 6 hours independent Asynchronous work).

Participants will learn to:

● Balance the three functions of learning-focused relationships: offering support, creating cognitive challenge, and facilitating professional vision

● Navigate across four stances on a continuum of interaction from most to least directive. Explore specific strategies related to each stance for customizing learning-focused conversations to increase capacity and decrease dependency.

● Apply verbal and non-verbal tools for increasing willingness, confidence and skills in the thinking that drives instructional decision-making and reflection on practice.

● Facilitate structured conversations that maximize time, invite thinking, and provide a focus on continuous growth

Dates via Zoom: March 3rd , 8th, 10th, 29th, and 31st

Time: 4:00p-6:00p

Materials: Books provided for participants by NWRPDP. Participants need access to a laptop and the most current version of the Zoom platform.

Instructors: Pati Falk and Lynn Sawyer, MiraVia Associates

To Register:

WCSD Staff- Register in MyPGS

All other districts the link to register

is found HERE