Hi April – Great project and video! I couldn’t help but wonder how teachers become initially involved in the AMP project. What was the recruitment process like, and did you encounter any difficulties in encouraging participation?

Hi IIiya! We recruit teachers through our networks at each of our 7 districts. In the beginning of the project, we worked very hard to personally meet with teachers to “sell them” on the project. As PI, I felt it was critical for me to be very hands-on to meet with teachers, discuss the project, and answer their questions. Ultimately, it was the teachers who determined if they should participate in our project. This direct recruiting effort paid off! As the years went by, we then relied on our past teaches to promote the project with other colleagues in their school and district.

We have encountered some difficulties, namely from teachers who felt more “pressured” to participate than others. In some cases, the teachers eventually opted out of the project. But in numerous cases, teachers experienced such great professional development that they were won over by the project! :)

Thanks for your piece. It did a great job at illustrating the approach and intended impact of your project. I’m curious about the summer camp component. If I understand right, it was designed to give participating educators the chance to experiment with students in a fun, hands-on way that was “safe,” outside the pressures of the classroom environment. I’m wondering though if the student-centered, inquiry-based nature of these “non-school” experiences in fact had impact in the classroom.

The CCOLs are essential to this program- glad to see this support for teachers! What other feedback have you gotten from teachers on the CCOLs?