2024-2025 Offerings
Colleagues,
Choosing staff development is a big commitment, and your thoughtful consideration is important as you deliberate on this process. Below you can read more about what you’ll get when you work with me. You’ll see a variety of professional development opportunities as well as various topics for staff development—all of which reflect my knowledge, experience, and expertise. But first, a little more about me and my approach.
Experience
More than 20 years ago, I was a first-year teacher in the rural Mississippi Delta. I felt frustrated, dejected—and I was struggling. One afternoon, as I was in the office punching out for the day, Mrs. Wash, the school secretary of Ruleville Central Elementary School, took a look at my long face and pulled me aside.
“I read your file, Mr. Ochs,” she said. “And I can also tell when I look at you: you’ve got teaching in your blood.” She knew that I had come from a long line of teachers in my family, but she also saw something in me, too. This bit of confidence from a woman who’d worked in schools for decades was enough to help me maintain my spirit and drive to keep going that year—and many years since.
I’ve tried to pay that spirit forward. Mrs. Wash was right. I do have teaching in my blood. And learning. But I’m not special or particular in that regard. We all have that ability to teach and to learn in our blood, so to speak. I’ve taken the difficulties I overcame as a young teacher in underserved, low-income communities—and I have committed my professional life to supporting schools, teachers, school leaders, and students everywhere in realizing what we all have: the potential to learn and grow by leaps and bounds, constantly.
What’s my experience? From 2003-2012, I taught in the classroom, in both general education and integrated co-teaching settings. After teaching in the Mississippi Delta region, I taught for several years in the Edgewood neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C. at a charter school that focused on the performing arts. Then I moved to New York and taught several more years at PS 277 in the South Bronx. Since the beginning, I have dedicated my career to helping schools and communities with the greatest needs.
Since 2010, I have led literacy professional development in schools and districts across the nation. I have conducted workshops with hundreds of participants, organized cycles of staff development with groups of grade level teachers, and led dozens of weeklong summer institutes. I’ve worked with more than a thousand educators across nearly 100 school districts, 30 states, and 4 countries. I work with teachers, students, and school leaders across grades K-8. Today, I have broadened my scope of reach and support content areas in math, science, and social studies.
My approach
Most important to my method is working with everyone who has a vested interest in student learning and achievement. I work with school leaders to determine overarching goals for our work together. This includes analyzing data to set goals that propel instruction, as well as creating a strategy for administering a plan and creating benchmark periods to reflect on goals and determine next steps.
I also incorporate teacher interests and insights into these goals. After all, professional development is _for, with, _and often _by _teachers, and teachers should have a great deal of say in their own growth and learning—and that of students. I intentionally incorporate teacher preferences and insights, not only because they are the most immediate levers of student achievement, but also because they have ears that are closest to the ground to alert a school community for student areas of growth.
Finally, I bring my own knowledge and experience to bear on the common objectives we all decide on together. I am keenly interested in curriculum, pedagogy, and cognitive science. As the author of Word Love vocabulary curriculum, and co-author of more than four Units of Study, I care deeply how educational programs are conveyed to teachers in clear and understandable language that can be easily and efficiently transferred into classrooms to the greatest effect on student learning.
Not only do I care about how well a curriculum is written, I also care about how well it is taught. Methods of instruction that lead to the best student outcomes occupy much of my daily reflections, and I keep abreast of the latest research on methods that help students achieve in the classroom. Additionally, I am absorbed by the findings of cognitive science—the science of how the human brain learns—and what it has to suggest about what seems to work best for teachers and students in the classroom.
The time I spend in classrooms daily provides me with constant insight as to what works and what needs reconsideration and revision with regard to these three interests, and I always use real practice to help me improve upon theory and science—and vice versa.
Offerings for Professional Development & Training
School-Based Staff Development
These days are a best fit for schools and districts committed to genuine, measurable professional development growth across several literacy topics in a school year to forward student learning and achievement. School-based staff development days stretch out across a school year to provide consistent, regular learning and support for teachers, students, and school leadership. These days include meeting time for content delivery with teachers in grade-level or cross-grade level groups—as well as lab site time teaching students. In these labs, I often begin a cycle by modeling. Then, for instance, at a next meeting, I encourage teachers to practice instruction with my support. Finally, I often visit teachers in classrooms with one-to-one coaching visits, offering personalized feedback. Additionally, I meet with school leaders in regularly dedicated meeting time to reflect on goals and progress across the year.
Multi-Day Partnerships
Three-to-five day staff development workshops are a good fit for schools who are committed to a goal or two they’d like to see teachers and students begin to transfer across a school year. Schedule these days close together for more targeted, immediate support, or schedule them across the school year to support the launching of a literacy initiative across benchmark periods. These days are ideal for content-focused workshops, dedicated in-service days, and can include classroom-based modeling and teacher practice. See below for possible topics.
Daylong Workshops
One- to two-day workshops are a great fit for schools with a specific focus or goal in mind—and for larger audiences. Select from a set of popular workshops below, or contact me to tailor a workshop to suit your specific needs. Daylong workshops tend to focus more on content delivery, interactive activities, and resource shares. They are especially suitable topics you want to support across grade bands, e.g. K-2 one day, 3-5 the next.
I hope this gives you a better idea of where I’m coming from, and what I offer. [See below for specific topics of expertise] that I lead in staff development.
If what I have to say resonates with you, feels like it would be a good fit for your school or your district, or might solve an issue your school or district is facing—don’t hesitate to [schedule a brief call] with me today to discuss the possibility of a partnership.
Yours in education,
Mike Ochs
Staff developer, author & education consultant
Topics of Special Expertise
Below you’ll find a number of topics and areas of interest
Vocabulary (Grades K-8)
Spend time with me learning about how to create and implement a complete vocabulary program for your school. Take in research-based methods on how to cultivate in students a curiosity & awareness of words and what they do. Get up-to-date methods for teaching students word-solving strategies using morphology, context, and tools (Graves, 2016). Learn the most effective ways to teach students a bank of vocabulary words—including academic and content area vocabulary—so that students can not only comprehend texts better, but they can also use those words in their speech and writing (Beck, et al., 2013). Get support for fostering incidental word learning, including wide reading across genres. Receive access to the popular Word Love vocabulary curriculum materials.
Grammar, Conventions, and Spelling (K-8)
You want students to convey deep thoughts and emotions in their writing—and to be their own authentic, creative selves while doing so—and you also want them to know and follow the norms for standard American English. In this topic of study, you’ll learn ways to teach grammar, conventions, and spelling as not only content, but also as skills-based instruction that can fold seamlessly in and out of your writing block. Learn research-based methods for teaching spelling that support all learners. Receive cutting edge tools for teaching conventions. Learn the most engaging ways to teach grammar that will leave kids not only understanding the what behind the ‘rules,’ but also the why (Crystal, 2017). You’ll see students learning and incorporating grammar, conventions, and spelling with smiles.
Support for Multilingual Language Learners (K-8)
Does your school or district have a rich history of multilingual language learning? Have you more recently welcomed the arrival of multilingual language learners to your community? With this topic of focus, you’ll learn ways to support literacy development and growth for all language learners, whether they be at entering and emergent levels of language acquisition, or transitioning, expanding, and commanding. Learn the importance of language structures and vocabulary, receive cutting edge methods for reading, writing, and phonics instruction—and learn concrete methods for incorporating cognates and teaching into idioms and figurative language (Helman, 2016).
Cognitive Science-based Learning Strategies/ Science of Reading (K-8)
We’ve all been immersed in the science of reading, but are you familiar with the science of learning? With this approach, I will share strategies based on cognitive science (which studies how human brains learn) which you can apply to any subject: reading, writing, math—you name it (Brown, et al., 2014). Do you want your students to learn durably, independently, and with transfer? After your time with me, concepts like retrieval practice, interleaving, and calibrating will be second-nature practice for your team. Learn ways to teach students to teach themselves to not only remember and recall what you’ve taught, but to transfer it to their own independent practice.
Making Tools (K-8)
Using visuals like tools are a powerful way for students to remember and use what you teach them. But what kind of tools should you use in your instruction? What kind should you encourage students to use independently? What materials should you use to make tools? What can we learn from the field of graphic design that can help us make tools that help kids learn? How can you make physical tools with markers and Post-its that really pop? How can you design slides in research-based ways so that they aren’t just a teleprompter and so that students actually learn from them (Fisk, 2019)? How can you use tools in my whole-group, small group, and one-to-one conferring in ways that elevate student learning, remembering, and transfer? With this topic of study, you’ll elevate your tools-making, using, and teaching game.
Teaching Foundational Skills in Small Groups (Grades 3-8)
If you have readers who are below-benchmark, or who need a little extra support, or above-benchmark readers who can’t be harmed by a reminder of good foundational reading skills, then this area of focus is for you. Learn how to best support upper grade students with phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary—any of the foundational skills—to ramp up their achievement in reading (National Reading Panel, 2000). Learn the psychological factors that play a role in student motivation, attitude, self-concept, and ease in learning (Willingham, 2015). Learn powerful ways to plan for small groups and to teach them effectively across cycles so that students not only learn and achieve, but also transfer their learning to independent practice across all subjects.
Reading & Writing Assessment (K-8)
Assessment is everything. In order for teachers to do their jobs: provide feedback, grades, and to teach—assessment is integral to the entire learning process. In this area of focus, you’ll take a deep dive into the three types of assessments (diagnostic, formative, and summative), studying student work and making plans every step of the way. You’ll look at diagnostic assessments and how they can be used to plan and tweak units and to create small groups. You’ll learn the power of formative assessments and how ‘quick and dirty’ assessment and teaching can be the most effective teaching students receive (Hattie, 2012). You’ll also practice reflecting on summative assessments and learn different ways students can ‘show what they know.’
Managing Time (K-8)
One of the most common questions teachers ask is, “How do I fit it all in?” With everything teachers are being asked to do, invited to do, assigned to do (and not to mention what they want to do!), it can be hard for anyone to fit in everything across a school day, week, month, or year, especially given the time allotted. Work with me in tackling scheduling priorities, taking a locus-of-control mindset, and opening discussions with all the collaborators who have a stake in creating and maintaining schedules for student learning (Harvard Business Review, 2014).
Partnerships, Talk, Classroom Discussion, and Debate (K-8)
Classroom talk between peers helps childhood development, student achievement, and engagement in learning. It’s also where students get most of their feedback, believe it or not! With this area of study, you’ll work with me in establishing strong partnerships as a basis for effective talk in the classroom. You’ll also work with me to create strong book clubs as students talk about narrative books or research clubs. You’ll practice one of the most powerful ways to boost student achievement with the whole class conversation. Finally, you’ll pilot some brand new ways to incorporate debate and discussion with students—new work you’ll see nowhere else.
Writing About Reading: From Notebooks and Prompts to Essays (Grades 2-8)
Reading is the work of the mind—it's invisible. In order for us to teach readers well, we must make the invisible observable. There are two ways to do that: to listen to students talk about their reading, or to view what students write about reading. This area of focus will center on the latter—how to help kids take the thoughts they have while reading and to put them on the page. This work starts with brief jots, continues with more robust writing about reading in notebooks, then to prompted questions, and finally moves toward the research report and the literary essay, two culminations of writing about reading. I have special expertise in this area, having co-authored a curriculum book on the literary essay: Literary Essay: Opening Texts & Seeing More (2016 and 2024).
Writing Personal Narratives, Realistic Fiction, and Series Fiction with Depth and Joy (K-8)
If you are interested in supporting students with narrative writing—which serves as a basis for all other writing genres—then this area of focus will be a good fit for your staff. Learn ways to teach students to craft powerful stories that follow a narrative arc, and to do so with hard-to-transfer skills of show-not-tell, and to embed themes and life lessons in stories. If you are most interested in channeling students to write moving personal narratives and entertaining realistic fiction stories to series books you just can’t put down, choose this area of study. I am also especially expert in this topic, having co-authored Up the Ladder: Narrative Writing (2017) unit of study curriculum and the forthcoming Structuring Episodes: Writing Series Fiction (2024).
Reading Informational Texts: Expository & Narrative Nonfiction, with a Special Emphasis on Central Ideas (2-8)
Reading informational texts is important—and learning knowledge is crucial. Having general knowledge about the world helps a reader understand most any text on average. Work with me to lift the level of nonfiction reading in your students, particularly withf central idea, author's craft, perspective & acquiring vocabulary. Practice the importance of teaching students to apply cognitive science strategies for learning, retaining, remembering and teaching information from a text. I am particularly knowledgeable in this topic, having co-authored two nonfiction informational reading units of study: Reading the Weather, Reading the World (2015) and Up the Ladder Reading: Nonfiction (2017).
The Science of Reading in Upper Grades: Comprehension, Fluency, and Vocabulary (3-8)
You know what the Science of Reading is in grades K-2, but do you know what is regarded as SOR in grades 3-8? It’s all about content and comprehension. Work with me to boost your own knowledge of upper grade SOR, and create robust content area units that use the rich reading and writing strategies to kids’ favor. Learn more about the importance of the three major pillars of upper grade reading and what they mean for successful reading instruction and learning: comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. Work with me to boost students' fluency with various engaging rereading activities. Attend to the most important reading comprehension skills that provide the most bang-for-your-buck.
Curriculum Launch Support
I have on-boarded hundreds of teachers adapting to new curriculum initiatives. I have particular experience with providing teachers with an overview of curricula, and ways to navigate new curriculum that maximize teachers’ precious planning time efficiently. I also help teachers work together to plan units, lessons, and activities on grade level teams so that the work transfers across school years when teachers switch grade levels or join the school community. Finally, I have a keen insight for making sure any out-of-the-box curriculum is aligned with the current state of research in education and the Science of Reading.
Curriculum that I have worked with (but am not limited to):
- Units of Study
- Into Reading
- Wit & Wisdom
- CKLA
- Expeditionary Learning
Curriculum Writing
Do you have a specific unit that you need written? Do you need something aligned to your state standards, your schoolwide and district goals, or the specific needs of your school? Work with me to commission a made-to-order unit for your students, your grade-level, or your school/ district. In addition to co-authoring more than a half dozen units of study in nonfiction reading, essay writing, and narrative writing, I am also the author of the popular and acclaimed Word Love vocabulary curriculum and morphology curriculum. Set up a brief call to see what’s possible and to design your project.
Leadership Coaching
If you’re looking for a thought partner in school-wide growth and change, contact me for leadership conversation sessions. Having worked with hundreds of schools across more than 80 districts, I have witnessed and been a part of leadership teams who have made significant impact on student growth and teacher effectiveness. Consult with me to devise and reflect on your literacy leadership plan, and together we’ll work to implement those goals across a year.