The “GCPS New Teacher Orientation” is scheduled for Tuesday, July 19, and Wednesday, July 20.
On July 19, nearly 1,200 teachers— those who are new to GCPS and who were hired mid-year last school year— will convene at the Infinite Energy Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth at 8:30 a.m. As part of this orientation, CEO/Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks will join members of the Gwinnett County Board of Education in welcoming the new teachers. The event also will include remarks from representatives from the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and other guests.
As part of the day-long orientation, teachers will learn about the district’s culture of teaching and learning and the critical role teachers play in supporting students on their quest to success. They will gain information about Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum, receive an introduction to the Gwinnett Teacher Effectiveness System, and attend sessions to learn about the district’s efforts to enhance student learning.
On July 20, middle and high school teachers will convene at Peachtree Ridge High School while elementary teachers will gather at Discovery High School for an exciting day of grade-level and curriculum-specific professional learning sessions. The teachers will learn about the various instructional resources (digital and print) provided by the district to support their teaching and learning efforts. These sessions are part of GCPS’ efforts to create a continual learning community that supports teachers, providing the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to be successful.
Additional staff development:
This orientation at the district level is followed by additional days of orientation at local schools. During these days, new teachers will work with their mentors and leadership teams. As Gwinnett teachers, they can expect to work in teams of professionals, have mentors who will assist and support them in their work, and take part in ongoing staff development activities that will support their work in leading GCPS students to high levels of achievement.
In order to deliver high-quality staff development for new teachers that is standards-based, results-driven, and job-embedded, GCPS provides induction activities at the onset of their careers in Gwinnett. The system’s goal is that every teacher will have high-quality staff development as part of his or her daily work, and use this learning to improve student learning.
