Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and possess an impressive array of skills. Since the populations of our schools are in constant flux, it is vital that we strive quickly to build trusting and academically rigorous communities in the smallest units of our school, the classroom, and thereby help to maximize their potential. This workshop is for teachers who wish to transform their classroom into a community of trust where the pupils can take ownership of their education. Teachers can build the necessary foundation by giving students a role in the overall management of the classroom.

Additional strategies such as giving students a voice in producing rubrics, generating assessments, and designing the course curriculum enable our students to utilize their abilities in a supportive community. This workshop will explore these successful techniques and will provide strategies on how to implement them back at your own school.

Iain Flannery

Iain Flannery is an English Language and Literature teacher at the American College of Sofia.

He holds a B.A. in English from Stonehill College and a M.Ed. from the University of Notre Dame.  Prior to teaching in Sofia, Iain has taught high school English in Pensacola, Florida, as well as Agartala, India. Aside from splitting infinitives, Iain’s hobbies include running, hiking, yoga, responding to every beck and call from his dog, and pensively staring into the eyes of deceased cattle.