Professional Learning

For Teachers, By Teachers

Key Knowles Academy Features

Moving from Teacher-Centered to Student-Centered

Our goal is to support teachers in making the shift from teacher-centered to student-centered classrooms, ensuring that teachers can create engaging and effective learning environments, enhancing the learning experience for all students.

Building Teacher Capacity

We offer tools and strategies that build teachers’ capacity for high quality instruction regardless of the curriculum or courses they teach, increasing student engagement and deeper learning in math and science.

Closing Equity and Opportunity Gaps

Our courses are dedicated to addressing inequitable outcomes and closing the opportunity gap. We work to provide the tools and strategies needed to level the playing field for all students.

Addressing STEM Learning

Our professional learning is designed and delivered by math and science teachers for teachers, ensuring that it’s practical, relevant, and directly applicable to the classroom.

School & District Learning


We understand the ever-evolving landscape of education. Our professional learning services are designed to be flexible and responsive, ensuring they can be tailored to meet the needs of schools and districts. Teachers leave our professional learning energized, motivated and valued as professionals. 

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Coaching


Knowles Coaching pairs teachers with certified coaches from the Knowles Coaching Network for a full school year. These coaches are trained to address the teacher’s specific needs using three stances: cognitive, collaborative, and consulting.

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Courses & Workshops


We offer both in-person and online courses for all teachers. Our online courses include six-week options with the opportunity to earn graduate credit through SNHU, as well as 90-minute workshops. Additionally, we offer three-day in-person courses for more in-depth engagement and learning.

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Upcoming Courses & Workshops

  • In-Person Course
    In-Person Icon Promote Sensemaking with Science & Math Practices
    50.00

    Moving students beyond rote memorization and fostering genuine inquiry and sense-making can be challenging. Our course supports educators in this journey, guiding them to become facilitators of student-driven exploration. Throughout the course, participants engage in hands-on explorations of phenomena, learning how to guide students in constructing, evaluating, and refining ideas. Participants learn to critically assess and redesign curricular materials to maximize student proficiency in science and math practices. Participants emerge with a newfound perspective on science and math education, equipped with tools and strategies to redefine their classrooms as vibrant hubs of exploration. They leave with a deepened appreciation for the transformative power of student-led inquiry and a renewed commitment to cultivating critical thinkers and lifelong learners.

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  • In-Person Course
    In-Person Icon Increase Participation: Strategies for Effective Groupwork
    50.00

    Facilitating successful collaborative groupwork in science and math education can be challenging due to difficulties in crafting collaboration-dependent tasks, ensuring focused productivity, and addressing workload and participation imbalances among students. Our course, designed for educators dedicated to enhancing math and science engagement, introduces Complex Instruction (CI) as a research-backed instructional strategy. Participants will delve into strategies to improve collaboration through groupwork, learning how to address common pitfalls while engaging students with challenging content. By the end of the course, teachers will possess a toolkit of strategies to improve group dynamics, foster participation, and deepen student engagement in collaborative settings. Armed with these skills, participants will be equipped to create collaborative learning environments where every student can thrive, ultimately shaping the next generation of scientists and mathematicians who value and excel in teamwork.

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  • In-Person Course
    Fellows discussing work together on laptops
    In-Person Icon Coaching for Teacher Development
    50.00

    Are you ready to transform your skills and knowledge in instructional coaching? Discover how our dynamic course can help you build a strong foundation in coaching techniques, empowering you to support teachers’ professional growth and elevate their teaching practices. Our course supports administrators and teacher leaders in developing their instructional coaching skills through problem-solving, self-reflection, and meaning-making. Participants will learn about three coaching stances: Cognitive, Collaborative, and Consulting, which will serve as a framework for participants to develop specific coaching plans tailored to teachers at various experience levels and contexts. Participants will leave ready to implement specific coaching plans that cater to the diverse needs of teachers at all experience levels and contexts, ultimately fostering a culture of continuous professional growth within their schools. Whether you have plans to be a coach, or already a coach, join us and become a catalyst for positive change in education! To secure your spot, a $50 registration fee is required. As a token of our appreciation for your dedication as a teacher, and to thank you for investing your time with us, all participants who attend all three days will receive a $100 Amazon gift card. We hope this small gesture not only shows our gratitude but also inspires you with new ideas to bring back to your classroom.

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Resources

Integrating Social Justice Issues in Science Classrooms

As the world faced COVID-19 and racial injustice, a science teacher sought ways to address racism in the classroom. Inspired by the connection between redlining and urban heat islands, they developed a physics unit on thermal energy tied to social justice. This led to creating resources and a course to empower teachers to integrate real-world issues into STEM education.

 

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The Power of Coaching

Typically, coaching meetings are conversational, with the Coach employing skills of deep listening, strategic paraphrasing, and asking questions to clarify, organize, and probe the Coachee’s thinking. Knowles Coaches effectively match their coaching stance (consulting, collaborative, and cognitive) to the needs of the Coachee so that the Coachee feels empowered to improve the educational experiences of their students and sustain their love for the profession.

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Newton North High School, Massachusetts

Knowles conducted a three-day course, “Increase Participation: Strategies for Effective Groupwork,” for 20 high school science teachers. Following the course, instructors led 10 monthly virtual department meetings to support their implementation.

 

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