Types of Groups

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs)

Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) are small teams of teachers/counselors who meet together regularly to collaboratively learn, investigate, and implement best practices. Engaging in a PLT is a deliberate process that requires regular participation and a willingness to move beyond sharing lessons and ideas to critically examining practice, research, and implementation. 

Professional Interest Groups

Professional Interest Group meetings serve as a scheduled time for multiple Master Teachers/Counselors to meet to explore in an introductory way a professional topic that has value for them, to problem-solve around a particular educational issue they are facing, or to share resources and ideas. Participants will work to learn from their teaching practice and one another, and look to bring back new ideas to support student success.

Collegial Circles

Collegial Circles grapple with ideas and issues in education, supported by the use of print and digital texts. These are not book study groups of one book... instead, groups of Master Teachers/Counselors collaboratively examine new knowledge, ideas, and strategies and presented in research-backed literature, attempt to implement these findings in their own classroom context, and report back on the success and challenges they encountered. The goal is to critically examine one's own teaching practice and to engage with new ideas and strategies to support personal growth and student learning. Together, group members are working towards an improvement of their classroom practice as evidenced by enhanced student outcomes.

Outreach Groups

Outreach Groups develop activities and events that serve an audience external to the NYSMTP.  The activities and events created by Outreach Groups are typically tied to a particular content or education topic and require a significant amount of planning (often several months to a year). The work of these groups is frequently done in collaboration with other organizations as well. 

2024-2025 MT-Led Groups

Adding STEAM to the Elementary Classroom

PLT co-facilitated by Julie Sylor and Andrea Mango

How might we incorporate an integrated Science-Engineering-Math-Creativity mindset across the elementary curriculum? The term STEAM is meant to represent an integration of science, technology, engineering, arts and math into the curriculum we use throughout the day.  In an elementary setting, this integration is possible if we look at learning goals and current curriculums to see where STEAM concepts can be added for engagement, concept acquisition, practice, and presentation of work. This includes hands-on activities, problem solving opportunities, teamwork challenges, technology integration, and student choice and empowerment. We will review several professional texts that provide resources for using the STEAM strands to facilitate and actively engage all students in the learning. We will share best practices to make learning fun and assessment formative.

Building Math Problem Solvers Through Daily Routines (5-8)

PLT co-facilitated by Melissa Bunce and Justin Mullen

How might we develop confident, flexible, and resourceful mathematical thinkers? This PLT will focus on developing students' mathematical reasoning and conceptual understanding; building students' skills with various problem-solving strategies; and  nurturing mathematical confidence and a “good at math” identity that stems from a focus on agency and autonomy in our learning environments. John SanGiovanni’s book Daily Routines to Jump Start Problem-Solving K-8 will be central to the work. This PLT has a focus on 5-8 classrooms. 

Building Math Problem Solvers Through Daily Routines (K-5)

PLT co-facilitated by Julie Greco and Kelli Garlock

How might we develop confident, flexible, and resourceful mathematical thinkers? This PLT will focus on developing students' mathematical reasoning and conceptual understanding; building students' skills with various problem-solving strategies; and  nurturing mathematical confidence and a “good at math” identity that stems from a focus on agency and autonomy in our learning environments. John SanGiovanni’s book Daily Routines to Jump Start Problem-Solving K-8 will be central to the work. This PLT has a focus on K-5 classrooms. 

Building Thinking Classrooms in Practice (7-12)

PLT co-facilitated by Sara Enser and Matt Frank

How might we create and implement tasks for use in Building Thinking Classroom lessons? This PLT will focus on creating a bank of thinking tasks that are both curricular and non-curricular as defined by Peter Liljedahl. Once tasks are created, the focus will shift to classroom implementation of the tasks and related BTC structures. This PLT has a focus on 7-12 classrooms. 

Building Thinking Classrooms in Practice (K-6)

PLT co-facilitated by Michael Milliman and Alison Camp

How might we create and implement tasks for use in Building Thinking Classroom lessons? This PLT will focus on creating a bank of thinking tasks that are both curricular and non-curricular as defined by Peter Liljedahl. Once tasks are created, the focus will shift to classroom implementation of the tasks and related BTC structures. This PLT has a focus on K-6 classrooms. 

Creating and Using Instructionally Supportive Assessments in NGSS Classrooms

Collegial Circle co-facilitated by Alan Baczkiewicz and Rae Zimmerman

How might we utilize 3D PE's to develop smaller 3D tasks during a unit that will help us to achieve that summative PE? No prerequisite knowledge besides NYSSLS standards and PE's will be needed. The main monthly task as we progress through meetings will be to read and develop the materials for that chapter based on participants' content/grade. Chapters include unpacking PE's, creating dimension maps, creating formative performance learning tasks, creating rubrics for those tasks, and ensuring that tasks are equitable and 3D. Participants will also use NYS-developed Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) to relate tasks to state expectations.  By the end of the study, teachers will have created formative assessment materials needed for one unit of study.  This collegial circle has a focus on K-12 Science Teachers.

Desmos, BTC, TRU, and YOU!

PLT co-facilitated by Erin McClure and Amy Golden

How might we utilize the Desmos platform, resources and mathematical tools in conjunction with Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms structures to create a Teaching for Robust Understanding (Shoenfeld, 2016) aligned learning environment? This PLT will engage in rigorous exploration and conversation around creating BTC and TRU aligned classrooms that build on the Amplify Desmos curriculum and Desmos activities. The PLT members will offer strategies and teacher moves that enhance particular Desmos lessons in an effort to align more with the TRU targets. PLT members may learn some basic Computation Layer editing skills. This PLT has a focus on K-12 classrooms. 

Environmental Place-Based Learning

PLT co-facilitated by Jim Damon and Christina Randazzo

How might we improve our pedagogy to increase the connection between our students, science content, and our local environment? This PLT is designed to provide place-based and experiential learning experiences for K-12 teachers in WNY. Teachers will research and discuss best practices for implementing place-based and experiential learning strategies within their own classrooms/districts. PLT members will create and share place-based/experiential lessons utilizing phenomena from within their own school communities; designed to make the lessons as accessible as possible. Teachers will attempt to visit local locations to explore the opportunities available in our community. The emphasis on place-based/experiential learning is designed to increase the scaffolding of DCI's across grade bands while allowing teachers greater opportunities to implement new crosscutting concepts across the NYSSLS. By utilizing local scientific phenomena, teachers should expect to increase student engagement and interest, and foster a connection with their own community. This PLT has a focus of K-12 science teachers.

Exploring the Relevance of Math in the Workplace

PLT co-facilitated by Adam Eschborn and Michelle Edmister

How might we create understanding of STEM-based employment opportunities that reside in our communities to bridge the classroom content to workplace knowledge and application. In this PLT, we'll visit with professionals working in the STEM field to explore the STEM learning standards connected to careers in our community, build interdisciplinary knowledge based on the experiences of those working in STEM careers, and learn from experts what they need in employees so that we better prepare our students for success in STEM fields. Our goal is to spark interest and motivation in our students and help us better understand their families and our communities, all while deepening our own STEM knowledge.

HHMI Biointeractive Resources for 3D Lesson Development

PLT co-facilitated by Sandra Miller and Angela Brooder.

How might we use the HHMI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) resources to develop NGSS-aligned Lessons?Participants will explore the HHMI Biointeractive website and classroom resources available to develop NGSS-aligned lessons.  We will use a 5E template to attach activities, videos, interactive media, and other classroom resources available on the HHMI Biointeractive website to develop inquiry-based and student-centered learning activities.  We plan to implement our 5E activities and reflect on student engagement and achievement.  This PLT has a focus on 7-12 science teachers.

Physics Olympics

Outreach Group co-facilitated by Jennifer Gazdovich and Joel May

How might we develop and use competitive physics and engineering challenges in our Physics Classroom to enhance student learning and motivation?  In this outreach group we will meet monthly to develop and revise physics and engineering challenges that have a competitive feel and that meet the curriculum in a regents physics classroom.  We will have clear "scoring" that schools can use across our area to motivate the teachers to use these activities with their students. At the end of the school year, we will organize a Physics Olympics event at the Buffalo State campus open to middle and high school students. Our target audience is physics teachers and possibly middle school science or engineering teachers.

Science in Our Lives: Exploring & Preparing for Students’ Futures

PLT co-facilitated by Arianne Dunlap and Mike Dunlap

How might we get students to recognize the science that is all around them and part of their everyday lives and the begin to wonder about these phenomenon? In this PLT we will plan excursions and guest speakers specifically designed to help our students recognize how science phenomenon and concepts are involved in careers and places that we might not think of as science. Through this planning process, we will learn more about the science content involved.   Possible experiences would be field trips, talk to police departments, welders, plumbers, bakers, cooks, hairdressers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists.  After we have experience in the activity, directly or through a speaker, we will plan ways that this content can be brought to life in our classrooms.

SEL and DEI&B in STEM

Professional Interest Group facilitated by Kimberly Alexander-Carlo

How might we incorporate SEL and DEI&B strategies into our classrooms? In this professional interest group, K-12 STEM educators will explore research-supported ways to incorporate the NYS Social Emotional Learning goals and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in their classrooms in an effort to integrate SEL and DEI&B initiatives. The goal of this professional interest group is to identify possible SEL and CR strategies from various sources, implement them in the classroom, and discuss outcomes.  This professional interest group has a focus on K-12 STEM educators.

STEM Educational Videos

PLT co-facilitated by Jim Roland and Nicole Costello

How might we create and support teachers in creating videos that stimulate learning across STEM content areas and grade levels? This PLT will foster collaboration among K-12 educators to create engaging and relevant STEM learning experiences. Participants will work together to produce videos that showcase WNY environments and connect real-world phenomena to Science, Math, Technology, and Computer Science concepts. These videos will provide authentic and relatable contexts for STEM learning. We invite all interested educators to join us in exploring the intersections of these disciplines and developing innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

STEM Hikes

PLT facilitated by Lauren Vargovich

In the STEM Hikes PLT we will strive to provide K-12 educators with local locations for hikes that incorporate learning opportunities in STEM areas for their students. These hikes could be recreated as a field trip opportunity for students and customized by content area and grade level. After the hike we collaborate to discuss ways to incorporate this new knowledge into valuable experiences and lessons for students K-12. Each hike is planned based on specific criteria outlined by the PLT.

Storyline Science

PLT co-facilitated by Michael Dalessandro and Stephanie Lane

How might we be able to teach Science by way of Inquiry and Storylines? We will study ways that Storylines can be used in our science classrooms to meet the New York State Learning Standards.  Storylines start with an anchoring phenomenon that introduces a question or problem and is driven by students’ questions that arise from the phenomenon.  Rather than teaching a course in a traditional way of discrete, partitioned chunks called units, we will explore ways to utilize current, relevant, and topical natural phenomena as storyline touchpoints to address the standards.   In particular, we will explore available resources for science storylines and commit to trying out these resources or modified curriculum to implement storylines in our classrooms.

TRU Science

PLT co-facilitated by Samantha Stone and Makenzie Schrader

How might we increase student agency, provide opportunities for development of student's scientific identity, and utilize formative assessment during rich science lessons? In this PLT we will explore how the TRU framework dimensions of Agency, Ownership and Identity, & Formative Assessment can be used as a tool to increase student engagement in our classrooms, and create more meaningful learning opportunities. Participants will share lesson materials and jointly create activities to support students' ownership of content. Classroom artifacts including student work samples and video, will be used for reflection on and refinement of practice through the lens of the two TRU dimensions. Science teachers from across grades k-12 are welcome. 

Past PLTs

  • Algebra Strings
  • Amplify
  • Analyzing Instruction in Mathematics
  • AP Chemistry
  • Big Science Uploads
  • Building Math Minds Through Productive Math Struggle 
  • Calculus Sharing
  • Climate Science in the Classroom K-12
  • Coaching
  • Common Language
  • Computer Science
  • Developing Engaged Thinkers in the Math Classroom
  • Developing 3 Dimensional Lessons with an In-Depth Study of the CCC
  • Drones in STEM Education
  • Engineering Design Challenge
  • Flipped Classroom
  • Gamification in Technology
  • GIS in the Classroom
  • Growth Mindset in the Math Classroom
  • Hybrid Math Instruction
  • Hybrid Science Instruction
  • International Teacher Professional Development 
  • Literacy
  • Make
  • Manifest
  • Mathematical Investigations
  • Mathematics Sharing
  • Mentoring
  • Physics and Math
  • Post Pandemic Teaching
  • Problem Posing and Problem Solving
  • Science Learning From Wherever
  • Social Emotional Learning 
  • STEM Leadership
  • Teacher Networking Team
  • Teaching Earth Science/Living Environment Remotely
  • Virtual Instruction for Living Environment