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Month: May 2025

How to Ask for Professional Learning (Plus a Ready-to-Use Template!)

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

We all know the feeling: that spark of inspiration from a new teaching strategy, the desire to deepen our understanding of a subject, or the need to implement a new curriculum effectively. Professional learning opportunities and collaboration with fellow educators, like the Collaborative Learning Pathway offered by iCivics, can be the fuel that keeps our passion for education burning bright and directly impacts the learning experiences we provide for our students.

But often, the cost of high-quality professional learning can feel like a personal hurdle. While funding from your district or school for the entire staff may be limited. That is why advocating for your own professional learning and development can be a game-changer for your growth and, ultimately, your students’ success.

But what does it look like to advocate for yourself, and how should you get started?

Before you submit your request, take a moment to reflect on why your district should invest in this specific professional learning opportunity for you. Consider these points:

  • Improved student outcomes: How will this learning directly translate to a better learning experience and improved outcomes for your students? Be specific! Will it help you implement more engaging strategies? Address learning gaps? Enhance critical thinking skills?
  • Alignment with district initiatives: Does the professional learning opportunity align with current district-wide goals or initiatives? For example, if your district is focusing on inquiry-based learning, highlighting an offering on that topic strengthens your case.
  • Enhanced teaching practice: How will this learning enhance your instructional skills, classroom management, or assessment strategies?
  • Leadership potential and collaboration: Will this learning equip you to be a better resource for your colleagues or take on leadership roles within the school?
  • Staying current and innovative: Education is constantly evolving. Professional learning ensures you stay up-to-date on best practices and innovative approaches.

Your Advocacy Toolkit

  1. Do your research: Identify specific professional learning opportunities that align with your needs and school goals. Be prepared to provide details about the content, duration, cost, and potential impact.
  2. Connect to the curriculum: Clearly articulate how the professional learning will enhance your ability to deliver the curriculum effectively and meet learning standards.
  3. Highlight the benefits for students: Always bring it back to the students. Explain how your enhanced skills and knowledge will directly benefit their learning journey.
  4. Be specific and concise: Clearly state the professional learning opportunity you’re interested in and why you believe it’s a valuable investment.
  5. Offer to share: Suggest sharing your learnings with colleagues through a write-up for the school or district newsletter or blog, a presentation, or informal discussions, demonstrating a return on the district’s investment beyond your own classroom.
  6. Be professional and respectful: Approach your administration with a well-thought-out and respectful request.
  7. Follow school and district procedures: Understand the proper channels for submitting professional development requests.

Ready-to-Use Letter Template

To help you get started, we’ve created a customizable letter template you can adapt and send to your administrator. This template provides a solid framework for articulating your request effectively. We recommend updating the letter and benefits to fit the needs of your classroom and district.

Get the Letter Template

How to Integrate iCivics into the End-of-Year

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

As a high school teacher, the end of the school year is a pivotal time—especially for the seniors in my classroom. Between AP exams, final projects, and wrapping up the last quarter, it’s easy for both students and teachers to feel overwhelmed.

Adding to the pressure, assessments today go beyond rote memorization. Increasingly, end-of-year tests focus on higher-order thinking, requiring students to analyze, argue, and write in more sophisticated ways. On top of that, we educators want to ensure students leave our classrooms equipped with the skills they’ll need in college or next year’s courses.

It’s a lot to juggle. But iCivics offers a simple, effective solution—one that supports students’ learning while easing some of the pressure on teachers.

Gamify Review Sessions

While end-of-year study time is important, it can quickly become monotonous. One of my favorite ways to energize review days is by incorporating iCivics games. In my classroom, I often use Argument Wars, Branches of Power, and Constitutional Compromise to help students revisit key content like court cases, foundational principles, and the structure of government.

These games keep students actively engaged—and they’re more than just fun. Each one provides teachers with real-time data on student comprehension. That data can guide review sessions, helping us target the concepts students need to strengthen before final assessments.

Data-Informed Re-Teaching

Sometimes, the data from review sessions reveals topics that need to be revisited. That’s where the iCivics resource library becomes invaluable. With just a few clicks, you can find full lessons, videos, and activities covering everything from the Constitution to westward expansion to the civil rights movement.

My students especially love the civil rights unit. The engaging videos and interactive lessons help bring the material to life—and they’re a lifesaver when I need to quickly pull together a targeted review lesson based on student performance from the previous day.

Ending the Year with Meaning

The final days of the school year should be more than just a countdown—they should be a chance to reflect, reconnect, and celebrate all that students have accomplished. With iCivics, educators can spend less time scrambling to prepare and more time creating meaningful moments with their students.

Whether you’re reviewing content, identifying areas for reteaching, or planning engaging activities, iCivics provides high-quality resources that meet the moment. At a time when we’re all feeling the pressure, it’s a partner that helps us—and our students—finish strong.

Written by Jessica Mahoney

Jessica Mahoney is a third-year social studies educator who teaches Virginia and U.S. History at Norview High School in Norfolk, Virginia. She is a member of the iCivics Educator Network, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture’s Teacher Advisory Council, and a teacher ambassador for Retro Report. Jessica also serves as an at-large board member of the Maryland Civic Education Coalition, the Legislative and Advocacy Liaison for the Virginia Council for the Social Studies, and an educator consultant for the Center for Civic Education. She is passionate about engaging students in history and civic life through hands-on, inquiry-based learning and advocates for elevating teachers’ and students’ voices in education policy at both the local and national levels.

Through the iCivics Educator Network, the perspectives of teachers across the country contribute to the public conversation about civic education in the United States. Each contributor represents their own opinion. We welcome this diversity of perspectives.