Empowered Learners, Engaged Classrooms: Student-Centered Literacy Design for Grades 6–12 ELA, Social Studies & Humanities

Instructor: Erin Tinti, Ed.D

Who Should Attend? Secondary ELA, social studies and/or humanities teachers, Instructional Coaches, Secondary Literacy Coordinators, teacher leaders, anyone interested!

AT A GLANCE

This course is designed for secondary teachers (grades 6–12) in English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Humanities classrooms.

As primary spaces for literacy development, these classrooms position teachers as key literacy leaders in their schools. Your role goes beyond content delivery—you are preparing students to read critically, analyze diverse perspectives, distinguish fact from misinformation, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively. These skills are essential not only for academic success but also for informed participation in today’s world.

At the same time, creating learning environments that are both student-centered and intentional about literacy skill-building can feel daunting. This course is here to bridge that gap.

Together, we will:

- Explore research-based instructional practices that strengthen reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
- Examine classroom design strategies that put student voice and agency at the forefront.
- Develop practical tools to integrate literacy-rich, student-driven learning into your daily teaching.

By the end of the course, you will leave with concrete strategies to cultivate classrooms where students build critical literacy skills, engage deeply with content, and thrive as independent learners.

OBJECTIVES

1. Identify the role of ELA, Social Studies, and Humanities teachers as literacy leaders within secondary schools.

2. Analyze research-based strategies that promote critical reading, writing, speaking, and listening in content-area classrooms.

3. Design classroom practices and structures that prioritize student-centered and student-led learning.

4. Apply strategies for fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and media literacy in classroom instruction.

5. Develop a personal action plan for implementing literacy-rich, student-driven practices in their own classrooms.

Dates: November 13, 2025, January 29, 2026, February 12, 2026, March 19, 2026 and May 21, 2026

Times: 9:00-3:30

Location: CVEDC Classroom

Cost: $1,350 no graduate credit $1,750 includes graduate credit

Erin Tinti is the Executive Director at CVEDC. Prior to working at CVEDC, Erin taught high school ELA for over 14 years, teaching and coaching hundreds of students and more recently working with classroom teachers on curriculum and teaching practices as a curriculum coordinator. She also teaches an ELA methods course at UVM. Her excitement for working with teachers in all content areas to further their professional goals and personal self-efficacy views along with designing professional learning for student-centered learning is what led her to design this course.

She earned her Bachelors in Adolescent English Education from SUNY Cortland in 2010, completed her Masters in Teaching English Language Arts at Teachers College, Columbia University in 2015, and finished her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Vermont in 2024 where her research focus primarily centered around teacher self-efficacy and teaching writing.