Connecting Summer Inservice Professional Development to Team Teaching

Appalachian social studies teachers from Ohio engage in professional development through summer inservice programs by traveling to a state each year to learn about the land, people, and culture. As they engage in inservice sessions and professional study and travel experiences, they reflect on their practices in a supportive peer environment before bringing their experiences back to the classroom. In assessment of the impact of this program, the theme of "teaching" emerged from assertions of "human connection" and "comparison," with the subtheme of "peers" supporting such connection. The theme of "geography" emerged from assertions about "culture" and "wilderness," with the subtheme of "native" supporting "culture" and the subthemes of "nature" and "fauna" supporting "wilderness."