HOT (Higher Opportunities for Teachers)

The Higher Opportunities for Teachers (HOT) Committee functions as a support system for Coralwood faculty and staff members who want to engage in professional development experiences that go beyond those offered through DeKalb County and Coralwood School. The HOT Committee reviews professional proposals initiated by staff and utilizes Coralwood Foundation funds to support experiences that both align with the mission of Coralwood School and positively impact student achievement through professional development. Funds for HOT programming come from the Foundation's annual Silent Auction.

Teachers and staff members who are awarded professional development funding must either write articles about their experience or give presentations to Coralwood faculty detailing the knowledge acquired from the experience.

HOT has funded a myriad of professional development experiences including:

• Orton-Gilliamham certification

• Lindamood Bell certification

• American Speech Language Hearing Convention

• Handwriting Without Tears Training

• Georgia Children's Literature Conference

• International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and
  Their Families

• Raising the Ceiling for Children with Autism

• Strategies for Managing Behavior Problems in the Classroom

Below is a sampling of grants awarded through the program:

• Kindergarten Goes Green - Relating environmentalism to interdisciplinary learning

• Twin Vision - Expanding the library's collection of books with embossed Braille text as well as printed word and colorful illustrations

• Guided Reading Group - Instituting a small guided reading group for emerging Pre-K readers

• Cooking to Learn and Talk - Using cooking activities to expand basic language concepts and language development

• Reading Along - Supporting the school-wide teaching of literacy and pre-literacy through audio book kits