Video/Webinar
Training and support for tutors and teachers working with students reading and writing at an 8th grade level or above, preparing for the GED, HiSET, or other HSE test.
Most tutors and teachers receive quality training before they start working with students. However, once they begin their teaching experience, they have little access to additional training and support.
Teacher Training Plus, funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, is a webinar series that presents best-practice instructional strategies. These video recordings began in Fall of 2022 and are continuous.
This strand is best for teachers and tutors working with adults who are working toward their GED and HiSET
We’ve identified areas of need and have designed webinars to address each. Throughout all of the topics, we will also address working in a multilevel class or group and converting in-person teaching strategies to distance learning.
October 2022
“Do I Really Have to Write an Essay?” Making Writing Relevant for the HSE and Beyond
Although many students may argue that the math section is the most intimidating part of the HSE exam, the writing section seems to be the most avoided. Even some of the strongest readers shy away from writing. Why is that? How can adult educators help? In this webinar, Krawiec will share strategies on how to help students not only improve their writing composition skills for the HSE exam, but also see the necessity and fun of writing too.
January 2023
“What Did I Just Read?” Improving Reading Comprehension by Connecting to the Text and Each Other
Most readers have experienced that moment when they read a sentence, a paragraph, an essay, or even an entire book, and look up and wonder, “what did I just read?“ When we don’t connect to what we’re reading, we’re significantly less likely to comprehend or really even remember it. Connecting to the texts used in the HSE exams can be a challenge for students because they often feel so far removed from our everyday lives and language. In this webinar, ways to help students connect to HSE texts and build a lifelong love of reading were discussed.
April 2023
“But Why?“ Building Critical Thinking Skills Through Questioning and Practice
This small question, with only three letters, can often feel like the most difficult, but crucial question to answer. That’s because asking why encourages us to go under the surface and dig deep – to really understand and consider. Like any other skill, students must put into practice the critical thinking skills that are needed for answering questions on the HSE exam, but may not be sure where to start. In this webinar, Krawiec started with “why?“ and offer other suggestions and strategies for how to help students answer HSE questions that require critical thinking skills.
September 2023
“How Long is This Going to Take? Helping Students Navigate Each Step of Their HSE Journey
Although students’ motivations for obtaining their HSEs are varied, one of the most common questions they ask when first starting their educational journey is “how long is this going to take?” As adult educators, we must help our students find the balance between getting it done quickly and getting it done well. We can achieve this by helping our students set realistic and achievable goals and walking alongside them throughout the process. In this webinar, we discussed goal setting and retention strategies that can help guide students through their HSE journey.
January 2024
“Why is the Clock Watching Me?” Helping Students Reduce Test-taking Anxiety
Test-taking anxiety is real, and many of our students experience it. As adult educators, we’d love to help our students eliminate this anxiety, but we can’t do so completely. Instead, we can help students recognize these feelings and reduce them. In this recording, learn strategies that can help students reduce their test-taking anxiety so they can tackle HSE exams with confidence.
March 2024
“What Are They Really Saying? Helping Students Read Between the Lines and Make Inferences
Students preparing for the HSE exams often focus too much on what’s explicitly present in a text. This may allow them to recall specific details and find evidence, but it hinders them from making inferences and drawing conclusions. In this webinar, learn how to help students dig deeper to make inferences about what’s being implicitly stated in the text.
September 2024
“Why Do I Have to Read This?”
One of the most important skills on the High School Equivalency (HSE) tests is reading comprehension. Students who are strong readers will often perform better than struggling readers on all sections of the HSE tests, even math (something that can surprise students). What happens, though, when a student says, “I hate reading?” In this webinar, Kara shared techniques to help those resistant readers.
January 2025
“How Do I Know When I’m Ready to Test?”
When adult students walk into HSE classrooms, adult educators know that they have one goal in mind: obtain their High School Equivalency (HSE). Although that may be the common goal, each student’s timeline will be different. In this webinar, Kara discussed how to navigate and answer the question, “When can I take the test?”
March 2025
“What Am I Looking At?”
It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but how do we know what that picture is saying? Even though we use visual literacy to understand what we see and encounter in our everyday lives, there is added pressure when facing it on a High School Equivalency (HSE) test. In this webinar, Kara will identify key methods for decoding graphs, charts, tables, and maps on the HSE tests.
About the Presenter
Kara Krawiec earned her Master of Arts degree in literature from John Carroll University. Upon graduation, she became an adjunct professor at John Carroll University, Lakeland Community College, and Cuyahoga Community College, teaching developmental reading and writing courses to non-traditional learners.
In 2017, she joined Seeds of Literacy, in Cleveland, OH, and was recently promoted to director of student success, working with students on their next steps after earning their high school equivalency (HSE). During her time at Seeds, Kara has worked tirelessly to focus not only on students’ individual needs but the need for a strong learning community as well.
In 2018, Kara accepted the ProLiteracy Hero Award on behalf of Seeds of Literacy, and in October 2023, she was awarded the Sharon Davis-Stubbe Outstanding Teacher Award. Kara regularly shares her experience and expertise at local, state, and national conferences. This will be Kara’s third year presenting and facilitating workshops as part of ProLiteracy’s Teacher Training Plus.