Professional Development Video

The PD Teachers Want: ‘Why Can’t We Be Doing This All the Time?’

By Kaylee Domzalski & Sam Mallon — August 20, 2024 3:00
082024 Maxlow PD BS

Turns out escape rooms aren’t just for birthday parties and outings with friends. Kate Maxlow, the director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for Hampton City Schools in Hampton, Va., incorporates escape rooms and other immersive adventures into a form of professional development that keeps teachers engaged, and then translates that engagement back into the classroom.

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Kate Maxlow works with Ava Gomez, 8, left and Khalid Baldwin, 8, right, on a “breakout room” activity in Jade Austin’s second grade classroom at Samuel P. Langley Elementary School in Hampton, Va., on January 12, 2024.
Kate Maxlow, director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment at Hampton City Schools, works with Ava Gomez, 8, left and Khalid Baldwin, 8, right, on a “breakout room” activity in a 2nd grade classroom at Samuel P. Langley Elementary School in Hampton, Va.
Sam Mallon/Education Week

Kaylee Domzalski is a video producer for Education Week.
Sam Mallon was a video producer for Education Week.
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Laura Baker, Deputy Managing Editor, Creative contributed to this video.

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