Kappa Delta Pi

Chalk Talk Café
Your Guide to Getting Started

What is a Chalk Talk Café?
Some of the best ideas begin over a cup of coffee.
Teachers are people people. They grow and thrive through personal connection.
Kappa Delta Pi’s newest “chapter” experience lets members meet in a neutral, informal setting to personalize their own professional growth. Less structured than a Professional/Alumni Chapter, the new Chalk Talk Café allows members to connect personally with other KDP colleagues to network and work together for personal and professional growth.

Chalk Talk Café groups are ideal for:

•	recent graduates from the same chapter who want to stay connected after college.
•	teachers of all levels that work at the same school.
•	members from the same city who want to get together but don’t have a Professional Chapter to join.
•	members wanting to form a core group with the purpose of starting a Professional Chapter at a later time.

For complete information on how to start a Chalk Talk Café, contact Member Services to request a Start-Up Kit.

Finding People to Join the Chalk Talk

Organizing the First Meeting

Sample Agenda

Open a Chalk Talk Café in your neighborhood and receive your own Chalk Talk Café mug!

Just send us the list of attendees and the meeting date and KDP will send you a Chalk Talk mug! Need help getting started? Send an e-mail to membership@kdp.org or call 800-284-3167.

Finding People to Join your Chalk Talk Café

The easiest way to grow a local networking group is to contact former chapter members or officers, or invite a colleague. A group of 3–4 educators is a good start for opening a Café. Extend a personal invitation to come to a Chalk Talk meeting when possible. You also can send an e-mail or postcard to let area members know about an upcoming event.

•	Set up a brief meeting with former chapter members or officers to discuss forming a local KDP professional group.
•	Invite a friend or fellow teacher from your building or district. Remember that any educator can become a member of KDP. Look at the About Membership Section for more information. Copies of membership forms also are available upon request by calling KDP Headquarters at 800-284-3167.
•	Contact Member Services for a list of active KDP members in your community. Headquarters will assist you in sending out an electronic invitation (see a Sample Invitation) to area members or will reimburse the cost of mailing when receipts are submitted.
•	Partner with area collegiate chapters for activities and to enlist graduates into your Café.
•	Ask each member to bring another KDP member or colleague to the next meeting.

Organizing the First Meeting

Schedule an initial Chalk Talk Café meeting at a local coffee shop, library, room on campus, or other conversation-friendly and centrally located spot. Refreshments for your first Café are on KDP Headquarters (up to $50).

At the first meeting, gather potential members’ input about possible formats for your Chalk Talk Café. Many educators welcome a neutral arena with professionals from other schools to share challenges and receive support. Suggested activities include:

	Book discussions
	Sharing classroom tips, lesson plans, and how-to’s
	Learning about grant resources
	Listening to a guest speaker discuss a specialization area

Decide on meeting times and frequency. Local groups typically meet three or four times per year. Encourage other members to help plan meetings and get involved.

You will want to greet people as they arrive. People always appreciate being welcomed, especially if they don’t know the other attendees. Ask members/attendees to sign in, including their e-mail address which can be used in communicating with them after the meeting. For a special touch after the meeting, send each person an e-mail and thank them for coming. Be sure to include the date and time of the next meeting.

Sample Agenda

I.	Introductions—Relationships bond a networking group together, so allow time for attendees to share information about themselves and to get to know one another better.
II.	Program—Chalk Talk members should decide on programming that will be valued by everyone in the group. The Professional Member Interest Survey can assist in determining the expectations of the group.

	a.	Book study—Have members take turns leading the discussion with each person providing a summary of one chapter, have a question or key point to share with the others, or appoint a discussion leader for each meeting.
	b.	Share successes and challenges—Have each member share a classroom tip or strategy that is effective or that saves time, and an area or issue that is a challenge for them. Other members can provide suggestions for addressing the challenge, being respectful and positive in their feedback. It is also a good idea to remind attendees that information shared should remain within the group to help create a sense of community and feeling of trust.
	c.	Invite a specialist from your local community to address the group—KDP Headquarters has a list of National State Teachers of the Year who enjoy sharing their expertise and experience with other educators. They typically speak to groups at no charge. Topics for an NSTOY speaker might include: how to be an award-winning teacher, how to keep your classroom and teaching fresh, and new ideas for your classroom.
	d.	Share a KDP article and have a discussion related to the article’s topic.

III.	Wrap-up/general sharing/announcements
IV.	Thank everyone for coming. Announce the next meeting date, time, and place.

Allow time at the end of the meeting for attendees to network. If possible, have snacks and drinks available. Participants can take turns bringing something to share or, if the meeting is in a location that provides snacks, each person can purchase their own. The main idea is to create a fun and friendly environment.