Professional Development Courses: Schedule

This course is designed to provide concrete, immediate, experiential, prevention/intervention skills to deal with the issues of conflict, anger, and violence. Conflict is constant in the lives of ever-changing human beings, but conflict, left unchecked, becomes unhealthy. Anger and subsequent violence have brought fear into our schools, classrooms, and our children’s daily experience. No one is perfect. It is unrealistic to think we can avoid conflict and anger completely. Furthermore, it is unrealistic to think these emotions cannot be harnessed in a safe, healthy manner. In this course, we will cognitively and experientially understand the “seeds” of violence and develop healthy individual and school system responses.

This course is designed to provide educators with increased opportunities for self-care through full group interaction as well as one-on-one coaching.  We will focus on creating awareness around current well-being trends and providing manageable solutions and ideas on how to nourish your mind, body, and spirit and alleviate stress. This course is designed to address the reality of the overabundance of educator stress and potential burnout.

We will take self-care to a new level by providing educators with their own personal wellness coach who will work with them to create self-care goals.  In addition, each week will cover one of the “Pillars of Self-Care” where educators will have the opportunity to learn more about these topics and apply the content to their own lives, both in the classroom and personally.

One of the most important tasks teachers face is working to establish a positive, constructive relationship with the parents/guardians of their students. When there are no outside issues, parent contacts and face-to-face meetings are straightforward. What if the student, their child, is involved in any at-risk behaviors? What skillset is essential for the teacher to possess in order to aid the parent/guardian in helping their child be successful in school? This course addresses those key issues. Specific strategies will be presented, discussed, practiced, and implemented allowing participants to gain those critical skills.

In this course, participants will explore the profound effects of social media on today’s youth, examining both the benefits and risks within diverse student populations. Through research, self-assessment, and real-world case studies, participants will gain a deeper understanding of social media’s biological, psychological, and sociological impacts. Educators will also experiment with strategies for personal social media management, while identifying social media design elements that perpetuate sustained attention and interaction. By the end of the course, teachers will be equipped with tools to foster healthier social media habits in themselves and their students.

This course is designed to create more effective communicators. You will learn to influence with integrity when delivering your desired message. The perception by others of the message you provide will be examined and critiqued. Your skills will be assessed, improved, and redirected, creating a renewed method of universal understanding when dealing with anyone you encounter, regardless of their personality type, learning style, or frame of reference. After intense interpersonal exercises, and much self-reflection, you will develop a new set of skills in the areas of both written and oral communication. Skills designed to enhance your ability to craft an effective message. A message which elicits the desired response you had hoped for. Imagine the possibilities.