Professional Development Courses for Educators.

Humanity is on a consumption binge. It’s not going well and it’s not sustainable. We Americans are leading this binge followed closely by China and India, two countries that constitute almost 1/3 of the world population. We all need to slow down, take a breath, and ask ourselves what’s really important.

At our current rate we will see continued environmental and societal decline. The poorest in the world are paying the price for our over-consumption. Poor nations are burdened by parched earth in which nothing can be planted, others by rivers that are overflowing and destroying villages. In developed countries the rates of anxiety and depression in children and adults continue to rise creating huge stress on national health systems.

In this course, teachers will learn strategies and access resources that help them convey to students at all levels K-12 what it means to be a conscientious and healthy member of the global community. We need to look at what it means to be a citizen of the world, by taking responsibility for the impact of our actions on people near and far as we develop healthy lifestyles, and healthy social networks.

We are facing an epidemic-a life threatening, brain-paralyzing, heart-destroying disease known as the ‘doing disease,’ as described by Bec Heinrich. This relentless drive to keep moving, achieving, and fearing stillness is taking a toll on our well-being. In this course, Toxic Productivity Mindset, you will explore brain science and data-driven studies, along with personal anecdotes, to uncover the reasons behind why doing enough is never enough. If you find yourself overcommitted, compulsively overachieving, and constantly exhausted, join me to delve into why pursuing productivity at the expense of your physical, emotional, and mental health is detrimental. This course will help you identify deep-seated beliefs about overwork and provide actionable strategies for both your personal life and classroom.

Our plans are full for most days with curriculum and pacing schedules.  And yet, every so often, something comes up for us teachers that wasn't expected, and we need an immediate substitution for the sake of humanity.  What to do when most of a class is failing, and it's close to the end of a grading period?  What to do when you need students to line-up or respond quickly for a drill or emergency?  What to do when students will be writing comments in a yearbook, annual or autograph book, and they don't have the skills?  Or the students know someone has taken something and hasn't been caught.  We need plans for days like these, as well as for our usual lesson plans. And most of these days provide opportunities for teachable outcomes.

These are some of the situations that derail your leson plan and everyone's peace of mind.  Make a day like this one of the most important, with a thoughtful pivot.  Specific strategies can be added to your own repertoire.

Generation Z comprises students born since 1995 into a digital world made up of the Internet and cell phones. They are enmeshed in social media and criticized for lacking social skills. However, they are the future and we need to teach them in a manner that will lead to their success. To do that, learn how to best meet the unique needs of Generation Z and how to engage them in the K-12 classroom. Learn about what they think, where they are going and how they may change the world.

This course meets OSPI’s STEM requirements

Learn how to incorporate great STEM lessons (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) into your K-8 classroom, and why STEM integration is important. You will also learn to use rich resources, creative activities and templates to enhance student learning and confidence. The popular movie "The Martian," provides a rich resource of STEM activities. Your students will discover the many occupations STEM learning translates into.  Fulfills OSPIs STEM requirements for Washington State teachers.

Teenagers are both incredibly delightful and occasionally frustrating. While that may not be news to you, why teenagers behave the way they do is, indeed, news to many of us. Recent research has helped create a significant body of study and literature that explains the developmental phases our teens go through. Based on recent research on the teen brain, this course helps you navigate the labyrinth of emotions, developmental differences, and entertainment we often call “the teenage brain.”

This course meets OSPI's STEM requirements.

Are you as overwhelmed with the sheer volume of digital communication as I am? It has become a never-ending stream of inputs that is difficult to get a grip on!

This course takes aim at the tremendous level of input that comes across our devices and helps you develop systems and strategies to process it all. Along the way, you will learn about the Getting Things Done methodology, how technology companies are competing for our limited attention, and much more.

Time to organize all that input so you can clear your brain and do your best work.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will enjoy:

• The Getting Things Done methodology
• Getting to Inbox Zero
• Digital storage systems
• Task management
• A workflow system that actually helps
• Technology and competition for your attention

The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise can physically remodel your brain for peak performance. Our text, SPARK presents startling research proving that exercise truly defends against ADD, depression, and aggression. Learn about amazing case studies: the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois that made this school district's 19,000 kids #1 in science test scores in the world!