CONNECTING WITH HARD-TO-REACH & MARGINALIZED STUDENTS

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.

This self-paced online course explores best practices for fostering inclusion, equity, and effective classroom management in early childhood and K-12 education. Through readings, videos, podcasts, and reflection-based assignments, participants will deepen their understanding of how to create calm, supportive, and inclusive spaces for all learners.

Key Learning Areas:

✅ Understanding Inclusion & Equity – Defining inclusive education and reflecting on personal beliefs and practices.
✅ Building a Culture of Belonging – Strategies for fostering student connection, equity, and care.
✅ Behavioral Supports & Responsive Relationships – Approaching challenging behaviors through relationships and culturally responsive strategies.
✅ Classroom Environment & Visual Supports – Designing physical spaces and routines that promote student independence and regulation.
✅ Teaching Behavioral Expectations – Using visuals, routines, and reinforcement strategies to maintain a structured classroom.
✅ Transitions & Daily Routines – Developing smooth, engaging transitions to support student regulation.
✅ Social-Emotional Learning & Peer Interactions – Encouraging collaboration, empathy, and social skill development.
✅ Advocacy & Equity in Education – Addressing systemic barriers and developing small-scale advocacy efforts to support marginalized students.

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.

Educators go into teaching because they love children, but do they really know how to handle and teach all children? According to Dr. Sadin 1 in 4 children have been through trauma. This statistic alone should be a wake-up call to all educators, as children who have been through trauma require large amounts of patients, empathy and love. Their brains have developed differently due to either neglect, abuse, poverty, and living in a house with domestic abuse. Did you know that many educators have been through trauma and may not realize how it impacts the way they teach?  In fact, some research shows that almost half of all educators have experienced some form of trauma in their lives.  Do you know your own ACES score? This class will allow you to find out what your score is and how those experiences in your life may help you have more empathy toward your students who have been impacted by trauma. This class will also teach you how trauma can effect the brain of our young learners and they may need more from us.

Classroom Management is essential to the creation of a productive, creative and brave community. It is the bedrock to all the potential learnings that can be. However, it is one of the most nuanced and most difficult things an educator is called to do every single day. Our relationships with our students are the foundation for everything that happens throughout the day. Yet, it is incredibly challenging having to balance the many pieces of our job. Using the Responsive Classroom’s The Morning Meeting Book as our guide, we will dig into the purpose and execution of daily morning meetings in classrooms from grades K-8. 

Contributing to positive school culture and climate benefits all educators PP-K-12th grade. Especially administrators, professional learning communities (PLCs), grade levels, collaboration, book study groups, and or individuals that would like to explore stories from the trenches that we can all laugh about. This course is an excellent way to excite collaboration within any group grade level, professional learning community, staff-wide book study, or taken for self-enrichment.

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.

Are kids at your school mean to each other? Of course they are. When kids are cruel to other kids not only does it do direct harm to the victims, it also affects the learning environment for everyone.

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!

Uncover insider information to support your role as a top-notch substitute teacher, one who is in demand by administrators, teachers and of course, students. Whether just starting out or a veteran, you will tap into whimsical ways, helpful hints, and proven practices to use on any subbing assignment. Investigate effective strategies and collect carefully chosen activities and ideas that activate learning. By the conclusion of this course you will be able to enjoy and manage any K-12 class, in any situation, with the confidence and polished sureness of a master teacher.

Investigate the many aspects of high needs people and their behaviors. Gain a greater understanding of how to interact with student and adult explosive behavior, dependent behavior, poor listener behavior and more.