Online Courses

3 credits/45 hours In service only

Bryan Horrmann     Bhorrmannliips@gmail.com

Course Description Teaching personal and social responsibility is about using physical education as a means to teach life skills and discipline to our students. It is the intention that this code becomes integrated and internalized by the students and gives them structure for their lives, values, inner-discipline and that these skills are not only seen in the gym but are transferred to other aspects of their lives.   Goal(s) of the Course: The objective of the TPSR model was to guide athletes learn and practice behaviors and attitudes that will help them taking responsibility for their personal well-being and contributing to the well-being of others.  Students will be able to demonstrate self-advocacy, responsibility to create a safe and positive environment.   Learning Outcomes:

Course Description: Do you think about or are concerned with respect or lack of it in your school or classroom?  For many different reasons, our classrooms, hallways, and cafeterias are not as happy and respectful as they used to be.  This course is designed for teachers who are looking to rediscover strategies and initiatives for addressing behaviors in their classrooms and schools.  This course begins by delving into different types of respect where teachers will learn how to proactively approach a variety of behaviors.  Educators will learn how to address bullying, so that students’ social and emotional needs are addressed.  Teachers will research ways of regulating and resolving a variety of intense and heavy emotions in their students and classrooms.  This course will specifically address research-based approaches to tolerance and respect, bullying prevention, including the establishment of classroom rules and expectations, teaching communication skills and tolerance recognition strategies.  By the end of this course educators will help students understand the importance of respect and tolerance overall.  This course is a must for all educators levels K-12.   Instructor:  Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com 3 credits – In service Course (45 Hours)

Course Description: This course is designed to equip educators with proper tools to help your students develop great study habits.  You will be able to arm your students with organizational skills, ideas that work, tools for them to memorize text and concepts, and lots more.  This course will explore how to help your classes with note-taking techniques and/or merely developing good study habits in general.  Your students will learn to utilize these study habits and will benefit from them daily.  Participants will share their own techniques as well as developing new ones.  This course is a must for educators K-12.

Many local districts are dealing with poverty and multi cultural differences in the classroom. It is important to learn and understand these differences and find a way to relate to your students in ways that are meaningful to them. One major challenge is how to design a learning experience with your curriculum that that is reflective of the multicultural, economical and learning differences in each classroom. Teachers will explore and create lessons that are driven to meet the multitude of needs in each classroom. Suitable all Educators K – 12. ON-LINE (3credits/45hours) In-service credit only

By Janna Florio jflorioliips@gmail.com 3 credits / 45 hours – In-Service Credit Description: In New York State, in addition to their coursework, students must pass five Regents Examinations to fulfill graduation requirements. These standardized tests are meant to measure a students’ successful acquisition of skills and knowledge in specific subject areas, and include assessments in mathematics, science, history, and English Language Arts. Though accommodations are provided to students with unique needs and circumstances, including those with IEPs and English Language Learners, the students in the latter group may find these supports do little to bridge the gap when it comes to one exam in particular: the ELA. Educators feel equal frustrations when charged with the task of preparing ELLs for this test. This course is designed to provide instructors with strategies, tools, and resources that may assist them in supporting ENL students in their ELA classrooms, and, more specifically, help them guide these ELLs to be successful on the ELA Regents Exam. Applicable to High School ELA Teachers/ENL Teachers & Department Coordinators/Chairs

In this course, participants will learn how to best address the variety of student needs they face in the classroom and learn how to implement technology as a vehicle to unlock students’ potential across multiple disciplines and grade levels.  Teachers will use technology to differentiate instruction, motivate student interest, address challenges and roadblocks, and support students in their quest to achieve their full potential.  While exploring modern pedagogical skills, participants will gain the tools necessary to better connect curriculum to the students they teach.

Applicable to teachers of any subject/grade level.

This class focuses on the identification of students in regular/special education education classrooms that may have ADD/ADHD, the difference between the two disorders, and how to structure the classroom environment to allow these students to reach their maximum potential. Identification of the most commonly used medical interventions and the impact they may have in the school setting, how to help build-up self-esteem and peer relationships, practical classroom interventions aimed at helping these students to access the curriculum, behavior modification strategies that promote success, and Creating a classroom environment that teaches to all learning styles. Suitable for all educators K-12. ON-LINE (3 Credits / 45 hours) in-service credit only  

Course Description: All eyes are on you, it’s Field Day. Planning a field day can be extremely stressful and a huge undertaking for physical education teachers, especially if you are the only Physical Education teacher at your building. This course will give you the tools to create a field day that will be engaging, fun and an event that your students will remember for years to come. 

*New Course Summer 2025

Instructor:  Kim Kittredge  kkittredgeliips@gmail.com

3 Credits In Service Course (45 Hours)

Course Description:

A creative teacher is a teacher that students remember.  This type of teacher is a pleasure to be around, makes you laugh and makes you want to come to class every day.  This course will arm educators with the positive and fun strategies they will need to be the creative teacher they want to be.  Strategies such as games in the classroom, exciting cooperative learning activities, and how to build positive and strong relationships that inspire your students will be discussed.  By the end of this course educators will feel that they have enough strategies to inspire their students for free exploration and an open atmosphere in the classroom.  This course is a must for all educators grades K-12.

In a world where conflict is usually equated with violence, and therefore, fear is a common reaction, it is essential to underscore the opportunities presented by conflict. When violence emerges as a predominant aspect of conflict, these opportunities are lost. Conflicts emerge constantly from our perceptions of the commonplace events of everyday life, and demonstrate what each individual considers to be important and relevant to them. Thus, the elements for the peaceful settlement of a conflict are to be found in the conflict itself. In this course, teachers will learn how to more effectively express and mange the value differences, tensions, and misunderstandings associated with conflict. At the same time, they will be able to teach their students how to acknowledge one another, and build understanding based on the real needs of those involved in the dispute. Teachers will be guided on how to effectively establish a conflict resolution and peer- mediation program in their classroom as well as in their schools. All of the necessary skill training, practice, and resources will be provided. Course Objectives 1. To help students define conflict and its connotations; identifies common societal messages about conflict; reviews the major kinds of conflicts we encounter. Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment 2. To explore three basic approached to conflict, the effectiveness of each, and how they interact with each other. Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment 3. To build skills to understand and manage anger and other strong emotions more effectively, exploring the important role emotions play in conflict. Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment 4. To describe the communication process and the factors that influences it, and focus on the role of cultural differences in the communication process. Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment 5. To help students put together effective listening and speaking skills for better interpersonal understanding; providing practice in a collaborative problem solving process. Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-serice credit only

3 Credits – In service Course (45 Hours) Instructor:  Denise J. Ribarich OTR/L   dribarichliips@gmail.com This course is designed for professionals/educators/therapists working directly with elementary, middle/high schoolers and young adults.  In this online course you will learn the multiple benefits that can be achieved during the process of cultivating and beautifying a small garden space in and around your school or community. These include academic improvement as well as social, psychological, emotional, as well as improved verbal expression and essential  life skills. You will learn skills developed such as responsibility, self-confidence, decision making, teamwork, organization and working together towards an ultimate goal. Besides the educational improvement in math and science , many students have improved sensory processing capabilities which frees these students to more easily learn and integrate new skills that they were unable to do before. Working together with your students on designing a simple garden will provide enjoyment and satisfaction and will have long-lasting memories with development of meaningful vocational applications for the future.  This course is important for all educators  including School Psychologists, Guidance Counselors, Social Workers, Speech/Language teachers and Occupational and Physical Therapists.  The knowledge you will learn will have a direct impact on your students and will affect  all aspects of their lives as well as yours.

Course Description: This course will focus on the geography of education and how to teach your students; no matter who they are or where they come from.  Geography by definition is to study the physical features and activity of a society, and how this affects and is affected by those around it.  So, why not apply it to education! This course will examine the features of education and how we use it to teach our students better on a daily basis.  Teachers will discuss our learning activities and atmospheres.  We will discuss our populations in our schools, they areas in which we teach, and the resources we receive to benefit these populations.  Educators will work on techniques and strategies for the ultimate goal of success with the geography of learning and educating all students no matter the area they live or how they learn.  This course is a must for all educators levels K-12.

Preppy. Techie. Geek. Freak. Loser. Jock. These are just a few of the labels that students live with every day. And some labels are a lot nastier. Who hands out these labels? What role do labels play? Do they help or hurt? Do people sometimes like their labels, or do they always hate them? This course will examine the truth behind these labels and the impact that they have on student behavior and learning. Suitable all educators K-12. COURSE OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING STANDARDS 1. To learn where labels come from Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment. Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment. 2. To understand the emotions that go along with labeling Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment. Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment. 3. To look at how to reduce the emotional effect of labeling Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment. Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment. 4. To create environments that foster feelings of appreciation and acceptance Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment. Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment. ON-LINE 3 Credits [45 hours] Inservice Credit Only

  Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – (gaylelumia@yahoo.com) Emotionally drained after the virus, many students and teachers remain in an impoverished state, one in which anxiety and stress overwhelms and a dark cloud of depression pours in. Repair and restoration are necessary for all. Uncertainty exists as well for individuals who live in poverty, in particular during these times as stress related issues loom – access to technology, meals, unemployment in their surroundings. Mental health is essential for students and restorative justice is the key. Within this course, teachers will learn the ins and outs of implementing a restorative justice program within their classroom. They will learn to empower their students via community building circles and democratic dialogues where respect is at the forefront. Participants will learn about the three tiers of justice, develop skills to incorporate the tenets within the fabric of their classrooms, and facilitate open dialogue. A must for K-12 educators!!!!!!

ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-service credit only Instructor: Tara McCarney Email: TaraMcCarneyLIIPS@gmail.com Course Description:  This course is designed to guide classroom teachers to becoming more organized in the classroom setting.  The focus will be on creating a classroom that is organized, safe, and welcoming while meeting your students’ needs. In this course, you will learn how to manage time-sensitive tasks, create a classroom schedule, and organize and prioritize classroom materials.  Suitable for all educators K-12.

 

Course Description:

This course is designed to show teachers how to use their most powerful tool they have; their words! The use of a teacher’s words brings out the best in children/students.  Educators will learn how to use words effectively and efficiently to deal with just about every situation they can image; whether it be challenging or not.  Participants will learn effective and strategic help children develop proper speech, effective self-control, build their sense of community, and gain academic skills and knowledge.  All this will be done through skillful teacher language and modeling.  Teaching proper communication methods through powerful language techniques will transform your classroom and your students. This course is a must for teachers of grades K-12 of all levels.

In service only (3 credits/45 hours)

Instructor: Bryan Horrmann     Bhorrmannliips@gmail.com

Class Description:

In education, mindset is everything. The Power of Yet is an enticing professional development course designed to help teachers cultivate a growth mindset in themselves and their students. Through reflection, hands-on activities, and intentional practice, educators will learn how to shift from a fixed mindset to an optimistic, solutions-focused approach. This course will provide strategies to encourage resilience, persistence, and a love of learning in students while fostering a more positive, engaged, and adaptable teaching mindset.

Participants will explore the science behind growth mindset, practice mindfulness techniques, analyze real-world classroom scenarios, and apply their learning through practical exercises. By the end of this course, teachers will have the tools to transform challenges into opportunities, empower students to embrace mistakes, and create a more positive, supportive learning environment.  Suitable all educators K-12.

If you’ve ever coached or taught in a weight room, you’ve seen it: the student frozen with self-doubt, the athlete comparing themselves to peers, the energy shift when someone enters frustrated or disconnected. These aren’t just “off days” — they’re social-emotional moments in a physical space. Module 1: The Real Work – Building SEL Awareness in the Weight Room reframes what it means to coach and teach in school-based training environments by addressing the mental and emotional barriers that often go unnoticed but hold back performance, motivation, and confidence. This module positions Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) not as an afterthought, but as the first rep every student must take. You’ll learn how to teach and coach the whole student — not just the movement — using CASEL’s five core competencies as your foundation. Whether you’re a physical education teacher, strength coach, or college student preparing for fieldwork, you’ll leave this course with a scalable, classroom-ready approach to emotional intelligence, behavior management, and mindset training in the weight room. Students will not only define SEL — they will feel it, track it, and apply it. Through group norms, mindset contracts, daily check-ins, and reflective journaling, your students and athletes will learn to train with more intention, respond to emotional challenges, and grow their confidence one session at a time. This is how we build safe, resilient, and motivated training cultures. The iron doesn’t care about your mood, but your ability to manage that mood is what determines your performance — and your growth.

Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com In-service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours Course Description: Developing an understanding of student behavior is tantamount in terms of adequate instruction and learner success. Educating today’s students requires a wealth of strategies, including critical and analytical thinking skills. Having our learners retain information more effectively, become active rather than passive participants in learning, and being able to comprehend information are the only methods of sustained success. This course will train teachers to find ways to assist students in their unique working styles and respective behaviors. Topics being addressed include proactive, preventative strategies, responsive consequences, etc. A multitude of teacher instructional styles and coping mechanisms will be focused on. *A must for K-12 educators!!!!

  Course Description:   As an educator, do you ever feel that you just don’t have enough time in the day to get all your things done? Do you feel like you just don’t want to take your paperwork and grading home? Well, this course is designed to help educators with proper time management strategies.  Tips from planning lessons, to contacting parents, to grading will be discussed. Together we will examine how to prioritize your tasks, use your time more effectively, and stop procrastinating! You’ll also learn how to teach your students the skills to do it as well.  Teachers will discuss the importance of time management skills and planning, and how this is a skill we will use for life.  This course is a must for all educators levels K-12.

Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com

No matter what subject you teach or what topic you may bring up in class, having your students communicate with each other is key to a successful educational environment.   The “Turn and Talk” is a way for students to share how they feel about a lesson, a quote, a story, a historical event, etc., by simply turning toward a neighbor and sharing ideas.  This course will focus on how to use Turn and Talk ideas as a way for students to center their learning and focus on higher order thinking.  Educators will practice the Turn and Talk so it can be modeled for their students as well as collaborate to create appropriate Turn and Talk topics.  This course is designed for educators of all subject areas grades K-12.

Course Description: This course is designed for educators to examine diversity, multiculturalism, and language obstacles that we find today in our schools.  As many students enter our education systems from foreign countries, many teachers have to be armed with the skills to help them work successfully to meet our education standards.  This course will help teachers learn effective ways to work with, and often learn from, these assimilating students of diverse cultural backgrounds.  Participants will focus on effective strategies to deal with our ever-changing school communities.  Educators will discuss language collaboration, how to plan your curriculum and focus your lessons, and how to successfully promote your lower functioning students due to language or cultural barriers.  Many techniques will be shared on how to educate your multicultural, diverse, classroom, and move these students to the next level.  This course is a must for all educators levels K-12.

This course explored the Common Core Math Standards from Kindergarten through high school. Teachers enrolled in this course will become familiarized with these standards and will be better able to incorporate them into their lesson and unit plans. Applicable to math teachers.

Instructor: Nicole Martinez nmartinezliips@gmail.com 3 credits/45 hours In service credit only Course Description: English Language Learners (ELLs) are a diverse group of students who are faced with learning a new language and content at grade level while simultaneously immersing themselves into a new cultural and school setting. This challenge becomes even harder when the ELL student has interrupted or inconsistent formal education, also known as, SIFE. SIFE ELLs come with a unique set of needs and aspirations. As teachers we must get to know our students, understand the issues they may face, and provide the support they need on their level. Participants of this course will gain an understanding of who SIFEs are, what makes their needs unique, support at school-wide and classroom levels, as well as actionable practices.  Suitable all educators and staff K-12.

While AI has been in the education technology space for a while, adoption has been slow. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual learning forced the industry to shift. Al helps streamline the student education process by offering access to suitable courses, bettering communication with tutors, and giving them more time to focus on other life aspects. Al enhances the personalization of student learning programs and courses, promotes tutoring by helping students improve their weak spots and sharpen their skills, ensures quick responses between teachers and students, and enhances universal 24/7 learning access. Educators can use AI for task automation, including administrative work, evaluating learning patterns, grading papers, responding to general queries, and more. Here are eight ways Al is used in education.

*New Course Summer 2025

Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia- gaylelumia@yahoo.com

Course Credits- 3 Credits/45 Hours

Course Description:

Mastering the art of vocabulary instruction is tantamount to student success and must entice all learners. Vocabulary knowledge is the biggest predictor of student success. Within this course, participants will comprehend how to explicitly instruct vocabulary to their students. They will learn creative modalities that spark student interest and enable them to visualize concepts and relationships. Seven principles of vocabulary instruction will be explored, as well as evidence based literary strategies for all disciplines.

*A Must for K-12 Educators*

Creating a solid classroom community where students are eager to take risks is essential for all grade levels. This course gives teachers concrete ways to incorporate small and meaningful changes into their daily routines. Energizers, brain breaks, group activities, greetings, and community shares, will all be

  This course discovers the specific things that great teachers do.  What makes them effective?  What are their strategies?  What are their skills, and how do they promote academic excellence?  In this course we will explore the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that form the fabric in the best classrooms and schools.  This course is a must for all educators grades K-12. 3 Credits In service (45 hours)

Schools experience a wide variety of crises that have the potential to harm the mental and physical health, learning environment, and safety of students and educators. A school crisis is any traumatic event that seriously disrupts coping and problem-solving abilities of students and school staff. It is typically sudden, unexpected, dramatic and forceful and may even threaten survival. A crisis can cause a drastic and tragic change to the environment. This change is generally overwhelming and uncontrollable as well as unwanted and frightening. It may create a sense of helplessness, hopelessness, and vulnerability combined with a loss of safety. This course will provide resources, tools, recommendations, and evidence-based practices for incorporating best practices in school mental health into school crisis plans. Different types of crisis will be discussed and strategies will be developed for teachers of all grade levels and subject areas. ON-LINE (3 Credits – 45 hours) In-Service Credit only

(3 credits/45 hours) In service credit only

Instructor:  Jessica Armbruster    Jarmbrusyerliips@gmail.com

Course Despecription:   Incorporating social-emotional learning strategies into your classroom will create a more mindful and emotionally safe environment for your K-12 students. Calming practices such as guided meditations, breathing techniques, yoga for the classroom, and incorporating sensory input will be explored.