Classroom Management

In-Service Course 3 Credits; 45 Hours Instructor: Valerie Gompers Instructor Email: VGompersLIIPS@Gmail.com This course is designed to equip experienced educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively mentor and support the next generation of teachers entering the profession. Drawing on research-based practices and real -world experiences, participants will learn strategies for building positive mentor-mentee relationships, and techniques for providing effective feedback and guidance.  This course is a must for all educators!

Course #L987 Course Description: First impressions are, as they say, everything. And you don’t get a second chance at making a good one. For many teachers – even those with decades of experience – the mere thought of parents entering their classroom for an evening of explanatory dialogue is enough to make them sick to the stomach. Open School Night is a parent’s way of meeting the teachers who interact with and affect their children on a daily basis, and a teacher’s way of establishing guidelines, expectations, means of communication, and areas of focus. Teachers enrolled in this course will explore tangible tools and effective strategies to creating a positive first impression and a successful Back-to-School evening. Applicable to teachers of any subject/grade level. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only

Course #L961 Course Description: Being a master of your content area is half the challenge of being an effective teacher. What is the other half? The delivery. The ability to execute your lesson plans, to keep your audience of students engaged and connected. For some, this comes naturally; the entertainer, so to speak, emerges when the bell rings and we put on the show. For others, however, commanding the room is not so easy. Sometimes, it’s about confidence. Sometimes it’s about finding ways to make the material relatable. And sometimes it’s a matter of employing a few proven tactics to ensure your classroom environment is orderly, respectful, and productive. Teachers enrolled in this course will explore tried and true tactics and tools that will facilitate consistently effective leadership. Note: Applicable to all subjects/grade levels. (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only

Course #L960 Course Description: We’ve all tried group work. Sometimes students work well together, and sometimes they don’t. How many students per group? Do we let the students make their own groups? Do we keep them in groups for the entire period? The truth of the matter is that cooperative learning takes careful preparation, some trial and error, and a degree of patience. Teachers enrolled in this course will explore proven pedagogical strategies for effectively constructing and conducting cooperative learning lessons. Applicable to teachers of any subject/grade level. (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only

Course #L968 Course Description: Application: All subjects/grade levels When their books are out, their smiles are wide, and their minds are open, all is well in the world of the classroom. Unfortunately, however, this is not always the case. Even in a class of “good” students, there may exist that one, two, or small handful of pupils who try your patience and leave you exhausted and drained. These students can disrupt even the most well-planned lesson and can infect the experience for those who are interested and engaged. Teachers enrolled in this course will explore proven pedagogical strategies for effectively dealing with disruptive, disengaged, and/or disrespectful students. (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only

Course #L975 Course Description: Cell Phones in the classroom: Worth the fight or a losing battle? Every kid has one, and every school has a different policy as to how to handle them. But what about when the decision is left to the teacher? How is a teacher in this day and age supposed to battle the addictive screen that rests on his/her student’s desks from bell to bell? Teachers enrolled in this course will explore tangible tools and effective pedagogical strategies to handling cell phones in the modern classroom. Applicable to middle/high school teachers of any subject/level. (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only

Instructor: Lee Markowitz email: MarkowitzLIIPS@gmail.com ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only There will always be students who assume that a film being shown equates to a free period, devoid of learning.  And while there are some teachers who might feel the same, the fact remains that there is so much the film industry has to offer the world of education.  With more and more streaming services available and improved classroom technology, incorporating films and/or film clips has never been easier.  Moreover, some students are visual learners and can, therefore, benefit from seeing a visual representation of something being discussed in class.  Teachers enrolled in this course will review the necessary checks to ensure that films are appropriately and effectively selected.  Together, we will explore the best ways to incorporate these films into lessons that are engaging and purposeful. Applicable to teachers of all subjects/grade levels.

Instructor: Lee Markowitz email: MarkowitzLIIPS@gmail.com ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only As we proceed through a new age of teaching, teachers find themselves facing new challenges and expectations…We must have heightened sensitivity to students’ social and emotional well-being, acknowledgement of gender neutrality and fluidity, recognition of anxiety and depression, as well as remaining mindful of Covid-19 and the impact it has had on so many.  Yes, we must teach the academics and yes, school must go on; however, we must always prioritize our students’ safety and comfort.  Above all else, students need to feel comfortable in our classrooms.  They need to feel safe, they need to feel accepted and welcome.  Teachers enrolled in this course will explore proven tactics and strategies aimed at maintaining a positive, encouraging classroom morale so that our students have a fair chance at performing their best and getting the most out of their educational experience. Applicable to teachers of all subjects/grade levels.

Course Description: The Covid-19 Pandemic changed the world of education.  Yes, it brought unprecedented challenges, but it also revealed the importance of quality classroom instruction and illuminated the limitless efforts of teachers.  We had to adapt, we had to learn new teaching methods, we had to reconstruct our classrooms while, at the same time, care for our loved ones and fear for our safety and that of our students.  Fully remote learning, hybrid instruction, Google’s stamp on academia, heightened sensitivity to germs and coughs and sneezes and unwashed hands were some of the challenges we faced.  Through all of this and more, we prevailed because it’s our job.  We are educators, we are role models, and we are leaders.  And so, as the demands and expectations of education have changed, so have our teaching methods. Teachers enrolled in this course will explore various post-pandemic educational changes and proven strategies and techniques aimed at providing a safe, productive, enriching classroom experience for the students we teach. Applicable to teachers of all subjects/grade levels. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only

Course #L991 Course Description: While there will always be a need for the occasional teacher-driven, lecture-style lesson, the student-centered structure is a must for any modern teacher. The students are the ones who have to learn and master the material and, therefore, the students are the ones who should be doing the work. Instead of sitting passively in their classrooms watching a lesson unfold before them, students should have the opportunity to be active learners, to take a hands-on approach, to have control over their own learning. Teachers enrolled in this course will explore realistic pedagogical methodologies and proven strategies that focus on crafting purposeful student-centered lessons. Note: Applicable to all subjects/grade levels. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only

Course #L1000 As any educator would agree, effective planning and preparation leads to effective lessons. We all learned about lesson construction way back when in our college years, but times have changed and district/administrative goals and expectations can and will vary. What does not and has not changed is the key concept that planning is one of a teacher’s paramount responsibilities. Teachers enrolled in this course will explore seven essential elements that comprise purposeful lesson planning. This course is applicable to all subjects/grade levels. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only

PDLI9070 (45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS) ON-LINE Course Instructor:  Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com Course Description  From the very moment that we enter the classroom, we create a definitive image of ourselves. First impressions are everything and encapsulate who we are and what students will glean from the course. Our body language, behavior, and diction are indicative of our teaching styles and our expectations of our learners. Educators are actors, putting on five shows a day, 900 shows a year, all which produce transformative learning from students.  Delving deeply into the students’ psyche and learning styles is tantamount for both educators and students today and provides everyone with the opportunity to enhance their learning and make personal connections between their own experiences and those of the curriculum. Successfully incorporating a wealth of social emotional resources as well as delving into the science of learning is crucial and invaluable. In the end, all aspects of learning will be covered. In this course, participants will learn everything there is to know about creating a successful environment that motivates students.  They will explore various resources such as articles, interviews, readings, differentiated learning sites, lesson plans, and links to literary sites.  They will research a variety of sources and decide which ones are engaging and fit into their curriculum.  In addition, teachers will gain student centered ideas, lessons that differentiate, challenging ways to motivate students, current research on pedagogy, various interdisciplinary websites and Socratic seminars and philosophical rounds that take literacy and learning to a new level!  Applicable all Educators and staff K-12.

Course #L1033 Augmentative and Alternative Communication, or AAC, is a term that’s used to describe various methods of communication that can help people who are unable to use verbal speech to communicate. AAC methods vary and must be personalized to meet each individual’s needs. AAC gives our students with communication difficulties a voice, allowing them to be active participants within all environments. In this course, common AAC devices and applications will be discussed, including TOUCHChat, Proloquo2Go, NOVAChat and LAMP Words for Life. Participants will develop an understanding of Core and Fringe vocabulary. In addition, Partner Augmented Input (PAI) will outlined. At the conclusion of this course, participants will have an understanding by which to utilize their students’ AAC devices into daily classroom and therapeutic practices. ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service only

Course #L1017 The natural genetic make-up of the body interacts with environment from the moment of conception. While extreme genetic or environmental conditions can predominate behavior in some cases, these two factors usually work together to produce individual intelligence. During this class, you will learn topics which include the understanding between genetic and environmental influences of cognition, environmental causes, nutrition and cognitive functioning, birth order and how it relates to intelligence, other important factors that influence intelligence, sociocultural influences on learning and behavior, and addressing behaviors within our classroom. ON-LINE (3 Credits / 45 hours) in-service credit only