Education Policies & Trends
 | The Effects of School Gardening Activities on Academics, Social/Emotional and Life Skill Development 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.
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 | 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.
(3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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 | *New Course
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com 3 Credits In Service Course (45 Hours) Dates: Spring 2025 – April 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 21, 22, 23, 24. Course Description:How do student feel when they are labeled or stereotyped? What is the impact it has on the youth of today? This course will explore the different labels and stereotypes students are given and live with daily. Educators will examine the role that labels play on students. We will discuss whether or not labeling hurts or helps a student get by. Educators will examine the effect labeling or stereotyping plays on all children with all needs and all backgrounds. This course is a must for educators K-12. | |
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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!!!!!! | |
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Course Description: Creating a successful learning environment is interconnected to a myriad of ideas and a stirring vision. Having support and high- quality resources creates a landscape for learning that students desire and require. An instructional pedagogical playbook provides a tool for coaches and teachers alike, one that utilizes research-based strategies and matches learning goals. In the end, a deeper understanding of curriculum will emerge that increases student motivational levels and transforms learning in any classroom setting. Innovative lessons will be addressed, as well as powerful tools that help students pursue intellectual passions. A must for all K-12 educators!!!!!
(3 credits/45 hours) – In-Service Credit | |
| *New Course
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com 3 Credits In Service Course (45 Hours) Dates: Spring Break 2025 – April 14-18. Course Description:The power of positive thinking can help us as teachers and can help our students get through the day. This positivity is a strategy that will help us all our lives. This course is designed to dig deep into the impact that positive thoughts can have on our lives. Both students and teachers will explore how to harness the potential of a positive and optimistic mindset. Educators will explore how to help your students obtain a positive psychological viewpoint and refrain from negative thoughts. Strategies will be shared on resilience, gratitude, transformation and compassion. Educators will end up with a plethora of tools on overall positive thinking and living and how to emotionally transform your classroom. This course is a must for educators K-12. | |
 | 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. | |
 | Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Wait time refers to the interval of time a teacher waits after asking a question and allowing a student to answer. In education, this time period is crucial in developing critical thinking skills amongst our learners. This course will analyze the exploration and inquiry that require students to put together ideas in new ways and take risks while learning. Participants will learn the ways in which to pose higher-order thinking skills to our learners and to develop the utmost in student participants.
*A must for K-12 educators* | |
 | 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!!!! | |
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Course Description: Many educators try to understand the “science of learning” and how to put these principles into practice in their classroom daily.
The science of learning simply means how to read, write, and what has been scientifically proven to work well. This online course provides teachers with the tools to approach reading and writing instruction using best practices. Educators will put several areas of focus together (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and writing skills), in order to help their students become successful readers and writers. Teachers will explore research-based information and support for each component of reading and writing as backed by science. Educators will also be introduced to a variety of best practices, and will add many tools to their already-existing expertise of strategies to help students who struggle in any areas of reading and writing. This course is a must for educators of grades K-12.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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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.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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Being able to challenge our students and enhance their learning is dire. Identifying the ways in which students critically think can greatly increase their comprehension. Modifying and addressing various scenarios of learning is tantamount to our students’ success. In this course, participants will be introduced to a wealth of ideas and current trends that maximize the learning for their classroom. They will learn to identify and create activities that enhance students’ comprehension and subsequently engage in strategies that fully indoctrinate the learner into any classroom atmosphere. A must for K-12 educators!!!!!
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
 | 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.
(3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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 | 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. | |
 | *New Course
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com Summer 2025 Dates – June 30th-July 5th, no class July 4th Course Credits – 3 Credits/45 Hours Course Description: Students go through the course of their days absentmindedly listening to teachers, abiding by rote rules of instruction, and mindlessly completing work. This course will instruct participants on leveraging their students’ ability to discover and reach their learning goals via self-awareness, goal setting, metacognition, and task analysis. Strategic learning behaviors will be analyzed for best practices, as well as learning to utilize the learning environment for students’ optimum success. *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 | |
 | Course Description:
A new school year comes with new challenges on how to welcome our students back to our rooms and promote positivity. As educators we need to find ways for our students to feel calm and less stressed, while also helping them to become productive individuals in our classrooms. This course is designed to assist educators with “welcome back” procedures as well as promoting a well-balanced classroom. Teachers will learn how to promote effective strategies for positivity and comfort while examining how to maintain a working classroom climate. A variety of practical and effective techniques for relaxation, behavior and over-all positivity will be shared. This is a must for all teachers of all disciplines K-12.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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| Course Description:
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.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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 | Course Description: This course is designed to simplify the process of writing a terrific lesson plan. Educators will work together to create and execute the perfect lesson plan for your students. Teachers will share ideas and lessons they have previously used and discuss what makes an effective lesson. From the Do Now, to the Procedures, to the use of the standards and expectations, teachers will be armed with the tools to move forward with ease. Lesson plan writing does not have to be difficult; it could be perfect.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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 | (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. |