Grief & Bereavement
 | PDLI9010
(45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS)
ON-LINE
Instructor: Randi Miller rmillerliips@gmail.com
Course Description: Traumatic experiences come in many forms ranging from one-time events (like the current pandemic) to experiences that are prolonged and recurring. To date, approximately 50% of the nation’s children and adolescents have experienced at least one or more types of serious childhood trauma. The effects of these traumatic experiences impact how students focus, attend, learn, form relationships and behave in the classroom. Trauma informed interventions focus on building relationships, routines, choice-making and self-regulation skills. This course has been developed to provide all educators with content knowledge on the types and biology of trauma, ACES, and best practices in trauma-informed behavior and classroom management strategies. The course will provide participants with the knowledge and tools they need to create a safe, supportive learning environment for all students. A timely course given the current public health crisis and school shut down. A good opportunity to be prepared to meet the needs of staff and students when school re-opens. Applicable all Educators and Staff K - 12. | |
 | *New Course* Fall 2024
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Creating passionate and vocal learners, individuals who desire change and engage in civility is tantamount for students today. Instructing individuals on ways to take collective action for their causes, engage in community and national service, and learn about promoting the quality of life in a community equals success. This course will guide teachers on the ways to establish inquiry-based learning, exchanges of ideas, and ways in which all perspectives are heard. They will learn to make a difference in the civic lives of their communities via knowledge, skills, and values.
*A must for K-12 Educators!! | |
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Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
(3 Credits/45 Hours) – In-Service Credit
Course Description: In order for true learning to occur, safety must be at the forefront. Ensuring an environment that is emotionally manageable for our learners requires a deep investigation of the ways in which students operate on many levels. This course will provide the opportunities for participants to instruct their students on the ways in which to understand and manage their emotions in order to be successful in every class. Participants will learn the seven strategies in which to manage emotions for their learners, including: identifying and reducing triggers, tuning into physical symptoms, relay your own personal story, engage in positive self-talk, make appropriate choices, look for positive emotions, seek out help whenever possible. In the end, our learners will be able to soar to new heights. **A must for K-12 educators in all disciplines!! | |
 | *New Course* Fall 2024
Instructor: Kim Kittredge Kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
3 credits/45 hrs in service
As educators we all know we have a 40 minute show to put on every day. But how do we effectively do it? Since we are basically on stage, we must learn how to commanding the room with power and finesse. This course will focus on all aspects of commanding our classrooms. We will not only discuss knowledge of our content area, but how to continually engage our students in the lessons and keep them connected. Educators will learn strategies and principles for modeling effective leadership and entertaining their students daily with their command of the classroom. This course is a must for educators grades K-12. | |
 | *New Course* Fall 2024
Instructor: Kim Kittredge Kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
3 credits/45 hrs in service
How do we as educators deal with students that cheat? It’s a difficult problem to solve. In today’s world of cell phones, Chat GBT and classroom laptops, unfortunately access to cheating is right at our students fingertips. Students have also gotten pretty good at it! As teachers, we have to realize that although we don’t want cheating to happen, it is still going to happen and will still go on around us. In this course educators will explore methods on how to recognize and deal with students that cheat, and what punishments should be given for academic dishonestly. This course is a must for educators grades K-12. | |
 | *New Course* Fall 2024
Instructor: Kim Kittredge Kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
3 credits/45 hrs in service
Finding the right balanced in your classroom can be difficult at times. As an educator we try to be positive with our students. We aim to balance our teaching material, our time management, our organization, differentiation, grading, structure and all while trying keeping a positive attitude. Maintaining balance is an art form for educators. In this course teachers will explore several of the strategies for balancing your teaching every day in order to create a positive classroom. This course is a must for educators grades K-12. | |
| *New Course* Fall 2024
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Since the onset of the pandemic, so many students and families have become disconnected from school and absenteeism has skyrocketed. Re-engaging our students is essential for their success. Teachers have tremendous power to influence student attendance. In this course teachers will learn about the importance of using supportive rather than punitive language surrounding absenteeism, building meaningful relationships with families to support student attendance, engaging learners utilizing curiosity and wonder, and working strategically to bridge the gap between home and school.
*A must for K-12 Educators* | |
 | Instructor: Kim Kittredge Kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
3 credits/45 hrs in service
Course Description: No matter what level you teach making sure you have a strict yet semi-flexible grading policy in place is paramount. Grading is one of the most important aspects of teaching and having practices that work is essential. Educators will discuss all aspects of grading from dropping the lowest grade, to weighing, to extra points to curving just to name a few. Participants will share techniques and understandable grading system for students and parents that will lead to success. This course is a must for educators grades K-12. | |
 | Kim Kittredge Kkittredgeliips@gmail.com The challenging student will always be in your classroom, and teachers will always be looking for a way to deal with them. In this course educators will be given strategies on how to deal with their most challenging students on a day-to-day basis. Educators will be taught various skills on conquering behavioral challenges in and out of their classrooms. Skills such as behavior interventions and management, behavior support, how to properly implement an IEP will be discussed. Teachers will also learn the importance of social skills, modeling techniques, effective praise in the classroom and the importance of developing proper daily routines. Educators will also work on how to support and sustain proper relationships with parents of behavioral students. This course is a must for all educators of all grades K-12. | |
 | Kim Kittredge Kkittredgeliips@gmail.com How can teachers increase rigor and productivity in the classroom? This course is designed to arm educators with a multitude of skills to increase rigor and make your students become the motivated individuals you wish them to be. Participants in the course will be given a multitude of materials and strategies to help their students become more productive. Through hands-on activities, group work, SEL learning, computer-based games and technology and differentiated instruction to name a few, your students will thrive. Students who didn't think they had it in them will break the barriers and understand that rigor is not “hard” it’s just a tiny bit uncomfortable; but the benefits are powerful! This course is a must for all educators of all grades K-12. | |
| *New Course* Fall 2024
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Children are natural learners eager to experiment, manipulate their environment, explore, and discover. In contrast, school tends to be a subdued place, not allowing for creativity and freedom. Most decisions are made with unfair regimens for students, ones that do not factor in their curiosity and communication skills. This course will enable educators to engage their learners effectively, to understand the concrete strategies that increase engagement and connection and decrease boredom and disaffection. They will learn to create empathetic learners who place kids in charge and collaborate effectively in imparting information and changing the narrative for all, overall increasing kids’ motivational levels and interests.
*A must for K-12 Educators!! | |
 | Ways to save the environment are all around us. So, how do we share this with our students, our classroom, our school community? This course is designed to offer educators insight into creating the most environmentally friendly spaces. Educators will be offered strategies for their classrooms and lessons for their students to help them be more environmentally conscious. Teachers will be able to make healthier choices for their students, their classrooms, and school community which will help them and our planet. This course will analyze the effect of the daily choices we make, technological advances, gardening energy consumption, global warming and the effect of pollution and agriculture. Students will examine these choices and their effects on our worldwide ecosystem. Additionally, students will be asked to examine their own behaviors and actions and find a way to make better choices for themselves, their school community and their world. This course is a must for all educators of all grades K-12. | |
 | Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Energizing and revitalizing our classrooms into creative think tanks is what all educators can master upon returning to a non-punitive environment for learning. It is here that educators can foster a positive school atmosphere, one teeming with energy and dynamic learning experiences. This course will enable teachers to glean the ways in which to recharge their students’ mindsets, including boosting their morale, mixing up routines, offering brain breaks, and maximizing success. Creative lessons and student vocalization will be at the forefront. Overall, a must for teachers desiring to create a superb successful school year.
*A must for K-12 Educators* | |
 | Kim Kittredge Kkittredgeliips@gmail.com Do you ever wonder what some of the ingredients are that go into the successful teaching of reading and writing? Both reading and writing comprehension are both complex processes that require lots of effort and various skills. Some of these skills are often completely neglected while a child follows traditional teaching methods. As a result, reading and writing often become a cause for a student’s anxiety and frustration. In this course educators will be given new, innovative and fun techniques for reading and writing teaching methods. From journaling, to writing projects, to guided reading, or reading with purpose, educators will find the tools to create the perfect recipe for their students to be successful. By the end of this course teachers will be armed with enough “food for thought” to help them be the best teachers of reading and writing they can be. This course is a must for educators of all grades and levels K-12. | |
 | *New Course* Fall 2024
Instructor: Kim Kittredge Kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
3 credits/45 hrs in service
Structure and organization in our classrooms can be a successful tool to maintain organized learning habits. This course will focus effective strategies for proper organization. Educators will explore organizational strategies that will facilitate learning in their classrooms. Participants will work on keeping our classrooms neat, clean and in order. Such strategies as how we set up our desks, how we decorate, how students organize their journals and in class folders all lead to a more structured classroom and better learning environment. These organizational tools eventually carry over into an organized lifestyle. This course is a must for educators grades K-12. | |
 | Instructor: Lisa Bernstein Email: LBernsteinLIIPS@gmail.com 3 Credits/45 Hours Course Description: More than 211,000 children and teenagers have lost their primary caregivers due to Covid-19. These children are grieving and need support, especially in school. This requires more understanding and awareness by educators on the topic of grief and bereavement in order to support our students and their families. This course will teach educators how grief impacts our students, both academically and emotionally, and to help make school a safe and supportive place for these students. Educators will learn strategies and resources to help our students. This course is for all K-12 educators and related service providers. |