Life Skills
 | (3 credits/45 hours) In-service credits Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com Course Description: This course analyzes the everyday domains of language and literacy. Understanding how language and literacy are intertwined and developing the skills necessary for students is crucial for everyday communication. Providing this connection for our learners in all disciplines enhances their success and guides them in their achievement. Participants will be provided with a medley of activities and strategies that strengthen students’ cognitive learning including read-alouds, vocabulary acquisition, word games, and manipulatives. A Must for K-12 educators!!!! | |
 | Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: A happy classroom is teeming with positive relationships and a sense of belonging. All students are treated equally, all input is taken into account, and students feel safe and respected. Creating this positive classroom culture provides students with the ability to flourish and connect to the material at large. This course will provide educators with the tools necessary to develop an enthusiastic mindset and to subsequently create lessons to match. Topics to be covered include positive reinforcement, effective classroom environment strategies, literature readings from the Dalai Lama and "The Good Life", as well as philosophical readings on scientific keys to happiness.
*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: Individuals who do the most talking, thinking, reflecting, or moving do the most learning. When learners feel good about what, how, and with whom they learn, they’re more likely to want to do it again. Building upon childhood experiences and engaging our students in relevant, meaningful instruction in all disciplines is crucial. Participants in the course will understand the tools for success that their students need in order to make sense of their learning. They will learn to organize their content, pre-teach, structure their lessons perfectly, develop active participants rather than passive recipients of learning. Classrooms will be completely restructured to meet the needs of their aspiring learners! **A must for K-12 educators!!! | |
 | *New Course Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com 3 Credits In Service Course (45 Hours) Dates: Summer 2025 – June 30th-July 5th, no class July 4th Cousre Description:Being a mentor and mentoring are both important roles for an educator. This course will delve into what it is like to be mentor to another teacher. We will go through the strategies and skills that should be shared from a seasoned teacher to a newer teacher. We will also discuss how when you a mentor a student in class he help them to become the best version of themselves. Mentors in all roles are here to guide and provide. Educators will leave this course with a better sense of how to work with teachers and students to be the perfect mentor for today. This course is a must for educators K-12. | |
 | *New Course Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia- gaylelumia@yahoo.com Summer 2025 Dates – August 18th-August 22nd Course Credits- 3 Credits/45 Hours Course Description: Fostering deep and engaging classroom discussions is essential for promoting critical thinking and student engagement. Too often, classroom discussions tend to be blasé. This course will instruct participants on the tricks to tantalizing their learners. Teaching tools include effective communication and discourse, Socratic Seminars, innovative role-play, friends without pens, fishbowl, and many more! *A Must for K-12 Educators* | |
 | Course # PDLI9100
(45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS) ON-LINE
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
Course Description:
This course will discover the benefits of teaching proper mindsets to students and educators. We will also work on teacher mindsets and how balanced teaching will help with the balanced classroom. Educators will discover how de-stressing helps in the success of learning. Teachers will discuss fixed vs. growth mindsets, assessments and communication strategies for all. | |
 | 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. | |
 | Credits: (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only Instructor: Dr. Christopher Korolczuk Email: DrK.liips@gmail.com Course Description: Parental involvement in a child's education is a paramount catalyst that can ignite a lifelong love for learning and unlock limitless potential. When parents actively engage in their child's educational journey, they create an environment that fosters academic success, emotional well-being, and personal growth. Studies have shown that students with involved parents are 55% more likely to have higher grades and 42% more likely to graduate from college, compared to their peers with less parental involvement. This staggering statistic illuminates the profound impact parents can have on shaping their child's educational trajectory, ultimately paving the way for a brighter and more fulfilling future. So, how do we get more parents and families involved??? NEW! This self-paced course uses an online learning platform called Canvas. All videos, reading materials, and assignments can be found in one online location. Also, you can simply type your assignments into the website and hit the “submit.” button. This new feature makes the course easier to navigate and more user-friendly than other courses. | |
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Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: The burden of responsibility for student success should ideally rest squarely on the shoulders of the student. Providing the means for our learners to solve open-ended real-world problems is crucial. This course will explore the ways in which our learners can become self-directed - solving and developing answers to critical problems in society. Participants will explore lessons of PBL, divergent thinking, riddle solving, comprehensive studies development, and be able to purposively solve world issues.
*A must for all K-12 educators* | |
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Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
(3 Credits/45 Hours)
Course Description: How do Teachers get their students to achieve success? This course will discuss the ins and outs of doing well in school – teachers will learn to build upon students’ natural vibes and create lessons that spark their students’ worlds. Engaging their cognitive brains and their processing skills in order to have them achieve greatness is the task at hand. Strategies as turn and talk, Cornell note taking, audio and videotaping oneself will be addressed. **A must for all educators and disciplines- K- 12!! | |
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This course will examine how educators discover and develop positive classroom connections with their students. Participants will learn effective and strategic teaching methods to transform your classroom into an emotionally connected atmosphere of positivity and learning. Having a connected classroom is key to uncovering and discovering how positivity builds a perfect foundation in any classroom. Educators will study strategies for positivity classrooms as well as daily connection skills. This course is a must for teachers of grades K-12 of all levels.
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: Joanie Deignan jdeignanliips@gmail.com
Summary: A positive learning environment can impact a child to succeed at many levels. Students learn better when they view the learning environment as positive and supportive. A positive environment is one in which students feel like they belong, can trust others, and feel encouraged to tackle challenges, take risks, and ask questions. This course discusses different ways to be positive and your personal experiences demonstrating positivity to students or colleagues. This course is geared towards K-12 educators and special area teachers as well. | |
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Course Description – The virtual lives of students during and post-pandemic has been extremely stressful. Balancing health, family, friends, schooling, and sanity has been anything but ideal. Excessive time in front of the screen has left many students devoid of inter-personal skills and has led to anxiety and depression. Life lessons and socialization skills need to be retaught and at the forefront of learning. This course will examine the implications that virtual instruction has had on students and will investigate the ways in which emotions, empathy, and well-being intertwine with the real lives of students. Teachers will learn how they can assist students in venturing back into the classroom and relearning the skills that were missed during the past year. A myriad of topics will be covered as well as lessons and social-emotional strategies. A must for K-12 educators!!!!!
(3 credits/45 hours) – In-Service Credit | |
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This course will focus on how to promote lifelong success in your students by focusing on lasting skills. These skills will help them move forward in life and become better, more successful individuals. Educators will focus on the following skills: Empathy, Character, Self-Control, Integrity, and Embracing Diversity. Participants will explore each skill and learn how to empowers your students to achieve and become successful. Once you have helped your students master these skills, they will attain lasting success no matter what they do. This course is a must for all instructors of all levels K-12.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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This course will discuss how self-esteem can plague so many of our students, and how we, as educators, can help. We can not only identify the problem, but also address it. Educators will discuss the causes of low self-esteem especially after the pandemic and address the specific risk factors. Teachers will share techniques to build the self-esteem of the students that need it the most. This course is a must for all educators K-12.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
Course Description: Engaging students in the learning process and motivating them for success is a dynamic endeavor, one in which guides students’ futures and prepares them for the rigor of higher education. Finding the means to inspire students and infuse passionate learning is tantamount for them. Within the course, participants will examine case studies, real-world examples, and ways in which captivating learning can be harnessed. They will develop strategies for engagement and dissect the means it requires for an enchanting audience, teeming with higher-order thinking.
**A must for K-12 Educators!!! | |
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Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Developing a wide range of critical and reflective thinking skills is tantamount to student success. As information becomes available readily and modern society is changing more rapidly, students need to constantly rethink and change their problem-solving activities. This course will provide participants with a wealth of reflective thinking skills that guide students’ thought processes and hones in on their distinct learning abilities. Activities include : reflective journal writing, small group activities, explorations, web activities, and concrete learning skills.
*A must for K-12 Educators* | |
 | Instructor: Christina Palmenteri
In service only. 3 credits/45 hours
Course Description:
Explores essential strategies for coaches and educators to foster positive mental health and emotional well-being in young athletes. This course delves into recognizing signs of stress, anxiety, and burnout, while providing tools to create supportive environments that promote resilience and confidence. Participants will gain practical insights to help youth athletes build mental toughness, cope with challenges, and thrive both on and off the field.
* Suitable for all Educators K-12 | |
 | Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
Course Description: The power to bounce back from difficulties is crucial for students. Providing the means for effective communication and engagement is the true role of educators who are charged with developing students’ independence and guiding them in their endeavors. This course will provide participants with a way to engage students irrespective of their difficulties. Teaching with resilience means fostering student independence, utilizing exemplars, modeling fiction and non-fiction sources, and fully examining the means to have successful connections. A wealth of lessons and ideas will be introduced.
A must for all K-12 educators!!!! | |
| Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Establishing a meaningful rapport with learners is tantamount for teachers. Encouraging students to get to know one another is crucial. This course will demonstrate the ways in which teachers can create rapport with their learners. Activities include - showing a sense of humor, encouraging class discussion, sharing personal insights and experiences, developing long and short-term aspirations. Participants will comprehend the multitude of ways in which rapport improves student motivation, feedback, student learning, and communication.
*A must for K-12 educators* | |
 | Diving deeper than Wh questioning techniques, this course will provide teachers of all grade levels strategies to increase student engagement by incorporating various questioning strategies into their daily lessons. How to differentiate questions to engage all learners, including ELLs, G &T and Students with Disabilities will be examined. | |
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Gayle Meinkes-Lumia (gaylelumia@yahoo.com)
Establishing classroom routines is a must for all teachers. Developing a schedule and a repertoire for students at the onset of the school year, as well as creating safe learning spaces that promote social-emotional learning is tantamount for any grade level and socioeconomic status. In this course, teachers will learn the basics of the art of teaching and the ways in which close connections are established. They will analyze the propensity for learning in each of their students and create individualized and differentiated instruction for all. A wealth of graphic organizers, articles, poetry, technology, classroom anchor charts and visuals will be utilized, all of which connect student learning and establish the foundation for the school year ahead. A must for all K-12 educators!!!!! | |
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Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
(3 Credits/45 Hours) – In-Service Credit
Course Description: Engaging students in successful learning is an art. Keeping them directed and focused is contingent on many factors – all of which will be emphasized and articulated in this course. A myriad of content driven essential skills will be covered – including activities as predicting outcomes, empathy cards, affinity diagrams, common likes, as well as a plethora of creative and compelling take homes, all of which the developing individual needs in order to flourish. Students in all disciplines can benefit from the guided focus and essential content within the confines of the class. **A must for K-12 educators in all disciplines!!! | |
| (3 credits/45 hours) – In-service credits Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com Course Description: This course will provide an investigative stance on the topic of school violence and the ways in which educators, counselors, nurses, psychologists, and administrators can guide students to prevention. Educators will uncover the ways in which students can contribute to a healthy school environment free of bullying, student conflict, and dissention. Participants will evaluate their own classroom safety procedures, their abilities to intervene when necessary, and learn how they can play an active role in mitigating violence before it occurs. ** A must for K-12 educators** | |
| *New Course Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com 3 Credits In Service Course (45 Hours) Dates: Summer 2025 - August 25th-29th Course Description: This course will deal with the tried-and-true form of teaching learning. As educators we should teach our students to work smarter, not harder! This course will provide teachers with simple strategies that will make students’ time in your classroom worth it! Students will learn and study more effectively and make learning stick. Educators will discuss in this course research on how the brain works and thus retains information. Teachers will discuss the day-to-day reality of teaching and learning strategies to a dynamic classroom of students of all levels. Educators will discuss the basics of how the brain takes in and stores information, as well as best practices for retrieval of daily information. Easy-to-implement strategies will be shared to help guide any educator through lessons that can improve outcomes for all students. This course is a must for all educators grades K-12. | |
 | Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of cooperative learning in one’s classroom leads to effective classroom instruction. Raising student self-confidence and awareness, motivating them to learn, and implementing a myriad of strategies for cooperation is the key to success. Participants in the course will conduct their own cooperative learning assignments and engage their students in self-directed projects and lifelong routines.
*A must for K-12 educators* | |
 | Course Description: As educators we see first hand the effects of stress on our students. We feel the effect it has on us. This course will explore the consequences and effects of stress. Stress is a common issue that does affect and will affect all of our students at some time. Educators will learn how to identify individuals under stress or in stressful situations. Participants will discuss what are the factors that cause stress most, and the different ways of coping with stress. Teachers will discuss how to greatly improve your student’s mental and physical well being on a day-to-day basis. Teachers will learn strategies for helping students self-regulate, to manage moving from one class to another (transitional strategies), and reducing outside daily noise. The importance mindsets will also be discussed. 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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This course will focus on how help your students become better problem solvers by using Project-Based Learning. Educators in this course with discuss techniques for success with PBL that will help your students thrive and become more successful individuals. Educators will focus on techniques such as: Collaboration, Student Choice, Role Playing and Real-World Scenarios to name a few. Participants will explore such techniques and learn to empower your students to achieve and become better problem solvers. This course is a must for all instructors of all levels K-12.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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 | Course Description: There is a wide spectrum of needs that ELLs have as they immerse themselves into not only a new language, but often, a new culture and educational system. As teachers of ELLs we have the potential to be a person of guidance and safety for our students. These students have greater stresses and challenges beyond our classroom curriculum and these difficulties can frequently be divided into the categories of cultural, social, and educational. Once we have an understanding of the common issues they may face, we will know the signs to look for and, more importantly, what strategies and resources we can provide them with. Suitable all Educators and Staff K-12.
Objective: Course participants will have an understanding of common stresses that ELL students face beyond our classroom and will share different strategies and resources to implement into their own practice. | |
 | *New Course
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Dates : May 5,6,7,8,9,12,13,14,15,16th (2025)
East Meadow Location – 4:15 - 8:15 pm
Course Description:
Effective discourse is integral for students today. Encouraging the utilization of higher thinking skills in students and encouraging them to speak their minds is what freedom of education is all about. This course will explore depth of knowledge and create questions that enhance the development of critical thinking skills. Additionally, building background knowledge around a wealth of student centered topics will be addressed and deepening comprehension and vocabulary will lead to greater student discussion and conversations. Participants will emerge with a wealth of ideas to implement immediately.
*A Must for K-12 Educators |