Teaching Styles
 | How often do we have unruly children in our classrooms who defy the rules, resist authority, and cause a general disruption? While it is easy to dismiss these students, perhaps there is a way to get through to them. That process begins by understanding them. Who/What are they going home to? What is going on in their lives outside of their academic responsibilities? Teachers enrolled in this course will explore practical methods of breaking down walls and communicating with those tough students as a means of facilitating a more comfortable, productive classroom.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
 | (3 credits/45 hours) – In-service credits Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com Course Description: Grades have positive and negative ramifications. Grades have tremendous impact on students’ futures and have been associated with higher levels of stress, anxiety, and cheating as well as increased student learning and drive. This course investigates students’ levels of motivation in terms of grades being offered, the profound effect of separating non academics from letter grades, and the equity of providing students multiple opportunities for success. Participants will modify and develop their own grading techniques in order to enrich their classrooms. **A must for K-12 educators** | |
 | Each and every day in the teaching profession, we are knee deep in adolescence. Teachers wear a multitude of hats as they are faced with creating an atmosphere of challenges, choices, and meaningful experiences for students. The very vulnerability of adolescence makes it a time of tremendous opportunity for emotional, intellectual, and social growth. We can either make or break situations as they arise.
Within this course, participants will complete a myriad of tasks:
• Complete an introspection of themselves and their teaching styles
• Complete research on adolescent growth (social and emotional)
• Share relevant teaching stories that assist everyone in the teaching process
• Cultivate student interest by creating exciting opportunities for growth
• Master different approaches to prepare students for higher thinking
• Execute lessons that enrich student learning
• Walk in someone else’s shoes in terms of learning and comprehending.
Overall, participants will be refreshed as they enhance their classrooms by learning more about themselves!
*A must for all educators!
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
 | *New Course Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia- gaylelumia@yahoo.com Summer 2025 Dates – July 14th-July 18th Course Credits- 3 Credits/45 Hours Course Description: The hallmark of high achieving students is the power of grit. Possessing this ability to persevere despite any adversity is something that needs to be instructed to our learners. Participants will learn how to recharge their students through commitment, long-term goal reaching, cultivation of ideas, passion for the disciplines they study, and inner dedication to themselves. A myriad of strategies will be discussed to unlock the mindset of their students, including small passages from historical freedom fighters, analysis of the grit characteristics, and remedies for facing challenges and obstacles. *A Must for K-12 Educators* | |
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Course Description:
This course will explore the difference between having your students learn independently and having them learn in groups. Educators will discuss which way is more effective; or is a combination of both? Teachers will discuss strategies for effective cooperative learning, student centered learning and Reciprocal learning, as well as individual task learning such as reading comprehension, silent reading or vocabulary analysis. A series of Pair/Share lessons will be discussed as well as student-centered lessons. Educators will share lessons to facilitate in their own classrooms. A plethora of activities will be discussed for teachers to bring back and utilize. This course is a must for teacher of grades K-12.
*Also offered as an online course
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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 | Course #PDLI9040
(45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS)
ON-LINE
Instructor: Rose Marino Foster rosemarino5@gmail.com
Course Description:
“Guided reading is a teaching approach used with all readers, struggling or independent, that has three fundamental purposes: to meet the varying instructional needs of all the students in the classroom, enabling them to greatly expand their reading powers; to teach students to read increasingly difficult texts with understanding and fluency; to construct meaning while using problem solving strategies to figure out unfamiliar words that deal with complex sentence structures, and understand concepts or ideas not previously encountered. Guided reading is the place where every child, every day, has the opportunity to learn by reading a book that is just right.”
– Fountas & Pinnell.
This course will provide a detailed explanation of the philosophy of guided reading. Various components of guided reading will be explored including: management, teacher and student roles, assessment, flexible grouping, strategy and skill lessons, etc. Participants in the course will research the history of small group instruction and compare/contrast guided reading with more traditional instructional approaches. In addition, participants will learn the benefits of guided reading and be given the resources and information to implement guided reading within his/her own classroom. Applicable all Educators and staff K-12. | |
 | *New Course Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia- gaylelumia@yahoo.com Summer 2025 Dates – August 4th-August 8th Course Credits- 3 Credits/45 Hours Course Description: High academic achievement can create more opportunities for students indefinitely. The study skills, social skills, knowledge, and problem-solving abilities that students learn at school will support them throughout their entire lives. This course will cover the practical and effective ways to boost students’ academic achievement, as well as the ways in which to develop students’ missions, goals, and core strategies of learning. Participants will delve into the most efficacious ways to instruct their students, including problem-based instruction, differentiated modalities, technological sources, as well as many other creative modalities. *A Must for K-12 Educators* | |
 | Course Description:
Educators will learn through this course effective teaching methods, Next Generation teaching strategies, and much more. Teachers will examine best practices for instruction to hone your skills on highly effective teaching. Participants will see how to transform your students into becoming more college and career ready individuals. Teachers will study methods on how to create high performing classrooms. In this course educators will “learn from doing” in the same manner to be expected of your own students. This course shows educators how to create innovative but easy to implement, project-based learning units that work. This course is a must for teachers of grades K-12.
*Also offered as an online class.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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 | Homework plays a major role in the learning process. Often enough, if homework is not complete, classroom objectives cannot be met. What is the role of homework in the learning process? How do economic diversity and parenting style affect homework? What does the research on homework reveal? Let’s explore these questions and get specific strategies for customizing homework tasks, enhancing student ownership, and providing feedback about homework. Effects of social class differences and school-family relationships. Suitable for all educators K – 12.
ON-LINE (3 Credits / 45 hours) in-service credit only
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 | PDLI 9140 Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com(45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS) Course Description: Education that incorporates a multiethnic perspective recognizes children’s own frames of reference, ones that utilize ideas formed through the traditions of the students’ families and communities. It is a way of teaching that addresses issues of equity and commitment to social action. Teaching in a multiculturalism fashion promotes academic excellence and social justice for all children. Helping children become critical thinkers and make connections in their learning is the essence of multicultural instruction, one that promotes democracy and recognizes that proactive engagement in students of all ages is the key to their success. In this course, participants will be instructed on the ways in which to infuse multiethnic strategies into students’ repertoires. Teachers will be able to create a successful classroom environment where culture is at the forefront, developing and maximizing responsibility, diversity, and cognitive growth in students throughout this course. They will explore various resources such as articles, interviews, readings, differentiated learning sites, lesson plans, and links to literary sites. Additionally, they will research a variety of sources and decide which ones are engaging and fit into their curriculum. 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! Goals and Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants will be better prepared to: • Understand the impact of culture in students’ learning
• Comprehend the respective ways in which teachers can transform their classrooms
• Design multicultural learning activities that challenge students
• Create assessments and lessons for their classrooms
• Utilize character education within their classrooms
• Create instructional goals with the multicultural learner in mind | |
 | 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. | |
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This course will focus on how to handle the disruptive student in your classroom from day one. Educators will discuss proper skills, techniques and strategies to work with students that act out and disrupt the classroom environment. Educators will share personal experience and strategies they use. Disruptive students are not just looking to misbehave, but may just need some extra attention. Teachers will discuss how giving these students some extra attention may lead to succeed and a calm classroom. This course is a must for all educators levels K-12.
Instructor: Kim Kittredge
kkittredgelips@gmail.com
3 credits in service (45 hours)
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 | Course Description:
With all the virtual learning going on, how do we as educators help students learn independently? This course will focus on how to facilitate lessons instead of teaching them as we have always done in the past. With the world changing, we must too. Students must independently create their own learning experiences, and become more active learners. It is our responsibility to teach them the skills to guide them through it. Educators will learn how to encourage students to think creatively and take an independent and active role in their own learning. Teachers will discuss how to first identify what it is to be an active learner, and then how to go beyond that. Teachers will learn how to work with students to stretch their minds to the limits, help students manage time constraints, take effective notes and annotate, and be creative and organize their roles as learners on a daily basis. This is a must for all educators 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:
Do your students feel or become disconnected? Do they often lose the purpose of your lessons due to distractions? Have they zoned out? With all the time and effort you put into your lessons, it often seems that there are so many days we look out at our students’ faces only to see that they are somewhere else. The connection has been lost. This course offers ideas on how to reconnect your disconnected students and bring them back again. Educators will learn a variety of exciting strategies that will “connect” your students to your classroom lessons. These strategies will not only activate engagement, but improve student learning all together. This course is for educators levels K-12 of all subjects.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
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| “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire” – William Butler Yeats
A teacher that ignites the fire in his/her students and fuels their thirst for knowledge and curiosity is the key to success. In this course, teachers will learn to inspire students, motivate them, impact their learning. They will be able to fuel the passion and engage their students through creative activities and ideas. A myriad of techniques and strategies will be explored as well as collaborative means and activities to fully engage learners. A conflagration of ideas shall ignite within all! A must for K-12 Educators!!!!!
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
| Forty (or so) minutes go by quite quickly. By the time we get our students seated, take attendance, check homework, explain the objective, and start the lesson, our allotment of time has dwindled considerably. Also considering how often our students are taken out of our classes because of field trips, visits to the nurse, or other various reasons, the clock often seems to be on fast forward. Essentially, we want to get the most out of our class periods. Teachers enrolled in this course will explore the possibilities, variations, and applications of the infamous “Do Now” as a means of engaging students immediately and getting the most out our (and their) time.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) In-Service Credit only | |
 | Course Description: Implicit bias refers to unconscious attitudes, reactions, stereotypes, and categories that affect behavior and understanding. In education, implicit bias often refers to unconscious racial and socioeconomic bias toward students. This course will explore what implicit bias is, and how we as educators can reduce the effects of it in our schools. We will discuss the consequences of implicit bias and how it affects individuals in different ways. Educators will discover the roots of implicit bias and participants will discuss how to move away from theses attitudes and stereotypes. Teachers will also discuss that with understanding and attitude change comes improved behaviors. Implicit bias scenarios will be posed for deep discussion. This course is a must for all educators levels K-12. Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com 3 credits – In service Course (45 Hours); online or in-person | |
| 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. | |
| This course equips educators with practical strategies to deepen student thinking and foster a classroom culture of inquiry and problem-solving. Participants will explore research-based approaches to increase students’ critical thinking time during math instruction, including the use of open-ended questions, rich tasks, error analysis, and collaborative learning structures. Teachers will leave with ready-to-implement tools and techniques to transform their math classrooms into spaces where critical thinking thrives. | |
 | Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Hands-on, experimental learning is the wave of the future for educators, coaches, directors, and administrators alike. Developing driving questions for students enables them to utilize critical thinking skills and enhance their learning tremendously. The course will center around summative and formative assessments for learning, showcase lessons for discussion, PBL techniques, inquiry-based analysis and many more innovative concepts. Participants will be able to guide their learners perfectly. All disciplines and grade levels welcome.
*A must for K-12 educators* | |
 | This course is designed to provide educators with instructional strategies and apply it to meet the needs of all students grades K-12. Emphasis will be placed on how to effectively design your lessons, how to evaluate your curriculum, distinguish between learning styles, and how to provide instruction that enhances and improves academic performance for all students. This course examines how all these concepts combined serve as the basic design of curriculum and instruction overall. Educators will discuss proper planning of the core concepts, essential questions, how to use metacognitive reading strategies, background knowledge, and scaffolding, in order to lead to a successful classroom environment. Additional applications introduced in this course include rubrics, graphic organizers, vocabulary strategies, peer tutoring, note-taking, paraphrasing, summarizing (with the use of 10% summary), reciprocal teaching, and questioning. Educators will learn practices in this course that relate to district-wide teacher evaluations, the New York State Teaching Standards, and the Common Core Standards. Participants will also discover how to engage students, deepen their understanding of context, and prepare them for success beyond the classroom.
ON-LINE (3 credits/45 hours) in-service credit only | |
 | (3 credits/45 hours) In service credit only
Instructor: Grace Rossetti gracerossettiliips@gmail.com
Course Description: What is integrated co-teaching (ICT) and how can it be successful? As an ICT teacher for the last 5 years, I can't wait to share my success with other educators! In this course, participants will learn different models that co-teachers can use: station teaching, parallel teaching, one teach/one observe and one teach/one assist. The goal is for participants to learn the difference between the models, how they can all be used to reach the needs of all your learners, and how you can begin using them right away. This course suits all educators K-12. | |
 | Taken from www.responsiveclassroom.org, “Interactive Modeling is a straightforward, quickly paced process that’s effective for teaching children any academic or social skill, routine, or procedure that you want them to do in a specific way (whether for safety, efficiency, or other reasons). One of the essential practices of the Responsive Classroom approach to teaching elementary school children, Interactive Modeling can be used by any adult anywhere in school at any time of year.” Teachers will learn the steps for Interactive Modeling, strategies for success, ideas for where to use in your lessons and routines. Applicable for teachers K-12.
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 | Course Description – Revitalizing our classrooms is the ticket to students’ success. Having the skills necessary to invigorate our learners and capture their learning styles is tantamount. In this course, teachers will have the opportunity to glean a depth of understanding regarding the nature of the adolescent and the ways in which their learning is impacted by many factors. Teachers will be instructed on a plethora of learning styles and models that gear instruction to individuals perfectly. A must for all K-12 educators!!!! (3 credits/45 hours) – In-Service Credit | |
 | Janna Florio Online Course - 3 credits / 45 hours - In-Service Credit Only Applicable to High School Teachers & Department Coordinators/Chairs Description: Being a student in high school is tough; being a teacher of high school students is tough; however, surviving high school as a newcomer to the country could feel almost impossible. Combined with the harrowing experiences they suffer during their immigration journeys, adolescent ELLs are also faced with the stresses that plague the majority of all other high-schoolers. From high-stakes testing to mental health concerns, students within this age bracket hold a lot of weight on their shoulders. Past trauma, feelings of isolation, displacement from family, and the challenges of learning a new culture and language only exacerbate these issues for immigrant and migrant students. In this course, you will learn about the struggles these students face, the challenges they must overcome, and what schools might be able to do to support them. | |
| Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia - gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-service Course - 3 Credits / 45 Hours
Course Description: Educating today's students in a tactile, active fashion improves a wealth of critical and analytical thinking skills. Kinesthetic learners retain information more effectively, become active rather than passive participants in learning, and are able to acquire a wealth of information more expeditiously than their peers. This course will train teachers to find ways to assist students in their work ethic and their problem-solving techniques. Topics being addressed include hands-on simulations, animations, role-playing exercises, micro-learning lessons. A multitude of benefits arise when kinesthetic learning is at the forefront!
*A must for K-12 educators!!!! | |
| Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Course – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Course Description: Life Lessons are learned in a plethora of ways. Students glean motivation and desire success when inspirational ideas are presented to them. This course will focus on a wealth of disciplines and a variety of insightful topics that encapsulate creativity and enable students to reach for the stars. Lessons from a variety of different modalities will be covered, including English, Social Studies, Math, and Science, as well as innovative techniques, all of which strengthen students' skills and nurture their inner beings.
*A must for K-12 educators* | |
| 3 Credits – In service Course (45 Hours)
Instructor: Kim Kittredge kkittredgeliips@gmail.com
Course Description: As educators we want all our students to be curious, questionable and seek adventure through learning. This course will lead educators to take a different teaching route with their students. Critical thinking and thought-provoking techniques will be shared. Hands-on, and experiential learning, critical thing techniques and more will be explored. Since this type of “learning through exploration” is the wave of the future, educators, coaches, directors, and administrators will all benefit from the techniques shared in this course. Teachers will learn to utilize driving questions for students that will help them enhance their learning tremendously. The course will also center around deep discussion, PBL techniques, inquiry-based analysis and many more innovative concepts. This course is a must for all subjects and grade levels K-12. | |
| Make A Splash with Your Learners – Spreading Reading and Writing Competency Across All Content Areas *New Course*
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Mid-Winter Recess (2025) - February 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
East Meadow Location – 8:00 am-5:00 pm
Course Description: Literacy is at the forefront of education today. All teachers are expected to be teachers of reading and writing regardless of their subject area. Teachers need a repertoire of lessons and ideas to motivate learners and elevate student abilities. This course provides a plethora of lessons, graphic organizers, best practice techniques, strategic thinking skills, collaborative, small group activities, and models that enhance student learning. Via the activities, participants will delve deeper into the literacy process and apply the models to their respective discipline. The subject areas of reading, writing, science, math, social studies, and health will be covered. Specific strategies and projects will be covered as well as a multitude of best practice techniques. In the end, participants will walk away with a literary bag of tricks! In this course, participants will be instructed on the various ways to foster literacy development. They will learn the strategies that facilitate student learning, including read alouds, dialoging about texts, engagement before, during, and after reading, and extensive discussions that allow for creativity and growth. Teachers will be instructed on ways to incorporate complex texts into their repertoire and build upon students’ knowledge. A rich literary curriculum will be addressed as well, including orthographic mapping, text structure, and interdisciplinary applications
*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* |