With new demands facing educators, it may be hard to remember why you became a teacher in the first place. You may feel pressured by new assessments, school report cards, standards, quality rating systems, funding or new teacher evaluations. While the pace of change may be overwhelming, ultimately, you know that connecting with and understanding children is what is important. This self-paced training decodes the research behind many educational reforms using an easy-to-understand framework based on the Five I's of Accomplished Teaching: Intentionality, Integration, Inclusion, Inquiry, and Innovation.

This 10-contact hour training spans 3 weeks and provides opportunities to try out the Five I’s, examine your own practice, participate in a professional learning community and, ultimately, reconnect with kids.

Supports OSTP Standard 7

• Cost: $50

Intentional Teaching is a commonly used — but often misunderstood — description of what accomplished teachers should be doing in classrooms today. Would you know intentional teaching if you saw it? This training explores what it means to be an intentional teacher and asks participants to examine their practice and implement new intentional teaching strategies in their classrooms. Participants will delve into the Intentional Curriculum Decision Making Cycle and explore how intentional teachers use data to make instructional decisions.

This 10-contact hour training will look deeply at how intentional daily routines and classroom environments maximize learning and development.

Supports OSTP Standards 3, 5, and 7

• Cost: $50

Whether you teach in a K-primary, preschool, or infant/toddler classroom, integrating your curriculum across subject areas and/or developmental domains is a must for accomplished teachers. Early childhood teachers know that their job is to help young children make meaning of the world around them which should translate to a connected learning environment. This training provides participants with a framework for integrating curriculum in order to create meaningful, challenging and cohesive curriculum allowing teachers to reconnect with kids.

This 10-contact hour training spans 3 weeks and provides opportunities to try out strategies and receive guidance from instructors and peers.

Supports OSTP Standards 2, 4, and 7

• Cost: $50

Educators today are aware that their curriculum and instruction must be based on a grounded understanding of 1) developmental expectations for their student’s age group, 2) the strengths, needs and interests of individuals in their classroom, and 3) the families and cultural context for their students.

This training provides participants with strategies that support the creation of curriculum that is meaningful, engaging and appropriate for all learners in their classroom. Differentiated learning experiences and culturally responsive teaching will be explored.

Supports OSTP Standards 1, 4, 5, and 7

• Cost: $50

As many communities strive to build an innovative workforce in order to revitalize the economy, it is important to see the vital role that early learning plays in this effort. This training provides opportunities for participants to help children consider new ideas, create inventions and explore existing problems in new ways. Strategies to promote problem solving, approaches to learning, and new and creative uses of technology will be explored.

Supports OSTP Standards 4 and 7

• Cost: $50

For teachers, “inquiry” can be a requirement emphasized in the new Common Core State Standards and Early Learning and Development Standards. For children, “inquiry” is the basis of a learner-centered curriculum addressing questions that interest them. This training will explore how teachers build curriculum around important topics of study that capitalizes on children’s curiosity. Participants will learn how to help children formulate questions and engage in relevant investigations to explore the answers.

Supports OSTP Standards 2, 4 and 7

• Cost: $50

Family engagement and, in turn, parental involvement are known to be one of the higher indicators of a students school success. So how do we engage families? This training is designed to help participants:

1. Develop methods and techniques to enhance their partnerships with families.
2. Understand what family engagement is and how to build solid relationships.
3. Build communication approaches as well as engaging rapport building events.
4. Look at how to help families with transitions and learn strategies for successful family engagement.

• Cost: $50