PTIX 505   Exploring Career Readiness with Students 3 credits

Come and explore student career readiness and discover the many roles all of us take on throughout our lifetimes. Teachers and school counselors will learn how to lead students in discovering their work values and preferences as they tease out the nuances between trade school and college. Learn the importance of students, “seeing themselves” in classroom materials and why “soft skills,” matter. Investigate careers that will be viable in the future and collaborate with a colleague about creative ways to get students to see the world of opportunities at their fingertips. This course is offered through the Teaching Channel.

PTIX 507   Communication and Effective Caregiver-Teacher Conferences 3 credits

Teachers and caregivers have a shared responsibility to communicate with each other to support student growth. The caregiver-teacher conference is one way that families and teachers come together to consider the successes, progress, and needs of students. In this course, you will examine the conditions for strong family-teacher communication, taking into account cultural and linguistic factors, as well as unique student situations. You’ll take a deeper dive into the conference itself, including how best to structure the time and determine ways you and a caregiver can collaborate to solve a challenging issue. This course will set the stage for teachers and caregivers to work as a team throughout the year to best support student’s academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs. This course is offered through the Teaching Channel.

PTIX 511   Parent Trap: Achieving Success with Difficult Parents & Difficult Situations 3 credits

This course will explore strategies to help you establish positive, constructive relationships with parents of your students. It will also help you work with the most challenging parents in the most challenging situations. Some of the many skills you will learn include: learning how to avoid the "trigger" words which serve only to make bad situations worse, learning how to use the "right" words to develop more positive relationships, and dealing with parents who accuse you of not being "fair." This course is appropriate for teachers of all grade levels and subjects. This course is offered through the Teaching Channel.

PTIX 512   Engaging Parents for Student Success 3 credits

We've all heard the phrase "it takes a village." This course will help teachers increase students' "villages" by engaging families, parents, students, and the community to ensure student success. Discover pro-engagement approaches, ways to foster participation, and learn how to establish positive and constructive relationships with the parents of your students all while improving and focusing on parent-teacher communication. This course is offered through the Teaching Channel.

PTIX 513   Communicating and Connecting with Families 1 credit

We all want to see our students soar and achieve! Family engagement and effective communication are two tried-and-true techniques educators can use to bolster student success in the classroom and beyond. In this course, educators will explore the benefits of engaging families in classroom events, and strategies for effective culturally responsive communication. Listen and learn from the latest podcasts that cover everything from the relevance of family engagement to practical tips for making connections. Explore the Family-School Partnerships framework by watching a presentation from family engagement expert Dr. Karen Mapp, then design an in-person or virtual classroom event to get to know the families of your students. Student success is a collaborative effort, and this course will prepare you for fostering deeper, more meaningful connections. This course is offered through the Teaching Channel.

PTIX 514   Positive Partnerships with Family Engagement 3 credits

What if there was a strategy that could boost students' level of achievement, increase self-confidence, ensure a sense of belonging, and instigate positive school experiences? There is, and it’s called family engagement! Back-to-School nights, open houses, and orientations are just three tried-and-true ways to encourage families to be involved with their student’s education. Positive Partnerships with Family Engagement explores the purpose, planning and hosting of events that invite families to support their children through connection, cooperation, and collaboration. Understand the effects of cultural inequities, harsh discipline, and how racism affects families’ comfort level at school while discovering how cultural competence builds strong engagement. Investigate ways to manage and recruit school volunteers and tips for planning parent/family-teacher conferences. Explore communication practices, podcasts, and social media platforms to stay up-to-date with fresh ideas to engage families. Whether you're a classroom teacher, school leader, or work in schools in any capacity, this course will support you in making stronger connections with families! This course is offered through the Teaching Channel.