These courses are on-demand and self-paced. Participants will receive a certificate of completion once all assignments are successfully completed, and a quiz is passed with at least 80%.

This course is appropriate for instructional coaches, department chairs, team leaders, curriculum specialists, and teacher mentors. Instructional coaching is an innovative and effective method for supporting teachers, especially successful when focused on student achievement. Using the Sweeney (2011) student-centered approach, participants will be taken through the steps and processes for effective coaching in both teaching and leadership. Through job-embedded projects, practice with and use of feedback protocols along with other strategies, participants will learn how to intentionally apply a host of coaching strategies as they work within their respective roles. All approaches taught and practiced with have a record of success in building self-esteem, moving up teacher effectiveness, and most important: improving student achievement.

Course Outcomes:

  • Demonstrate and support teacher effectiveness.
  • Interpret specific teacher strengths and gaps in order to help develop and support an intervention plan.
  • Through job-embedded application, cultivate and sustain teacher professional growth using effective coaching models.

This course is 20 hours

Participants will develop clear understanding of the role of and responsibilities of leadership in ESOL instructional programs. A district and school-wide understanding of the programs through an understanding of culture and its impact on instructional pedagogy will engage all district stakeholders invested in ESOL programs and progress.

Course Outcomes:

  • Understand and support multicultural instruction for diverse student populations.
  • Develop awareness of issues facing ELL students and the wider ELL community.
  • Understand formal and informal assessment of ESOL programs and for ELLs in all capacities: language skills, language impairment, special education, giftedness.
  • Communicate these methods and strategies to all stakeholders in support of effective ESOL programs to garner support among the wider district and school community.
  • Understand how to screen for language deficits and indicators of learning disabilities, particularly among special education students, language impaired and understand the distinction among them.
  • Understand how to identify and support effective professional development programs and methods for teachers in support of the ELL students that they teach through research and evidence-based curriculum.

This course is 20 hours