Courses for RETIRED PROFESSIONALS relate to the needs of educators who are currently retired but looking for additional professional learning for personal interest and/or to meet Act 48 requirements for the maintenance of their certifications. Courses often focus on social and emotional skills, tips for retired educators who are serving as substitute teachers, and sessions related to emerging professional issues in educaiton.
Course Description: In this asynchronous, online book study, participants will prepare for, read, and discuss Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be An Antiracist for a total of 15 Act 48 hours or a certificate to submit for 15 Chapter 14 hours (per district approval). The New York Times called this book “a groundbreaking approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society—and in ourselves.”
During the Prereading activities, participants will learn about the book and author. Then, they will explore strategies for critical reading from their lens as an educator. Then they will engage in two activities i: one focused on identifying perspectives and another on applying this practice to students.
During the actual reading, participants should read the book critically and complete chapter-by-chapter reflection prompts throughout their reading journey (not just at the end) to help them remember key points in the text.
During the Postreading activities, participants will engage in forum-based dialogues about their reactions, learning, and applications for the material in the school setting. Participants will leave this session with knowledge and resources to apply what they read with students at any level.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 15 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
The hours breakdown is
10 hours for reading,
1.5 hours for pre-reading activities
2 hours for reflection prompts
1.5 hours for post-reading activitis
Total: 15 hours
Course Description: The Introverted Educator by Dr. Rochelle Green features reflections from six introverted educators on how they incorporate their more reserved learners into their lessons. As these teachers share the positives and negatives of their own childhood educational experiences, they discuss strategies for meeting the needs of a variety of personality types present in the classroom.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
The hours breakdown is: 2.5 hours for reading, 1.5 hours for discussion prompts, and 0.5 hours for reflection. Total of 4.5 hours.
Course Description: The Questioneers by Andrea Beaty (author) and
David Roberts (illustrator) is a series of picture books and early-reader
chapter books written between 420 and 820 Lexiles. Each picture book introduces
a new ‘questioneer’ as they come to realize their own strengths including Ada
Twist (Scientist), Rosie Revere (Engineer), Iggy Peck (Architect), Sofia Valdez
(Future Prez), and Aaron Slater (Illustrator). The chapter books take their
stories deeper and allow students to follow the students as their growth
mindsets take them further into their passions. These books may be elementary
focused, but the lessons learned are valuable for learners at any level! In
this book discussion, you may read any 1 picture book and any 1 chapter book in
the series for a total of 2 books. These two books will require 2 ½ hours
of reading time with 2 hours of complementary PEARL-based content (1.5 hours for the discussion questions and 0.5 hours for reflection items) for a total of 4 ½ total hours of learning.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
The hours breakdown is 2.5 hours for reading,
1.5 hours for discussion activities
0.5 hours for reflection prompts.
Course Description: When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids by Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski shares the never-before-seen side of America’s favorite neighbor and Pennsylvania native, Mr. Rogers, in his essential work with the “tools for learning” in school, work, and life. “These tools can boost academic performance, social-emotional well-being, and even physical health. They cost almost nothing to develop, and they’re up to ten times more predictive of children’s success than test scores.” Perfect for educators at any point of their career, this book shares a fresh and human-centric approaches to learning for anyone who cares about children.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 10 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: This session, presented by NEA members and Chrissy Waldhoer (Oklahoma Elementary Teacher) and Elizabeth Luis (Michigan Secondary ELA Teacher), was captured from a live PSEA CPL webinar broadcast on July 15, 2021, and it presents ideas for implementation of culture into all literature and standards for reading/writing in the classroom. In this course, participants learn about approaches to learning in the classroom that use cultures and backgrounds to connect students to the literature, particularly at the elementary level.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 1.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: In this session, educators receive practical and immediate steps to assess the manner in which their curriculum is providing equitable representation to all students.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: In this course you will watch the 2022 documentary Divided Attention which focuses on the Chester Upland School District during the pandemic. Not only are these educators navigating the challenges of hybrid learning, but they are also trying to address the mental health concerns of their students. Specifically, the film highlights four students and their mindfulness teacher as they participate in activities to face the challenges of returning to the classroom and living in strenuous homes and neighborhoods. On top of this, district schools are under receivership and facing charterization. What can educators do to keep students in school and address their social emotional well-being? While Divided Attention was filmed during the pandemic, the topics addressed (e.g., SEL, school funding, and the school to prison pipeline) are still relevant today.
Following the documentary, participants will complete a written reflection activity and share ideas with PSEA colleagues in a discussion forum.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: This is a NEA developed course that focuses on how to keep equity at the forefront during COVID-19 school closures. Participants learn about the digital divide and how it impacts students. The course helps educators understand the components of the digital divide, along with the supports and strategies necessary to assist students who experience it, implement a variety of teaching and learning digital resources with students, and consider other issues students may be facing outside of academics, and their impact on students.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 3 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: Tools like Seesaw, Flipgrid and Google Classroom can be used to serve our students with direct, targeted assignments via enrollment in multiple classes or with the use of Co-Teachers. Entire grade levels may benefit from a shared space, and special area teachers and support staff can be linked to their students more easily. Get some strategies to maintain multiple groups of students in classes or getting yourself included in pre-existing ones!
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: Centering your K-12 science instruction around phenomena can build student engagement and understanding, even in a virtual or blended classroom environment. In this course participants explore key aspects of science instruction, share NGSS-aligned resources for the new school year, and consider strategies (like Driving Question Boards) that support science in K-12 (possibly virtual) classrooms.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: This presentation provides an overview of Diabetes in school-age children and speaks to the emotional toll this diagnosis has on students.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 1.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: How can physical classroom routines (submitting work and getting help) be transformed for effective use in virtual spaces? This webinar discusses how to leverage best practices of virtual learning communities to suport face-to-face instruction and student engagment.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 1.5 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: Every day, educators put their students’ physical, emotional, and mental well-being first. We also consistently encourage our students to think “outside the box” and adapt new perspectives focused on growth and resilience. Educators, too, can benefit from stepping "outside the box" when it comes to our own well-being, and we can build new ways to help our students understand the relationship between wellness and learning. This session introduces PSEA members to simple mindful practices. Participants will gain knowledge, tools, and techniques for creating an at-home mindfulness practice and also be provided resources to share with students of all ages.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 1 HOUR of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: Each of us feels personal and professional stress that impacts our home and work lives. The good news is that there are things we can do to help us find calm in chaos, cultivate compassion, and engage in compassionate self-care to protect our brains and bodies from the negative health effects of stress and uncertainty. In this class, participants are introduced to mindfulness practices and the basic science behind their impact on our bodies. These healthy life skills and knowledge can help each of us thrive personally and help our students find calm, too. This class is part of PSEA's ongoing commitment to provide supports to members for personal and professional success.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: Does your "inner critic" leave you feeling down sometimes? Practicing self-compassion is an important wellness excercise that helps us stand up to our inner critica and also develop emotional resilience, a more accurate self-concept, and more caring relationships. It also can foster less narcissism and lower levels of reactive anger. All of this can help us become more effective and more grounded in our personal and professional lives. Learning to practice self compassion in our own lives also can give us insight in how to encourage it in our students.
The three primary objectives for this course are as follows:
You will learn the definition of self-compassion and how it manifests in your own life.
You will understand the research that has been conducted on self-compassion.
You will have an opportunity to explore your own ability to cultivate self-compassion.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 3 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: As educators, we face lots of circumstances, both anticipated and surprising, that require us to reimagine what is possible. Let’s also reimagine our response to challenging situations! This class is a recording of a session held with PSEA members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although that year of stress and change may be behind us, many of us experiencing personal and professional stress that can feel overwhelming and tumultuous. The good news is that there are things we can do to find calm in chaos, cultivate compassion, and engage in self-care to protect our brains and bodies from the negative effects of stress and uncertainty. Join us to learn more!
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: Student engagement remains a top priority for educators as we welcome students back to school. We will use this session to develop or improve on SEL and safe space practices. With an emphasis on communication and practices building empathy, participants will work to improve their EQ within themselves and within their instructional practice. Building relationships and making connections is critical in these unprecedented times, and by doing so we can increase student engagement in rigorous curricular lessons.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: This course introduces members to some basic tools to regulate our emotions and provides a framework for educators to consider social and emotional learning for ourselves and our students.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 4 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: How can you create meaningful relationships with and between students in a safe virtual space? This webinar seeks to answer this question with "already tried it" practices. Learn about different strategies, exercises, and activities that put SEL at the forefront in an intentional and transparent way.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.
Course Description: Self-care is often the first thing that gets ignored when life becomes stressful. Taking care of yourself will help you to better care for those you teach. This webinar will help you define and better understand the importance of self-care and become a self-care advocate for yourself and others. NEA's Judith O'Loughlin and Brenda Custudio presented this webinar to PSEA members on August 17, 2021.
Course Hours: Members who complete this course receive 2 HOURS of Act 48 and/or a certificate that may apply for Chapter 14 hours. Your employer has sole discretion to determine if this course qualifies for Chapter 14 hours.