Professional Learning at STC
On this page you will find STC sponsored courses and workshops, and pro-growth opportunities being offered in our community.
All STC Courses, unless otherwise noted, are approved to be submitted for NYS CTLE (Continuing Teacher Leadership Education)
and can be used to fulfill the required hours of PD to maintain Professional Certification.
STC Courses are open to everyone, regardless of district employment.
Questions? Call 649-6775 or email Vanessa@SouthtownTeachersCenter.org
Courses
Please note, for online learning sessions, in order for STC to grant credit for the course and issue a certificate of completion, your camera must be enabled for the duration of the Synchronous Sessions and you must be visible to the instructor. This applies to all online courses offered by STC. All asynchronous work is expected to be completed by the scheduled due date, as these assignments are often reviewed/shared in the next session.
For full descriptions of courses/workshops currently being offered Click on STC Spring Courses 2023 or Book Studies Workshop Series 2023
Frontier and Hamburg faculty and staff will be notified of new Pro-Growth offerings directly through their school email. Registration link for each course is found after the dates/instructor.
UPDATE: COURSE FEES WAIVED THIS YEAR
Cancellation: In deference to our instructors and their prep time, if you must withdraw, please do at least 5 days prior to the first session If you do not inform us of your withdrawal, you may be billed a late cancellation fee of $50
District Approval: Please take care of any required prior approvals using your district's procedure. We do not process prior approvals for stipends or professional credit.
Hamburg TEACHER AIDES: We have received your feedback and are working on offering just for you. We promise to offer 2-3 more courses this year to help you meet your pro-growth needs.
ALL PRO-GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES ARE FREE THIS YEAR!
District-Approved Guided Book Studies
Guided book studies are a mix of group discussion of the reading and asynchronous activities that reinforce and expand your learning. These are 15 hours of CTLE and/or pro-growth credit. Participation in both the online discussion and the activities is expected to be given the full 15 hours of credit. This is NOT and independent book study. Group discussions will be held using a format such as Google Meet or Zoom.
What Happened to You?
(book by Perry & Winfrey)
Through deeply personal conversations Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey explore how what happens to us in early childhood influences the people we become. They challenge us to shift our thinking from "what is wrong with you?" to "what happened to you?" The focus is not only on a new understanding of people's behavior but also on trauma's effects on our own lives and the lives of our students. It is a subtle but profound shift in our approach to trauma that allows each of us to understand our past so that we may clear a path to our healthy future. It allows us as teachers to help our students work through their trauma.
Participants will develop understanding and skills that student behavior is not because the child is "bad". there are direct links between childhood trauma and ADHD (symptoms) and other behavior issues. If we understand the child, we can understand behaviors and work in a trauma informed manner to address issues that hinder learning. Meets SEL Goal Beanchmarks: 1a, 1b, c 2a, 2d, 3a & 3b
No Course Fee: ONLINE COURSE Synchronous/Asynchronous
Instructor: Karen Waugaman, Niagara Falls Schools
Thursdays, April 20-June 1, 2023
ONLINE SYNCHRONOUS SESSIONS ON: April 20, May 4, May 18 & June 1
4:00-5:00PM
Asynchronous activities will be assigned in between online sessions.
Book provided for loan if requested
Approved for Teachers, and Social Workers/Counselors
Registration open Closes April 10
Before You Quit Teaching
(book by Ruby Payne)
In this book study we will discuss hurdles and challenges to teachers in the early years of their careers. Using the book as a guide , we will learn what to do early in your career that can ease stress and prolong your career.
Participants will have concrete strategies to use to help prevent burn out and bring back joy to their teaching and classroom.
No Course Fee: ONLINE COURSE Synchronous/Asynchronous
Instructor: Karen Waugaman, Niagara Falls Schools
Tuesdays, April 18-May 30, 2023
ONLINE SYNCHRONOUS SESSIONS ON: April 18, May 2, May 30
4:00-5:00PM
Asynchronous activities will be assigned in between online sessions.
Book is available as a FREE download online at
https://www.ahaprocess.com/byqt/ You may also purchase a copy on your own from this site or Amazon.
Approved for Teachers, and Social Workers/Counselors
Registration open Closes April 10
Deciphering Danielson's Domains:
Strategies for delivering & documenting aligned lessons
Instructor: Amber Chandler
Target Audience: Teachers
Approvals: Frontier and Hamburg Pro-Growth - APPROVED for TENURE
15 HOURS: NO FEE
SLOT B Tuesdays May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
4:30-6:30 0PM Synchronous Zoom Meeting
Category: Instructional Strategies, Best Practice, Tenure Option
REGISTER
Registration Open Now-Closes April 18th
Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom
Target Audience: Teachers
Instructors: Jonathan Erwin
15 HOURS: NO FEE
Tuesdays: Hybrid Schedule below
Synchronous Google Meets March 28, April 18 & May 2 4:15-7:00PM
Asynchronous work will be assigned the weeks of April 11, 25 and May 9th.
Category: SEL/Classroom Management/Best Practices/Strategies
REGISTER
Registration Open-Closes 3/15
Different Not Less: Strategies for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Target Audience: Teacher Aides, Teachers, Admins, Counselors/ Social Workers
This is a great course for Teacher/Teacher Aide Team to take together!
Approvals: FRONTIER & HAMBURG FOR PRO-GROWTH
15 HOURS NO FEE
Instructor: Kim Mattioli
Tuesdays: April 11, 18, 25, May 2 & 9
4:15-6:15PM IN-PERSON at Big Tree Elementary School LMC
Category: Special Education, Effective Instructional Strategies, Best Practices
Registration Open Closes 4/4
TEACHER AIDE COURSES
Different Not Less: Strategies for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Target Audience: Teacher Aides, Teachers, Admins, Counselors/ Social Workers
This is a great course for Teacher/Teacher Aide Team to take together!
Approvals: FRONTIER & HAMBURG FOR PRO-GROWTH
15 HOURS NO FEE
Instructor: Kim Mattioli
Tuesdays: April 11, 18, 25, May 2 & 9
4:15-6:15PM IN-PERSON at Blasdell Elementary School LMC
Category: Special Education Slot (TAs), Effective Instructional Strategies, Best Practices
Registration Open Closes 4/4
Intro to Effective Behavioral Approaches for Classroom Management
Target Audience: Teacher Aides
Approval: HAMBURG
Instructor: Mary Galac
Wednesdays: May 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31
Time: 4:00-5:30PM ONLINE ZOOM MEETING with Asynchronous homework in-between sessions
Registration Open-Closes 4/20
This satisfies a CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SLOT
The Far West Teachers Center Network has created a series of free
ONLINE ASYNCHRONOUS PATHWAYS
These may allow you to “Build your Own” Course. Each pathway features 4 skills sessions and a final wrap up for 5 CTLE Hours. Bundle them to create a 15 hour Pro-Growth to meet your needs. Pathways include:
SEL - Culturally Responsive Education - Technology - Google Classroom - and Creating Safe Environments
Check them out here!
https://sites.google.com/view/fw-digital-badges/home
You will need to submit these for PDP approval. They are not pre-approved as STC isn’t directly offering them.
FREE WORKSHOP SERIES
STC is happy to offer this unique workshop series. Each session is a 3 hours stand alone workshop. You can take all 5 to complete a 15 hour pro-growth in Social Emotional Learning or just take the ones that appeal to you. You will need to submit these for PDP approval. STC does not submit workshops for pre-approval by the districts.
Meet the Instructor
Jon Erwin is currently the WNY Teachers’ Center Director. He is also an author of several book on this subject matter and has 30+ years experience as a Professional Development Trainer.
May 1st ONLINE 4:00-7:00PM
Gender Issues in the Classroom
More students than ever are identifying as LGBTQ+. Many teachers are unsure how to support these students in the classroom. Participants in this interactive synchronous online workshop will:
- Hear students speak out about issues they face in school.
- Understand appropriate LGBTQ+ terminology
- Learn the statistics regarding the risks LGBTQ+ students face
- Hear several of the myths re: LGBTQ+ students, busted.
- Learn specific ways teachers can support their LBGTQ students.
*Mr. Erwin also the Father of a Transgender teen
May 8th IN-PERSON 4:00-7:00 Big Tree Elementary RM 168
Relationships in the Classroom
This workshop focuses on the three most important rules in Education: Relationships, Relationships, Relationships! Research shows that there is a direct relationship between the quality of the student-teacher and student-student relationships and student learning, In this interactive synchronous online workshop will:
- Gain a compelling research-based rationale for intentionally building relationships in the classroom.
- Learn specific strategies and activities that build relationships WITH students
- learn specific strategies and activities that build relationships AMONG students.
May 15th ONLINE 4:00-7:00 Presenter has authored 2 books on this subject
Restorative Discipline
Traditional behavior management is based on rewards and consequences, which decades of research have shown to be ineffective. Restorative discipline, with it's foundations in Restorative Justice, provides a different approach, one with strengthens the student, maintains or improves the student-teacher relationship, and makes repeated offenses far less likely. Participants in this workshop will:
- Understand the problems with consequences and reward systems
- Learn how to provide students with a voice in creating a safe, connected classroom.
- Learn to use an effective restorative conferencing protocol.
May 22 IN-PERSON Big Tree Elementary School RM 168 Presenter has authored 3 books on this subject
Productive Play
The need to play is not only a universal human need, but scientists link play to learning. Playing is also linked to relationship-building as well as physical and emotional health. In this workshop, participants will learn dozens of ways of incorporating play in ways that:
- Build relationships
- Help students learn academic content
- Teach important social-emotional skills.
- Energize students
- Reduce stress
May 31 ONLINE 4:00-7:00
Teacher Wellness: Maintaining Life Balance
Teaching, never an easy job, seems to be more stressful now than ever before. And while teachers focus on meeting their students' needs (and often the needs of their own children, parents, etc.), they often ignore their own needs, resulting in emotional and/or physical distress. In this workshop, participants will:
- Gain an understanding of their own physical and psychological needs
- Learn about their own personal needs hierarchy
- Use a self-evaluation tool to assess how effectively they are meeting their needs.
- Make a plan to more effectively take care of themselves
Other Pro-Growth Opportunities
We are happy to share opportunities for professional development from other teacher centers in the Far West Network as well as from community partners.
These course are not sponsored by STC. Registration link are provided with the descriptions.
https://www.nysteachercenters.org/