continuing education courses

Social Emotional Learning

How to Integrate Social Emotional Learning With Mindfulness Techniques

This course will give teachers of students in Kindergarten through eighth grade an in depth look at Iowa’s new Social Emotional Competencies and provide them with tools to confidently integrate these competencies into the classroom. Through education into each SEL standard and benchmark, teachers will develop an understanding of how to help students gain a more accurate perception of themselves and their emotions in relation to: self, others, and environment. 

Yoga for Elementary Teachers

How to Use Yoga and Mindfulness in the Classroom

Through this course, participants will gain a greater understanding about the many components of yoga and how they can be incorporated into the elementary school setting.  Through Challenge to Change’s research-based Five Parts of Practice, teachers will gain insight into how full length lessons and shorter activities can support instruction of the whole child.  In addition to many other topics, seated practices, yoga poses/movement, breath practices and guided visualizations will be explored.  Participants will leave feeling empowered to incorporate meditation, mindfulness, and yoga into their own lives as well as their classrooms.  

Yoga for Secondary Teachers

How to Use Yoga and Mindfulness in the Classroom

Yoga for Secondary Teachers, is designed to help teachers and educational staff create classroom and school environments that encourage social-emotional wellbeing, as well as physical movement, through the practice of yoga and mindfulness. Participants will develop an understanding of how yoga and mindfulness can be used with middle and high school students in a way that helps them develop socially, emotionally, and physically. This will be achieved through a series of breathing exercises, yoga poses, games/activities, and discussions. Lastly, when teachers prioritize their own self-care, they can bring the best versions of themselves to the classroom. Because of this, teacher self-care will be highlighted throughout this course.

Mindful Games

How to make learning mindfulness in the classroom fun and engaging

Throughout this course, educators will learn what mindfulness is and how it can help children socially, cognitively and behaviorally. Educators will also explore the practices of mindfulness including breathing, guided meditation, sensory work, and body movement.

Breathing New Life into your Classroom

How to incorporate the power of breath practices into your classroom

Participants will learn to bring new energy to their daily morning meetings by understanding how it authentically connects to community building, social-emotional learning, and academic achievement throughout the school day. Throughout this course, participants will engage in daily morning meetings and learn about the components of a morning meeting.