Professional Development Courses

Instructor: Joan Kuster July 15/16 (Mon/Tues) 8:00 am – 4:30 pm $40 PEI member, $60 non-member, $115 for graduate credit through Drake University This 15-hour course is targeted to educators who want to go beyond the basics in personal finance with plenty of S.T.E.A.M. (Strategies, Tools, Examples, Activities about Money). Any educator who may teach a financial literacy class (as ...

With the increase in litigation and risk, it is important for educators to know the legal and ethical boundaries while working with students. The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE), the Department of Education (DOE), Professional Educators of Iowa (PEI), and individual school districts all have polices that need to ...

With the increase in litigation and risk, it is important for educators to know the legal and ethical boundaries while working with students. The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE), the Department of Education (DOE), Professional Educators of Iowa (PEI), and individual school districts all have polices that need to ...

Instructor: Mike Johnson July 21/22 (Tues/Wed) 8:00 am – 4:30 pm $40 PEI member, $60 non-member · 1 licensure renewal credit. Many educators view financial planning as a very personal matter – and it is!  Mike Johnson, as a former educator at Southeast Polk, understands this through the lens of a teacher and now as a financial planner.  His expertise ...

Math can be painfully difficult for some students with dyslexia. They frequently struggle with the mechanics of math, including fact retrieval and remembering the sequence of steps in long division or the order of operations. Is it possible to foster math fact fluency, propel procedural memory, and reinforce conceptual learning without undue psychological angst? Yes, it is not only possible, ...

With the increase in litigation and risk, it is important for educators to know the legal and ethical boundaries while working with students. The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE), the Department of Education (DOE), Professional Educators of Iowa (PEI), and individual school districts all have polices that need to ...

This 15-hour course will provide a thorough investigation of the five cognitive-linguistic domains most commonly associated with dyslexia as well as how to design instructional supports for students with deficits in these areas. Over the two-day course the participant will gain a deep understanding of phonological processing, orthographic awareness, rapid naming, memory function, and processing (and perceptual) speed along with ...

Navigate the legal pitfalls that can besiege Iowa teachers in an increasingly complex landscape. Learn the history and application of modern education law. Be equipped to use the law to protect your careers. Some of the topics to be covered are 1st amendment rights, social media, special education, reporting obligations, contracts, assault, electronic issues, FMLA, workers comp, and a host ...

Instructor: Mike Johnson July 7/8 (Wed/Thurs) 8:00 am – 4:30 pm $60 PEI member, $100 non-member · 1 licensure renewal credit. Many educators view financial planning as a very personal matter – and it is!  Mike Johnson, as a former educator at Southeast Polk, understands this through the lens of a teacher and now as a financial planner.  His expertise ...

With the increase in litigation and risk, it is important for educators to know the legal and ethical boundaries while working with students. The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE), the Department of Education (DOE), Professional Educators of Iowa (PEI), and individual school districts all have polices that need to ...

Helping students move from accuracy to automaticity across the spectrum of literacy and math skills can be a daunting, discouraging process. How do we facilitate automatic, fluent reading, spelling, writing, and math skills in students who struggle with word recognition, decoding, word retrieval, rapid naming, processing speed, math fact retrieval, and recall of procedural steps? Is it even possible for ...

This course, taught by a certified Enneagram coach, will provide awareness, education, and resources for educators to identify and appropriately respond to student – and peer - behaviors they encounter in the classroom. The 9 Personality Types of the Enneagram are driven by their own set of core emotions, fears, and beliefs.  Understanding these 9 Personalities increases empathy and compassion ...

This course, taught by a certified Enneagram coach, will provide awareness, education, and resources for educators to identify and appropriately respond to student and peer behaviors they encounter in the classroom. The 9 Personality Types of the Enneagram are driven by their own set of core emotions, fears, and beliefs.  Understanding these 9 Personalities increases empathy and compassion – for ...

Thursday, June 23 - Friday, June 24 (8:00am - 4:30pm) Course Description When it comes to dyslexia, we are in the beginning phase of turning the tide for students and teachers in Iowa. In this engaging course Elizabeth Hoksbergen invites you to join her for an interactive adventure to learn all about dyslexia. Together, we will travel through understanding the ...

IN PERSON ONLY - Monday, June 19 and Tuesday, June 20 (8:00am - 4:30pm) Improvisation is the performance art of adapting to random situations, thinking on your feet, and problem solving with others. Applied Improvisation uses the tenets of improvisation to bring those skills into the workforce, classroom, and everyday life. It provides a set of tools to participants, where ...

Monday, June 10 - Tuesday, June 11 (8:00am - 4:30pm) Great teachers have a ready tool kit of differentiated strategies that make their classrooms centers of learning. To share those strategies with other educators only makes us as individuals stronger and our classrooms more engaging. This course will provide participants with opportunities to engage in conversation and best practice work ...