Professional Development Courses

One licensure renewal credit for each of the following courses:

Check out our upcoming professional development courses & register online →

PEI License Renewal Credit Class Half Price Awards  – Up to $1000 Available

Apply now!  PEIF is offering half price scholarships for educators attending PEI Professional Development Classes. These scholarships are intended to help classroom teachers expand their professional skills and knowledge in areas of ethics, classroom management, dyslexia, leadership, financial literacy, and STEM.

To apply for a scholarship, please submit a paragraph to info@peiowa.org describing the workshop you wish to attend and the direct benefits you expect this opportunity to bring to you and to your students.

Scholarship awards will be applied directly to the Professional Development class specified in the application (limit one per person per year).

Upcoming Events:

Views Navigation

Event Views Navigation

Today

Teaching for Financial Literacy Success with “S.T.E.A.M.” With Joanne Kuster – July 15/16

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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 ...

Ethical Educators with Terry Gladfelter & Bryan Stearns – January 31/Feb 1

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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 ...

Ethical Educators with Terry Gladfelter & Bryan Stearns – June 11/12 – CLOSED

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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 ...

Career Savers with Nathan Arnold, Terry Gladfelter, & Bryan Stearns – June 25/26

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

This course will provide materials and information that brings awareness to your career protection.  Topics covered will be classroom management, Code of Professional Ethics, teacher evaluations, legal issues, master contracts, teacher handbooks, school board policy, effective communication skills, and documentation. If you wish to take this class remotely via Zoom conference call, please email info@peiowa.org.  Instructors: Nathan Arnold, Terry Gladfelter, ...

Financial Planning for Teachers with Mike Johnson – July 21/22 – CLOSED

ZOOM ONLY

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 ...

Cognitive Strategies to Fuel Mastery of Math Facts, Algorithms, and Concepts with Elizabeth Hoksbergen – August 3/4

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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, ...

Ethical Educators with Terry Gladfelter & Bryan Stearns – June 17/18

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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 ...

Uniquely Wired: Creating a (Dyslexia) Friendly Classroom Environment with Elizabeth Hoksbergen – June 24/25

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 ...

PEI Legal Lab – Legal Knowledge is Power with Nathaniel E. Arnold, J.D. – June 30/July 1

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 ...

Financial Planning for Teachers with Mike Johnson – July 7/8 – ZOOM ONLY

ZOOM ONLY

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 ...

Ethical Educators with Terry Gladfelter & Bryan Stearns – July 19/20

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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 ...

A Comprehensive Framework for Facilitating Fluency Development in Reading, Spelling, Writing, and Mathematics with Elizabeth Hoksbergen – July 29/30

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 ...

The Enneagram as a Lens for Understanding Student Behavior: A Tool for Increasing Empathy, Compassion & Resilience – for Self and Others November 30, December 7, 14 – Tuesday Classes

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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 ...

April 14, 15 – The Enneagram as a Lens for Understanding Student Behavior: A Tool for Increasing Empathy, Compassion & Resilience – with Barb Ranck

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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 ...

June 23-24 – Doubling Down on Dyslexia – with Elizabeth Hoksbergen

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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 ...

June 19-20 – Applied Improvisation in the Classroom – with Joe Van Haecke

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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 ...

June 10-11 – Differentiation = Classroom Management – with Lora Danker

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

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 ...

June 20-21 – PEI Legal Lab – with Nathan Arnold, Esq.

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

Thursday, June 20 - Friday, June 21 (8:00 am – 4:30 pm) AVAILABLE IN PERSON OR BY ZOOM 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 ...

June 27-28 – Creating a Dyslexia Friendly Classroom Environment – with Elizabeth Hoksbergen

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

Thursday, June 27 & Friday, June 28 (8:00 am – 4:30 pm)   This 15-hour course will provide a thorough investigation how to design instructional supports for students with dyslexia. This course will equip general classroom and special education teachers with the necessary knowledge and tools to design a learning environment that supports the achievement of students with dyslexia while facilitating ...

July 11-12, 2024 – Ethical Educators – with Terry Gladfelter and Nathan Arnold, Esq.

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

Thursday, July 11- Friday, July 12(8:00 am - 4:30 pm) Course Description 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 ...

July 22-23 – Human Trafficking in Our Schools

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

Monday, July 22 - Tuesday, July 23 (8:00 am – 4:30 pm) Course Description This course will provide awareness, education, and resources for educators to recognize and appropriately respond to trafficking scenarios they may encounter in the schools and communities in which they serve.   Through lecture, video, facilitated discussions and a survivor testimony, those attending will learn:   Human trafficking – what it is and ...

July 24-25 – Navigating Student Behaviors & Motivations through a Trauma-Informed Lens – with Barb Ranck

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

Wednesday, July 24 - Thursday, July 25 (8:00 am – 4:30 pm)  IN PERSON OR ZOOM Experienced educators have likely observed declining attention spans and rising disruptive behavior among students, alongside increased workloads and diminished support from administration or parents. How can educators effectively manage classroom interactions and advocate for themselves in such challenging circumstances? This program offers insights to ...

August 6-7 – An Educator’s Guide to PTSD in Children – with Jolene Philo

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

Tuesday, August 6 & Wednesday, August 7 (8:00 am – 4:30 pm)   Are you serving students who are dealing with trauma? Are you wondering if they might even have PTSD? This course explains causes and symptoms of PTSD in children of all ages, looks at recent research about how PTSD changes a child's brain, and reviews treatment, methods, and prevention ...

August 12-13 – The 5 Love Languages: A Tool for Fostering Healthy Connections with Students and Improving School Climate – with Jolene Philo

PEI Conference Center 974 73rd Street, Suite 30, West Des Moines, IA, United States

IN PERSON ONLY - Monday, August 12 & Tuesday, August 13 (8:00 am – 4:30 pm)   Research shows that positive connections between teachers and students can increase academic achievement in students. This course introduces participants to the 5 love languages and how to identify their students' primary love languages. It shows educators how to use the love languages to create ...