Your college preparation to become a teacher is but the first step in learning to teach. The art and science of
teaching is multi-faceted and best learned through a combination of professional practice and ongoing professional
development. After meeting the demands of professional practice, as a classroom teacher or school administrator,
only limited time is left for professional development. It is important, then, to find quality professional development
resources that can flexibly fit into your busy schedule. KDP Connect offers research-based online courses that provide
practical professional guidance for preservice, new, and veteran teachers. Each course series is divided into small,
manageable chunks that may be completed in one or more sessions as your schedule allows.
Appropriate for teachers at all experience levels, KDP Connect’s course series address issues of concern:
Classroom Management; Differentiated Instruction and Assessment. Each course within a series is
comprised of about four topics, each of which requires an average of 30 minutes to complete. You may choose to complete
one or more courses in the series in any order that best fits your professional growth needs. Upon completion of any
course, a certificate of achievement is awarded that you may print and add to your professional development portfolio.
Click on a title below to begin your online learning experience, or click the
description link for a course overview.
The Course Tour video is also available.
Classroom Management Series:
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problems using any links below.
Assessment and Differentiated Instruction Series:
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problems using any links below.
Classroom Management Course 1:
Set the Stage
Classroom management is the backbone of teaching.
If a teacher does not have control of the classroom climate, materials, and students,
it is nearly impossible to teach or facilitate learning. On the other hand,
many of the best teachers do not appear to rule with an iron fist,
but instead work with each student’s strengths and weaknesses to draw all students to a learning experience.
Whether you are a preservice, new, or veteran teacher, this course is designed to give you ideas and strategies
you can put into practice immediately.
Classroom Management Course 1: Set the Stage
Your Attitude and Style
Assessing your level of comfort
Identifying traits of classroom managers
Assessing your professional style
Time Management
Capturing precious time
Learning to make the most of your time
Finding useful tips and forms to save time
Routines in the Day
Running the class
Teaching lessons
Interacting in the classroom
Teaching the routines
Expectations and Cues
Learning what expectations are
Communicating expectations
Giving cues
Enter Course 1:
Set the Stage
Classroom Management Course 2:
Establish a Positive Environment
The way your classroom is arranged and how you communicate with your students and their
parents influences how you teach and how your class develops group dynamics. The first week,
especially the first day, of the new school year will greatly impact the climate of your classroom
throughout the year. What students see and feel sets the stage for their learning. Even if you are
already past the first week, you still can make changes that will facilitate enhanced group dynamics,
more engaged learning, and deeper communication.
Classroom Management Course 2: Establish a Positive Environment
Your Room and Materials
Arranging your room
Supporting tasks
Providing security and pleasure
Providing clues about the people in the room
Positive Relationships
Using nametags and seating charts
Creating respectful, caring relationships
Getting to know your students
Teaching social skills
Group Dynamics
Using positive comments
Building relationships
Understanding group development
Sharing responsibilities
Giving choices
All the Stakeholders
Communicating with students
Communicating with parents
Communicating with administrators
Communicating with colleagues
Enter Course 2:
Establish a Positive Environment
Classroom Management Course 3:
Create a Productive Climate
Once your classroom is set up to be a positive and efficient environment, classroom management
then focuses on the interactions of the teacher with the students. Research shows that students
who are actively engaged in their learning are more likely to understand and retain information.
Additionally, they learn to apply what they have learned to new situations. Learning new teaching
strategies for reaching students is a lifelong process for a good teacher. Some of what you will
encounter in this course may be familiar to you, but you may pick up some new techniques or think
of new ways to apply techniques you already know.
Classroom Management Course 3: Create a Productive Climate
Competence
Constructing content to build competence
Relating to your students
Helping students relate to one another
Integrating academic content with social competence
Active Learning
Motivating through teacher-student interactions
Stimulating with student-led activities
Invigorating with individual student discoveries
Student Engagement
Engaging students in active learning
Establishing cooperative learning
Creating project-based learning
Designing service learning
Class Meetings
Knowing how to use class meetings
Learning guidelines for class meetings
Conducting effective class meetings
Maintaining do’s and don’ts of class meetings
Enter Course 3:
Create a Productive Climate
Classroom Management Course 4:
Implement Behavioral Consequences
Behind every classroom management plan is a set of values. These values may be the values of you,
the teacher, or a shared set agreed upon by you and your students. Whichever type of values you use,
they produce specific expected behaviors through the rules that are developed from them. And obeying
or disobeying the rules results in consequences—both positive and negative. This progression is the basis
of behavior management. While you may have a behavior management plan in place, you may not have a full
understanding of why it is or is not working. As you work through this course, you will be able to fine
tune your plan to fit your students’ needs.
Classroom Management Course 4: Implement Behavioral Consequences
Values and Expected Behaviors
Identifying values within your expectations
Learning the difference between values and rules
Collaborating on important values
Rules Re-written
Reflecting on your rules
Working with rules about rules
Re-writing your rules with your class
Behavioral Consequences
Rewarding positive behavior
Dealing with misbehavior
Responding to rule infractions
Documenting behavior
Behavioral Management
Planning behavior management techniques
Creating your classroom behavior management plan
Heeding a dozen do’s and don’ts for behavior management
Enter Course 4:
Implement Behavioral Consequences
Classroom Management Course 5:
Mitigate the Power Struggle
Even veteran teachers, with general classroom management issues under control, occasionally find
themselves in the midst of a power struggle with one or more students or among students. While you
cannot anticipate every potential conflict, you can help minimize conflict by maintaining a consistent
structure, continually monitoring student behavior, and being alert to the signs of student distress
that can easily lead to conflict. This course examines the issues and warning signs of conflict,
shares strategies for prevention or mitigation of power struggles, and suggests ways to work with
students who are “tough to teach.”
Classroom Management Course 5: Mitigate the Power Struggle
Anatomy of a Power Struggle
Gaining insight through the “back story” and the conflict cycle
Seeing the “same” struggle, “different” classroom
Avoiding the power struggle
Compliance and Cooperation
Teaching and modeling strategies for gaining needed skills
Scaffolding content and learning tasks
Teaching students appropriate ways to problem-solve
Power Struggle De-escalation
Recognizing and managing stages of anger, anxiety, and aggression
Learning and teaching conflict resolution strategies
Showing students you care
The Tough to Teach
Dealing with a difficult class
Dealing with difficult behavior – top 10 do’s and don’ts
Dreading difficult parents vs. siding with parents
Giving up? Never!
Enter Course 5:
Mitigate the Power Struggle
Classroom Management Course 6:
Facilitate Resilience
It is as important for teachers as it is for students to maintain physical and mental health, self-monitor
health and stress levels, and make any necessary changes to achieve healthy habits. Strengthening protective
factors, such as outside interests and supportive family or community involvement, may facilitate the
self-righting potential of the individual. A “can-do” classroom culture is created when you establish a
positive set of heroes, build traditions and create customs, and instill pride of ownership for the total
learning experience. This course also addresses how a passion for teaching can make all the difference in
the learning outcomes of the students you serve in your classroom.
Classroom Management Course 6: Facilitate Resilience
Stress and Wellness
Reviewing the teacher’s health and habits
Assessing the students’ health and habits
Outlining needed changes to health
Understanding how stress affects health
Lowering stress to improve mental and physical health
Self-Righting
Impacting youth positively
Using creativity to master skills and concepts
Mentoring your students
Playing to students’ strength
A Can-Do Classroom
Accommodating various learning styles
Recognizing and celebrating the positives
Developing responsibility
Creating enthusiastic life-long learners
Passion for Teaching
Setting goals
Improving your teaching
Focusing on your students
Becoming flexible within structure
Reaching for the stars
Enter Course 6:
Facilitate Resilience
Assessment and Differentiated Instruction Course 1:
Set Goals for Learning
The students in all schools today are more diverse than ever before – representing a wide variety of different cultures,
learning styles, interests, levels of academic readiness, and home situations. In this climate your challenge is not as
much teaching as it is knowing that each student learned on each day in your classroom. The Assessment and
Differentiated Instruction series will provide guidance as you strive to create a user-friendly environment for each
of your students. You will learn how to plan for and design differentiated instruction based on your students’
readiness, interests, abilities, and needs. Various strategies will be presented for you to learn to use. And you
will learn the differences among and how to use various types of assessments needed throughout a learning unit.
The Instructional Process
Setting long-term unit goals
Planning individual lessons
Choosing instructional strategies
Assessing throughout the process
What Students Know, Understand, and Do
Learning about K.U.D.s
Identifying learning objectives
Finding K.U.D.s
Writing unit and behavioral objectives
Assessment and Student Success
Planning lessons to engage students
Connecting assessment to student success
Seeing the assessment photo album
Designing improvement assessments
Understanding learning styles in this picture
Assessment and Learning Outcomes
Planning for outcomes
Matching assessments to K.U.D.s
Using self-assessment and peer assessment
Reflecting on assessment tools
Enter Course 1:
Set Goals for Learning
Assessment and Differentiated Instruction Course 2:
Assess for Learning
Classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse – students speak multiple languages, come from a variety of family
configurations, represent a wide array of cultural groups and ethnic backgrounds, and have varied backgrounds and
levels of academic readiness. Assessment as a tool–a learning tool for you and your students. In this course, you
will learn about three forms of assessment (pre-assessment, formative assessment, and summative assessment), how
to design each form, and how to use them properly. There are several tools you will want to print and keep for
reference. The last topic will help you learn to walk through the process of matching your assessments to your
objectives and outcomes and interpreting the next steps indicated by the results of the assessments.
Pre-assessment Basics
Learning what pre-assessments are
Discovering pre-assessment models
Understanding how to use pre-assessments
Designing pre-assessments
Formative Assessment – For Learning
Understanding the need for formative assessments
Acquiring formative assessment tools
Designing formative assessments
Administering and using formative assessments
Summative Assessment – Of Learning
Identifying types of summative assessments
Deciding what summative assessments to use
Administering summative assessments – when and why
Using the results of summative assessments
Right Assessment, Right Time
Aligning assessments to standards
Selecting the right type of assessment for the content and outcomes
Understanding and designing rubrics
Presenting assessment and grading detail to students and parents
Enter Course 2:
Assess for Learning
Assessment and Differentiated Instruction Course 3:
Differentiate in Steps
There are several ways to differentiate your instruction. You need not pick only one method. Sometimes you can
differentiate more than one of these throughout your unit depending on your unit goals. Starting with the
pre-assessments you give, you will learn which of these ways would be best for your students, how to use it to
accomplish the goals of your unit, and at what point in the unit to use it. Some are low-preparation while others
take more preparation. Some will resonate with the majority of your students while others will be important to use
for students who otherwise would not learn the material.
Pre-assessments to Know What and How to Differentiate
Differentiating by readiness
Differentiating by interest
Differentiating by learning profile
Adjusting instruction
The Content
Teaching based on concepts
Compacting the curriculum
Using varied text and resource materials
Creating learning contracts and mini-lessons
Using a variety of support systems
The Process and Product
Making sense with activities
Creating quality product assignments
Differentiating products for elementary students
Differentiating products for middle and high school students
Right Assessment, Right Time
Aligning assessments to standards
Selecting the right type of assessment for the content and outcomes
Understanding and designing rubrics
Presenting assessment and grading detail to students and parents
The Affect and Learning Environment
Creating a safe and inviting environment
Considering various classroom configurations
Laying the foundation for success
Integrating technology
Enter Course 3:
Differentiate in Steps
Assessment and Differentiated Instruction Course 4:
Engage Students
Differentiating instruction on a daily basis takes time and work, but good teaching has probably made you
familiar with a several low level differentiated strategies. Low level strategies alone do not make a classroom
differentiated. But, they should be used with some of the higher level strategies. Sharing what you do in your
classroom and getting differentiated instruction from others in return can make this journey easier.
The Model
Reviewing your K.U.D.s and pre-assessment feedback
Determining which type of DI
Planning tasks
Providing formative assessments, ongoing feedback, and adjustments
Tiered Instruction
Using low level strategies
Focusing on essential understandings and skills
Trying tiered activities
Cube to Differentiate
Describing and comparing
Associating and analyzing
Applying and arguing
RAFT to Differentiate
Defining the Role
Identifying the Audience
Creating the Format
Covering the Topic
Enter Course 4:
Engage Students
Assessment and Differentiated Instruction Course 5:
Learn New Strategies
In this course you will learn about four vastly different ways of differentiating that range of the low-prep
jigsaw method to the high-prep choice boards. Each takes advantage of your students’ learning styles, interests,
and readiness levels. As with all differentiated instruction, defining the outcomes and big ideas and writing
down essential questions will combine with the information from your pre-assessments to help you design the right
strategy for your students for your present unit of curriculum.
Jigsaws
Creating groups
Assigning “pieces”
Encouraging expertise
Enhancing learning by creating teachers
Graphic Organizers
Organizing conceptually
Organizing sequentially
Taking advantage of learning styles and interests
Offering a choice of graphic organizers
Choice Boards and Tic-Tac-Toe
Using readiness, learning styles, or interests
Giving choices
Creating activities
4-MAT
Learning how people learn
Teaching in brain compatible ways
Providing pictures and labels
Developing skills and creating performances
Extending learning
Enter Course 5:
Learn New Strategies
Assessment and Differentiated Instruction Course 6:
Gather the Pieces
You may choose to do all or part of this course prior to some of the others because you have concerns about
handling your students’ behavior during differentiated instruction or because you have students with very
specialized needs. It is important for you to feel confident in managing your class and capable of meeting all
your students’ needs. However, you can be encouraged in understanding that your goal is not perfection but
persistence in knowing your students and helping them learn to the best of their capabilities.
Management of Your Differentiated Classroom
Accepting noise and movement
Timing activities for student success
Using anchor activities
Planning, anticipating, and planning
Preparing students and parents for changes
The Physical, Social, and Emotional Needs of Students
Meeting survival needs
Avoiding overload and overstimulation
Alleviating anxiety
Facilitating social interactions
Scaffolds and Supports
Providing direct instruction
Building background knowledge
Priming the brain and structuring information
Remembering and experiencing
The Goal: Persistence, not Perfection
Starting slowly, adding to your arsenal
Meeting the needs of gifted/advanced students
Daring to brainstorm and change plans midstream
Teaching: building bridges and coaching for success
Enter Course 6:
Gather the Pieces