Kids who struggle with challenging behaviors get caught in a negative cycle: bad behaviors lead to negative interactions with adults which leads to more bad behaviors. Learn how to build positive relationships with your students who need it the most.

Hugging Porcupines II: In this second Hugging Porcupines course, educators will explore many more practical strategies for supporting kids who struggle with behavior in school. Much of the course centers around strategies connected with three interconnected elements of a great learning environment: great academic work, positive relationships, and respectful discipline. There are also tips and strategies for specific times of year, so educators can support porcupines all year long.

This is a follow-up to the original Hugging Porcupine course. Completion in HP I is not required but preference will be given to those educators who engaged with that course and/or the live session with Mike Anderson.

This course has open enrollment. Once registrations are processed, an introductory email will be sent within one week. Participants have until June 12, 2026 to complete the coursework. There are NO synchronous meetings for this course.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has approved a certification pathway to help address the growing shortage of certified special education teachers across New York. Certified Special Educators who currently hold a New York State Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2) certification and wish to extend their certification to include Grades 3-4 are invited to enroll in a focused three-course series consisting of:

Knowledge of Students

Instructional Strategies

Professional Practice

Collectively, these 45 hours meet NYSED Special Education CTLE requirements for extending an existing Students with Disabilities certification. Teachers who complete the 45-hour program and meet the required teaching experience criteria will be eligible to apply for the certification extension through NYSED. Prerequisites for enrollment include holding a NYS Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2) certification and having a minimum of three years of experience teaching Grade 1 and/or Grade 2. NOTE: Participants are responsible for submitting all required certificates and documentation directly to NYSED for certification extension review.

Note: It is the responsibility of the participant to submit certificates and all necessary documentation to NYSED for certification extension consideration.

To be culturally competent, all people-especially educators-need a blend of cultural self-awareness, cultural knowledge, skills, and a sustained commitment to growth. Teachers need cultural competency because education happens in a cultural context. Each classroom reflects a broader world, filled with students from diverse cultural and social identity backgrounds. Culturally competent teachers are better prepared to build trusting relationships with all students; create inclusive and culturally responsive classrooms for all students; and foster learning environments that are less biased, more open-minded, communicative, collaborative, and just. Designed and facilitated by Dr. Meredith Madden, Cultural Competence Matters is an asynchronous and self-paced course created to increase teachers' understanding and development of cultural competency in effort to create classroom spaces rooted in belonging and opportunity for all students. Through foundational content knowledge, real-world classroom-based scenarios, and effective and ready-to-use classroom strategies, teachers will complete the course prepared to cultivate cultural competency in the K12 classroom.

This course is aligned with the CRSE framework as well as many Portrait of a Graduate competencies and specifically competencies for Effective Communicator, Critical Thinker, Cultural Competence, Empathy, Global Citizen, and Social-Emotional Competence

This course has open enrollment. Once registrations are processed, an introductory email will be sent within two weeks. We offer have 4 cohorts; Summer (7/07/25-10/06/25), Fall (10/06/25-1/05/26), Winter (1/05/26-4/6/26), and Spring (4/06/26-6/15/26) so please plan accordingly to select the season that aligns best with your schedule.

In the face of growing challenges in education, it's easy to feel overwhelmed-but hope is not lost. This webinar offers a healing-centered approach to rekindle purpose, resilience, and empowerment for both educators and students. Through strengths-based strategies, community care, and practical tools for fostering well-being, we will explore ways to transform struggle into growth. Participants will leave with renewed inspiration and actionable steps to create learning environments that prioritize healing, connection, and sustainable change.