Catalog: The Teacher Center of Central Westchester/Central

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1. 114. Effective Vocabulary Strategies for Educators: Enhancing Student Learning

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators PreK-12

Dates: 9/15/2025 to 10/21/2025

" This course is designed for educators who wish to deepen their understanding of vocabulary instruction and develop effective strategies for enhancing vocabulary acquisition and usage in the classroom. Building a strong vocabulary foundation is crucial for student success across all subjects, as it improves reading comprehension, writing proficiency, and overall academic achievement. Through this course, educators will explore research-backed strategies, techniques, and tools to help students master vocabulary and apply it in context."

2. 001: Cornell, Cortland, TCCW Math Workshop: A Collaborative Learning Opportunity(Grant-Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators, Teaching Assistants, Administrators K-12

Dates: 9/27/2025

This 5.5-hour professional learning workshop consists of four interactive sessions designed to engage educators across all grade levels. Each session will address a variety of math topics, featuring presentations, hands-on activities, and opportunities for collaboration. Teachers will: Explore innovative strategies for teaching mathematics. Share ideas and best practices with colleagues. Engage in collaborative problem-solving across grade levels. Leave with practical approaches ready to apply in their classrooms. Workshop Sessions (enroll for all through Frontline): September 27, 2025 October 25, 2025 January 24, 2026 April 11, 2026 Participants may decide to enroll in MATH 5080: First, obtain permission of the instructor (contact Mary Ann Huntley). Second, submit a registration request by the first day of classes for the semester (August 25, 2025) using the SCE online form (https://sce.cornell.edu/courses/register/credit/visiting-fall). Staff at the SCE will communicate next steps in the enrollment process within 10 business days. You will receive instructions for payment as part of the communication from SCE. Attend both of the workshops during the semester. By December 12, 2025, complete a project, lead a session at a workshop, or write a 5-7 page (double spaced) reflection paper (parameters will be determined in consultation with the instructor).

3. 2506.The Hidden Culture of Relational Aggression(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators and Teaching assistants K-12

Dates: 9/29/2025 to 11/3/2025

Relational aggression, which is a type of aggression that involves social manipulation more than physical force, is a critical issue that affects many female (and some male) individuals, particularly in schools and among peers. Knowing that this type of aggression is rather covert and not easily visible, it is more challenging to identify and deal with, often leading to escalated situations between females. Relational aggression is especially relevant concerning mental health and the overall wellbeing of individuals as it can lead to depression, anxiety, increased stress levels, and low self-esteem. Additionally, it can be an indication of future bullying tendencies in counseling, and preventive sessions can help the victim to deal with future situations better. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize and prevent relational aggression, particularly among females, to create a safe and healthy environment. This course will examine why the topic of relational aggression is relevant and important.It will explore the various kinds of relational aggression, the causes and risk factors, the effects, and strategies for prevention and intervention. Participants will complete assigned readings and respond to questions, share from their past experiences, and create presentations and tools to use specifically within their own school communities.

4. 109 Aiming Towards Eliminating Problem Behaviors

Program: Online Courses

Audience: K-12

Dates: 10/1/2025 to 11/11/2025

Every teacher across the country deals with some form of a problem behavior in the classroom. This course will present strategies for preventing these behaviors and responding to them. Participants will develop the capacity to provide a caring, energetic and safe classroom atmosphere where all students are encouraged and engaged. Participants will also examine methods for adapting instruction to prevent behaviors before they occur.

5. 119. Literacy Instruction and Differentiation For Students With Special Needs

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators Pre-K- 12

Dates: 10/1/2025 to 11/3/2025

Participants will develop knowledge and competencies allowing them to provide appropriate and effective instruction, intervention and differentiation for students experiencing difficulties in acquiring literacy skills.

6. 2527. Learn about MLLs (Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators PreK-12

Dates: 10/1/2025 to 10/8/2025

Who are our MLLs and what is Part 154? How can you help them succeed? Do you know how to establish a strong bond with the families? What are the different levels of proficiency and how do you differentiate instruction? In this workshop you will learn how to get your classroom ready to welcome and support your MLLs. We will also discuss strategies to engage and motivate

7. 2205. Differentiation and Scaffolding Strategies for Content Literacy -grant funded.

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators K-12

Dates: 10/4/2025 to 11/8/2025

Differentiation consists of the efforts of teachers to respond to variance among learners in the classroom. The four elements to differentiate are environment, content, process, and products. Data and scaffolding strategies inform the pedagogical decisions for both teacher presentation and student acquisition. Our online learning community will explore instructional strategies and Ai tools to meet the needs of diverse learners including ELLs and SWDs by scaffolding reading, writing, and discourse, as well as student demonstration of what they know and can do, in any grade and content area. During asynchronous hours, you will engage with professional readings and videos, and plan implementation. Grant-funded.

8. 2501. Fostering Resilient Learners with Trauma Informed Classrooms Book Study( grant funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators K-12

Dates: 10/6/2025 to 11/3/2025

Closed
Working with trauma-affected students and their teachers, Fostering Resilient Learners will help you cultivate a trauma-sensitive learning environment for students across all content areas, grade levels, and educational settings. The authors--a mental health therapist and a veteran principal--provide proven, reliable strategies to help you. Educators will understand what trauma is and how it hinders the learning, motivation, and success of all students in the classroom and build strong relationships and create a safe space to enable students to learn at high levels. Educators may adopt a strengths-based approach that leads them to recalibrate how they view destructive student behaviors and to perceive what students need to break negative cycles. This will help to head off frustration and burnout with essential self-care techniques that will help educators and their students flourish.

9. 101:Social Media/Technology: Education & Mental Health -

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators k-12

Dates: 10/7/2025 to 11/18/2025

Course Description: This course will explore the intricate relationship between social media/technology, education, and mental health. From understanding social platforms' positive and negative impacts to navigating legal and ethical considerations, students delve into practical strategies for safe and effective social media use. Through engaging activities and discussions, students develop the skills to promote digital literacy, foster positive mental health, and leverage social media for educational and advocacy purposes. You will be asked to look at social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, and more, but never asked to share personal information or your accounts. After this course, you will be empowered digital citizens capable of navigating the complexities of social media with confidence and purpose

10. 2025. Not Your Granny's Grammar: An Innovative Approach to Meaningful and Engaging Grammar Instruction (Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Teachers, Teaching Assistants K-12

Dates: 10/7/2025 to 11/11/2025

Mid-century modern might work for furniture, but it's not the answer for grammar study-there's a better way! Join us for a lively discussion of Not Your Granny's Grammar, a fresh approach to teaching and learning grammar that breaks free from outdated rules and rigid structures. Author Patty McGee will lead this engaging course, sharing simple, powerful (and free!) tools that build grammar knowledge and, more importantly, practical, real-world application. The first five consortium members who register will receive a free copy of Not Your Granny's Grammar. All other participants will be required to purchase the book as part of the course.

11. 2508.Bridge the Gap with Online Assessment Tools(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators and Teaching Assistants PreK-12

Dates: 10/8/2025 to 11/5/2025

Wait List
Learn, use, and create appropriate online assessments to bridge the gap. Participants in this course will use tech tools such as Quizizz, Edpuzzle, Google Forms, and Nearpod to help students learn and succeed. By the end of the course, each participant will be comfortable with these tools, including navigating the site, creating an assessment, accessing ready-made assessments, and analyzing the data. Note: The instructor will offer office hours to support teachers, and the last class will be one hour, and participants will share the assessments they created. Details will be shared at the first class.

12. 2523.Optimizing Teaching & Learning Utilizing Artificial Intelligence(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators and Teaching Assistants K-12

Dates: 10/9/2025 to 11/6/2025

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a contemporary, cutting-edge tool with numerous capabilities for enhancing teaching and learning. In this course, participants will explore innovative strategies for integrating AI into lessons and assessments, aiming to optimize student engagement and interest. A variety of AI tools will be introduced to amplify instruction in K-12 classrooms.

13. 2515. Anxiety In The Classroom(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators K-12

Dates: 10/9/2025 to 11/6/2025

Closed
This course will explore a variety of anxiety disorders and the symptoms that may appear in the classroom. The course will seek to address concerns of teachers and support staff in addressing and dealing with the impacts that anxiety can have on students in relation to school. Additionally, we will discuss strategies, accommodations, testing accommodations, IEP and 504 plans and how they are used for children with Anxiety Disorders.

14. 2533. Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators and Teaching Assistants K-12

Dates: 10/21/2025 to 12/2/2025

This course equips K-12 teachers with strategies to enhance math discourse by leveraging student thinking. Many educators worry about content coverage or responding effectively to students' ideas in real time. This course introduces the Five Practices, a structured approach that reduces the need for on-the-spot improvisation. Teachers will learn to anticipate student contributions, plan effective responses, and guide discussions to deepen mathematical understanding-all while maintaining a student-centered approach.

15. 2540.Best Practices to provide equitable access for MLLs: K-5( Grant- Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators K-5

Dates: 11/5/2025 to 11/12/2025

In this workshop we will discuss strategies and scaffolds that we can build into our lessons to make them more accessible for MLLs. We will consider ways to build on students' background knowledge and how to provide ample opportunities for student participation. We will review tasks that take into account academic content across all four modalities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Sue Baichwal will be facilitating this workshop. She is an ENL teacher in the Arlington School district and also an adjunct lecturer for SUNY New Paltz.

16. 2518.Building Dynamic Art Curriculum: Writing New Units Inspired by Contemporary & Modern Artists(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators PreK-8

Dates: 11/10/2025 to 12/8/2025

This professional development course is designed for art educators who want to learn how to write meaningful, engaging curriculum and new units of study that integrate contemporary or modern artists as inspiration. Educators will explore strategies for curriculum writing, project development, and assessment creation while designing an original unit of study that culminates in a new student project.

17. 2522. The Power of Knowledge: Transforming How We Teach Comprehension(Grant-Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators K-12

Dates: 11/11/2025 to 12/9/2025

Wait List
This course draws on the research and insights of David and Meredith Liben in Know Better, Do Better: Comprehension. Participants will examine common misconceptions about reading comprehension and learn how to shift from isolated strategy-based instruction to a more effective, content-rich approach. The course emphasizes the importance of building background knowledge, vocabulary, morphology, syntax, and oral language to support deep understanding. Educators will explore what happens in the mind as students read, study the dominant research-based model of comprehension, and gain practical strategies to support student thinking before, during, and after reading. Through discussion, reflection, and lesson design, participants will leave with tools to strengthen comprehension instruction in meaningful and lasting ways.

18. 2514. Graphing with Google Sheets(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators grades 4-12

Dates: 11/13/2025 to 1/15/2026

The ability to understand and present information in graphic form is key to achieving general literacy for people of all ages. The non-linear nature of graphs facilitates analysis and communication. This course is for teachers of grades 4-12, with a focus on graphing data from science and social studies content. Students will create pie graphs, bar graphs, line graphs, and combo graphs. We will customize graphs and insert formulas for automatic computations. In addition, we will explore ways to operationalize ideas into numbers that can be graphed, and to discuss the importance of sample sizes, outliers, and scale. Students must use Gmail accounts to register for this course because we will be using Google Classroom as our digital environment, as well as Google Sheets as our spreadsheet application. Google Sheets is free for anyone to use who has a gmail account, which is also free. Google Sheets is user-friendly and robust enough to handle most graphing needs in K-12 classrooms.
This course is part one of a book study that uses The Onward Workbook: Daily Activities to Cultivate Your Emotional Resilience and Thrive. This course is a breath of fresh air for all teachers. It allows everyone to step back, think, reset, and grow to new levels. It explores the 12 traits that are essential for building and developing resilience in educators based on the book, Onwards, a four-part conceptual framework that rests on the key components of resilience and how it is developed. Through this class, we will use a workbook, podcast and classroom format where we will dive into empowering stories and strategies to develop resilience. The activities will boost community, restore mindfulness, cultivate compassion, become ongoing learners, develop creativity, and celebrate gratitude. Book: The Onward Workbook by Elena Aguilar

20. 2502.Rigorous PBL by Design: Three Shifts for Developing Confident and Competent Learners Book Study( grant funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators K-12

Dates: 11/24/2025 to 12/22/2025

In this book study course, participants will dive deep into Rigorous PBL by Design to explore how to effectively implement Project-Based Learning (PBL) that is meaningful, challenging, and aligned with educational standards. Through a combination of guided reading, collaborative discussions, and practical application, participants will learn how to design and facilitate PBL experiences that promote critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity while maintaining academic rigor. Educators will examine the key frameworks and strategies presented in the book, focusing on how to create high-quality projects that captivate students and foster authentic learning. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to design PBL units that align with curriculum goals, incorporate formative assessments, and empower students to take ownership of their learning.

21. 2519. Book Study: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators and Teaching Assistants PreK-12

Dates: 12/2/2025 to 1/13/2026

Wait List
In this course, participants will explore the current state of mental health among adolescents, which has shown a marked decline since 2012 in a number of measures. We will examine the role of technology, play, and independence among children and adolescents. Participants will read The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and explore not only the current state of teenage mental health but also discuss and explore possible solutions. There will be 4 required Zoom sessions to discuss the books. Participants will complete online assignments around each sessions. Participants may purchase the book on Amazon or borrow from Libby.

22. 2507.Talk Read , Talk Write (Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators K-12

Dates: 1/6/2026 to 2/3/2026

Are you looking to engage all students creatively to develop 21st-century skills and meet state standards? Talk, Read, Talk, Write is a practical instructional routine that "makes the students responsible for the actual learning and thinking, all the while raising the bar on their communicative skills." This course will guide you in planning lessons using this format developed by Nancy Motley. We will review best practices in the field and engage in professional discussions on incorporating literacy into all subject areas. By the end of the course, each participant will be comfortable with each aspect of Talk, Read, Talk, and Write, create a lesson plan using this format, and use the lesson with their class. The instructor will offer office hours to support teachers as they develop and use aspects of this format with their classes.

23. 2528. Is it a learning disability or language acquisition?(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators PreK-12

Dates: 1/7/2026 to 1/21/2026

In this 6 hour workshop, participants will learn some ways to identify if a student is struggling because of difficulty with language acquisition or because the student has a learning difficulty or if it is both. In the first session, participants will learn about the ENL program in NYS. We will also explore how students acquire a second (or third) language. We will look at data from the state about ELLs and Sped services. In the 2nd session we will look at RTI and the tiers of intervention. We will also look at how these can be adapted for ELLs. In the 3rd session we will break into small groups to look at case studies to determine if the student has a learning disability or difficulties with language acquisition or if it is both. Interactive Google Slides, Google Docs, and Jamboard will be used to help participants communicate and build lessons using the strategies shared in this workshop. All participants are expected to contribute to the group discussions and use the documents and slides to interact and respond to the other participants.

24. 2536. Integrating AI for Efficient Classroom Management and Instruction (grant funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators K-12

Dates: 1/7/2026 to 2/4/2026

You've worked with the basics of AI, such as ChatGPT, and now you'd like to level up and learn how AI can work for you and lighten your mental load. This course offers educators hands-on experience with AI tools-including custom AI prompts tailored to your specific work, grading assistants, presentation makers, and email summarizers-to streamline administrative and teaching tasks and grading. Participants will learn to integrate these tools into daily practice, allowing for more time to focus on engaging students. The course aligns with the Next Gen NYS K-12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards.

25. 2524.Engaging Math for Optimal Student Understanding and Success(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators and Teaching assistants K-12

Dates: 1/8/2026 to 2/5/2026

Creative projects, hands-on activities, interesting lessons, choice boards, and practical use of AI represent the content of this course. K-12 teachers will have an opportunity to learn and apply a variety of strategies to boost student engagement and deepen mathematical understanding. Participants will gain varied and multiple tools and methods for math instructional success.

26. 2520. Building Essential Literacy Skills Through Play ( Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators and Teaching AssistantsPreK-12

Dates: 1/10/2026 to 2/7/2026

Play is one of the most important ways in which young children gain essential knowledge and skills. For this reason, play opportunities and environments that promote play, exploration and hands-on learning are at the core of effective literacy programs. Children become literate members in society by listening and interacting with the people that surround them. Participants will review the cognitive research revealing how children learn to read while examining the benefits of uninterrupted play and how it encourages language development. This course offers successful, evidence-based strategies to use during play that will enhance reading and writing skills while building a joyful classroom.

27. 2516. Compassionate School Practices: Fostering Children's Mental Health and Well-Being - A Book Study(Grant-Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators and Teaching Assistants PreK-12

Dates: 1/13/2026 to 2/10/2026

Compassionate School Practices: Fostering Children's Mental Health and Well-Being discusses how educators can establish a compassionate cultural foundation for strong relationships and holistic skills to weather stress, trauma, and promote well-being for their entire school population. The authors of this book explain how educators can discover a collaborative visioning process to elevate compassion through dialogue, policies, and protocol. Participants will explore how compassion shapes professional practice and organizational functioning. We will read and discuss insights about how educators can be more prepared to deal with students who face struggle, and hardship. Compassion has the potential to transform schools into places of healing, comfort, belonging, and connection amid these difficulties. Participants will also learn skills needed to demonstrate and nurture compassion within their schools, districts, and communities, and will better understand how compassionate instruction can directly support vulnerable populations within schools.

28. 2535. Principles of Extraordinary Math( Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators and Teaching Assistants PreK-12

Dates: 1/20/2026 to 2/24/2026

Principles of Extraordinary Math is for anyone who teaches or helps people learn math. The course explores research ideas on mathematics learning and student mindsets that can transform students' experiences with math. Sessions are based on the work of Jo Boaler, Carol Dweck, Ron Ritchhart, Cathy Humphries among others.
This course is part TWO of a book study that uses The Onward Workbook: Daily Activities to Cultivate Your Emotional Resilience and Thrive. This course is a breath of fresh air for all teachers. It allows everyone to step back, think, reset, and grow to new levels. It explores the 12 traits that are essential for building and developing resilience in educators based on the book, Onwards, a four-part conceptual framework that rests on the key components of resilience and how it is developed. Through this class, we will use a workbook, podcast and classroom format where we will dive into empowering stories and strategies to develop resilience. The activities will boost community, restore mindfulness, cultivate compassion, become ongoing learners, develop creativity, and celebrate gratitude. Book: The Onward Workbook by Elena Aguilar

30. 2537. AI in the Classroom: Strategies and Activities to Enrich Student Learning Book Study(Grant Funded)

Program: Online Courses

Audience: Educators and Teaching Assistants PreK-12

Dates: 2/2/2026 to 3/2/2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept portrayed only in works of science fiction. Instead, it's impacting nearly every field, from farming to sports to the arts. The field of education is no different. Transformational uses of AI abound in teaching and learning-and it's likely this transformation is just getting started. Already classrooms are filled with invisible AI technologies in such forms as adaptive assessments, internet search engines, and autocomplete text. In this emerging and evolving AI field, new tools will continue to arrive on the scene, and the skills needed to effectively use them will be essential. For example, prompt engineering-constructing instructions to guide AI systems to generate the best possible responses-was mostly unheard of in education until ChatGPT arrived. Now, it's becoming a key piece of digital literacy for K-12 students.This book study will help educators get a better understanding of artificial intelligence technology in an educational setting. The author illuminates some of the most exciting things happening with AI in the classroom. In the course, you'll explore a variety of AI technologies with incredible potential to impact teaching and learning. The book also serves as a roadmap for bringing AI to the classroom, sharing frameworks and considerations for using AI tools and technologies with your students along with curated tools and classroom-tested projects that truly empower students to be innovative designers and creative communicators. Participants will be provided with an electronic copy of the book. Each week participants will read required chapters, participate in discussions, and complete activities that can be applied to their classrooms.
This course draws on the research and insights of David and Meredith Liben in Know Better, Do Better: Comprehension. Participants will examine common misconceptions about reading comprehension and learn how to shift from isolated strategy-based instruction to a more effective, content-rich approach. The course emphasizes the importance of building background knowledge, vocabulary, morphology, syntax, and oral language to support deep understanding. Educators will explore what happens in the mind as students read, study the dominant research-based model of comprehension, and gain practical strategies to support student thinking before, during, and after reading. Through discussion, reflection, and lesson design, participants will leave with tools to strengthen comprehension instruction in meaningful and lasting ways.