Drawn from over 50 years of combined experience, founders Lindsay Pontius and Craig Maravich introduce Courageous Stage’s premier professional development course.
A positive and reinvigorating opportunity for you to dive deep, reflect upon your chosen profession and learn new models and practices to activate your students and your classroom culture.
This is a fully accredited, asynchronous course designed to equip you with strategies for supportive community building and the daily challenges of a classroom.
WHO IS IT FOR?
This course is targeted to all grade levels and subjects who want to build their capacities in a creative and collaborative approach and who hold an earned bachelor’s degree.
WHAT IS THE FORMAT?
Our predominantly online approach offers several layers of instruction:
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Video segments with theory, examples and practical invitations
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A curated reading packet with connection questions
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A strategic relationship planning workbook
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Fun multi-disciplinary projects.
There are three required full cohort zoom sessions that encourage peer to peer learning and support. Through the above, you will further develop your classroom as a safe container that invites creativity, intrinsic motivation and collaboration.
COURSE GOALS
The course emphasizes skill building in creative capacities and a strength-based perspective. You will practice methods for class regulation and meeting each student where they are while attending to the classroom as a whole.
You will come away with new practices for establishing a mindful, fully present and strength-based approach to classroom management. You will build opportunities to practice the following capacities in your classroom:
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Generating ideas;
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Awareness of process;
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Experimenting, and
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Understanding multiple perspectives.
Finally, you will finish the course with a SMARTER (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time bound, Evaluable and Revisable) plan for building relationship and classroom resiliency.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
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Develop an understanding of and ways to implement noticing/ awareness and reflective practices.
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Name and unpack various creative and collaborative practices and build new ways to engage your students
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Reflect on your teaching practice through the lenses of courage and artistry.
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Frame an actionable, joyful and exciting strategic plan for a reflexive relationship with students that is centered on building intrinsic motivation.
DATES
Start date: March 3rd, 2025 (3/3/2025)
Length: 25 days
PRICING
25-Day asynchronous course.........................................$1,100
25-Day accredited* asynchronous course......................$1,535
*Includes 3 graduate credits awarded by Vermont State University
CONTACT
For additional course information
Courageous Stage Team
For additional registration information
Center for Schools Team
COURSE OUTLINE & SCHEDULE
Week 1: Me and My Class
Readings: Palmer, Packet: Brentro, Muhammed
Assignments: 3 Journal responses over week, reflecting on Circles and Signals
Complete Evaluation, due Sunday
Week 2: Me as Learner
Readings: Palmer, Pontius pamphlet Packet:
Assignments: Discussion, Me as a Learner, due Monday, 2 journal responses on Strength-based Approach.
Project: Dreamscape due Sunday
Week 3: Me and Process
Readings: Packet: Booth, Rilke
Assignments: Reflection on Creative Capacities due Sunday, Evidence of collaborative time with partner via Canvas on “ Letters”
Projects: Begin “Letters” project based on a TED TALK
Week 4: We as Learners
Readings: Packet: Lederach, Brown
Assignments: Reflections on Me as Artist and list of community agreements
Projects:” Letters” completed project and bibliography due on Friday, Relationship Plan Workbook due Sunday.
Weeks 5 & 6: We as a community of learners
Readings: Muhammad
Assignments: Strategic Relationship Plan completed Friday of week 6.
Required Texts: Booth, Eric. Making Change: Teaching artist and their role in shaping a better world (2023). Betteryet Press.Muhammad, Gholdy. Unearthing Joy: a guide to culturally and historically responsive teaching and learning. (2023) New York: Scholastic.Pontius, Lindsay (2024). Relationships matter: Lessons from a half-ton teacher, Middlebury College.Courageous Stage. Teaching with Courage Packet (2024) with readings fromBrentro, L. (2017), Palmer, P. (2020), Rilke (2017 ed.), Lederach, J.P. (2005), brown, a.m. (2017)