Positive Communication Skills for Building Professional Relationships

For teachers, family childcare providers, and out-of-school time educators

Overview: Children thrive in environments where the adults model positive relationships and create communities based on trust and respect.  This course will explore strategies for enhancing your professional skills to help you communicate effectively with your co-workers, parents, and administrators.

Participants in this course will expand their knowledge of the research base for appreciative inquiry and positive psychology. They will also develop their skills through small-group exercises designed to give participants practical experience with strengths-based communication strategies. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct will be referenced as a guide for creating strength-based relationships and a positive, supportive, respectful environment for children and adults.

This course is open to all professionals in the early education field, including teachers, family childcare providers, and out of school time educators.

CEU: This five-hour course is approved for .5 CEU in the Core Competency Area: Professionalism and Leadership. CEU certificates are issues by the MassAEYC CEU project. In order to receive a CEU, participants are required to complete all discussion posts and write a coaching platform, describing how they will use the course material in their daily work.

Schedule: This online course is organized into 2 Modules and will be offered over four weeks, beginning on October 5  and finishing on October 30, 2020. All class materials, including video presentations, reflections, handouts, and interactive discussion boards will be online. Each module will include one live session via Zoom video conferencing for participants to ask questions and share reflections. The live question and reflection sessions will be held on the following Wednesdays at 7 pm EST: October 7, and October 21, 2020. For anyone unable to attend, the live sessions will be recorded and posted on the course site.

Cost: The price of this online course is $69.