Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction

  • 2

    Belonging

    • The Social Contract is Founded on Inclusion

    • The Power of Names

    • Knowing Your Students

    • Group Students with Inclusion in Mind

    • Games and Activities that Build Connections

    • More Inclusive Celebrations

    • Language that Emphasizes Collaboration Instead of Competition

    • Key Take-Aways
  • 3

    Equity

    • Sparkly Gels Pens and Equity

    • What's the Difference Between Equity and Equality?

    • Inequities Hidden in Plain Sight

    • What is Unconscious Bias?

    • Planning for Diverse Learners: An Introduction to UDL

    • Conclusion
  • 4

    Voice

    • Elevating Student Voice

    • Co-Create Routines with Students

    • Student Choice: From Simple to Complex

    • Student Choice: A Brief Overview

    • Student Choice: Key Benefits

    • Language that Emphasizes Student Ownership

    • Conclusion
  • 5

    Responsibility

    • With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

    • Co-Create Rules with Students: Why

    • Co-Create Rules with Students: How

    • A Constitutional Convention

    • Consequences that Are Fair

    • Natural and Logical Consequences

    • Getting Consistent with Consequences

    • Language that Elevates Moral Thinking

    • From Responsibility to Action
  • 6

    Civil Discourse

    • A Democracy Relies of Civil Discourse

    • Teach Skills of Communication: What to Teach

    • Teach Skills of Communication: Eliciting Ideas from Students

    • Teach Skills of Communication: Effective Modeling

    • Class Meeting--From Discourse to Action (An Introduction)

    • Language that Models Respect

    • Civil Discourse Conclusion
  • 7

    Final Take-Aways

    • What Are You Going to Try?

    • Before You Go, Help Me Improve this Course

Meet Your Instructor

Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson has been an educator for more than 25 years. A public school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool, coached swim teams, and taught university graduate level classes. He now works as a consultant providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and beyond. In 2004, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award, and in 2005 he was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written eight books about great teaching and learning. When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH.

Included in This Course

You’ll explore key ideas, learn practical strategies, and gain helpful resources to help you set up and run a democratic community in your classroom.

  • Understand five key attributes of a democratic society: belonging, equity, voice, responsibility, and civil discourse

  • Learn how to co-create rules and routines with students

  • Explore how to use consequences as a part of (not the focus of) your work with discipline

  • Learn how to facilitate a problem-solving class meeting

  • Learn games and activities that build community

  • Explore strategies for teaching students how to communicate effectively

  • When you finish the course, you can print a certificate showing 6 hours of professional learning.

  • You will have access to this course for a year, so you can go back in over and over again.

Testimonials

  • This course is incredibly well thought out, organized, engaging, and full of practical ideas to include in daily classroom practice. It had me thinking, taking notes, laughing at times and energized to shift in many ways - particularly around equity, voice, choice and my own language. Highly recommend for all educators, school leaders and parents of young kids.

    Nawal Q. Casiano, Education Consultant, Chicago, IL

  • This professional learning opportunity interested me because I have attended Mike’s workshops in the past. I was confident we would learn ways to bring activities into the classroom that encourage civil discourse and active participation in decision making. The interactive format allowed teachers to share ideas and celebrate what was working for them during remote learning. This was one of my favorite workshops.

    Luane Genest, Educator, NH