Strengths-based communication skills to build positive relationships with colleagues, parents, and administrators!
In this course, we 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.
Participant Outcomes At the completion of this course, participants will be able to:
§ Enhance their ability to positively influence the quality, focus, and depth of conversations with peers, parents, and supervisors
§ Identify ways to build trust and rapport through strength-based communication
§ Increase their understanding of how to initiate and maintain successful strength-based dialogues
§ Develop their capacity to generate hope and frame possibilities with colleagues and parents
Instructional Methodology: Each online Module will a combination of: · Opening reflection · Presentation with Informative PowerPoint Slides narrated by the Presenter · Short Video Reflection · Practice Assignment · Individual Reflections
These modules are designed to facilitate adult learning and growth through learning new content, individual reflection, practice assignments, and building a toolbox of new resources for continued growth.
Throughout this course, participants will assume an active role in constructing their own knowledge in relation to their own context.
Professional Speaker, Author and Coach
Susan MacDonald is the founder of Inspiring New Perspectives, a consulting group focused on empowering school leaders and educators to create learning environments that deeply respect and nurture the possibilities that lie within each teacher, child, and parent. Susan's passion and expertise for creating positive change are reflected in her professional speaking and coaching, and in her recent award-winning book, Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership: Eight Strategies to Ignite Passion and Transform Program Quality. Susan is a lifelong learner, continually adding to her own knowledge through the exploration of new research and literature, allowing her to provide educators and leaders with the tools to effect positive change in their own organizations. Susan holds a Master's degree in Instructional Design, and multiple professional coaching certifications. Susan has been developing and delivering inspirational courses, keynotes and workshops for over 25 years, throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, Jamaica, Wales, and Ireland. Susan's background encompasses a wide range of experiences, including director of a Reggio inspired preschool program, adjunct faculty at Lesley University, Wheelock College and Southern New Hampshire University, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts licensing supervisor. She is the current president of Boston Area Reggio Inspired Network and past vice president of the Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children. Away from work, Susan can be found reading, cooking, traveling or simply enjoying life's rich everyday moments with her husband Patrick and their four children. Speaking Susan has developed a wide variety of workshops and keynote presentations designed to inspire educational professionals to weave new approaches, ideas and strategies into their daily work. Susan creates engaging and inspiring professional development experiences for individuals, small groups, and large audiences.
This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.
If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.
