DRAFT: Celebrating Educators!

Over the summer, we invited educators to submit proposals for courses they would like to create for the EduPaths system. Selected educators completed the content creation process and developed their courses over the summer in collaboration with the EduPaths Team.

We are pleased to share the published courses listed below. Consider which EduPaths courses can help you meet your professional learning goals for the school year. Explore the courses below or visit our course catalog to discover our full range of offerings.

Stephanie Dunton, Gratiot-Isabella Regional Educational Service District

Designed specifically for K-12 classroom teachers, special education teachers, literacy coaches, reading interventionists, and school administrators, this course connects the real-world impacts of illiteracy to Michigan's Public Act (PA) 146, also known as the K-12 Literacy and Dyslexia Law. Educators will learn how to reframe their approach to the state's core pillars: early screening and assessment, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and structured literacy. Ultimately, participants will shift their mindset from basic legal compliance to student success, discovering how these evidence-based practices serve as a critical defense against lifelong learning challenges.

Kim Blumke, Independent Educator

Retrieval practice is one of the most effective, research-supported strategies for improving long-term learning, yet it is often misunderstood or underused in classrooms. This course focuses on how teachers can embed simple, low-prep retrieval strategies into their existing lessons without adding more time or materials. Through classroom scenarios and guided practice, participants will learn to distinguish retrieval from review and re-teaching, apply three ready-to-use strategies, and respond to students' retrieval attempts in ways that strengthen learning. Participants will leave with practical approaches that build student memory, increase engagement, and improve retention across content areas.

Amie Pincumbe, Big Rapids Public Schools

Teachers do not need more complicated initiatives—they need clear, effective instructional strategies that increase engagement and learning immediately. This course focuses on practical, explicit instructional moves that work across grade levels and content areas and can be implemented the very next day. These small shifts in the classroom instruction will have a big impact on student learning.

Jodi Teutsch, Roseville Community Schools

Research has shown that students need exposure to authentic texts at their current grade level. However, this can be challenging when students are reading below grade level. In this course, learners will understand why it's important to expose students to grade-level and above authentic texts, learn strategies for supporting students in doing so, and create their own lesson to apply this to their content area.

Jamie Keiser, Independent Educator

This course explores how early childhood educators can effectively bridge play-based learning, developmentally appropriate practice (DAP), and the Science of Reading to support strong foundational literacy skills. Participants will examine how playful, engaging experiences can be intentionally designed to build oral language, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and early reading skills while still honoring evidence-based literacy instruction. Educators will leave with practical strategies for creating balanced, meaningful literacy environments that support both child development and reading achievement.

Keiryn Ajayi-Obe, Port Huron Schools

This course explores children's literature through different themes through the lens of two culturally responsive teaching practices. The first practice, drawing on students' culture to shape instruction, uses literature and paired activities to help students examine their identities and cultural influences. The second practice, bringing real-world issues into the classroom, uses literature as a springboard to explore themes of power, justice, and voice, and to help teachers and students engage in real-world problem-solving. Teachers will leave with practical, book-based strategies they can use with intention.

Zach Cresswell, Mt. Pleasant Public Schools

Many teachers burn out before they have the opportunity to gain veteran wisdom in the classroom. If you love teaching but worry about the sustainability of your career, this course offers practical, universal principles that are rarely shared in pre-service education. By focusing strictly on what is within your control, you will learn to identify the root causes of burnout, implement effective classroom pedagogy, and build efficient time-management systems to reduce your workload.

Grace Brown, Airport Public Schools

The exit ticket is a standard in most secondary classrooms, but how can we know where students are before they walk out the door at the end of class? This course will explore formative tools designed specifically for the secondary classroom, with a focus on high-impact, real-time strategies. Educators will consider the idea of students monitoring their own learning and drawing on the unique perspectives of their classmates to help shape their education.

Viloshinee M. Gavin, Ph.D. , Midland Public Schools

This self-paced course supports instructional coaches in designing and facilitating coaching that leads to shifts in classroom practice. Participants will explore strategies for building trust, structuring effective coaching cycles, and sustaining educator engagement throughout the coaching process, as written in the Educator Room article, “Instructional Coaching that Actually Works”. Grounded in research, real-world coaching experiences, and the Lantern Effect framework, the course provides practical tools for translating coaching interactions into consistent instructional improvement and positive student outcomes.

Shavonne Jacobson, Rochester Community Schools

This course explores ways secondary English language arts educators can align their curriculum and instruction with authentic purposes and audiences. Course topics are inspired by the Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy (Practices 1, 8, and 9) and the Michigan Middle School ELA units. Course participants will gain research-based practices, practical suggestions, resources, and perspectives from teachers and students.

Sara Vogel, Waverly Community Schools

This course will introduce users to the basics of backward-design planning, with a focus on Elementary Education teachers. Participants will learn how to identify desired learning outcomes, design meaningful assessments aligned to those outcomes, and create engaging learning experiences that support student success. Through reflection and practical application, educators will develop the skills needed to design purposeful, coherent lessons and units focused on student learning.