The Together Teacher Comes to Coursera

The day-to-day work of being a teacher can be overwhelming. Even experienced teachers sometimes struggle to keep it all together as they juggle time-sensitive tasks and exhausting teaching schedules.

That’s why one of our courses at Relay Graduate School of Education, titled The Together Teacher, focuses on techniques that help teachers stay organized as they confront the endless demands on their time. We’re fortunate to have Maia Heyck-Merlin, whose book inspired the course, to teach it to our students at Relay.

We wouldn’t want to keep such a good thing to ourselves. So we’re pleased to announce that you no longer need to be a student at Relay to take the course directly from Heyck-Merlin. In partnership with Coursera, we’re offering The Together Teacher, at no charge, to anyone with an Internet connection.

To top it off, Coursera is offering free verified certificates — typically $30 to $100 — to teachers whose districts approve the course as a continuing education credit. The free certificates, promoted by the White House, are part of an effort to help teachers across the country build their skills and enhance their professional development.

“All the wireless devices and fancy software in the world won’t make a difference unless we have great teachers in the classroom,” President Barack Obama said this month, adding that “we very much appreciate” Coursera’s offer. “We want to make this as accessible as possible.”

For teachers to access their free Coursera Verified Certificates, district superintendents — or equivalent administrators with the authority to approve courses for continuing education units — must complete an approval form. Teachers in the applying district will receive access to free Coursera credentials starting Jan. 1, after the district application has been verified.

We encourage teachers interested in this opportunity to learn more and complete the form.

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