Online Professional development for teachers · Grades 6–12

Teach Different Certificate Program

Student Voice and Well-Being – Built into Everyday Teaching 

A 10-week, mentor-supported apprenticeship in the art and science of classroom
conversation – so engagement rises, conflict drops, and students feel they truly belong.

Built for Real Classrooms

Every technique is practiced inside lessons you already teach—no extra curriculum, no added prep.

Backed by Results

Educators in the inaugural cohort reported stronger student engagement, deeper empathy, and a greater sense of belonging.

Recognized & Credentialed

Approved for graduate credit and included in the International Baccalaureate’s professional development library.

Teacher Voices

Real Stories from the Classroom

Overview
Why Conversation Is the Core of Student Wellbeing

When students won’t speak up, withdraw, or lash out, it’s rarely “just behavior.” More often, it’s stress, disconnection, or a classroom routine that doesn’t yet feel safe. The conditions that support learning—belonging, emotional safety, and student voice—are built or broken in the daily conversations educators lead.

The Teach Different Certificate Program is an apprenticeship-style professional learning experience built around the Teach Different Method™—a simple, universally designed approach to classroom conversation proven to strengthen belonging and deepen student voice. Over 10 weeks, participants practice the Teach Different Method™ in real classrooms, refine it with the guidance of a personal mentor, and grow alongside a community of educators doing the same work.

This program aligns with the growing global emphasis on teacher learning that integrates psychosocial wellbeing as part of quality instruction—not as an add-on.

What makes this different from other professional development:

  • A universally designed conversation method that works across every content area and grade level
  • Practical moves that fit seamlessly into what you're already doing—not another initiative to juggle
  • Real classroom implementation with structured reflection, not theory in isolation
  • Mentor support and a professional learning community to keep you accountable and inspired
  • A portfolio of student artifacts and reflections you build week by week
The Teach Different Certificate Program is built around the realities of a teacher’s life. The program begins with one required 90-minute live training session—your orientation to the Teach Different Method™ and the community you’ll be learning alongside. After that, everything else is entirely self-paced: every reflection, every artifact submission, every community interaction completed on your own time, from wherever you are, at whatever hour works for you.

Phone-First Design

Every module, discussion, and submission is fully functional on a smartphone. No laptop required—ever.

Desktop-Friendly Too

Prefer a larger screen? The full experience—video, artifacts, community—works seamlessly on desktop and tablet.

Truly Self-Paced

Work at 6 AM or midnight. Fit it between prep periods or after the kids are asleep. You set the rhythm.

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This program is a complement to your curriculum.

The Teach Different Method™ works with whatever you already teach—your units, your texts, your standards. You will not be asked to adopt new content or swap out lesson plans. Instead, you will learn to use conversation as a tool that makes your existing curriculum more powerful: crafting hooks that draw students into new content with genuine curiosity, and leading structured discussions that push thinking deeper than a lecture or worksheet ever could. The curriculum stays yours. The conversation makes it land.

This program is a complement to your curriculum.

The Teach Different Method™ works with whatever you already teach—your units, your texts, your standards. You will not be asked to adopt new content or swap out lesson plans. Instead, you will learn to use conversation as a tool that makes your existing curriculum more powerful: crafting hooks that draw students into new content with genuine curiosity, and leading structured discussions that push thinking deeper than a lecture or worksheet ever could. The curriculum stays yours. The conversation makes it land.

The program opens with a 90-minute live training and orientation session that introduces the Teach Different Method™, walks participants through the platform and community tools, and connects each educator with their assigned mentor. From there, the 10-week journey unfolds across three structured conversation cycles—Planning, Implementation, and Reflection—each designed to deepen practice progressively.

Throughout the program, participants are supported by:

  • A personal mentor — an experienced educator who provides guidance, reviews reflections, and helps you adapt the method to your specific context
  • An online professional learning community — a private, moderated space where cohort members share real classroom moments, student artifacts, and peer feedback across the 10 weeks
  • Three required conversation cycles — structured practice loops (Planning → Implementation → Reflection) that build competence, confidence, and a documented record of growth

Each of the three required cycles follows the same structure—Plan, Implement, Reflect—building depth and confidence with every pass. What grows across cycles is your skill, your evidence, and your connection to what your students need.

Cycle 1

Try It & See

Watch for what surprises you in the room. Set your personal implementation goal for the weeks ahead

Cycle 2

Deepen the Practice

Continue accumulating artifacts and reflections. Mid-program mentor check-in to refine your approach.

Cycle 3

Finish Strong

Exit interview with the program and lead instructor. Present evidence of your growth. Certificate of completion awarded.

By the end of the 10 weeks, participants will have built something durable:

  • A repeatable conversation framework ready to use the very next day
  • A classroom routine that transforms participation and climate over time
  • A professional portfolio of reflections and student artifacts demonstrating real, documented implementation
  • A network of educator peers from the professional learning community
  • Confidence leading conversations that are both emotionally safe and intellectually serious
  • A certificate of completion recognizing apprenticeship-level professional growth
CohortStart DateEnd Date
Fall Cohort #1September 23, 2026December 2, 2026
Fall Cohort #2October 7, 2026October 7, 2026
Winter CohortJanuary 22, 2027April 7, 2027
Spring CohortMarch 3, 2027May 5, 2027
Fall Cohort #1September 22, 2027December 1, 2027
Fall Cohort #2October 6, 2027December 15, 2027
Winter CohortJanuary 19, 2028April 5, 2028
Spring CohortMarch 1, 2028May 10, 2028
The Promise

What This Experience Will Make You

If you complete this apprenticeship-style certificate experience, you will become more than a facilitator of discussions—you will become a master of the art and science of conversations, capable of building classrooms where students speak thoughtfully, listen deeply, and feel they truly belong.

Voices of Impact

How a Statewide Program Transformed Classrooms and Student Lives

If you complete this apprenticeship-style certificate experience, you will become more than a facilitator of discussions—you will become a master of the art and science of conversations, capable of building classrooms where students speak thoughtfully, listen deeply, and feel they truly belong.

About the Program

Teach Different

Teach Different is an Illinois-based professional training organization and the pioneer of the Teach Different Method™ in the United States. Since 2017, the organization has trained more than 2,600 teachers, establishing a strong record of delivering high-quality professional learning across diverse educational settings. Teach Different is included in the International Baccalaureate’s digital professional development library, and its programming is approved for graduate credit through university-level partnerships and state agencies. Guided by its mission to transform teaching through the art and science of conversation, one classroom at a time, Teach Different supports educators in creating more thoughtful, engaging, and human-centered learning environments.

 

Dates & Format

  • Program Duration
    10 Weeks, Self-Paced
  • Orientation Session
    90-Minute Live Training & Orientation (recorded for flexibility)
  • Format
    Fully online — desktop, tablet, or mobile
  • Mentor Support
    Personal mentor assigned at orientation; mid-program check-in
  • Community Access
    Online professional learning community for all 10 weeks and the rest of the year
  • Requirements
    3 Conversation Cycles: Planning, Implementation & Reflection

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