Catalog Description

Aurora University

Course Number  OEDW 5009

3 sh graduate credits

9 continuing education credits

(equivalent to 45 CPDUs)

Framed about the Illinois Social-Emotional Standards, this course supports educators to deepen their understandings and skills so they can support their students to do likewise.  Focus is placed on self-awareness and interpersonal skills, specifically on the relationship of thoughts, emotions, actions, goal-setting, emotional health management, communication, conflict-resolution, and responsible decision-making.

Course Overview

This course requires learning about and practicing self-awareness and interpersonal awareness skills that contribute to the social-emotional health of teachers and students and ultimately to a more healthy democratic society.  The assumption is that self-knowledge and clarity about personal goals serves as a critical frame for building and maintaining positive interpersonal relationships and for making responsible decisions about how constructively to approach and address problems as they inevitably occur.

Central to this course is understanding the relationship of thoughts, emotions, and actions and learning to develop habits which nurture that healthy relationship.  Rational and irrational thoughts create emotions which motivate actions.  This requires that individuals not only understand and positively manage their own thoughts and emotions, but understand how patterns of thoughts emerge into powerful belief systems.  Individuals learn the skills of effective listening, communication, conflict resolution, and goal-setting so their social relationships are supported by positive beliefs and emotional health habits.

Teachers in the State of Illinois are mandated to support the developmental social-emotional needs of their students.  This course specifically aligned with each of the Illinois Social-Emotional Standards, is built on the premise that teachers cannot give what they do not have.   Once they have the social-emotional understandings and skill-sets themselves, they are in a position pedagogically to pass those gifts along to their students.