Teachers, Counselors, and/or Administration will actively participate in online learning to develop their understanding of the basic principles of  Motivational Interviewing, instructional strategies, and classroom implementation of Motivational Interviewing skills that will foster student change and motivation in the classroom. Motivational Interviewing is a counseling technique aimed to reduce student ambivalence and inspire students to change their behaviors; while it is a counseling strategy, Motivational Interviewing can also be used by coaches, teachers, and admin alike. This course will provide skills for school staff to effectively encourage student growth, increase skills of additive empathy, guide students towards real change, encourage motivation in the school setting, and how to recognize the different stages of change with targeted interventions. At the end of the course, students will be provided accompanying Motivational Interviewing worksheets to use with students to foster change and motivation in their own schools. Learning will occur in an online, asynchronous format through pre-recorded lectures, readings, and weekly assignments, discussions, and journals.

This course is appropriate for primary and secondary teachers, school counselors and psychologists, coaches, administrators, and school support staff.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Utilize knowledge of Motivational Interviewing to support student goal setting in the classroom.
• Recognize the stages of change and implement Motivational Interviewing interventions appropriate for the social/emotional state of their students.
• Differentiate between the types of empathy and how to effectively display additive empathy with students.
• Recognize strategies for reducing sustain mindsets and encouraging growth mindsets.
• Develop a SEL lesson and/or goal setting framework to appropriately address student ambivalence and facilitate student change in the school setting.