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Keeping the Wonder: An Educator’s Guide to Magical, Engaging, and Joyful Learning

Class Details

  • Class Type: Online
  • Date: 1/26/2026 - 3/22/2026
  • Adams State Credit: 3
  • Nonmember Price: $235
  • CEA Member Price: $135

  • Registration for the optional graduate credits ($55 per credit) is a separate transaction through Adams State. Registration information will be available after you enroll and once the course is listed on the graduate credit portal.

  • Currently Enrolled: 1 of 30

About the Course

This book study and course is all about tapping into students’ innate curiosity and designing memorable and meaningful learning experiences that capture their interest and ignite their imaginations. The book is structured around four key elements to fuel engagement: surprise, curiosity, freedom, and inspiration. Keeping the Wonder offers practical strategies for K-12 educators that help them create lessons that are engaging and compelling. The four authors share their wealth of knowledge, research, and experience on how they keep wonder alive in the classroom. 

Teachers will actively participate in online learning to further develop their understanding of the power of wonder and the role it plays in the classroom. Teachers will discuss and reflect on the roles of surprise, curiosity, freedom, and inspiration in the classroom. Teachers will develop practical strategies to engage their students and capture their interest. Teachers will engage in thorough reflection and discourse with other teachers. 

This course is for any educator who wants to bring back wonder, joy, excitement, and the love of learning to their classroom.

Required Text:

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

  • Understand and explain the importance of keeping wonder alive in the classroom.
  • Create and design engaging ways to capture students’ interest.
  • Develop ways to incorporate surprise, curiosity, freedom, and inspiration into their classrooms. 
  • Implement practical strategies to ignite students’ creativity and imagination.
  • Reflect on the power of cultivating wonder and the love of learning in their classroom.
  • Grade(s): Pre-K Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade Elementary K-5 Secondary 6-12
  • Subject(s): Art/Music Career And Technical Comprehensive Health Dance Drama/Theater Arts Education Support Professionals English Language Arts Math Music Physical Education Science Social Studies Specialized Service Providers Technology Visual Arts World Languages
  • Teacher Quality Standard(s): QS 1.C QS 2.A QS 2.B QS 2.C QS 3.A QS 3.D QS 3.E QS 4.C

Facilitator

Michelle Hagerman

Michelle Hagerman is currently an elementary school teacher in Mesa County, Grand Junction. She has taught 5th grade and 3rd grade at the same school in Mesa County. She has 10 years of education under her belt. However, her journey of helping kids began as she learned alongside her mother, who ran a summer school in Hawai'i, where Michelle was born and raised. At an early age, she was supporting students inside and outside the classroom. She has forever had a passion for helping students succeed academically as well as socially and emotionally. 

Michelle has developed CO Pilot classes around the demands of being a teacher nowadays, with the heart of focusing on students' and teachers' emotional well-being. She recognizes the impact as well as the workload teachers as asked to do day-in-and-day-out. Her why for being a facilitator for CO Pilot is around the essence that teachers need to know their work matters, they are changing lives, and that they feel seen. She is constantly in the know about new websites, book studies, and techniques to help support students and teachers inside and outside of the classroom. 

Michelle holds a BA in Elementary Education from Colorado Mesa University and an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Northern Colorado. 

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CEA COpilot allows users to create their own bundles and receive a set discount rate based on how much credit classes they take! Essentially, the more enrollments you add to a single transaction, the bigger the discount you receive.