The workshop series will cover classroom practices that support students’ focus, regulation, engagement, positive relationships, motivation, and high academic success—key conditions that maximize learning.

Program Overview

What: A 7-part online professional development series that focuses on integrating safety, motivation, community, belonging, reflection, and hope into your practice.
Who: K–12 and university English teachers (including ESP/EAP instructors and teacher educators)
When: Biweekly on Mondays from February 16 — May 25, 2026, 12:00 or 18:00 MSK (see full schedule below)
Where: Zoom
Why: Because motivated students—and calm, confident teachers—create classrooms where English learning feels safe, meaningful, and achievable.

What is this series about?

This workshop series equips Russian English teachers with practical, research-based strategies grounded in Hope Theory, Emotional Intelligence, and optimal learning practices to improve student engagement, academic outcomes, and emotional resilience. The series is designed to be simple, actionable, and immediately usable in English classrooms.

Why it works:

Hope Theory (Snyder, 2000) identifies Goals, Pathways, and Agency as the key drivers of motivation and achievement. These elements align directly with classroom practices that promote:

• psychological safety
• self-regulation
• community connection
• belonging
• reflective learning
• growth mindset

In high-stress environments, these tools enhance teacher effectiveness, student well-being, and positive learning outcomes. 

What you’ll learn (across 7 sessions)

Each session focuses on one key theme and gives teachers practical tools, routines, and examples to apply immediately. Teachers will leave with ready-to-use strategies for building calm classroom routines, strengthening student motivation, improving classroom culture, and supporting resilience through reflection and goal-setting.

By the end of the series, you will be able to…

• Create safe, supportive learning environments that foster student confidence and engagement.
• Apply Emotional Intelligence and Growth Mindset strategies to increase student motivation.
• Implement restorative and community-building practices to improve classroom management.
• Strengthen student belonging and participation in language learning.
• Use reflective tools to help students set goals, evaluate progress, and persevere through challenges.
• Embed Hope Theory (Goals–Pathways–Agency) into everyday English instruction.

Schedule:

The project is planned for two cohorts to accommodate participants in different time zones:

Cohort 1 — 12:00–13:30 Moscow time
Cohort 2 — 18:00–19:30 Moscow time

Both cohorts cover the same content, so participants only need to join the session at the time most convenient for them.

Session 1: February 16 — Safe & Trusting Learning Environments

Session 2: March 9 — Emotional Intelligence + Growth Mindset

Session 3: March 30 — Restorative Community & Collaborative Problem-Solving

Session 4: April 13 — Belonging & Motivation Through Hope

Session 5: April 27 — Reflective Awareness: Reframing Obstacles & Refining Pathways

Session 6: May 11 — Hope Theory Mastery: HOT Thinking for Language Learning

Session 7: May 25 — Wrap-up and Q&A session.

The meetings will not be recorded.

Workshop Descriptions (Six Sessions)

Workshop 1 — Safe & Trusting Learning Environments

Participants learn how to build predictable, calm, psychologically safe classrooms that support student focus, reduce anxiety, and create the foundation for hopeful thinking.

Workshop 2 — Emotional Intelligence + Growth Mindset

Teachers explore strategies for self-awareness, emotional regulation, and helping students reframe challenges using growth mindset language that strengthens agency and perseverance.

Workshop 3 — Restorative Community & Collaborative Problem-Solving

This session introduces restorative practices, shared leadership, and community-building techniques that promote responsibility, teamwork, and pathways thinking.

Workshop 4 — Belonging & Motivation Through Hope

Teachers examine practices that increase connection, student voice, autonomy, and meaningful participation—key drivers of motivation and student success.

Workshop 5 — Reflective Awareness: Reframing Obstacles & Refining Pathways

This session focuses on helping students reflect on their progress, adjust strategies, and develop resilience through constructive feedback and reflection cycles.

Workshop 6 — Hope Theory Mastery: HOT Thinking for Language Learning

This session synthesizes all concepts, showing teachers how to embed Hope Theory (Goals → Pathways → Agency) into daily English instruction to strengthen student achievement and well-being.

Workshop 7 — Final thoughts, reflection, and Q&A

This session will allow the participants to share their final thoughts and reflections on what they have learned throughout the program and have the chance to ask any questions. 

Technical Requirements

Zoom: Please install the latest Zoom client to ensure access to all features.

Earn an e-certificate from the Regional English Language Office!

To qualify for an e-certificate, you need to attend at least 5 out of 7 Zoom sessions.

About the English Language Specialist:

Dr. Donita Grissom is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Central Florida, an English Language Specialist for the US State Department, a national and international educational consultant, and the CEO of Best Questers, a professional learning company. She is the author of  High Five to Thrive: 5 Proven Practices to Unleash Your Passion for Teaching  and  The BOOST Playbook: How to Engage and Support Multilingual Learners in Any Classroom (release date in October).  With a Ph.D. in TESOL Education and extensive experience training teachers across the globe, Dr. Grissom equips educators with practical, research-based strategies to support multilingual learners, strengthen teacher wellness, and foster thriving school cultures. Her work centers on elevating student success by training teachers how to support students’ holistic growth and well-being, cultivating hope, and helping educators ignite their joy of teaching. 

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ALL AMERICAN CENTER IN MOSCOW EVENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE

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These sessions are hosted on Zoom, so if you are interested in joining, please create a Zoom account beforehand. When registering below, please submit your valid email address to receive a link to the class Zoom meeting 30 minutes before the session begins.

To join other AMC Online programs, please check the American Center’s website and TimePad calendars.

#teacher #wellness #SEL #socialemotionallearning #motivation #Englishlanguagelearning