
Cultivating Cultural Responsiveness and Effective Sheltered Instruction • 3 Credits • UMass Global
Course Fee: $165 (enroll now) + Optional UMass Global Credit Fee: $210 (pay later) = $375 total
How It Works
- ✅ Course Fee: $165 — enroll now for instant access
- ✅ Optional UMass Global Credit Fee: $210 ($70 per credit) — feel free to pay later, even after the course
- ✅ Total Cost (if credit selected): $375 for the course and 3 graduate-level credits
- 🕐 Finish anytime — fully self-paced and 100% online
✔ Accepted for salary advancement and license renewal in many states
✔ Quiz-based format — no busywork or portfolio
✔ University transcript issued by UMass Global (regionally accredited)
✔ Transcript will show a final letter grade (not Pass/Fail) — perfect for districts that require graded coursework for salary advancement.
Enroll today for just $165
Pay for graduate credits later — only if and when you need them.
Course Description:
Create a culturally responsive classroom environment where every student feels valued and supported. This self-paced, quiz-based online PD course equips PK-12 educators with practical, ready-to-use tools for fostering inclusivity, managing differentiated learning, and implementing effective sheltered instruction for ELLs.
What You’ll Learn:
- Cultural Responsiveness in Action: Discover how to honor and leverage the diverse backgrounds of your students as powerful learning assets.
- Sheltered Instruction Strategies: Gain practical, adaptable techniques to effectively support English language learners and help them thrive.
- Inclusive Teaching Practices: Refine your approach to ensure all learners feel seen, heard, and valued in your classroom.
Why Educators Love This Course:
- Actionable Strategies: Walk away with a blueprint for culturally responsive teaching and ready-to-use techniques that make a real difference for your students.
- Support for English Language Learners: Learn proven methods to foster engagement and academic success for ELLs.
- Self-Paced Flexibility: Learn at your own pace with a stress-free course designed to fit your schedule.
Empower Every Learner:
This course bridges the gap between cultural responsiveness and effective instruction, helping you create an environment where all students can succeed. By embracing diversity and implementing research-backed strategies, you’ll transform your teaching and inspire your students to reach their full potential.
Enroll Today!
Take the next step in your professional journey and make inclusivity the cornerstone of your classroom.
Self-Paced, Quiz-Based, and Completely Online
Forget portfolios or lengthy written assignments — this is stress-free professional learning designed with YOU in mind. With no start dates and no due dates, you can begin and finish the course whenever it’s convenient. You don’t need to be working with students to complete it, and there are no scheduled meetings. The course is 100% self-paced and self-guided — so you can work whenever and wherever it fits your life.
🌎 This course is offered nationwide!
Open to educators, counselors, social workers, school staff, and professionals from all fields who need graduate-level university credits for salary advancement, license renewal, professional learning, or continuing education.
Special Information for Hawai‘i DOE Educators:
- ✔ This course provides 3 graduate-level university credits, which can be used in place of Learnsoft-issued (formerly PDE3) credits for HIDOE salary step movement and reclassification.
- ✔ Credits are issued by UMass Global or CSU Pueblo (depending on the course), and are accepted by HIDOE.
- ✔ No Learnsoft submission required — coursework is reviewed by our instructors.
✶ Important for HIDOE educators: Before starting, simply obtain verbal approval from your principal. When you’re ready to apply your credits, submit the signed
200-005 Form along with your transcript to the HIDOE Reclassification Unit.
💡 You may also qualify for reimbursement via the
HawaiiUSA Professional Support Stipend, available annually beginning each January.
🔗 For official HIDOE reclassification policy and university credit usage, see the HIDOE Guidelines for Reclassification.
Additional Information for Hawai‘i DOE Participants Only:
This Sheltered Instruction course also offers the opportunity to earn 3 university credits in TESOL-related foundational EL knowledge. These credits are officially recorded on your transcript from UMass Global, a regionally accredited university.
It fulfills HIDOE Sheltered Instruction qualification requirements under: Option #1, Option #7, and Option #8.
📄 View the official form:
HIDOE Sheltered Instruction Qualification Form
✉️ Questions about the HIDOE's Sheltered Instruction requirements? Reach out to the EQS, OTM at
[email protected] or call (808) 441-8499.
To enroll in this course:
Start by completing the $165 registration using the banner link at the top of this page. That will create your For Teachers By Teachers (FTBT) account and give you immediate access to the online classroom. You can begin anytime and work at your own pace.
✶ Want 3 Graduate-Level University Credits through UMass Global?
Inside the classroom, you’ll find simple step-by-step instructions for UMass Global’s separate $210 credit registration process ($70 per credit). Everything you need — including the direct link, course code, and payment instructions — will be available after you enroll. You're welcome to wait until you've completed the course to make this payment.
University credit issued by UMass Global – a regionally accredited university partner.
Your Course Instructor

For Teachers By Teachers is a highly dedicated team of licensed educators with professional certifications across grades PK–12. Our areas of expertise include Special Education, Childhood Education, Art Education, and Reading Specialist certifications.
Collectively, our course authors and instructors bring more than 20 years of experience in the field of education. We are passionate about empowering teachers and have contributed meaningfully to school communities in Hawai‘i, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Ohio.
Our mission is to support your professional growth with flexible, high-quality online courses designed by teachers—for teachers. If you have any questions or need support, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. We’re here to help!