If you have been in the education field for a while, you can not underestimate the significance of using practical teaching skills to boost student achievement. Continually improving your skills helps you master new knowledge and develop new proficiency, which helps improve your students’ learning processes. 

You stay up-to-date with evolving teaching methodologies and create better learning experiences for your students. You also create a more dynamic and inclusive classroom that caters to diverse student needs preparing your learners to succeed in different social, cultural, and economic aspects of our society.

Professional development will also be crucial in your career since many school districts require you to enroll in Continuing Education courses. The teaching skills you acquire in these teacher training courses help you transform learners into active creators of knowledge, preparing them for lifelong learning. 

professor using touchpad while assisting her student

This guide is a curation of over 20 free teacher training courses and resources that are relevant to the modern classroom. Let’s get started:

1- SimpleK12

SimpleK12 is a leading provider of premium professional development resources for teachers. They provide user-friendly, live, and on-demand training. The institution’s goal is to enhance teacher knowledge and skills, inspiring them to engage better with their learners, perfect their skills, and share their educator experiences. 

SimpleK12 has an extensive community of more than 84,000 K-12 educators who have benefitted from their professional courses, making it stand out as a preferred choice. The community includes paraprofessionals, teachers, assistant teachers, substitute teachers, school counselors, administrators, and curriculum coaches. 

SimpleK12 also boasts a large community of tutors, consultants, and homeschool parents who contribute valuable expertise to the community. 

Here are some of the courses and resources you can find on the SimpleK12 website :

  • Partnering with Parents Planning Template: This resource is significant in helping you build effective partnerships with your learner’s parents and caregivers. It gives you a framework to discover innovative ways to enhance parental participation and establish opportunities for their involvement. This template helps you master the art of family-school teamwork by nurturing parental support through establishing communication and volunteer initiatives. 
  • Summer Learning Planning Tool: This SimpleK12 tool, created by Lauren Boucher helps you realize self-improvement and professional growth. It guides you through a realm of educational possibilities with endless options, from exploring new subjects to growing your expertise. This valuable tool helps you realize the transformative power of summer learning, where you explore the depths of knowledge and unlock your full potential of optimizing learner outcomes through free teacher training resources. 
  • Virtual Field Trip Planning Tool: Today, we can take tours all over the world within the confines of our classroom. Using apps such as Google Earth, Google Maps, and other resources, this tool helps you create a virtual field excursion. You can create an agenda plan for pre-, during, and post-activities. You also learn how to create and use manipulatives of things like artifacts to recreate a virtual experience of an actual field trip.
  • 7 Tips for Working with Multilingual Learners: This teacher training resource guides you into becoming a more culturally responsive tutor in light of today’s increasing diversity. This resource equips you with seven tips and strategies for working with multilingual learners whose numbers in our classrooms continue to rise. The course, by Matt Bergman guides you on different strategies and tools for interactively to effectively instruct linguistically diverse learners. 
  • Math Discussion Prompts: This SimpleK12 resource guides you into asking questions to prompt critical thinking in the classroom. Learners who think critically can have more meaningful, rich discussions with their classmates– highlighting proper understanding of mathematics. You help your students uncover math misconceptions and excel in STEM.
  • Nonfiction Reading Discussion Questions: Nonfiction text is essential in introducing your students to unfamiliar vocabulary and new experiences, sparking a world of curiosity. With this resource, you understand the significance of nonfiction text to your learners and contextual cues to increase comprehension with graphs, diagrams, tables, and charts to promote your learners’ critical thinking skills. 
  • CER STEM Posters for Students: The Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning teacher training resource will guide you into nurturing your learners’ critical thinking skills to get them thinking like scientists. You get practical and interactive skills to train your learners to develop reasoning and deductive skills. 
  • End-of-Year Reflection: This teacher training resource will guide you into nurturing the reflective skills of your learners. It helps you guide your learners through evaluating their achievements in a year and helps them appreciate their highlights, insights, and experiences and how they impact their next school year. 
  • 6 Essential Questions to Ask Yourself as a New Teacher: This is a free training resource to help you establish your goals for the year, manage your expectations, and track your success as an educator. You can download the guide and get help interrogating your teaching style for better results. It also lists all the essential procedures you should consider before school starts. 
  • Demonstrate Your Mastery Of Each Standard With This Tic Tac Toe Choice Board: Simplek12 provides this free teacher training resource to help you show mastery in a collection of standards. This choice board guides you into ensuring your learners have access to the tools and resources they require for knowledge of a particular skill as directed by the curriculum. 
  • Create Universal Lesson Plans with a POP: This is another free teacher resource that guides you into creating lesson plans that accommodate the diversity in your classroom. The Predict, Overcome, and Plan lesson plan design lets you predict the highly probable challenges and create flexible options to address them. You can plan how to assess your students by providing flexibility and structure to your lesson.  

2- MERLOT

MERLOT stands for Multimedia Education Resource for Learning and Online Teaching. This resource website was created by California State University as a repository for online teacher training resources. 

By capitalizing on its diversity, MERLOT provides free educational content for online, hybrid, and physical class content. The institution provides various materials to build your course or supplement a textbook. 

MERLOT’s most significant advantage is their Open Textbook Project, which hosts one of the world’s largest collections of open texts. Some of the courses and resources you find in MERLOT include: 

  • Arts Education K-6 lesson plans
  • Multilingual learning toolkit
  • Health, Safety, and Nutrition
  • Caring for our children
  • Games for learning English

3- Teacher Training Videos

Teacher training videos are a free resource that offers a step-by-step guide to incorporating technology into classroom teaching. The organization also provides face-to-face and online training to companies and individuals. 

What makes Teacher Training Videos unique as a teacher training resource is their expertise in providing educational content through visually appealing guides.

Some of the free teacher training video resources they offer include::

  • Hybrid Teaching ideas for teachers
  • Feedback technology to use part 1
  • Complete training, online and in-class
  • 3 tools to encourage student collaboration
  • Teaching Online introduction

4- OpenLearn: Education Technology

OpenLearn is a teacher training platform that offers free resources such as interactives, courses, and videos. OpenLearn’s technology stands out with their wide variety of free teacher training resources and a flexible schedule for participation.

Their website provides over 1,000 free courses that are readily available. You can access the material at your convenience and study at your own pace. 

Some of the teacher training courses available on OpenLearn include:

  • Assessment in secondary music
  • Basic science: understanding experiments
  • Childhood in the digital era
  • Approaches to software development
  • Aquatic mammals

5- FutureLearn: Teaching for Home Learning

FutureLearn is a professional teacher training course designed to guide teachers of science tutoring learners aged between 11-19 years at home. FutureLearn uses design, technology, and partnerships to create attractive, flexible, and credible short online courses for its users. 

What makes FutureLearn stand out is the design of their courses. Every course is designed according to the dimensions of effective learning.

Some of the courses you can access at FutureLearn’s website include:

  • How to use Classroom 200
  • Improve Student Assessment with Microsoft forms
  • Blended Learning Essentials: Getting Started
  • Teaching Digital Literacy: Video games in Education
  • Genomics for Educators

6- edX: Instructional Design Models 

The edX teacher training courses are designed as an infusion of interactive digital tools, digital media, and collaborative projects to help you enhance learner engagement. 

What’s unique with edx courses is that they are planned by subject matter experts. You can learn areas such as effective curriculum design, collaboration, and interrogating techniques in creating your outlines for online courses. 

They also cover how to apply instructional design models to create efficient online learning experiences and how you can collaborate with subject matter experts. 

Some of the courses edx offers include:

  • Learning Design Evolution
  • Addie Design Model
  • Dick and Carey Design Model
  • Understanding by Design (UbD)
  • Rapid eLearning Design

7- EdTechTeacher

EdTechTeacher is a professional teacher training resources provider that focuses on helping teachers thrive in the current learning environments. They offer onsite, virtual, and self-paced training.

The institution is actively engaged in strengthening relationships between educators, schools, organizations, and businesses. EdTechTeacher’s competitive advantage is their online course development services that are tailored to meet the specific learning needs of children and adults from diverse backgrounds. 

Some of the courses offered in EdTechTeacher include:

  • Professional Learning partnerships
  • Research and Case Studies
  • Learning Module Development
  • Training for Instructional Coaches
  • EdTech Needs Analysis

8- EdTech Leaders Online

EdTech Leader Online (ETLO) provides a series of online teacher training workshops for K-12 educators and administrators. Their training content is focused on specific subject areas and grade levels. 

Their competitive advantage is their trainers, who are experts in educational technology. 

EdTech Online Leaders Online resources are tailored to the specific needs of children and adult users. Their resources can help you transform your existing educational content into suitable content for online and blended models of instruction.  

Some of the resources available on the EdTech Online Leaders website include:

  • Professional Development
  • Webinars
  • Virtual Schools
  • Online Workshops

9- Intel Teach Elements

Intel Teach Elements offers teacher professional development courses that can be accessed remotely. This teacher training resource will help you engage learners with digital learning processes, including Web 2.0, digital content, and social networking in all subject areas. 

Intel Teach Elements stands out because it provides guides for teachers that help integrate technology into their existing curriculum. They also focus on collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. 

Some courses offered under Intel Teach Elements include:

  • Moving into Mobile Learning
  • Creativity in the Mobile Classroom
  • Designing Blended Learning
  • Inquiry in the Science Classroom
  • Collaboration in the Digital Classroom

10- The U.S. Department of Education: Office of Educational Technology

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology (OET) creates national policy on educational technology. It presents the significance of technology in transforming teaching and learning. 

Their resources guide you through the possibilities of making learning available everywhere for early learners through K12, higher education, and adult education. 

Some of the resources available through this resource provider include: 

  • Games for Learning
  • Future Ready Schools: Professional Learning Toolkit

11- Free Technology for Teachers

Free Technology for Teachers is a teacher training resource that teachers can use to create interactive curriculum content. You can use their platform to transform your Google slides, PDF documents, and documents into rich media like videos and other interactive teaching resources. 

This is a free teacher training resource provider that helps you create interactive curriculum content as it is rich with rich media, such as a rich collection of videos. They also offer a great teacher resource for online assignment creation. 

The teacher professional development website allows you to transform your existing paper or PDF assignments into digital worksheets such as Google Slides and Docs into interactive activities while also enjoying the auto-grading features of the website.

This teacher training provider stands out with their ability to integrate with major LMS platforms such as Schoology, Canvas, and Google Classroom, giving you a wide variety of digital media to work with.

Some of the significant resources TeacherMade integrates with include:

  • Schoology
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Google Classroom
  • Canvas

12- Microsoft Corporate Citizenship: Training

As part of its corporate social responsibility, Microsoft participates in the training roles of different groups in society. It seeks out community needs and tailors its training to address them.

On their website, you can acquire valuable knowledge to guide your teaching processes through free training resources. You can also share the knowledge gained with your community. 

Microsoft Corporate Citizenship training stands out as a valuable free online digital literacy curriculum that provides knowledge for embracing technology in the classroom.

Some resources you can access on this platform include:

  • Excel 201
  • Optimizing your Work with Microsoft 365
  • Microsoft Teams 101 for Nonprofits
  • Excel for Nonprofits
  • Getting Started with Microsoft Teams

13- Class Central

Class Central is a free listing for online courses. The website aggregates courses from many providers, making it easy to find training programs on any subject. 

Its competitive advantage is that it focuses on free or free-to-audit courses from over 1200 universities, over 80 providers, and 1000+ institutions. 

Some of the courses on this free online course provider include:

  • Global Education for Teachers
  • Learning and Memory in the Brain: A guide for teachers
  • Child Protection for Teachers
  • Teaching with Technology and Inquiry: An open course for teachers
  • Autism Strategies for Teachers

14- Edudemic

Edudemic is a free online teacher training website that publishes articles and tips based on teaching and learning tools. It also analyzes the current technological changes and how they shape our education. 

The site stands out as a source of information on the most significant ed-tech tools and tips, reviewing innovative products for educators, and how-to articles on education apps. 

Some of their resources include:  

  •  Citelighter Is Growing (And Giving Away A Premium Tool To 50 Teachers
  •  Using Mother’s Day As A Chance To Connect With Students’ Parents
  •  5 Studies On Why Education And Health Are Critical To Improvement
  •  Here comes another tech bubble — in education

15- Russell Stannard: Teacher Training Videos 

This free teacher training resource was created by Russell Stannard. The website provides short, clear, and practical videos meant to help teachers and students effectively incorporate technology in their teaching and learning. 

The competitive advantage is that the founder, Russell, is a master in the craft, and his website has previously received awards from The Times Higher Newspaper and the British Council. 

Some of the videos on the website include:

  • Using a flipped classroom when teaching online
  • Developing student’s fluency in language learning- A simple idea
  • Using YouTube in language learning
  • Websites for developing speaking skills in languages

16- MIT OpenCourseWare

MIT OpenCourseWare offers on-demand courses that are suitable for independent study. 

What makes them stand out is their high-quality educational materials and resources, such as syllabi, videos, and lecture notes. You can also download all the course material. 

OpenCourseWare is also suitable for higher education to help improve course content, and it also acts as a platform to share courses. 

Some of the courses and resources suitable for teachers include:

  • Teaching college-level science and engineering
  • Advice for educators
  • Educators thumb
  • Linear Algebra-Communications Intensive
  • Introduction to numerical methods

17- ClassTechTips

This free teacher development resource by Dr. Monica Burns helps educators use technology to design meaningful formative assessments and inspire every learner. 

The website has teacher development resources like podcasts, books, and blogs. 

Run by a former teacher, the website develops practical teacher resources.

Some of the available resources include:

  • Podcasts: How student-driven play shapes creative minds with Kim Zajac
  • Books: EdTech Essentials, 40 ways to inject creativity into your classroom
  • Blogs: High-dosage tutoring for K-12 schools, 24 ChatGPT prompts for science teachers

18- Mimio Educator Blog

The Mimio Educator teacher development resources focus on developing comprehensive, user-friendly educational experiences. 

Mimio provides feature-rich interactive displays and valuable audio systems that advance STEM study and high-quality professional development. 

Some of the resources on this teacher development website include: 

  • Empowering Education: Interactive Assessments and Innovative Tools
  • Leveraging Tech to Enhance Campus Safety: A Guide for Schools
  • Selecting Classroom Audio Tools for Inclusive Learning
  • Sharing Notes: Enhancing Learning After Every Lesson

19- Alison

Alison is a free online educational website with videos, class materials, and lectures on various topics. You can sign up for several courses and enhance your professional development as an educator. 

What makes Alison different is that they offer certificates on completion, which are recognized by institutions across the United States. Each course outlines the materials provided, the instructor’s credentials, the syllabus, and how long it will take you to complete the course. 

Here are some of the website’s suitable courses for educators:

  • Teaching Assistant Fundamentals
  • Physical Education- Coaching Styles and Techniques
  • Introduction of Forest Schooling
  • Phonics Teaching Guide

20- Edpuzzle

Edpuzzle is a web-based educational application that allows you to select and customize videos by cropping, adding quizzes, or recording your own. 

Through this platform, your learners can learn basic lessons independently, giving you adequate time to work on other activities that reinforce learner understanding. You can also track your learners’ progress and grade their engagement with the videos created. 

Here are some of the courses available through this free online professional development website:

  • Project-Based learning
  • Edpuzzle beginner with canvas
  • Edpuzzle beginner with Schoology
  • Gamification in class
  • Diversion and Inclusion

21- Sophia

Sophia Learning is an educational website that provides high-quality online courses for your career development. The platform offers free online tools and resources to create, share, and develop classroom groups for learners’ discussions. It also allows you to monitor analytics and learner progress. 

Here are some of the courses available on Sophia learning:

  • Calculus 1
  • Introduction to Statistics
  • Introduction to Nutrition
  • Approaches to Studying Religions

22- KQED

KQED is a free teacher professional development website that helps you polish your media-making skills and guides you into incorporating media literacy in your teaching. It is focused on educators in grades K-12, all subject areas and roles. 

KQED offers a variety of resources, including podcasts, blogs, and courses, all of which are valuable in your development as a teacher. 

Here are some of the resources available on the website:

  • How Nutrients Move Through Watersheds | Interactive Lesson
  • What Are Perfect Squares
  • Supporting Dual Language Learners | PBS KIDS Self-Paced Learning

23- Edutopia

Edutopia is an online educational resource that focuses on transforming pre-K-12 education so that all learners can acquire and efficiently apply appropriate skills and attitudes essential to thriving in education.

Edutopia is significant in inspiring change-makers in education. It guides educators in enhancing the learning process and enabling them to find, share, and transition to what is working in advancing educational experiences.

Here are some of the resources for educators available on the website:

  • Teaching Young Learners to Connect With Nature
  • How to Nurture Your Joy in Teaching
  • 4 Strategies to Help ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom
  • How Storytelling Inspires Children to Learn English

24- TeachThought

TeachThought Teacher Training Resource is a website that equips teachers with knowledge on K-12 education. It uses resource curation, collaboration, curriculum development, podcasts, and thought leadership to facilitate its teacher professional development role. 

The platform’s main selling point is their ability to provide industry-leading professional development to educators. 

Some of the resources on this website include:

  • What is Vygotsky’s sociocultural Learning Theory?
  • A visual summary: 32 learning theories every teacher should know 
  • What does the research say about learning through play

25- Shake Up Learning

Shake Up Learning is an online planning resource that can help you make the most of technology at all levels of educational instruction. 

The platform provides empowering educational resources, workshops, and publications to develop educators for enhanced learning outcomes. 

Some of the courses available on this website include:

  • Google Classroom Masterclass
  • The Blended Learning with Google Workshop
  • The Dynamic Learning Workshop
  • 10+ Classroom Management Classroom Management Tips to Keep Kids Focused

Improving Your Teaching Knowledge and Skills

As a teacher, your role is significant in inspiring, nurturing, and pushing the limits of learners’ young minds to realize their optimal educational and adult potential. As the world of education continues to evolve, continuous professional development will help you remain well-informed, effective, and relevant.

You also become a better teacher in technological integration, organization, and learner assessment. 

SimpleK12 is an industry leader in offering tailor-made professional courses that enhance inclusion, promote life-long learning, and provide actionable career information and insights. 

Take your preferred teacher training course now and improve your awareness of emerging issues in education, create more interactive and engaging learner activities using technology, and become a great teacher.