Abbott Elementary is a popular ABC comedy about a public school in Philadelphia. In a recent episode, Barbara Howard, the no-nonsense, much-respected veteran kindergarten teacher, is called to account by her principal because she has not completed her required continuing education course for the year. Barbara has purposely avoided signing up for a class because she does not want to deal with the technology involved in the online course choices. Besides, Barbara has been a teacher at Abbott longer than these requirements have existed and believes them to be insulting.
This humorous Abbott episode may resonate with teachers. Already carrying a heavy workload of lesson-planning, instruction, grading, and meetings, teachers are expected to continue their education in order to keep their jobs. However, teachers are, by nature, seekers of new and innovative tools to improve their teaching. As professionals, they understand the importance of strengthening their teaching skills and keeping current with effective instructional methods. CEUs are the cherry on top!
What are CEUs?
By definition, a continuing education unit, or CEU, is a “unit of credit equal to 10 hours of participation in an accredited program designed for professionals with certificates or licenses to practice various professions” (Peterson). Doctors, registered nurses, lawyers, engineers, and teachers are among some of the professionals required to maintain their licenses through participation in continuing education programs by earning CEUs. This ensures they are up-to-date with current practices in their field (Peterson). The number of CEUs required varies by industry, profession, and state. Some require a certain number of units per year, while others, such as teachers, renew their licenses every five to eight years, depending on the state.
Continuing education can take place in a variety of settings. Conferences, professional development offerings, and college courses offer a wide variety of options for in-person and online classes, including advanced degree programs.
There are numerous benefits to and reasons for earning CEUs. Continuing education courses
- prepare teachers to keep abreast of the latest developments in education.
- reinforce professionalism.
- improve teachers’ skills.
- improve student achievement.
- provide teachers with opportunities for growth.
- develop leadership skills.
- refine and strengthen instructional and interpersonal skills.
- enhance lesson planning.
- provide opportunities for career advancement.
- enable teachers to develop skills to work with English language learners, students with learning differences, students with behavioral challenges, and gifted learners.
- are personally rewarding.
- demonstrate to administrators a willingness to continue learning.
Continuing Education from IEW
IEW’s Teaching Writing: Structure and Style® seminar prepares teachers to provide their students with a clear and consistent method to write competently and confidently. Incorporating all the benefits of continuing education listed above, the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style seminar presents a writing method that uses highly-effective teaching practices that are supported by research (Alber).
- a clear purpose and learning goals that provide explicit criteria on how students can be successful
- models and examples so students can see what the end product looks like
- class participation which allows students to learn from each other and which creates opportunities for teachers to formatively assess through observation how well students are grasping new concepts
- effective, consistent, and accurate feedback through frequent, routine formative assessment
- opportunities for students to monitor their own work and to self-reflect along the way
Earning CEUs with IEW
IEW is pleased to work with two organizations to offer CEUs to teachers who complete the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style seminar. Liberty University offers two CEUs when teachers and administrators complete the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style seminar. There are two training options to choose from.
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Complete the course independently using the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style video seminar.
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Attend a live seminar (IEW Professional Development) at your school or participate in a live Virtual Teaching Writing: Structure and Style® workshop.
Additionally, IEW is an Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) CEU provider for the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style seminar. Teachers at ACSI-Member schools can earn two CEUs when they complete the seminar independently, at a live seminar, or in a virtual workshop. Upon request, IEW will provide a certificate of completion with our Provider ID and the Course ID for teachers to upload into their Virtual Professional Portfolio (VPP).
The fulfillment requirements differ, depending on which organization and training method is chosen. Visit IEW’s CEU page for requirement details for each option and how to complete the course registration with Liberty University.
Would you like motivation and support to complete the seminar and practicum assignments this summer?
Each summer, the IEW Schools Division offers live Virtual Teaching Writing: Structure and Style workshops intended to improve the seminar experience for all participants. The workshop includes a focus on providing additional time and support in completing the practicum assignments. Click here for more information about the seminar, pricing, and registration.
If the virtual seminar does not fit your schedule or budget, IEW also offers the annual Great TWSS Adventure as an encouragement to complete the seminar on your own. Designed to take IEW’s comprehensive video course and break it into smaller, more manageable chunks and follow a prescribed yet flexible schedule, The Great TWSS Adventure will keep you motivated and on track. If you have intended to complete the course and the practicum assignments but are intimidated by the amount of material to cover or have not found time to get started, this adventure is made for you!
Once you have completed the seminar and practicum assignments, do not forget to apply for CEUs. Just follow the appropriate fulfillment instructions, and you will be all set.
While Abbott Elementary’s Barbara Howard casts a jaundiced eye at continuing education, real-life educators recognize the importance of learning and growing as professionals. Earning CEUs through continuing education is tangible evidence of that.
If you have any questions or need additional information about earning CEUs for the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style course, please contact the IEW Schools Division at Schools@IEW.com or call 800.856.5815. You are also welcome to reach out directly to the Educational Consultant (EC) assigned to your school. If you do not know who your EC is, call us or use the chat feature on our website, and our customer service team will direct you to the correct person. For more information about becoming an IEW Accredited Instructor, read Evan Smith’s blog about the value of accreditation here.
Works Cited
Alber, Rebecca. "5 Highly Effective Teaching Practices." Edutopia. George Lucas Educational Foundation, 27 Feb. 2015,
www.edutopia.org/blog/5-highly-effective-teaching-practices-rebecca-alber. Accessed 19 Apr. 2023.
“Educator of the Year.” Abbott Elementary, season 2, episode 20, written by Jordan Temple, created by Quinta Brunson,
American Broadcasting Company, 5 Apr. 2023.
Peterson, Deb. "What Are Continuing Education Units or CEUs?" ThoughtCo, 29 Aug. 2020,
thoughtco.com/what-are-continuing-education-units-ceus-31529. Accessed 11 Apr. 2023.
