25+ Best Professional Development for Elementary Teachers

If you’re seeking professional development for elementary teachers, you’ve landed in the right place.

Here you will find the best paid and free professional development for elementary teachers.

These seminars, live trainings, webinars, and workshops cover a range of topics with the goal of helping educators maintain and grow their teaching skills.

If you’re interested in professional learning communities, this list of professional development websites and PLNs will serve your needs.

These professional development options for elementary teachers are all offered online.

This makes acquiring annual continuing education hours easier than ever!

So add a few or all of these options for professional development for elementary teachers to your teaching toolkit.

Related Content:
21+ More Free Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers

Professional Development for Elementary Teachers

Following are good examples of professional development opportunities for elementary teachers in the areas of literacy and other core subjects, classroom management, mental health, and more.

1. SimpleK12.com

This online platform offers professional development in the form of educational webinars for teachers who desire to take control of their own continuing education.

The website features numerous webinars about a variety of topics.

2. Emergent Tree Virtual Learning Academy

This platform provides free recorded webinars to teachers, administrators, and others in the education field.

Topics focus on behavior management in schools.

3. KQED Teach

This platform, with the objective of enhancing media literacy, offers elementary educators free, self-paced online courses which include videos and activities.

Through these workshops, educators gain confidence and learn the skills necessary to include media literacy in their teaching.

Certification of completion is available after meeting certain requirements.

4. PBS Learning Media

This learning platform offers a variety of videos, materials, and resources to help teachers sharpen their instructional skills.

Topics are related to planning, instruction, assessment, learning environment, and professional practice.

5. American Psychological Association

Based on psychological science, this organization develops resources that enhance the teaching and learning process.

The professional development for elementary teachers that are offered benefits educational communities by helping instructors use psychology to increase better outcomes for students.

6. Learning for Justice

This website is a great resource of materials for elementary teachers who want to shape their schools into equitable communities.

It offers free, on-demand webinars presented by seasoned educators and learning specialists.

7. Common Sense Education 

Common Sense offers free professional development events such as webinars, interactive workshops, and chats.

Educators learn practical strategies for teaching with technology with the goal of supporting students in their digital lives.

8. Truth for Teachers Podcast

Though this professional development for elementary teachers does not offer continuing education credits or certificates, it’s a great option as a self-study.

Truth for Teachers is a K-12 podcast that shares advice, knowledge, and encouragement for educators.

9. Alison

The Alison platform offers a variety of online courses covering a range of topics which include special education, teacher leadership, educational psychology, and early childhood development.

Educators can hone their knowledge and skills, strengthen their teaching practice, and better serve the needs of their students using resources from the platform.

10. Inspire Teaching

Elementary teachers may choose from live trainings, on-demand courses, and webinars – all at no cost.

The platform also offers customized coaching and training for educators and school leaders.

11. Better Lesson

This online platform offers learning experiences that help teachers build their skills in order to help students succeed.

Professional development materials include resources, research-based tools, and strategies.

12. ASCD

ASCD (formerly known as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is a nonprofit organization that offers free professional development in the form of research-based webinars, videos, and podcasts that focus on research-based practices.

This variety of flexible and convenient online courses that cover a range of topics related to teaching/learning is a perk for educators who can’t attend in-person events.

Additionally, ASCD offers online professional learning communities where teachers can exchange ideas, ask questions, and collaborate.

13. Share My Lesson

Share My Lesson is a community of teachers and other professionals in the education community who collaborate, contribute content, and stay current on educational matters.

There are a variety of free professional development webinars from which elementary teachers may choose.

14. Apple Teacher Program

The Apple Teacher Program is a unique option when it comes to professional development for elementary teachers

It provides free, self-paced professional learning experiences for educators, giving them the tools necessary to build a solid foundation in using Apple products such as iPad, Mac, and iMovie in the classroom.

15. Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM

This institute hosts free workshops each month. Each session includes a video and materials.

Specifically designed for educators, these workshops fill teachers with great ideas for the classrooms.

16. Edweb.net

Edweb offers a variety of free online professional development for elementary teachers utilizing webinars.

The platform encourages teachers to engage in the learning process, share resources plus ideas, and collaborate.

Continuing education certificates are provided upon completion.

17. TeachersFirst

TeachersFirst presents a series of free, virtual workshops for teacher professional learning.

The sessions are…

  • interactive,
  • based on research,
  • full of practical ideas for the classroom, and
  • available in two formats: live (with a certificate) and on-demand (without a certificate).

18. SHAPE America

If you’re an elementary p.e teacher, this website is for you.

Educators earn professional development hours through free, self-paced, and on-demand webinars.

19. Landmark School Outreach

Landmark School Outreach offers monthly professional development webinars where teachers learn effective strategies for student success.

Participants earn a certificate upon completion.

20. KET Education

KET Education is a division of Kentucky Educational Television (KET), a statewide public television network in Kentucky.

The organization provides a range of K-12, self-paced online courses for teachers and administrators in Kentucky and beyond.

A certificate of completion is available.

21. Education Week

Education Week typically offers a variety of teacher workshops and webinars on topics related to teaching, learning, and education policy.

These sessions are led by educational experts and provide practical strategies that teachers can use to improve their practice.

What’s more, using the platform, teachers can build professional relationships with other educators by attending panels and social events.

Education Week offers a collection of free plus paid on-demand webinars.

22. Waterford

Waterford is currently presenting a free webinar series focused on literacy.

Educators learn about research-based classroom strategies that help them teach literacy more effectively.

23. Learners Edge 

This platform offers short but valuable, on-demand webinars for busy elementary teachers.

Webinars cover a variety of topics including writing, mindfulness, reading, and mental health awareness.

Certificates are available upon completion.

24. Canvas 

Canvas regularly hosts self-paced workshops and conferences where educators can learn from others, share their own experiences, and connect with other teachers on the platform.

Attending these professional development events is a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest educational trends.

25. NASA STEM Engagement & Educator Professional Development Collaborative

This professional development collaborative offers free STEM-focused distance learning opportunities for elementary teachers and administrators.

26. SciLearn

This website provides free professional development sessions that focus on strategies to support struggling learners.

Certificates for continuing education credit are available upon completion.

Final Thoughts On Professional Development for Elementary Teachers

Whether you want to enhance your knowledge/skills, advance your career, or network, participating in teacher professional development workshops will help you do just that.

You’re now set to meet your educational goals using this helpful resource of professional development for elementary teachers.