By Brittany Greer

For The Observer

Several different continuing education classes will be offered in January, according to Patricia Lowder, coordinator of Northwest Mississippi Community College’s Division of Continuing Education. 

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available. These classes will all be held on the Senatobia campus.

Basic American sign language (1.0 CEU) will be offered Saturdays, Jan. 23 - Feb. 6, from 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. in the Tunica Building, Room 129. 

Instructor Ida Adams will teach students the basics of sign language. Students will learn to utilize elements of the language, such as the alphabet and vocabulary. It is a course for all ages to learn or improve communication skills between deaf and hearing people. 

The fee for the class is $95, book included. The deadline to register for this class is Jan. 20.

Spanish for educators (3.0 CEU) will be taught Mondays, Jan. 25 - April 19, from 4-6:30 p.m. in the Tunica Building, Room 129. This class is designed to introduce basic conversational Spanish to educators. It offers “survival Spanish” for the school setting. 

Pronunciation and grammar will be emphasized, and a variety of group activities will be used to facilitate learning. At the final meeting, the group will dine at a local Mexican restaurant and be required to order their meal in Spanish.

Wendy Gregory will be the instructor for this class. The fee is $120, book included. The deadline to register for this class is Jan. 19.

Gregory will also teach classroom management (1.5 CEUs) on Tuesdays, Jan. 26 - April 6, from 4-6:30 p.m. in the Tunica Building, Room 129 on the Senatobia campus. This class is targeted for K-5 teachers and will include information and discussions about classroom discipline, handling disruptive students and working with parents on seeking solutions to behavioral problems.

Numerous sources will be incorporated into the class, and a book is included which contains ideas to deal with more than 100 specific behavioral problems. The fee for this class is $116, book included. The deadline for this class is Jan. 19.

Unlocking your creativity (1.0 CEU) will be taught by Jody Jarjoura on Thursdays, Jan. 28 - Feb. 25, from 6-8 p.m. in the art building, Room 203. This workshop will teach you how to tap into your creative gifts and live each day more creatively.

The class offers fun activities, lifelong lessons and stress relief. The fee is $85. The deadline for this class is Jan. 25.

Basic conversational Spanish (1.5 CEUs) will introduce the basics of how the Spanish language works. The class will be offered on Saturdays, Jan. 31 - Feb. 21, from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in Yalobusha Hall, Room 120. Students will learn what sounds the letters make and how to pronounce the words. Basic rules of Spanish language and grammar will be taught.

Students will participate in some role plays using conversational Spanish. For the final class meeting, students will dine at a local Mexican restaurant and order their meals in Spanish.

If students of the class have a common goal, the class can be tailored accordingly. The class will be taught by Gregory. The fee for the class is $75. The deadline for this class is Jan. 27.

For more information, contact Lowder at (662) 562-3349 or e-mail pwlowder@northwestms.edu.