Course summary
This course empowers educators to embed connection as the foundation of meaningful learning, engagement, and wellbeing. Based on The Connection Curriculum by Matt Pitman, each lesson explores one key component of sustainable connection – from building trust and belonging to fostering identity, purpose, autonomy, and curiosity.
Across 10 short lessons, you’ll learn how to move beyond “quick rapport” and create classroom and school cultures where students feel safe, seen, and motivated. Supporting text, activities, and reflections help you immediately apply each concept to your own context.
Whether you're a classroom teacher, school leader, or support staff member, this course equips you to lead connection in your space and be part of a wider shift in how schools engage with young people.
More courses with Matt Pitman:
- Connecting with Parents: Sustainable Connection for Stronger Family-school Partnerships
- Leading with Connection: Creating a Positive School Culture Through Sustainable Connection
Video transcript
We’ve been told that connection is important, but too often, it’s treated like a soft skill. Something extra. Something optional.
The truth? Connection is the condition for learning.
When students feel safe, seen, and valued, they don’t just behave better – they learn better. They show up, they take risks, they grow.
Hi I’m Matt Pitman and I’ve teamed up with Cool+ for this course about making that connection sustainable. Not a one-off moment of kindness – but an everyday practice embedded in how we teach, lead, and build culture.
Grounded in The Connection Curriculum, each short lesson gives you a powerful concept and clear strategy – plus a reflection or activity to take straight into your classroom.
Whether you’re a teacher, leader, or support staff member – if you work with young people, this is for you.
Let’s stop treating connection as an extra and start making it everything.
You will learn:
- the core elements of connection – relationships, belonging, and meaning – and their essential role in student engagement, learning, and wellbeing
- practical, research-informed strategies to build and sustain connection through identity, purpose, autonomy, and empathy
- connection-focused practices in both classroom and whole-school contexts to support consistent, community-wide impact.
Course time:
This course is expected to take between 30 to 45 minutes. Perfect for after work or during a spare period. You will have ongoing access via your user dashboard.
Accreditation:
This course is mapped to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
- 1.1 Physical, social, and intellectual development and characteristics of students
- 4.1 Support student participation
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Course Content
Connecting with Students: Sustainable Connection for Engagement and Meaningful learning
Course instructor
Matt Pitman is an experienced educational leader, a doctoral candidate researching connections across school communities, and the author of The Connection Curriculum published by Amba Press. Matt’s experience is varied, from the leadership of curriculum teams and programs to student wellbeing, student improvement and community engagement portfolios. He has led Positive Education and student support programs and has a passion for working with students, parents, and staff to develop new understandings of the needs of young people in the 21st century.
Frequently asked questions
Can I log this PD with my states teaching authority?
Yes! Our courses are mapped to the Australian Professional Teacher Standards (AITSL), and your completion can be logged as elective PD hours with your state's teaching regulatory authority. To do this, grab your certificate of completion from your personal dashboard once the course is complete.
How long will this take to complete?
This course is expected to take between 30 to 45 minutes. Perfect for after work or during a spare period. You will have ongoing access via your user dashboard.
Will I get proof of completion?
Is this course accredited?
All of our courses are mapped to the Australian Professional Teacher Standards (AITSL), and your completion can be logged as relevant, teacher-identified professional development activity with all Australian state teaching regulatory authorities. To do this, grab your certificate of completion from your personal dashboard once the course is complete.
- 1.1 Physical, social, and intellectual development and characteristics of students
- 4.1 Support student participation
Who are the instructors?
This course is designed in consultation with teachers, principals, psychologists, counsellors, scientists, and all manner of experts in the education field.
Cool.org's curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum and best educational practice, so you can be sure your learning is at the cutting edge of education theory.
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