Our most in-depth way to learn Shanker Self-Reg.
What if some of what you have been taught about behaviour, self-control, learning, motivation, or resilience is missing a crucial part of the picture? These courses take you into the science that has changed how thousands of people understand what they are seeing in children, adults, and themselves. Learners often tell us that once they see it, they can’t unsee it.
At the heart of the courses is the ongoing learning via Stuart Shanker, DPhil, and Susan Hopkins, EdD. Stuart brings together neuroscience, neurobiology, psychology, philosophy, child development, and decades of research and work around the world, making connections that can completely shift how a familiar problem looks. Susan follows the questions wherever they lead, asking Stuart what learners tell us they would have asked themselves, testing the ideas against real stories and experiences, and helping unpack what the science means in practice.
You are learning alongside that conversation. Their video-based teaching runs through the courses, supported by readings, stories, tools, strategies, and opportunities to work with the ideas yourself. Each course approaches the learning differently, while all give you the chance to go well beyond an introduction to Self-Reg.
You also move through the course with a cohort, responding to discussion questions and learning alongside people who bring different experiences and perspectives. TMC facilitators support each cohort throughout the course. They bring deep Self-Reg knowledge, extensive professional experience, and a remarkable capacity to support people as they work through complex ideas and connect the learning to their own lives and practice.
Interested in what others thought of our facilitated courses? Read our reviews.
A new module opens each Tuesday, giving the cohort a shared rhythm while still allowing flexibility.
You move through the course with a group of learners working through the same material and discussions.
There are no scheduled classes you need to attend. Log in and participate at times that work for you within each module.
A certificate is issued when you complete the course
Learning happens through the course content, reflection, discussion, application, and engagement with the material.
Time varies by course and by how deeply you choose to explore the additional learning.
Highly knowledgeable TMC facilitators are present throughout the course to support discussion, reflection, questions, and application.
Courses begin on a Thursday with a few ease-in days. This gives you time to log in, get comfortable in Brightspace by D2L, introduce yourself to your cohort, and get ready before the first module opens the following Tuesday.
Choose the facilitated pathway that fits your role and where you are in your learning journey. Every course is part of one connected learning ecosystem, with clear opportunities to begin, deepen and continue your understanding.
certificate 4 courses 24 modules 8 months 120 hours with Stuart Shanker, Susan Hopkins. Led by a Self-Reg Facilitator
certificate 3 courses 12 modules 4 months 60 hours with Stuart Shanker, Susan Hopkins. Led by a Self-Reg Facilitator
certificate 12 modules, 4 months 30 hours with Susan Hopkins, Kristin Wiens, Stuart Shanker. Led by a Self-Reg Facilitator
certificate 12 modules 4 months (with flex to move through quicker), 30 hours with Stuart Shanker, Susan Hopkins. Led by a Self-Reg Facilitator
certificate 4 months 12 modules 30 hours with Stuart Shanker, Susan Hopkins. Led by a Self-Reg Facilitator
certificate 4 months 12 modules 30 hours with Stuart Shanker, Susan Hopkins. Led by a Self-Reg Facilitator
certificate 6 months 16 modules 50 hours with Stuart Shanker, Susan Hopkins. Led by a Self-Reg Facilitator
certificate 8 months 24 modules 180 hours with Stuart Shanker, Susan Hopkins. Led by a Self-Reg Facilitator
Every facilitated course is unique, while all are aligned with Shanker Self-Reg.
Our Level One courses include an introduction to the core understandings and practices of Self-Reg, including the Five Domains and the five steps: Reframe, Recognize, Reduce, Reflect, and Restore.
Self-Reg Foundations is our flagship course. It offers the most extended opportunity to explore the original science and thinking behind Self-Reg and to build your understanding over time. Other Level One courses allow you to learn Self-Reg while applying it within a particular context, including early childhood, school leadership, and educational assistant practice.
Applied Self-Reg Knowledge courses take a particular issue, such as resilience or bullying, and explore it deeply through a Self-Reg lens. They do not require a prerequisite.
Level Two courses build on prior Self-Reg learning and are designed for people ready to go further into the science or into supporting the learning of others.
No. Facilitated Self-Reg courses are asynchronous, so there’s no set time you need to log in. You move through the course online with a cohort, and everyone works through the same modules during the same week. You’ll participate in discussions and learn from each other, but on your own schedule.
Facilitated courses begin on a Thursday, Eastern Time, with a few ease-in days built in. These first days give you time to log in, find your way around the course, introduce yourself, and meet your cohort before the first module opens the following Tuesday. Check our course calendars (2026 and 2027) for upcoming Self-Reg course start dates.
Facilitated Self-Reg courses are hosted in Brightspace by D2L, a learning management system used by many Canadian universities and other educational institutions.
Plan for approximately three to five hours per week on your facilitated course. The exact time varies by course and by how deeply you choose to explore the additional materials and discussions.
Cohort size varies by course. Some Self-Reg courses run in small groups, while others have approximately 30 learners
TMC courses use an adult learning model with flexibility built in for when life gets busy. You can catch up and continue with your cohort when possible. If circumstances make completing the course difficult, you may also have the option to continue with a future cohort.
No. Facilitated Self-Reg courses have no tests or exams. You engage with the learning through course content, discussion questions, reflection, application, and interaction with your cohort.
Yes. When you complete all the course content and requirements, you receive a certificate within a few weeks
Our facilitated Self-Reg courses are designed with multiple entry points, so you can start wherever interests you most. Foundations offers the deepest grounding in the science and theory behind Shanker Self-Reg®, and works well as a starting point for that reason. ECD, School Leadership, and Education Assistant are also entry-level Self-Reg courses, with no prior coursework required. The one exception is our Level Two courses, which build on that foundation and take your Self-Reg learning further. From there, check the course calendar for what’s currently available, and choose based on what resonates with you.
No. Each Shanker Self-Reg® course is unique. They are aligned with the same Self-Reg science and practices, so you will recognize important ideas and connections, but you will encounter and apply them differently. Some courses take you further into the science itself. Others explore Self-Reg within a particular professional context or through a specific issue. As your Self-Reg knowledge grows, ideas you have encountered before can also take on new meaning and connect in different ways.
If you want to spend substantial time learning the original science and thinking behind Self-Reg, Self-Reg Foundations is our flagship course and our most extended learning experience. If you would rather learn Self-Reg while applying it within a particular context, you might begin with Self-Reg in Early Childhood Development, Self-Reg and Leadership in Schools, or Self-Reg for Educational Assistants. If your primary interest is a specific issue such as resilience or bullying, you can begin with an Applied Self-Reg Knowledge course without completing a Level One course first.
