Staff Professional Development

Workshops can be virtual or in-person and are generally 1.5 to 3 hours in duration. Full-day workshops also available.

New for 2024!  Superpowers for Schools - Professional Development for All Educational Professionals

This presentation is designed to inspire and empower general education teachers, special education teachers, specialists, and administrators to help students achieve their potential through compassionate collaborative strategies that address the whole child. This presentation will also share with the full team the techniques and mindsets that are discussed with paraprofessionals. These topics include appreciating neurodiversity, proactive strategies for supporting students, cultivating partnerships with parents, interdisciplinary collaboration, and responding rather than reacting to challenging situations. This is done to promote consistency across the district and to optimize the effects of ongoing professional development that is supportive, student-focused, and reflective of today’s educational challenges. The ultimate goal is to shift staff mindsets and practices so that they are relationship-focused and responsive to student needs in a way that brings joy back to the educational experience for students, families, and educational professionals at all levels.

PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION APPROACHES FOR SCHOOL-BASED TEAMS

As special education professionals, I work with professionals from a wide range of disciplines, including psychology, behavior analysis, social work, education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, medicine, and speech therapy. As such, collaboration has become a necessary component of our jobs. While there are many benefits to collaboration, there are also challenges and ethical questions. During this workshop, I will outline the challenges, benefits and approaches for creating positive professional relationships with members of our school teams.

HOW TO ENCOURAGE YOUR STUDENTS TO LEARN: SIMPLE IDEAS TO MOTIVATE AND ENGAGE EVEN THE MOST CHALLENGING LEARNERS.

Teachers and specialists are often faced with students who are not interested in learning. They seem to do everything possible to avoid their work. This happens in both general and special education classrooms. The good news is that there are very simple ways to motivate even the most challenging students. This workshop will present practical approaches to engage students so that they are more likely to complete their “must do” tasks across the school day.

Creating Partnerships with Parents to Maximize Outcomes Across Settings

In order for students to maximize outcomes across home, school, and community, it is integral that parents be considered partners in their child’s education, including behavioral programming that both decreases challenging behavior and promotes skill development. Oftentimes, however, there is a lack of communication between educators and parents that can lead to misunderstandings, frustration and mistrust. As a result, a student’s learning and generalization of skills may be negatively impacted. Bridging the gap between home and school may be done through compassionate communication and collaboration with all team members at school and at home. In this workshop, we will discuss ways to improve our communication and collaboration skills with parents.

The Art of Supporting Our Students with Understanding and Compassion

This interactive training will enhance staff's understanding of the reasons behind students' behavior and how they can help their students achieve their goals. The training will cover practical student support strategies that are proactive, compassionate, and student-centered and the importance of responding to behavior with consistency and predictability in the classroom. Participants will explore how to approach their work with a neurodiversity affirming approach and how to effectively flow through challenging situations. This workshop can be done as 2-3 1.5 to 2 hour sessions, half-day training, or full-day training. For half and full day workshops, participants will work in their classroom teams to identify strategies they can implement with students right away.

Proactive Strategies to Improve Student Communication, Self-Advocacy, & Engagement

This presentation will provide staff with proactive evidence-based approaches that help students effectively advocate for their needs, engage positively with peers and educators, and do their work in both sub-separate and inclusion classrooms. We will talk about many different strategies, including the importance of offering choices, modifying tasks ahead of time, and acknowledging communication attempts. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss how they would apply these interventions with their students.

Flowing through challenging situations

This workshop will help educators and paraprofessionals manage challenging behavior with compassion while focusing on preventative strategies. We will discuss practical approaches for establishing and nurturing relationships with students, flowing through difficult situations, and avoiding power struggles. By engaging in more positive interactions with students, staff will feel more energized and fulfilled.

CUSTOM WORKSHOPS

Are there very specialized needs that you need addressed? Custom workshops for a professional or personal setting are possible, Contact Us to inquire and let us know your needs.