TUESDAY, AUGUST 9 1:00 to 2:15 PM
Ballroom
Presenter: Brian Mendler Title: Power Struggles Unplugged Description: This high energy session teaches specifically how to diffuse power struggles with any student, in any situation, at any time with our proven step by step process. Discover two words guaranteed to stop mouthy kids in their tracks. Learn exactly what to say when removing a student so they want to return to your class. Resources: Brian Mendler Resource Handbook
Room 302
Presenter: Tim Lewis Title: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Behavior Supports for Students with Disabilities, But Were Afraid to Ask Description: This session will provide an overview of current evidence-based practices for supporting children and youth with challenging behavior. Specifically, applying a function-based logic to intervention design, instructional strategies and environmental supports will be highlighted. In addition, time for questions, discussion, and solutions among participants will be allocated. Resources: Behavior Lewis.v2
Room 303
Presenter: Reuben Jacobson Closed Session – Invite Only
Room 304
Presenter: Joelle Hood Title: Social Emotional Learning Description: This informative, interactive and highly-engaging workshop explores the research that supports the importance of SEL practices in educators’ personal and professional development. Participants will learn how to implement SEL strategies and build skills in classrooms and school sites to prepare students to be successful in school, college, career, and life. Tools such as Neuroscience, Mindfulness in Education, Restorative Practices, Growth Mindset & Grit, Character Development, and Cultivating Kindness, Empathy, and Compassion will be reviewed and emphasis placed on how they play a critical role in building SEL skills and enhancing school culture and climate. The facilitator will lead participants in discussion and activities that they can replicate in a district, school site, and classroom the next day to initiate positive change in the lives of all stakeholders. Resources: Updated Joelle Hood Powerpoint
Room 305
Presenter: Barb Mitchell Title: Instructional Approaches for Discouraging Inappropriate Student Behavior Description: This session provides description and examples of a range of strategies teachers can use to effectively address problem behavior in the classroom. Implementation examples and additional resources will be provided. Resources: Barbara Mitchell – Session 2 & 4
Room 306
Presenter: Kristopher Rollins & Emily Lang Title: The White Savior Complex: The Myth, Our Role, and Tools to Dismantle Description: In this workshop, participants will develop a stronger understanding of the white savior complex, identify personal moments from their educational experiences when they’ve assumed the role of the white savior, and develop actions steps to establish culturally-centered classrooms, buildings, and districts.
Room 307
Presenter: Daniel Spikes & Jason Salisbury Title: Centering the voices of youth of color in educational spaces Description: This session will discuss the knowledge and capital that youth of color bring to educational spaces and the ways those can be leveraged in the process of school improvement. Participants will develop a greater understanding of the knowledge and capital that youth of color bring to schools, the ways in which schools marginalize the value of that knowledge and capital, and strategies for bringing students to the center of the improvement process. Resources: Jason Salisbury – Handout
Room 308
Presenter: Randall Lindsey Title: Culturally Proficient Educational Practice: Changing the Conversation Description: Participants will engage in a data collection activity using the Cultural Proficiency Continuum. No advance preparation of data is needed for this session. Collected data will be arrayed along the Cultural Proficiency Continuum and analyzed for trends. Participants leave with awareness that in order to shift conversations and behaviors from negative climate to positive climate begins with being able to ‘hear what is being said and see what is happening around us.’ Resources: Randall Lindsey Powerpoint – Breakout 4 Randall Lindsey – Focus on Assets Randall Lindsey – Book Handout
Room 309
Presenter: Corey Harris Title: 21st Century Jim Crow: What do the data suggest? Description: The purpose of this session is to raise the awareness of support staff, teachers, building administrators, district-level administrators, community partners, and concerned citizens regarding a glaring wrong that we have been living with and somehow have been unable and/or unwilling to address. The pervasiveness of “colorblind” ideology along with affirmative action efforts seem to have blurred our vision of educational excellence for ALL students to the point that we know and don’t know the truth about the educational experiences and academic performance of minority children, especially black children. Any truth or data which even remotely suggest any parallels to the practices of Jim Crow must be effectively addressed. Current data suggest that we need a grand wake-up call in the midst of a long slumber of indifference to racial minority, disabled, English-language learner, homeless, and low-income students. It is incumbent upon all of us to: a.) Increase our awareness of the problem and its contributing factors b.) Analyze the consequences of our actions and inaction and determine if those consequences are acceptable c.) Chose to do something different by taking control over our behavior/actions and support others to do the same Resources: Corey Harris v2
Room 310
Presenter: Judy Elliott Title: The integration of MTSS and District and School Improvement Plans Description: This session will focus on how to develop, align and/integrate the critical components of MTSS within District and School Improvement Plans. The importance of MTSS School Board Policies and examples will be shared Resources: J.E. PowerPoint #4 J. E. Handout MTSS PS 4 step-8 step crosswalk J.E. Handout 8 Step Fact Sheet
Room 312/313
Presenter: Erin Gruwell Title: Give a Voice to the Voiceless Description: How the Freedom Writers have evolved from troubled teens and struggling students to authors and activists – passionately fighting intolerance and promoting social justice.
Room 314/315
No Presenter – Brian Mendler Moved to the Ballroom
Room 316
Presenter: Saida Abdi Title: Refugee Children: Trauma and Resiliency – Part 2 of 2 Description: The workshop will focus on skills and strategies that can enhance mental health access for refugee and immigrant children in a school-setting; The importance of addressing social environmental factors that might negatively affect learning and how cultural brokers can help overcome cultural and linguistic barriers will be discussed. Trauma Systems Therapy for Refugees (TST-R) will be used to illustrate how trauma intervention can be adapted to meet the needs of immigrant and refugee students and their families. (2 Part workshop) Resources: Saida Abdi
Room 317
Presenter: Nate Monson Title: Supporting & Understanding the Queer Youth Experience Description: This session will explore issues surrounding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth including bullying, homelessness, and suicide risk. Other topics that will be explored include the recent federal guidance regarding transgender students, curricular resources available for educators, and new services that are available for LGBTQ youth. Come prepared to be challenged and also ask any questions you may have regarding this topic. Resources: Nate Monson
Room 318
Presenter: Larry Thompson Title: Supportive Discipline: Teaching Students to “Own” Their Behaviors Description: Most schools fail to get lasting change in student behavior because students seldom feel responsible for their actions and find ways to project their behaviors onto others. In this featured presentation, attendees will see how to move their schools from a traditional obedience model to a responsibility-based model. As a former educator, Larry Thompson will discuss simple approaches that will shift the burden of ownership back to students and promote greater learning and lasting change. Attendees will learn how to incorporate these approaches with the most challenging student behaviors. Resources: Larry Thompson Give 5 Handout
Room 319
Presenter: Wes Hall Title: Relationships are the Keys to Success Description: An 8-year independent research project conducted by Wes Hall and the Institute for Student Empowerment, revealed, “Relationship Building,” as the #1 contributor to success or failure among teachers who work with students emanating from diverse environments. Is relationship building a natural aspect of the human make-up? Why is building effective relationships with students who grow up in impoverished conditions critical to classroom management? This interactive session will help you understand the nonverbal cues that trigger disruptive behavior among youth and provide you best practices for building effective relationships with challenging students.
Room 320
Presenter: Ami Chen Mills-Naim Title: Tapping the Promise of Challenging Youth (and Colleagues … and People!) Description: A New View Toward Releasing the Best in Ourselves, and Others How can we get out of our own way with youth, and even co-workers, staff (family members?) who challenge us on a daily basis? Is there an easy way to take such challenges less personally and respond from a place of calm and creativity? Yes! This workshop will re-introduce simple principles from Ms. Mills-Naim’s morning session, in light of relationships, and engaging healthy learning in others—youth and adults alike. We will discuss the underlying components of “mindset” and how to help change mindset in youth. Please note: this session is not technique- or step-oriented, but rather, recognizes and aims to unleash the innate wisdom in each of us … to respond appropriately in each moment. (Recommended to be taken together with “Innate Resiliency for Educators,” if possible.) Resources: Ami Chen Mills-Naim Handout

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9

1:00 to 2:15 PM

Ballroom

Presenter: Brian Mendler

Title: Power Struggles Unplugged

Description: This high energy session teaches specifically how to diffuse power struggles with any student, in any situation, at any time with our proven step by step process. Discover two words guaranteed to stop mouthy kids in their tracks. Learn exactly what to say when removing a student so they want to return to your class.

Resources: Brian Mendler Resource Handbook

Room 302

Presenter: Tim Lewis

Title: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Behavior Supports for Students with Disabilities, But Were Afraid to Ask

Description: This session will provide an overview of current evidence-based practices for supporting children and youth with challenging behavior. Specifically, applying a function-based logic to intervention design, instructional strategies and environmental supports will be highlighted. In addition, time for questions, discussion, and solutions among participants will be allocated.

Resources: Behavior Lewis.v2

Room 303

Presenter: Reuben Jacobson

Closed Session – Invite Only

Room 304

Presenter: Joelle Hood

Title: Social Emotional Learning

Description: This informative, interactive and highly-engaging workshop explores the research that supports the importance of SEL practices in educators’ personal and professional development. Participants will learn how to implement SEL strategies and build skills in classrooms and school sites to prepare students to be successful in school, college, career, and life. Tools such as Neuroscience, Mindfulness in Education, Restorative Practices, Growth Mindset & Grit, Character Development, and Cultivating Kindness, Empathy, and Compassion will be reviewed and emphasis placed on how they play a critical role in building SEL skills and enhancing school culture and climate. The facilitator will lead participants in discussion and activities that they can replicate in a district, school site, and classroom the next day to initiate positive change in the lives of all stakeholders.

Resources: Updated Joelle Hood Powerpoint

Room 305

Presenter: Barb Mitchell

Title: Instructional Approaches for Discouraging Inappropriate Student Behavior

Description: This session provides description and examples of a range of strategies teachers can use to effectively address problem behavior in the classroom. Implementation examples and additional resources will be provided.

Resources: Barbara Mitchell – Session 2 & 4

Room 306

Presenter: Kristopher Rollins & Emily Lang

Title: The White Savior Complex: The Myth, Our Role, and Tools to Dismantle

Description: In this workshop, participants will develop a stronger understanding of the white savior complex, identify personal moments from their educational experiences when they’ve assumed the role of the white savior, and develop actions steps to establish culturally-centered classrooms, buildings, and districts.

Room 307

Presenter: Daniel Spikes & Jason Salisbury

Title: Centering the voices of youth of color in educational spaces

Description: This session will discuss the knowledge and capital that youth of color bring to educational spaces and the ways those can be leveraged in the process of school improvement. Participants will develop a greater understanding of the knowledge and capital that youth of color bring to schools, the ways in which schools marginalize the value of that knowledge and capital, and strategies for bringing students to the center of the improvement process.

Resources: Jason Salisbury – Handout

Room 308

Presenter: Randall Lindsey

Title: Culturally Proficient Educational Practice: Changing the Conversation

Description: Participants will engage in a data collection activity using the Cultural Proficiency Continuum. No advance preparation of data is needed for this session. Collected data will be arrayed along the Cultural Proficiency Continuum and analyzed for trends. Participants leave with awareness that in order to shift conversations and behaviors from negative climate to positive climate begins with being able to ‘hear what is being said and see what is happening around us.’

Resources: Randall Lindsey Powerpoint – Breakout 4 Randall Lindsey – Focus on Assets Randall Lindsey – Book Handout

Room 309

Presenter: Corey Harris

Title: 21st Century Jim Crow: What do the data suggest?

Description: The purpose of this session is to raise the awareness of support staff, teachers, building administrators, district-level administrators, community partners, and concerned citizens regarding a glaring wrong that we have been living with and somehow have been unable and/or unwilling to address. The pervasiveness of “colorblind” ideology along with affirmative action efforts seem to have blurred our vision of educational excellence for ALL students to the point that we know and don’t know the truth about the educational experiences and academic performance of minority children, especially black children.

Any truth or data which even remotely suggest any parallels to the practices of Jim Crow must be effectively addressed. Current data suggest that we need a grand wake-up call in the midst of a long slumber of indifference to racial minority, disabled, English-language learner, homeless, and low-income students. It is incumbent upon all of us to:

a.) Increase our awareness of the problem and its contributing factors

b.) Analyze the consequences of our actions and inaction and determine if those consequences are acceptable

c.) Chose to do something different by taking control over our behavior/actions and support others to do the same

Resources: Corey Harris v2

Room 310

Presenter: Judy Elliott

Title: The integration of MTSS and District and School Improvement Plans

Description: This session will focus on how to develop, align and/integrate the critical components of MTSS within District and School Improvement Plans. The importance of MTSS School Board Policies and examples will be shared

Resources: J.E. PowerPoint #4 J. E. Handout MTSS PS 4 step-8 step crosswalk J.E. Handout 8 Step Fact Sheet

Room 312/313

Presenter: Erin Gruwell

Title: Give a Voice to the Voiceless

Description: How the Freedom Writers have evolved from troubled teens and struggling students to authors and activists – passionately fighting intolerance and promoting social justice.

Room 314/315

No Presenter – Brian Mendler Moved to the Ballroom

Room 316

Presenter: Saida Abdi

Title: Refugee Children: Trauma and Resiliency – Part 2 of 2

Description: The workshop will focus on skills and strategies that can enhance mental health access for refugee and immigrant children in a school-setting; The importance of addressing social environmental factors that might negatively affect learning and how cultural brokers can help overcome cultural and linguistic barriers will be discussed. Trauma Systems Therapy for Refugees (TST-R) will be used to illustrate how trauma intervention can be adapted to meet the needs of immigrant and refugee students and their families. (2 Part workshop)

Resources: Saida Abdi

Room 317

Presenter: Nate Monson

Title: Supporting & Understanding the Queer Youth Experience

Description: This session will explore issues surrounding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth including bullying, homelessness, and suicide risk. Other topics that will be explored include the recent federal guidance regarding transgender students, curricular resources available for educators, and new services that are available for LGBTQ youth. Come prepared to be challenged and also ask any questions you may have regarding this topic.

Resources: Nate Monson

Room 318

Presenter: Larry Thompson

Title: Supportive Discipline: Teaching Students to “Own” Their Behaviors

Description: Most schools fail to get lasting change in student behavior because students seldom feel responsible for their actions and find ways to project their behaviors onto others. In this featured presentation, attendees will see how to move their schools from a traditional obedience model to a responsibility-based model. As a former educator, Larry Thompson will discuss simple approaches that will shift the burden of ownership back to students and promote greater learning and lasting change. Attendees will learn how to incorporate these approaches with the most challenging student behaviors.

Resources: Larry Thompson Give 5 Handout

Room 319

Presenter: Wes Hall

Title: Relationships are the Keys to Success

Description: An 8-year independent research project conducted by Wes Hall and the Institute for Student Empowerment, revealed, “Relationship Building,” as the #1 contributor to success or failure among teachers who work with students emanating from diverse environments. Is relationship building a natural aspect of the human make-up? Why is building effective relationships with students who grow up in impoverished conditions critical to classroom management? This interactive session will help you understand the nonverbal cues that trigger disruptive behavior among youth and provide you best practices for building effective relationships with challenging students.

Room 320

Presenter: Ami Chen Mills-Naim

Title: Tapping the Promise of Challenging Youth (and Colleagues … and People!)

Description: A New View Toward Releasing the Best in Ourselves, and Others

How can we get out of our own way with youth, and even co-workers, staff (family members?) who challenge us on a daily basis? Is there an easy way to take such challenges less personally and respond from a place of calm and creativity? Yes!

This workshop will re-introduce simple principles from Ms. Mills-Naim’s morning session, in light of relationships, and engaging healthy learning in others—youth and adults alike. We will discuss the underlying components of “mindset” and how to help change mindset in youth.

Please note: this session is not technique- or step-oriented, but rather, recognizes and aims to unleash the innate wisdom in each of us … to respond appropriately in each moment. (Recommended to be taken together with “Innate Resiliency for Educators,” if possible.)

Resources: Ami Chen Mills-Naim Handout

Breakout Session 4