Active Listening Skills: Strategies for All Grade Levels
As a society, we tend to talk more than we listen. Listening, despite being an essential life skill, is often not explicitly taught. While communication skills are often taught in…
Teach Whole: Strategies to Manage Stress, Build Resiliency, and Elevate Ourselves and Our Profession
Teaching isn’t easy; it never was—but it’s become far more difficult in recent years because of misguided educational policies, challenging student behavior, and the lack of civility that permeates public…
Surviving Teaching in the Age of Social Media
Social media is everywhere in our lives and seems unavoidable. What pitfalls are out there for educators in this fast-changing technological world? This workshop provides tips and strategies for protecting…
Mental Health First Aid
Most of us would know how to help if we saw someone having a heart attack—call 9-1-1; start CPR. Too few of us, however, know how to respond to someone…
Mind the Moment: Practical Mindfulness Activities for Students and Teachers
Mindfulness is receiving much-needed attention right now, in part due to the pressures of living in an increasingly complex world. Smartphones, busy schedules, and a 24-hour news cycle can be…
Knowledge is the Best Protection: Understanding Your Rights With Challenging Student Behavior
As the demands to address all of a student’s academic and emotional needs have increased, it is vitally important that all teachers are informed of their legal rights and duties…
Introduction to Student Trauma: Developing a Trauma Sensitive Classroom
Nearly 7 out of 10 children experience trauma, and many experience multiple traumatic experiences. The impact of trauma on children and adolescents is pervasive and presents challenges in every school…
Dealing with Secondary Trauma: Self-Care Strategies for Teachers
Teachers care deeply about their students and take their “in loco parentis” responsibilities quite seriously. So when a student endures a traumatic event, the experience of trying to help the student cope may cause distress for the teacher as well. This phenomenon is called secondary trauma, and it can have serious physical and mental health repercussions if left unaddressed. Teaching is widely regarded as one of the most stressful occupations in the country, and it is also one of the most emotionally exhausting. This workshop provides an overview of the causes and symptoms of secondary trauma, selfcare strategies for teachers looking to restore their emotional balance, and resources for those seeking additional information or professional support.
Difficult Conversations Made Easy
In this interactive session, participants will learn to recognize when it is time to have a difficult conversation and learn some simple strategies to take the fear out of initiating one. The workshop will cover how to manage any strong feelings that arise during a difficult conversation, as well as how and when to follow up in the days that follow. The workshop includes several opportunities for participants to practice initiating a difficult conversation with tact and openheartedness. This workshop is designed to help members address problems proactively, settle differences amicably, promote trust, and contribute to a healthy school climate.
Cultivating a Sense of Belonging in School
One of the most common words children choose to describe their emotional state is “lonely.” Feelings of isolation and loneliness were common before the pandemic, but school closures and virtual learning exacerbated these feelings for many. This workshop provides classroom activities and instructional strategies teachers around the state are using to combat student isolation, cultivate community in the classroom, and foster a sense of belonging during these difficult times.