All Paraprofessional workshops will be held at North Reading Middle/High School. North Reading Middle/High School is located at 189 Park St., North Reading, MA
Lunch will be available onsite for $5 (cash only).
Session 1: 8:30-10:00
PARA1: Supporting Student with Vision Impairments in the Classroom: Amy Maxwell
Students with visual impairments have unique needs in the classroom. It is important to understand the how and why these needs vary between students. This session will explain the various types of visual impairments ranging from reduced acuities/fields to light perception and everything in between, including Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). We will focus on available resources to support staff, tools students utilize and how to create modifications on the fly. Visual simulators will be provided for those who would like to “see” through the lens of students with visual impairment.
PARA2: Executive Functioning: Jean Gately, Carrie Curran
Executive functions are skills that help us plan, organize, manage time, regulate emotions, and get things done. These skills can be a challenge for many students. In this workshop, we’ll learn about what the different executive functions are, discuss how they affect our students in the classroom, and share strategies for improving productivity and self-regulation.
PARA3: Restorative Justice (MPY): Middlesex Partnership for Youth
Traditional school discipline does not always help students take responsibility and be accountable for their behaviors and realize how those behaviors reverberate through the school community. Restorative Justice works to change behavior, allows the victim to be heard, and acknowledges that a harm has been done. This workshop will use Restorative Justice approach to give participants the tools necessary to expand disciplinary alternatives employed in their school.
PARA4: The IEP and Me – What Does It Mean?: Chris Lenahan
The role of a paraprofessional is to act as a support for a student who is on an Individualized Education Program. The position is critical to the success of the the student in accessing the curriculum and the life of the school. The first step in ensuring success for both the paraprofessional and the student is the understanding of the IEP. This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of the legal framework of the IEP, terminology, roles and responsibilities, components of the IEP, and goals and objectives. Handouts will be provided and questions are welcomed!!!
PARA5: Deescelation Strategies in the Classroom: Susan Tremonte
De-Escalation – The purpose of the workshop is to provide an overview of de-escalation, verbal de-escalation techniques, and understanding antecedents and triggers. Support staff will role play potential classroom situations, participate in group discussions of classroom management. Support staff will be given effective strategies for de-escalation, and will be able to utilize effective de escalation strategies within their classroom environment. Verbal and non verbal de escalation techniques will be discussed, along with preventing particular behaviors.
PARA6: Making the Jump from Para to Teacher: The Ins the Outs and the Hows: Lori Ann McLaughlin
Requirements for initial liscensure in both general and special education will be discussed as well as how to make the leap from co-worker to supervisor.
PARA7: Exploring the Best Practices for Inclusion: Gina Sacco
Inclusive practice refers to the instructional and behavioral strategies that improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for all students, with and without disabilities, in general education settings. To support inclusive practice, the tools of this Guidebook are based on the frameworks of Universal Design for Learning, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and Social and Emotional Learning. This workshop will discuss the guidebook, the tools for educators, and the best practices for teachers and paraprofessionals to support all students. Note: This workshop audience may also include teachers.
PARA8: Exploring New and Emerging Classroom Technologies: Dianne Maguire
This workshop will be taught by paraprofessionals for paraprofessionals and will provide a chance to explore and discuss many of the technology tools in the classroom. This session will also include a brief introduction to the Maker Space movement and provide some ideas about how this looks in the North Reading schools and what role the paraprofessionals play in making these spaces exciting learning spaces for students.
PARA24: Life Skill Programming for Students with ASD: Tara Early & Ryan Burr
This session will focus on effective practices that support the development of functional skills for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Specifically, instructors will focus on discrete trials, data collection, calm down strategies, breaks, picture activity schedules with task analysis data, and behavior intervention strategies
PARA 27: Introduction to Mindfulness: Marina Gonzalez
This workshop will take an experiential approach to exploring Mindfulness from its Eastern origins to its modern Western practices. You will learn what mindfulness is and why it is gaining popularity among educators and mental health professionals. Mindfulness can decrease stress and anxiety, and increase awareness of our emotions, thoughts, and surroundings. Mindfulness in the classroom can help students regulate behavior and improve focus. You will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of mindfulness practices to allow you the opportunity to develop your own mindfulness skills, in ways you can incorporate as self-care and into the classroom and work with students
PARA30: Substance Abuse Prevention: Roger Waitt
Join the discussion and learn about substance use trends for adolescents in the U.S. Recognizing warning signs of use and understanding risk and protective factors. Normative beliefs and how prevention works. We all have a role in comprehensive prevention programming… helping students make healthy choices
Session 2: 10:15-11:45
PARA9: Creating Visual Supports for Employment and Community Settings: Rich Plouffe and Colleen McMahon
Does your student forget how to organize his work space? Does she depend on adult prompting to complete the job? Does he come out of the restroom disheveled? There’s a visual support for that! Visual supports, including schedules, checklists, and picture/video modeling, are tools to prompt and remind students of tasks and expectations, without constant adult interference. While these are common in school settings, we will discuss ways to create systems to assist students in more challenging work and community environments, where there are fewer staff, and discretion is important. Participants will practice making their own visual supports during the workshop, and are encouraged to bring their smart phones, laptops, and/or tablet devices. Presenters: Rich Plouffe, Director of Transition Services, SEEM Collaborative Colleen McMahon, Lead Transition Support Instructor, SEEM Collaborative
PARA10: Restorative Justice: Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth
Traditional school discipline does not always help students take responsibility and be accountable for their behaviors and realize how those behaviors reverberate through the school community. Restorative Justice works to change behavior, allows the victim to be heard, and acknowledges that a harm has been done. This workshop will use Restorative Justice approach to give participants the tools necessary to expand disciplinary alternatives employed in their school.
PARA11: The IEP and Me – What Does It Mean? Chris Lenahan
The role of a paraprofessional is to act as a support for a student who is on an Individualized Education Program. The position is critical to the success of the the student in accessing the curriculum and the life of the school. The first step in ensuring success for both the paraprofessional and the student is the understanding of the IEP. This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of the legal framework of the IEP, terminology, roles and responsibilities, components of the IEP, and goals and objectives. Handouts will be provided and questions are welcomed!!!
PARA12: Deescalation Strategies in the Classroom: Susan Tremonte
De-Escalation – The purpose of the workshop is to provide an overview of de-escalation, verbal de-escalation techniques, and understanding antecedents and triggers. Support staff will role play potential classroom situations, participate in group discussions of classroom management. Support staff will be given effective strategies for de-escalation, and will be able to utilize effective de escalation strategies within their classroom environment. Verbal and non verbal de escalation techniques will be discussed, along with preventing particular behaviors.
PARA13: Making the Jump from Para to Teacher: The Ins the Outs and the Hows: Lori Ann McLaughlin
Requirements for initial liscensure in both general and special education will be discussed as well as how to make the leap from co-worker to supervisor.
PARA14: Exploring the Best Practices for Inclusion: Gina Sacco
Inclusive practice refers to the instructional and behavioral strategies that improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for all students, with and without disabilities, in general education settings. To support inclusive practice, the tools of this Guidebook are based on the frameworks of Universal Design for Learning, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and Social and Emotional Learning. This workshop will discuss the guidebook, the tools for educators, and the best practices for teachers and paraprofessionals to support all students. Note: This workshop audience may also include teachers.
PARA15: Exploring New and Emerging Classroom Technologies: Dianne Maguire
This workshop will be taught by paraprofessionals for paraprofessionals and will provide a chance to explore and discuss many of the technology tools in the classroom. This session will also include a brief introduction to the Maker Space movement and provide some ideas about how this looks in the North Reading schools and what role the paraprofessionals play in making these spaces exciting learning spaces for students.
PARA16: Title: Executive Functioning: Jean Gately, Carrie Curran
Executive functions are skills that help us plan, organize, manage time, regulate emotions, and get things done. These skills can be a challenge for many students. In this workshop, we’ll learn about what the different executive functions are, discuss how they affect our students in the classroom, and share strategies for improving productivity and self-regulation.
PARA25: Life Skill Programming for Students with ASD: Tara Early & Ryan Burr
This session will focus on effective practices that support the development of functional skills for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Specifically, instructors will focus on discrete trials, data collection, calm down strategies, breaks, picture activity schedules with task analysis data, and behavior intervention strategies
PARA28: Introduction to Mindfulness: Marina Gonzalez
This workshop will take an experiential approach to exploring Mindfulness from its Eastern origins to its modern Western practices. You will learn what mindfulness is and why it is gaining popularity among educators and mental health professionals. Mindfulness can decrease stress and anxiety, and increase awareness of our emotions, thoughts, and surroundings. Mindfulness in the classroom can help students regulate behavior and improve focus. You will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of mindfulness practices to allow you the opportunity to develop your own mindfulness skills, in ways you can incorporate as self-care and into the classroom and work with students
PARA31: Substance Abuse Prevention: Roger Waitt
Join the discussion and learn about substance use trends for adolescents in the U.S. Recognizing warning signs of use and understanding risk and protective factors. Normative beliefs and how prevention works. We all have a role in comprehensive prevention programming… helping students make healthy choices
PARA33: Supporting the Elementary Reader and Writer: Susan Hegarty, Paula Crosby, Kerry Fleck, Heidi Kasle, Kathy Conway
This workshop will provide strategies and ideas for supporting reading and writing in the K-5 elementary school classroom. This may also include an overview of Fundations at each grade level and a chance to model key strategies used for decoding unfamiliar words during guided reading in the K-2 classroom that paraprofessionals may be asked to assist with if they are in classrooms as a support person.
11:45-12:30 Lunch
Session 3: 12:30-2:00
PARA17: Signing Exact English Basics: Judy Favro
Participants will learn the basic of Signing Exact English (SEE) including sentence structure and signs for commonly used words and phrases in the classroom.
PARA18: Making the Jump from Para to Teacher: The Ins the Outs and the Hows: Lori Ann McLaughlin
Requirements for initial liscensure in both general and special education will be discussed as well as how to make the leap from co-worker to supervisor.
PARA19: Executive Functioning: Jean Gately, Carrie Curran
Executive functions are skills that help us plan, organize, manage time, regulate emotions, and get things done. These skills can be a challenge for many students. In this workshop, we’ll learn about what the different executive functions are, discuss how they affect our students in the classroom, and share strategies for improving productivity and self-regulation.
PARA20: Networking: Ryan Snyder
PARA21: Navigating the Cyber World (MPY): Middlesex Partnership for Youth
Geared for staff and parents, this workshop reviews the challenges and dangerous situations that may arise through use of the Internet, social media and smart phones. It is important for parents to be aware of the popular apps, social media sites and programs used by youth online. This workshop explains the issues and possible consequences from cyber bullying, sexting and revealing identifying information to strangers.
PARA22: Supporting LGBTQ Youth: Middlesex Partnership for Youth
This in-service workshop will address laws, policies and best practices to create a safe and supportive environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning students. This workshop, which includes stories of students, parents and school personnel, will be presented by Jeff Perrotti, Roger Bourgeois and staff from the Safe Schools Initiative.
PARA23: Supporting the Elementary Reader and Writer: Susan Hegarty, Paula Crosby, Kerry Fleck, Heidi Kasle, Kathy Conway
This workshop will provide strategies and ideas for supporting reading and writing in the K-5 elementary school classroom. This may also include an overview of Fundations at each grade level and a chance to model key strategies used for decoding unfamiliar words during guided reading in the K-2 classroom that paraprofessionals may be asked to assist with if they are in classrooms as a support person.
PARA26: Life Skill Programming for Students with ASD: Tara Early & Ryan Burr
This session will focus on effective practices that support the development of functional skills for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Specifically, instructors will focus on discrete trials, data collection, calm down strategies, breaks, picture activity schedules with task analysis data, and behavior intervention strategies
PARA29: Introduction to Mindfulness: Marina Gonzalez
This workshop will take an experiential approach to exploring Mindfulness from its Eastern origins to its modern Western practices. You will learn what mindfulness is and why it is gaining popularity among educators and mental health professionals. Mindfulness can decrease stress and anxiety, and increase awareness of our emotions, thoughts, and surroundings. Mindfulness in the classroom can help students regulate behavior and improve focus. You will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of mindfulness practices to allow you the opportunity to develop your own mindfulness skills, in ways you can incorporate as self-care and into the classroom and work with students
PARA32: Substance Abuse Prevention: Roger Waitt
Join the discussion and learn about substance use trends for adolescents in the U.S. Recognizing warning signs of use and understanding risk and protective factors. Normative beliefs and how prevention works. We all have a role in comprehensive prevention programming… helping students make healthy choices