Paraprofessional workshops are held at:
Lawrence High School, 70-71 North Parrish Rd., Lawrence, MA
8:30-10:00 The Transition Process for Students with Disabilities
Bethany Tsioropoulos
Provides a practical and useful understanding about the transition process from school to adult life and options after high school for individuals with disabilities.
8:30-10:00 Sensory Processing and Sensory Integration
Ashley Cunningham
The session will cover how our bodies process sensory input from our environment through all of our senses. Includes a description and knowledge on the different needs of each individuals sensory needs and will discuss strategies to use to help self-regulate and how to recognize what our bodies need. Presentation will discuss signs/movements to look for in students and strategies that can be implemented within the classroom to help regulate students bodies to promote academic learning. A hands on activity to experience different sensory strategies will be included.
8:30-10:00 Student Empowerment through Social – Emotional Learning
Samantha Curtis
This session will introduce the components of social-emotional learning (SEL), and provide strategies for developing SEL through instruction and social interactions. Paraprofessionals will walk away with an understanding of how SEL empowers students in their academic and personal learning journeys.
8:30-10:00 Common Exercises for PT Student
Crystal Lee
Introduces paraprofessionals to common exercises within classrooms for optimal physical function as it relates to students movement and health. Includes demonstrations on mobility and positioning equipment.
8:30-10:00 Para’s working with Teachers for the Visually Impaired/blind (CTVI’s)
Denise Dudask, Allyson Nicholson
Co-teaching will include paraprofessionals’ role working with the different levels of vision loss (blind, legally blind, CVI) as well as different levels of student abilities (mainstream, PA1, MSS) in the educational setting.
8:30-10:00 Fine Motor Solutions for Early Childhood Classroom
Stephanie Goudreau
This presentation will explain the role that the paraprofessional plays in order to support students to develop fine motor skills. Strategies to support students will be described including warm up activities, pencil grasp, paper choice, and varying body position to make each student feel successful.
8:30-10:00 Teaching Active Study Strategies to Paraprofessionals
Deborah Savarino
As a paraprofessional in the classroom, you can have a direct impact on how students learn their material. A recent report by the National Council on Teacher Quality found that “shockingly, 85% of the textbooks used to train teachers in how students learn had less than a page on validated strategies”. Educational research (Dunlosky, Rawson, March, Nathan and Willingham) has indicated that students will make better progress if they study more actively. This course will focus on trying out different active methods of studying, most do not rely on the use of technology. We will have time to try out some methods and examine how to make them more ‘active’ for students. This workshop is intended for paraprofessionals who work with students with learning disabilities in the high school or middle school.
8:30-10:00 Think Behaviorally
Kristin Pas
In ABA we believe communication is behavior and behavior is communication. Knowing we can modify and change behavior, it’s time to think behaviorally about situations in the classroom.
8:30-10:00 Social Emotional Learning
Brittany Lynch
Students often act up in class and they are just seen as behavioral. Have you stopped to think about where those behaviors are coming from? What is home life like? What is their history? What are they trying to tell us with their actions? Learning how to shift the mindset from just seeing behaviors to looking at the message that is being conveyed.
8:30-10:00 The Essence of Special Education
Participants will review the purpose of Special Education; Review the legal foundations for Special Education including relevant legislation, litigation, and vocabulary; Understand / Review the referral process.
10:15-11:45 The Transition Process for Students with Disabilities
Bethany Tsioropoulos
Provides a practical and useful understanding about the transition process from school to adult life and options after high school for individuals with disabilities.
10:15-11:45 Sensory Processing and Sensory Integration
Ashley Cunningham
The session will cover how our bodies process sensory input from our environment through all of our senses. Includes a description and knowledge on the different needs of each individuals sensory needs and will discuss strategies to use to help self-regulate and how to recognize what our bodies need. Presentation will discuss signs/movements to look for in students and strategies that can be implemented within the classroom to help regulate students bodies to promote academic learning. A hands on activity to experience different sensory strategies will be included.
10:15-11:45 Student Empowerment through Social – Emotional Learning
Samantha Curtis
This session will introduce the components of social-emotional learning (SEL), and provide strategies for developing SEL through instruction and social interactions. Paraprofessionals will walk away with an understanding of how SEL empowers students in their academic and personal learning journeys.
10:15-11:45 Common Exercises and Guidance and using Mobility and Positioning Equipment.
Crystal Lee
Introduces paraprofessionals to common exercises within classrooms for optimal physical function as it relates to students movement and health. Includes demonstrations on mobility and positioning equipment.
10:15-11:45 The Essence of Special Education
Participants will review the purpose of Special Education; Review the legal foundations for Special Education including relevant legislation, litigation, and vocabulary; Understand / Review the referral process.
10:15-11:45 Social Emotional Learning
Brittany Lynch
Students often act up in class and they are just seen as behavioral. Have you stopped to think about where those behaviors are coming from? What is home life like? What is their history? What are they trying to tell us with their actions? Learning how to shift the mindset from just seeing behaviors to looking at the message that is being conveyed.
10:15-11:45 Orientation and Mobility (O&M)
Denise Dudask, Allyson Nicholson
Introduction to basic terms, what is covered during O&M services, the para’s role with reinforcing skills, human guide, and in-service demonstrating these topics
10:15-11:45 Sensory Strategies for Early Childhood Classroom
Stephanie Goudreau
Will focus on an overview of sensory integration and the role that the paraprofessional plays to support students with sensory concerns. It will describe sensory integration, how sensory needs present with various student, and strategies to maintain a just right level of arousal to complete daily classroom tasks. The benefits of sensory diets and sensory stories will be discussed.
10:15-11:45 Surviving and Thriving in the Special Education Classroom
Deborah Savarino
Special Education work is a delicate balance among special education teachers, mainstream teachers, administration, and especially students. Paraprofessionals are vital to keeping the system moving in a positive direction. Often students with disabilities develop close relationships with the paraprofessionals who support them. Participants in this workshop will leave with several concrete ideas of how to begin to keep this balance; work collaboratively with all teachers and most important, hold students accountable. Teaching students to believe in their abilities is the most powerful advantage these students can gain.
10:15-11:45 Understanding Autism and Evidence Based Strategies to Support
Kristin Pas
The general education classroom is filled with mix of profiles, disorders and disabilities. This module will focus on Autism and ways to support those students throughout their school day.
11:25-12:15 Lunch
12:30-2:00 The Transition Process for Students with Disabilities
Bethany Tsioropoulos
Provides a practical and useful understanding about the transition process from school to adult life and options after high school for individuals with disabilities.
12:30-2:00Sensory Processing and Sensory Integration
Ashley Cunningham
The session will cover how our bodies process sensory input from our environment through all of our senses. Includes a description and knowledge on the different needs of each individuals sensory needs and will discuss strategies to use to help self-regulate and how to recognize what our bodies need. Presentation will discuss signs/movements to look for in students and strategies that can be implemented within the classroom to help regulate students bodies to promote academic learning. A hands on activity to experience different sensory strategies will be included.
12:30-2:00 Student Empowerment through Social – Emotional Learning
Samantha Curtis
This session will introduce the components of social-emotional learning (SEL), and provide strategies for developing SEL through instruction and social interactions. Paraprofessionals will walk away with an understanding of how SEL empowers students in their academic and personal learning journeys.
12:30-2:00 Common Exercises and Guidance and using Mobility and Positioning Equipment.
Crystal Lee
Introduces paraprofessionals to common exercises within classrooms for optimal physical function as it relates to students movement and health. Includes demonstrations on mobility and positioning equipment.
12:30-2:00 The Essence of Special Education
Participants will review the purpose of Special Education; Review the legal foundations for Special Education including relevant legislation, litigation, and vocabulary; Understand / Review the referral process.
12:30-2:00 Social Emotional Learning
Brittany Lynch
Students often act up in class and they are just seen as behavioral. Have you stopped to think about where those behaviors are coming from? What is home life like? What is their history? What are they trying to tell us with their actions? Learning how to shift the mindset from just seeing behaviors to looking at the message that is being conveyed.
12:30-2:00 Para’s working with Teachers for the Visually Impaired/blind (CTVI’s)
Denise Dudask, Allyson Nicholson
Co-teaching will include paraprofessionals’ role working with the different levels of vision loss (blind, legally blind, CVI) as well as different levels of student abilities (mainstream, PA1, MSS) in the educational setting.
12:30-2:00 Related Services – What is it all About?
Stephanie Goudreau
Introduce paraprofessionals to the role of related service providers (RSP) including OT, PT, and Sp/lg within the school setting. It will identify the goal areas that RSPs support, activities completed, and how paraprofessionals can carry over these skills into the classroom. In addition, information will be provided regarding sensory rooms and the optimal way to use these spaces within the schools to maximize student success.
12:30-2:00 Teaching Active Study Strategies to Paraprofessionals
Deborah Savarino
As a paraprofessional in the classroom, you can have a direct impact on how students learn their material. A recent report by the National Council on Teacher Quality found that “shockingly, 85% of the textbooks used to train teachers in how students learn had less than a page on validated strategies”. Educational research (Dunlosky, Rawson, March, Nathan and Willingham) has indicated that students will make better progress if they study more actively. This course will focus on trying out different active methods of studying, most do not rely on the use of technology. We will have time to try out some methods and examine how to make them more ‘active’ for students. This workshop is intended for paraprofessionals who work with students with learning disabilities in the high school or middle school.
12:30-2:00 Reinforcement 101
Kristin Pas
Reinforcement is an essential component to behavior change and modification. Get to know the basics and make sure you are not reinforcing the wrong behaviors
