Implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports
Jul
23
to Jul 25

Implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Improve the Learning and Behavior of All Students: A Practical and Individualized Approach for District and Building-Level Teams.

Join us for this 3-day MTSS training (8:30am-3:30pm) to learn how to meet the diverse academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs of your students. We will cover strategies for early intervention, data analysis to inform instructional decisions, and collaboration among teachers, administrators and support personnel. You will walk away with a newfound understanding of the importance of a proactive and systematic approach to addressing student needs, ultimately aiming to improve overall student outcomes and creating a positive learning environment.

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Keynote: Building a Culture of Connection
Jun
7
11:30 AM11:30

Keynote: Building a Culture of Connection

  • Capital District Counseling Association (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

A lack of CONNECTION, with oneself, with one's purpose, and with others, is at the root of most problems bubbling up in today's workforce. When we lose the connection to ourselves, it becomes difficult to be authentic and follow our passions. When we are disconnected from colleagues and working in silos, we lose the creative potential that comes from collaboration and employees are often left feeling isolated, anxious and overwhelmed.

At a time where people are glued to their smartphones and distracted by the constant stream of information and emails, it has become more and more difficult to create healthy work boundaries and to be fully present in conversations. Our culture also values working long hours and pushing through fatigue and overwhelm rather than rest and self-care.

In order to establish a work culture that maximizes the potential of every employee, we must find creative ways to foster connection. In order to feel connected at work, we must create cultures in which employees are willing to:

1. Be authentic and vulnerable

2. Take risks and make mistakes

3. Be fully present and consciously aware of their own thoughts and feelings, as well as the thoughts and feelings of others

This presentation will discuss how mindfulness and deliberately focusing on improving emotional intelligence lead to a more connected work culture in which people feel seen, heard and valued.

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Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices: Effective Strategies for Educators
Nov
12
8:30 AM08:30

Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices: Effective Strategies for Educators

Opening Keynote: Building a Classroom Culture with Trauma-Awareness and Trauma-Informed Interventions

Children and teens who have experienced trauma have more success in classroom environments with certain qualities and with teachers who understand how trauma impacts learning and behavior. The first step in building a trauma-informed classroom is understanding how the brain and body process trauma, and how these experiences impact brain development. When a student is triggered, there is a predictable physiological response, then coping strategies that are used to return the body to a relaxed state. During this keynote, we will look at how a collaborative, restorative, strengths-based classroom is beneficial. This knowledge is important, but it is also critical to have a toolbox of strategies and interventions that help build students’ cognitive skills. We will touch on the “window of tolerance, “or the optimal zone of physiological arousal, and ways to help students get in the zone and stay there for longer periods of time so they are ready and available to learn.

Breakout session by keynote presenter: Trauma, Disassociation, and Short-Term Memory Impairment

When a student has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a common way of coping with the extreme stress is to dissociate. Dissociation involves disruptions in consciousness, memory, identity, and perception of the self and the environment. This is especially important for educators to understand because it affects a student’s ability to learn and remember new information. During this session, participants will learn how to recognize when a student may be dissociating, how to best respond, and strategies for building short-term memory skills.

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Wired Differently/Trauma-Informed Schools Conference
Mar
30
to Apr 2

Wired Differently/Trauma-Informed Schools Conference

Helping Students Succeed Who Are Wired Differently or Trauma-Impacted

This conference offers a wide array of critical insights and best practices for reaching and teaching students with a variety of emotional and behavioral challenges – especially trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and PTSD.  With 1 in 5 students diagnosable for a behavioral or emotional disorder and 1 in 4 students affected by 2 or more ACEs, every classroom is impacted.  Principals and other administrators, general ed teachers, special ed teachers, resource teachers, interventionists and paraprofessionals will benefit from tools, recommendations and strategies for working with this often high-potential portion of the student population. 

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Educational Collaborative for Independent Schools- "Refocus, Rethink: How can we best prepare future global leaders and influencers for the world they will face?"
Mar
6
to Mar 8

Educational Collaborative for Independent Schools- "Refocus, Rethink: How can we best prepare future global leaders and influencers for the world they will face?"

The 2022 Face to Face Conference theme, Refocus, Rethink, welcomes school leaders and other educators to conversations and collaborations that reflect what we do best: learn from experience. The disruptions we have experienced since early 2020 – global, societal, environmental, educational – give international schools a powerful platform to reset conditions in which learners young and old will operate in the years ahead.

How can we best prepare future global leaders and influencers for the world they will face? With all that we have learned, let us refocus and rethink that challenge together. Learn more about the tracks via the link below.

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Wellness Series: The Art of Self-Compassion and Letting Go
Feb
10
3:30 PM15:30

Wellness Series: The Art of Self-Compassion and Letting Go

Have you ever felt compassion for someone who was struggling?....a friend going through a divorce, someone who has a chronic illness, a child who doesn’t have enough to eat. Most people find that it is fairly easy to have compassion and a caring heart for others, but that it is much more difficult to show yourself the same compassion.

During these challenging times, showing yourself grace and acknowledging that you are human and will make mistakes, is a powerful way to reduce your stress and improve your quality of life. During this webinar, you will learn three ways to practice self-compassion, which will, in turn, allow you to build a more compassionate environment around you.

Individual Registration Fee: $40

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Wellness Series: Mastering Your Mindset
Jan
12
3:30 PM15:30

Wellness Series: Mastering Your Mindset

There are no limits for those who have mastered the mind. No matter what challenges lie ahead, a positive mindset and the well-developed practices of mindfulness and gratitude lead to opportunities for personal growth and development. This webinar will introduce specific practices to help you master your mindset, including:

  • Being conscious of and shaping your inner voice

  • Seeking out the best in others

  • Focusing on the joyful moments each day

  • Practicing gratitude

  • Being mindful of how thoughts influence mood

  • Using visualization to create reality

Individual Registration Fee: $40

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Wellness Series: Four Power Habits for Proactive Self-Care
Dec
2
3:30 PM15:30

Wellness Series: Four Power Habits for Proactive Self-Care

We all know that self-care is important, and most of us are occasionally thrust into caring for ourselves in response to a sense of overwhelm, physical illness or an emotional breakdown. However, this webinar will introduce four habits that can be used proactively, before the negative effects of stress set in. These impactful practices will serve as protective factors for the mind, body and spirit. Educators will leave with an individualized self-care plan that can be implemented immediately.

Individual Registration Fee: $40

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The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Managing Conflict and Navigating Difficult Conversations - Live Virtual Webinar
Nov
4
12:00 PM12:00

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Managing Conflict and Navigating Difficult Conversations - Live Virtual Webinar

Did you know that conflict in the workplace is beneficial, as long as it is addressed and managed effectively. During this webinar, participants will gain an understanding of the conflict continuum and the role of emotional intelligence (EQ) in navigating difficult conversations. We will determine what makes a conversation "difficult," and will examine how self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management all play a role in navigating these conversations. Dr. Bashant will introduce the four types of trust, and how you can develop each of them in order to build a culture of trust in your workplace. Another important aspect of managing difficult conversations is understanding the four patterns of communication and learning how to communicate effectively. Finally, we will touch on how practicing mindfulness will help you to build these crucial relational skills.

Registration fee: $25

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Wellness Series: Garnering Support and Replenishing Hope
Nov
3
3:30 PM15:30

Wellness Series: Garnering Support and Replenishing Hope

This year is turning into an even more emotionally challenging time than 2020. With additional variants of COVID and infection rates on the rise, the sense of hope that the pandemic will be over soon may be dwindling. During this webinar, participants will:

  • Learn ways to garner support from others, as well as how to be supportive to colleagues who may be struggling

  • Discover how your mindset strongly influences mood, and how mindset shifts can be made

  • Discuss strategies for replenishing hope within yourself and those around you.

Individual Registration Fee: $40

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Building Resilience to Navigate Uncertain Times - Keynote
Oct
27
9:00 AM09:00

Building Resilience to Navigate Uncertain Times - Keynote

Capital Region Chapter of Association of Talent Development Annual Conference

Keynote Address - Building Resilience to Navigate Uncertain Times

Click Here for Tickets

Resilience and the ability to be flexible and navigate change are important qualities for employees to possess. One needs resilience to be effective at a job, cope with stress, resolve issues with others and push through challenging situations without giving up. Happiness, or an overall sense of well-being, is positively correlated with resilience, so when one increases, the other does as well. Knowing exactly how to develop these qualities can be complicated and feel overwhelming because changing behavior is hard. During this keynote, Dr. Bashant will introduce simple steps participants can take which are based on research from the fields of positive psychology, mindfulness and neuroscience. Participants will learn ways to strengthen their own resilience and happiness by meeting these three basic human needs:

Safety – Compassion, Grit, Calm and Courage

Satisfaction – Mindfulness, Gratitude, Motivation and Aspiration

Connection – Learning, Confidence, Improved Relationships and Generosity

These strategies, insights and discussions will help employees feel confident and remain calm and centered in the face of adversity. Participants will leave feeling empowered to experience more joy, improved relationships and an improved sense of well-being at work and in life.

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How Practicing Mindfulness Changes Your Brain, Decreases Anxiety and Improves Wellbeing - Live Virtual Webinar
Oct
5
12:00 PM12:00

How Practicing Mindfulness Changes Your Brain, Decreases Anxiety and Improves Wellbeing - Live Virtual Webinar

You have probably heard a lot about mindfulness lately, and you may be wondering what the buzz is all about. During this pandemic, with anxiety and depression rates at an all-time high, mindfulness has an even more important role to play. During this webinar, you will learn about 10 ways that practicing mindfulness changes your brain, builds cognitive skills, increases creativity and flexible thinking, and leads to an improved sense of wellbeing.

We will try a few different ways of being mindful and you will leave will resources and ideas about how you can begin your own practice.

Webinar Fee: $40 (includes a copy of Jennifer’s recently published Positive Mindset Journal)

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Getting Behavior in Check: Making the Most of the First 30 Days of School - Live Virtual Event
Sep
2
12:00 PM12:00

Getting Behavior in Check: Making the Most of the First 30 Days of School - Live Virtual Event

There is so much that needs to be done during the first month of school. You have an entire classroom of new faces and personalities you must get to know. You are faced with different learning styles, strengths and behavioral challenges. During this webinar, you will learn a process for introducing Collaborative Problem Solving (and cognitive skill building), the Zones of Regulation, and Mindfulness to your students. It will take an investment of time on the front end, but your classroom will run like a well-oiled machine for the remainder of the year!

Webinar Fee: $50

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Summer Reading Series with AATLAS
Jun
30
4:00 PM16:00

Summer Reading Series with AATLAS

June 30th at 4 PM via Zoom will be the launch of a guided exploration and discussion on the topic of “Building a Trauma-Informed, Compassionate Classroom.” In this special session, the author and mental health expert, Dr. Jennifer Bashant of Building Better Futures will share and discuss:

  • Understand the impact of trauma on learning and behavior

  • Strategies to build resilience and instill hope in your students

  • Tools to connect with all students, and foster intrinsic motivation

  • Increase student achievement.

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