2024 Fall Professional Development Day

**K-1 Narrative Writing Workshop

5:00pm-8:00pm (MST) with Yolanda Westerberg, Westerberg Associates

Using strategies from Step Up To Writing, Best Practices in Writing Instruction, and the Writer's Workshop Model, this interactive, hands-on session will focus on research-based, classroom-tested activities that participants will be able to take straight into their classroom. Workshop focus areas vary by grade level this year. All teachers who want to work on improving student writing, even if you have not participated in this cohort previously, are welcome to attend.

Brain & Behavior Training: Creating a Culture of Academic Engagement & Effective Classroom Management 

8:30am-3:30pm (MST) with Benjamin Evans, CharacterStrong

This is a full-day training based on a research-backed instructional framework to equip educators with easy to use tools that impact student behavior and school culture. Presenters will offer participants low burden, high impact strategies to increase well-being, belonging, and engagement in all areas of a classroom and school community.

Training Schedule:

• Opening

• Start: Best Practices for Beginning the Class

• Engage: Strategies for Building Relationships

• Respond: Proactive & Reactive Tools for Student Behavior

• Value: Connecting Content to a Purpose for Learning

• Exit: Promoting Reflecting to Solidify Learning

• Apply, Strategize, and Close

Space is limited. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up today! Thank you!

**2-5 Narrative Writing Workshop

8:30am-11:30am (MST) with Yolanda Westerberg, Westerberg Associates

Using strategies from Step Up To Writing, Best Practices in Writing Instruction, and the Writer's Workshop Model, this interactive, hands-on session will focus on research-based, classroom-tested activities that participants will be able to take straight into their classroom. Workshop focus areas vary by grade level this year. All teachers who want to work on improving student writing, even if you have not participated in this cohort previously, are welcome to attend 

6-12 Writing for Success in the Content Area Workshop

8:30am-11:30am (MST) with Yolanda Westerberg, Westerberg Associates

Using strategies from Step Up To Writing, Best Practices in Writing Instruction, and the Writer's Workshop Model, this interactive, hands-on session will focus on research-based, classroom-tested activities that participants will be able to take straight into their classroom. Workshop focus areas vary by grade level this year. All teachers who want to work on improving student writing, even if you have not participated in this cohort previously, are welcome to attend 

Playing to Planning: Innovative Strategies for Developing Student Executive Function Skills (PK - 3) 

 8:30am-11:30am (MST) with Kirsten Jacobsen, Cognitive Connections

This session will explore how to support the development of the early building blocks of executive function (EF) skills in the early childhood classroom. Acquiring these fundamental capacities in early learning environments is critical to developing the ability to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, filter distractions and flexibly shift to be ready to succeed in the school setting. This practical strategies presentation will introduce our (“STOP and PLAY”) program with a multitude of EF strategies to infuse into dramatic play, therapy and classroom activities to develop the executive skills of situational intelligence, mental imagination, working memory, visual future thinking, time awareness and task visualization, self-regulation and meta-cognition. 

Science of Reading: High Dosage Tutoring using Decodable Books

8:30am-11:30am(MST) with Barbara Steinberg, PDX Reading

Target Audience: Classroom Teachers (Pre K - 3), Instructional Assistants working with students on reading, Reading Specialists/Coaches, and Administrators (Please note: all interested educators are welcome to attend!)

 In this half-day session, participants will discover how to use decodable books to effectively teach phonics, enhance word recognition, and build reading fluency. Attendees will explore evidence-based strategies for implementing these methods within high-dosage tutoring, ensuring that instruction is explicit, systematic, and engaging. Gain the tools and techniques needed to support students in developing strong foundational reading skills. 

First Aid/CPR & Stop the Bleed

8:30am-11:30am (MST) with Presenter TBD

This in-person session will provide CPR and First Aid certification / recertification through the Health & Safety Institute.  This session will also include STOP THE BLEED® training. By learning how to STOP THE BLEED®, you’ll gain the ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding and act quickly and effectively to control bleeding once you learn three quick techniques. Take the STOP THE BLEED® training course and become empowered to make a life or death difference when a bleeding emergency happens.

The training will be repeated 2 times - once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Please sign-up for only one session. Space is limited, so we ask that those registering be early learning or K-12 educators within the EOREN Region (Grant, Harney, Lake, Malheur, or Wallowa counties as well as Huntington SD).

Profiles and Strategies for Working with Gifted and High Ability Learners

8:30am-11:30am(MST) with Dr. Ruby Dawn Lyman

In this session, you will learn about the profiles of gifted learners and how the various profiles manifest themselves in the classroom.  You will also learn differentiation strategies to meet the needs of these learners.  This session will be interactive and have hands-on activities that you can take with you into your classroom. 

The Joyful & Culturally Inclusive Classroom (K-12)

8:30am-11:30am(MST) with Deonna Smith, Teach Your Heart Out

What best practices can we utilize to keep students of all backgrounds engaged, joyful, and productive inside the classroom? The Joyful & Culturally Inclusive Classroom is a place where students (and the teachers!) thrive! During this dynamic session, we will explore frameworks and pedagogical practices that support inclusion without burning out the teacher. We will address both classroom culture and academics. The Rooted in Joy framework breaks down building a joyful and inclusive classroom culture step-by-step. R.E.A.D is a research-based framework that will take the confusion and complexity out of culturally responsive teaching and make it approachable for both veterans and new teachers. Participants will walk away with new ideas to consider and tangible steps to implement right away. Ideal for the K-12 educator who is hoping to build a joyful and inclusive classroom and academic culture. 

Engagement, Very Demure. (K-12)

8:30am-11:30am(MST) with Cer'Princeton Harden, Teach Your Heart Out

Discover innovative strategies for transforming formative assessments and promoting content-driven instruction with the engaging session, "Engagement, Very Demure." This immersive experience guides educators in exploring various engagement strategies tailored for every grade level, empowering them to design inclusive activities that captivate students. Educators will learn how to craft formative assessments that resonate with today's tech-savvy generation. Through hands-on activities and collaborative discussions, attendees will be excited to explore the endless possibilities that "Engagement, Very Demure" offers, leaving them equipped to implement these strategies in their own classrooms, fostering an environment of active participation and enhanced learning. 

Building Success with Word Problems through hands-on and sense-making strategies! (Grades 6-8) 

8:30am-11:30am(MST) with TBD, UC Irvine Math Project

This session will focus on approaching words problems hands-on with physical or virtual manipulatives to create models that help students make sense of the problem posed and scaffold well into bar models and equations. This really pushes beyond just key words into a really comprehensive way of attacking word problems! 

My Future-My Choice: Sexuality Education Standards: A Cornerstone of Safe & Inclusive Schools 

8:30am-11:30am(MST) with ODE & My Future-My Choice

This session will cover an understanding of why sexuality education is so important and required by Oregon Law, what is included in the new 2023 Sexuality Education Standards, and introduce some best practices for implementation. The My Future-My Choice team will then provide an overview of and facilitate teach-backs from the MFMC curriculum, a free, Oregon-specific 6th and 8th grade sexual health curriculum designed to meet Oregon Health Education standards and the needs of Oregon students. 

Middle School CTE, More Affordable Than You Think 

8:30am-11:30am(MST) with Zach Knapp, Vale School District 

If you are curious about implementing CTE at the middle school level, and are looking for affordable options to help get a program started, then join veteran Middle School CTE teacher Zach Knapp as he shares a host of low cost, user friendly resources and strategies. Together we will begin exploring a hands-on, activity based approach to middle school CTE with minimal upfront cost. From online resources to shared resources available at the ESD level, and even low cost activity options, it is possible to get kids engaged in meaningful, work relevant experiences that will excite and inform them about future programs of study and ultimately potential career opportunities.

CTE Program Update: Data for Dollars 

8:30am-11:30am(MST) with Carly Sichley, ODE 

Carly Sichley, CTE Program Analyst will be here in person, (that's right, no webinar needed) to help you with the CTE Yearly Update. As you know, the more accurate this is, the more funds your programs receive. Carly can help you maximize this potential in a hands on presentation that will give you another reason to dislike webinars. This is for all CTE teachers who receive pathway funds and those responsible for data collection. 

Basics of Special Education for New SPED Teachers

8:30am-11:30am(MST) with Sara Byrne, Malheur Education Service District

This training is designed for special education teachers with less than two years of experience, or teachers that have recently changed levels. These are the basics of special education and will provide an overview of how to stay compliant in the ever changing world of Special Education. This professional development is given by the Regional Technical Assistance Provider with training materials provided by ODE. 

BEPA 2.0: BE Physically Active 2Day (Grades K-5, Elementary P.E. Teachers) 

8:30am-11:30am(MST) with Barbara Brody, OSU Malheur County Extension

BE Physically Active 2Day is a school-based physical activity program aligned to national health education and physical education standards for grades K-5, filling a gap in standard-aligned physical activity and health promotion resources available to classroom teachers. BEPA 2.0 includes over 50 unique, brain-boosting physical activities that teachers can use to reinforce grade-level movement skills and competencies, teach HE and PE literacy, and in Oregon to help reach PE minute requirements. 

TVCC DUAL CREDIT LUNCHEON (ATTN: ACADEMIC / CTE INSTRUCTORS & ADMIN)

11:30am-12:30pm(MST)  with Stephanie Oester, TVCC

Please make plans to join us for this friendly opportunity for high school instructors to connect with TVCC dual credit staff and faculty without taking time away from the classroom or coordinating schedules to attend an evening meeting. TVCC will provide updates and have faculty liaisons present for teachers to connect with. Lunch will also be provided by TVCC for dual credit teachers who attend. 

6-12 Literary Analysis Writing Workshop

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST)  with Yolanda Westerberg, Westerberg Associates

Using strategies from Step Up To Writing, Best Practices in Writing Instruction, and the Writer's Workshop Model, this interactive, hands-on session will focus on research-based, classroom-tested activities that participants will be able to take straight into their classroom. Workshop focus areas vary by grade level this year. All teachers who want to work on improving student writing, even if you have not participated in this cohort previously, are welcome to attend 

Science of Reading: High Dosage Tutoring using Decodable Books

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with Barbara Steinberg, PDX Reading

Target Audience: Classroom Teachers (Pre K - 3), Instructional Assistants working with students on reading, Reading Specialists/Coaches, and Administrators (Please note: all interested educators are welcome to attend!)

 In this half-day session, participants will discover how to use decodable books to effectively teach phonics, enhance word recognition, and build reading fluency. Attendees will explore evidence-based strategies for implementing these methods within high-dosage tutoring, ensuring that instruction is explicit, systematic, and engaging. Gain the tools and techniques needed to support students in developing strong foundational reading skills. 

First Aid/CPR & Stop the Bleed

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with Presenter TBD

This in-person session will provide CPR and First Aid certification / recertification through the Health & Safety Institute.  This session will also include STOP THE BLEED® training. By learning how to STOP THE BLEED®, you’ll gain the ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding and act quickly and effectively to control bleeding once you learn three quick techniques. Take the STOP THE BLEED® training course and become empowered to make a life or death difference when a bleeding emergency happens.

The training will be repeated 2 times - once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Please sign-up for only one session. Space is limited, so we ask that those registering be early learning or K-12 educators within the EOREN Region (Grant, Harney, Lake, Malheur, or Wallowa counties as well as Huntington SD).

Profiles and Strategies for Working with Gifted and High Ability Learners

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with Dr. Ruby Dawn Lyman

In this session, you will learn about the profiles of gifted learners and how the various profiles manifest themselves in the classroom.  You will also learn differentiation strategies to meet the needs of these learners.  This session will be interactive and have hands-on activities that you can take with you into your classroom.

Empowering Independence: Innovative Strategies for Enhancing Student Executive Function Skills (Grades 4-12)

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with Kristen Jacobson, Cognitive Connections

This session will explore strategies for improving student executive function in the upper elementary and secondary classrooms. The 360 Thinking Program combines situational and intention awareness, visual future thinking, time awareness and task visualization to promote efficient and accurate completion of tasks. The 360 Thinking program facilitates the development of 6 key skills for students: initiation, transition, planning, time management, self-regulation and meta-cognition. As the steps of a task are envisioned, potential obstacles can be anticipated for students to problem solve and achieve independence. 

Joy and Inclusion in Early Learning (Pre K-2)

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with Deonna Smith, Teach Your Heart Out

This hands-on session will explore key strategies and practices for teachers looking to create joyful and inclusive spaces. We will identify frameworks and pedagogical practices that put joy at the center of community building inside the classroom. We will engage with inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive practices that allow students of all backgrounds to thrive. This session will dive into theories and best practices while allowing ample time for collaboration and action planning. Participants will walk away with new ideas to consider and tangible steps to implement right away. Ideal for the educator who’d like to establish a classroom and academic culture of joy, belonging, and equity.  

Tik Topics

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with Cer'Princeton Harden, Teach Your Heart Out

This session is all about harnessing the power of TikTok as an educational tool. Participants will delve into the fundamentals of navigating TikTok and discover entertaining, engaging, and educational activities that can be incorporated into any content area. By the end of this session, teachers will feel confident in leveraging TikTok to create a dynamic learning environment for their students. 

Playdoh & Numberlines! - Fractions through 2 Tools (Grades 3-5) 

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with TBD, UC Irvine Math Project

This session will focus on how we can use Playdoh as a tool to help students understand the concepts of fractions (including fractions greater than a whole), equivalency, adding/subtracting, multiplying/dividing and more! We will also explore the number line as a tool (both giant chalk numberlines outside and numberlines on paper) to explore fraction concepts and operations from a different vantage point. 

Hands-on Experiments in High School Math! (Grades 9-12) 

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with TBD, UC Irvine Math Project

Session description coming soon!  The presenter for this session will be virtual and participation can be either in-person or virtual - please select your spot carefully.  Zoom links will be sent out closer to the session time via email. 

**Establishing Your Leadership Legacy: Cultivating Teacher Leaders from Within 

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with Rachel Edho-Eket , Teach Your Heart Out

As leaders, we are charged with motivating new leaders to carry forward this critical work. A highly skilled leadership mentor can provide critical guidance, experiences, and support for aspiring leaders who are looking to transition into higher leadership roles. Mentors can also offer valuable insights and advice based on their own experiences, can help mentees navigate the challenges of the position, and act as a sounding board for ideas by providing feedback and constructive criticism. Finally, a mentor can help mentees build a network of contacts and resources that are beneficial to their personal and professional development. Leadership mentors are an exceptional asset for anyone looking to grow as a leader. In this session, participants will learn strategies to increase their influence as powerful mentors to their assistant principals or other aspiring leaders in the building. 

**Drawing Conclusions & Making Graphs in Science & Social Studies(Attn: 6-12)

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with Kristin Hunter-Thomson, Dataspire

Ever been baffled by what students say about a map, graph, or data table? Join us to explore classroom-ready strategies, which fold into your existing curricula, to increase students’ social studies and science understanding while using content-relevant data to make sense of those maps, graphs, tables, etc. Data are what we use to do social and natural sciences, so let's set ourselves and our students up for more success with it. 

My Future-My Choice: Skills for Sexual Health Instruction 

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with ODE & My Future-My Choice

Explore and practice a range of skills and strategies for use in sexual health education. Core topics include: Answering questions (values-based, fact-based, difficult questions), navigating the range of values present in your classroom, boundary setting as a teacher, ways to foster dialogue rather than debate, effectively addressing bullying and bias, and managing student disclosures.  

YouScience Implementation Strategies & Results 

12:30pm-3:30pm(MST) with MaryJo Sharp & Zach Knapp, Vale School District 

Join us as we share the details of the YouScience Implementation in the Vale School District. YouScience Innovative Educator Award recipient and Vale Middle School CTE Instructor Zach Knapp, along with Mary Jo Sharp, Vale High School Graduation Coach, will share the ins and outs of YouScience at the middle school level and how it is being used to transition students to the high school. They will discuss the meaningful conversations they have with students about their future plans and how to maintain a focused track toward graduation and beyond. This program has ushered in meaningful changes for secondary students, enhanced the programs being offered and is playing an active role in helping students plan for a meaningful future with a sense of purpose. If you have completed the brain games yourself, feel free to bring your computer and follow along as we navigate through the YouScience tools.