Workshops for educators and paraeducators. The following workshops can be tailored to meet a timeframe as well as specific focus. Given that research suggests that the most challenging aspect of Professional Development is implementation, these workshops are interactive, relevant and engaging, providing classroom examples and methods for utilizing tools in real-life scenarios. They can be grouped as a series or given individually. My goal is to provide educators with an understanding of their students from a new perspective and a substantial toolbox for increasing academic success.
Executive Function in the Classroom
Executive functions are a set of skills, such as planning, organization, focus and working memory, that are generated primarily in the prefrontal lobe of the brain. Many students have weak executive functioning, which may be caused by numerous factors including ADHD, stress, illness and lack of sleep. When educators understand what executive functions are and how to support a student whose executive functions are weak, all students in a classroom can benefit. This workshop gives a thorough description of executive functions as well as classroom strategies to support them.
Vocabulary
Students entering school bring with them a wide variation in vocabulary knowledge. As they move from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” in 3rd and 4th grades, reading comprehension declines in many students. There are, however, numerous methods for teachers to explicitly teach word meaning and strategies for understanding unknown words. This module provides numerous methods to help build students’ vocabularies.
Reading Comprehension:
As students move from “reading to learn” to “learning to read”, comprehension often declines. It is important for educators to prepare students prior to reading text that is increasingly complex. Additionally, it is beneficial to teach students to monitor their own comprehension as well as to explicitly teach fix-up strategies when they are not comprehending.
Brain-Targeted Teaching
There are numerous factors that impact student success. Educators have been researching factors that can both increase success as well as those that interfere. These factors can be social and emotional as well as cognitive. There are simple steps that educators can take in their classrooms to create environments for a student success and well-being. This workshop addresses neuromyths, beliefs which have been proven untrue, as well as research-based methods that work.
ADHD, What is it Really?
The term ADHD is increasingly diagnosed yet misunderstood. This workshop defines this brain difference and answers many frequently asked questions about it. Educators learn how it can manifest in students as well as key strategies for increasing classroom success for these students.
Writing
Writing is one of the most difficult aspects of academics for many students. By providing strategies that simplify the technical aspects of writing for all students, including for those with learning disabilities, they are better able to focus on the ideas they wish to convey. This workshop provides strategies for educators to support students in writing.
Executive Function in the Classroom
Executive functions are a set of skills, such as planning, organization, focus and working memory, that are generated primarily in the prefrontal lobe of the brain. Many students have weak executive functioning, which may be caused by numerous factors including ADHD, stress, illness and lack of sleep. When educators understand what executive functions are and how to support a student whose executive functions are weak, all students in a classroom can benefit. This workshop gives a thorough description of executive functions as well as classroom strategies to support them.
Vocabulary
Students entering school bring with them a wide variation in vocabulary knowledge. As they move from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” in 3rd and 4th grades, reading comprehension declines in many students. There are, however, numerous methods for teachers to explicitly teach word meaning and strategies for understanding unknown words. This module provides numerous methods to help build students’ vocabularies.
Reading Comprehension:
As students move from “reading to learn” to “learning to read”, comprehension often declines. It is important for educators to prepare students prior to reading text that is increasingly complex. Additionally, it is beneficial to teach students to monitor their own comprehension as well as to explicitly teach fix-up strategies when they are not comprehending.
Brain-Targeted Teaching
There are numerous factors that impact student success. Educators have been researching factors that can both increase success as well as those that interfere. These factors can be social and emotional as well as cognitive. There are simple steps that educators can take in their classrooms to create environments for a student success and well-being. This workshop addresses neuromyths, beliefs which have been proven untrue, as well as research-based methods that work.
ADHD, What is it Really?
The term ADHD is increasingly diagnosed yet misunderstood. This workshop defines this brain difference and answers many frequently asked questions about it. Educators learn how it can manifest in students as well as key strategies for increasing classroom success for these students.
Writing
Writing is one of the most difficult aspects of academics for many students. By providing strategies that simplify the technical aspects of writing for all students, including for those with learning disabilities, they are better able to focus on the ideas they wish to convey. This workshop provides strategies for educators to support students in writing.
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Middlebury Center for Literacy, ADHD, & Executive Function
802-349-7222
dstracht@gmail.com
802-349-7222
dstracht@gmail.com