Audience: Appropriate for Pre-K through High School staff (all teachers, paraprofessionals, specialists and administrators)

Learning Targets:

• Learn how all behavior, even big, baffling behaviors, make sense

• Learn how connections help students learn, and why being in protection mode inhibits learning

• Learn how fight, flight, and freeze play a vital role in understanding big, baffling behaviors

• Learn strategies to keep kids learning and how to get them back to their "learning" brains when they are not there

• Understand why strategies may not always work perfectly and what to do when they don’t work

If you work in education, you have seen big, baffling behaviors in students. Are you feeling lost and frustrated when you work with these students? Based on work from Robyn Gobbel, Dr. Bruce Perry, Dr. Dan Siegel, and many more, we will discuss how trauma impacts students’ brains, how this changes the development of their brains, and how this can result in big, baffling behaviors. All behavior makes sense when we learn to look at it through a new lens; a lens that believes regulated, connected kids who feel safe, behave well.

We all need connection; relationships are vital to our growth and safety. But what happens when students do not have strong connections? Maybe some big, baffling behaviors! These behaviors are a result of brains switching into protection mode. We will learn how to tell which mode our students are in and what to do to help them.

Often we have parents who want help with their child. They try hard, they communicate with the school well, and they want to play an important role in helping change these behaviors. Join us as we learn some new techniques to try and how we can use this information to support our families at home!

The Mandt System builds on skill development through a system of gradual and graded alternatives for de-escalating and assisting people using a combination of interpersonal communication skills, conflict resolution strategies and physical interaction techniques. The goal is to assist others in managing themselves and the safety of all involved through skillful and nonphysical means. Physical strategies are also taught to provide additional “least restrictive” options in the event the person poses a clear threat of substantial harm to self or others if physically unassisted. The Mandt System focuses on prevention.

This is a two-day training and attendance is required on both days. Those recertifying also need to attend both days. Saturday involves learning the physical part of the training. Groups are limited to 10 people by the MANDT Company. If we reach our maximum capacity of 20, our presenter will break participants into two groups on Saturday of the training (a.m. and p.m.)

8:30 - 11:30 AM MORNING- Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS): Data-Driven Decision Making for Educators and School Teams

This interactive training invites educators and school teams to discover the Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) framework, a practical, hands-on approach for turning student data into meaningful action. Through engaging activities, real-world scenarios, and collaborative exercises, participants will experience how TIPS streamlines meetings, sparks creative solutions, and fosters a culture of shared problem-solving. You'll not only learn how to use data to pinpoint challenges and track progress but also build powerful team skills that make every meeting purposeful and productive. Join us to learn practical tools you can apply right away, build your confidence in leading team initiatives, and connect with peers. You'll leave with strategies to support measurable improvements in student outcomes.

Training Objectives By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• Define TIPS framework and its role in team-based decision making.

• Establish effective meeting foundations

• Use data to identify and analyze problems

• Develop and implement contextually fit solutions

12:30 - 3:30 PM AFTERNOON: Building Data Literacy: Practical Strategies for Everyday Use

Training Description:

This hands-on training empowers classroom educators to confidently explore, manage, and use data to inform instruction and improve student outcomes. Designed with simplicity and practicality in mind, the session introduces foundational data literacy concepts and walks educators through easy-to-implement strategies for collecting, analyzing, and applying data in their daily teaching routines. Whether you're new to data or looking to refine your skills, this training offers tools and techniques that fit seamlessly into classroom practice.

Training Objectives:

• By the end of the training, participant will be able to:

• Define the Core Elements of Data Literacy

• Apply Data to Instructional Decision-Making

• Streamline Data Practices for Efficiency

• Use data to engage in continuous improvement

A thorough presentation of positive behavioral supports and interventions in a variety of school environments will be presented to conference attendees. Discussion centered around how digital input is affecting our students and how to mitigate those influences for our students. Learning and classroom behavior will be reviewed. Other topics will center around types of behaviors: task avoidance, escape motivated, attention seeking, behaviors that produce sensory consequences, and the role motivation plays in behavioral success in many settings. The audience will be able to apply the information presented through videos, activities, and examples of how to set up positive plans for the students in a variety of environmental settings immediately in their respective situations.

The training will also contain discussions about setting limits that work and the application of positive interventions in the regular education setting. We will examine the common pitfalls that sabotage behavioral intervention plans and what to avoid when wanting to make significant behavioral changes. Discussions of how to implement 504 Accommodations in a regular education setting will be discussed. 

The Far-Reaching Impact of Supporting the Development of Executive Functions throughout your daily routines. If you have ever wondered why some children just seem to need one more explanation, one more prompt, one more example before understanding an assignment. If you have found yourself saying,” You knew this yesterday, why don’t you know it today?” If you can predict which students will need transition support and which students will struggle with auditory directions, then this is the training for you. Adaptable thinking, planning, self-monitoring, self-control, working memory, time management, and organization are all executive functioning skills that can be encouraged in learning environments. Research supports intentionally providing guidance and experiences that encourage the development of those executive functioning skills in young children. 

Define executive functioning and the role it plays in a child’s development.

        ▪ Identify the three categories of executive functions

        ▪ Identify the connection between executive functions and the key indicators.

        ▪ Explain how executive functioning impacts literacy and math skills as well as social skills.

        ▪ Identify and prioritize strategies and resources to promote the development of specific 

           executive functioning skills in young children.

Stephanie Lester has over 35 years in education including: teaching preschool and a Project-Based Learning Multiage K-1st program, professional development speaker, author, Assistant Principal, Early Childhood Education Director, and Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment.

Currently Stephanie partners with school communities as an Educational Consultant focusing on providing literacy support aligned with the science of reading, as well as professional development training on a variety of topics. Stephanie believes that children learn best when they are excited, engaged, and experiencing success in the learning environment. Stephanie has published two books: Year-Round Project-Based Activities for STEM and Science Through the Year. Stephanie is passionate about inspiring, educating, and motivating teachers to implement evidence-based instructional practices with the goal of developing the social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills that children will need to experience SUCCESS as 21st Century learners.

Stephanie Lester holds a MA degree in Education: Curriculum and Instruction, an Administrative Credential, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, a CLAD Certification, CLASS certification, and a Program Director Child Development permit.