MOESC Offers Behavioral Support and Professional Development
Launch the media gallery 1 playerBehavior problems at school interfere with lessons and disturb other students. These problems often overwhelm teachers, particularly new teachers, and some consider them the most difficult aspect of a teacher’s work day. Children who exhibit behavior problems invariably require extra attention, which places strain on teachers and slows the pace at which lessons are offered and completed.
Dealing with behavioral issues requires a large base of knowledge, from understanding the classroom climate to understanding mental health issues and how trauma affects students. In order to help teachers and administrators, Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center employs a behavioral team to offer support and coaching. The team has now added two new professional development opportunities and subsequent coaching support to build professional capacity to most effectively assess, address and improve student outcomes.
Structured Systems 4 Student Success is a two-day training to support educators in their creation of a highly successful learning environment for students with disabilities. Educators will learn strategies to increase learning, communication, socialization and overall educational success for the student. The leading principles of the training incorporate the systemic, evidence-based instructional framework that uses visual supports to provide student meaning, promote independence, while capitalizing on the strengths of the child. Ang Fetter, Educational Consultant, will be offering this training September 27-30, 2021 and January 18-21, 2022.
Educational Consultant Ann Pfister will be presenting the Trauma-Informed Resilience-Focused Professional Development Series. Being a trauma-informed resilience-focused school provides the depth of knowledge and skill set to address social/emotional learning for students. Resilience can be taught, then nurtured and developed. Educators will learn critical skills and gain numerous resources for building resilience in students, understand trauma at its core, and the impact it can have on a person's education and life. Educators will also learn new classroom management and engagement strategies to support a trauma-informed resilient classroom. Pfister explained, “Educators do not intentionally traumatize students, but some common classroom practices may be a trigger that exacerbate behaviors related to past or current trauma.”
There are three sets of sessions in the series:
Trauma Informed Resilient Schools • Session 1: Wednesday, September 15, 2021 • Session 2: Friday, October 15, 2021
Resetting for Resilience • Session 1: Monday, November 8, 2021 • Session 2: Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Healing Trauma and Restoring Resilience • Session 1: Thursday, January 27, 2022 • Session 2: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
In addition to the new offerings, Cathy Csanyi, in collaboration with the Behavior Support Team, continues to support the needs of MOESC districts relative to Ohio Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and each district’s requirement to implement a PBIS framework system-wide.
Ohio law states each school district must provide professional development or continuing education in Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) to:
1. Any of the district's teachers who teach in buildings that serve students in any of grades prekindergarten through three and who completed a teacher preparation program prior to 2018; and
2. All of the district's administrators who serve students in any of grades pre-kindergarten through three, including the school district superintendent, building principals, and assistant principals, who have not already completed a course of instruction, professional development, or continuing education in positive behavior intervention and supports.
Ohio rule extends these professional development requirements stating districts will provide professional development on PBIS to student personnel at least every three years. Professional development can be provided by a building or district PBIS Leadership Team or an appropriate state, regional, or national source in collaboration with the building or district positive behavior intervention and supports leadership team.
Anyone interested in accessing any of the support from the Behavioral Support Team from Mid-Ohio ESC or with questions about fees and registration for the professional development can contact Director of Student Services Jennifer Crum at 419-774-5520. Registration can be completed online at http://www.moesc.net/register.