Special education isn’t for the faint of heart—it’s fast-paced, unpredictable, and often full of situations no training ever truly prepares you for. This session dives headfirst into the “wild world” of SPED, where compliance requirements collide with real-life challenges, and where strong teacher–paraprofessional relationships can make or break a classroom.
Participants will explore how to navigate chaos without losing sight of legal responsibilities, build effective and respectful partnerships between teachers and paras, and strengthen communication in high-pressure environments. Through honest discussion and real-world scenarios, we’ll unpack the messy, complicated moments that don’t show up in textbooks—behavior crises, unclear roles, last-minute changes, and the emotional weight of the job.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies, relatable insights, and a renewed sense of confidence to handle the unexpected while staying compliant, collaborative, and student-centered.
Who Should Attend: Special education teachers, paraprofessionals, instructional coaches, and administrators looking for real-world strategies and honest conversation about the realities of SPED.
Stay up to date with the latest Google for Education and Google Workspace tools, features, and enhancements designed to support teaching, learning, collaboration, and productivity. Walk away with a fresh playbook of tech tactics to keep your classroom running like a championship team! ⚽🏆
Learn how quick brain breaks and bell ringers can sub out the yawns for high-energy focus. We’ll dive into the science of why short bursts of movement actually wake up a tired room, swap our favorite "game plans" with peers, and try out activities you can steal for your classroom tomorrow.
Lost in Letters invites teachers into the disorienting world many students with dyslexia experience every day. Through reading and writing tasks, participants will experience familiar words turning into puzzling mazes. This brief simulation builds empathy, deepens understanding, and equips educators to better support students who are, quite literally, lost in letters.
We will have brief introductions followed by a small group workshop to familiarize you with your CTE counterparts on other campuses, pool learning resources, and align major learning goals for the year.
