This event will be presented as a Live Online Event.

National Train‑the‑Trainer Institute: Maximizing the Effectiveness of Paraprofessionals Who Work With Students with Special Needs Live Online Event Presented by the Bureau of Education & Research

Strengthen the Training of Paraprofessionals in Your School or District by Developing Your Own Trainers!

Summer 2021

Train your staff members to become skilled trainers of paraprofessionals who work with students with special needs

• Help Catch Up Those Who Have Fallen Behind
• Featuring two of the nation's top paraprofessional experts, Catherine Wilson and Petra Nelson

Innovative, Video-Based, Hands-On, Train-the-Trainer Opportunity

• Acquire dozens of practical strategies to help paraprofessionals strengthen the achievement of students with special needs including helping catch up those who have fallen behind during COVID-19
• Learn how to use outstanding video to demonstrate strategies in practice … Receive ALL the videos to use during training in your own school or district
• Build instructional expertise among paraprofessionals for more effectively monitoring student progress and increasing independence
• Receive critical information on how to deliver high‑quality, engaging and effective Paraprofessional training sessions
• Ideal for schools and districts looking to strengthen their training of paraprofessionals who work with students with special needs … Each potential trainer should have experience working with paraprofessionals

What’s unique about this National Train-the-Trainer Institute

• Three days of intensive training combining classroom‑proven strategies and video of the strategies in action – show rather than tell your paraprofessionals what effective strategies look like when working with students with special needs in-person and online
• National Special Education Experts, Catherine Wilson and Petra Nelson will provide a comprehensive, interactive and research‑based paraprofessional training preparing participants to train paraprofessionals in effective practices for working with students with special needs
• Work and collaborate in small groups with BER instructors to expand and enhance your understanding of effective strategies for paraprofessionals to use when working with students with special needs
• Gain numerous tips and ideas to prepare and deliver high‑quality paraprofessional training with the goal of increasing the achievement of students with special needs whether working in-person, online or a hybrid learning environment
• Unique and ideal opportunity for schools and districts to strengthen their foundation, expand their knowledge and implement training to increase the effectiveness and impact of paraprofessionals who work with students with special needs

Learn and build the necessary foundation for training paraprofessional staff in effective practices

Innovative, Video-Based, Hands-On, Train-the-Trainer Opportunity

Skilled paraprofessionals are critical to the success of students with special needs across. Participants attending will learn the key components for an effective training program for paraprofessionals which can then be delivered as a staff development framework that fits the schedule according to each school's or district's unique scheduling and training needs. The following key components are included in this three‑day train‑the‑trainer institute.

Increasing the Effectiveness of Paraprofessionals

• Guidelines for adapting curriculum and modifying instruction and assignments
• Developing a clear understanding of the importance of student independence
• Practical ways to increase student independence through the use of a "prompt hierarchy"
• Effective, easy‑to‑implement methods for collecting data
• Tips for developing student portfolios that reflect student progress and student needs

Working Effectively with Other Adults

• Effective instructional techniques for two adults working with students in the same learning environment
• Improving job satisfaction by taking the stress out of working in complicated, demanding instructional situations
• Tips for effective collaboration with other school staff and related service providers

Working Effectively with Students

• Innovative techniques to maximize the support you give to students with special needs including helping catch up those who have fallen behind during COVID-19
• Key ways to adapt curriculum and modify instruction
• Highly effective techniques to foster and maximize student independence
• Use of a "prompt hierarchy" to improve requisite learning behaviors essential for becoming lifelong learners
• Ready‑to‑use approaches to reduce the intensity, frequency and duration of prompts and supports
• Use effective strategies for encouraging student participation in classroom discussions and cooperative work groups
• Key ways to avoid "giving answers" to students
• Proven ways to facilitate students' interactions and friendships with peers
• Real-life examples of techniques for fostering student independence in students with special needs
• Highly effective ways to build student confidence and self‑esteem
• Outstanding suggestions for managing and improving student behaviors

Video of Strategies in Action to Demonstrate Effective Teaching Practices

• Best practices for using video to train others in-person and online
• Outstanding training tips and a resource kit to train others (each participant will receive ALL video presented at the institute to use in their own training)

Receive Comprehensive Training Resources
All participants will receive a valuable package of resources including:
Three-Year Subscription to Best-Selling Professional BER Paraprofessional PD Resource Kit with Streaming Video used throughout the training. Streaming videos contain the video footage needed for a complete paraprofessional training for your school and district demonstrating best practices Tips and strategies for successful presentation in-person and online	Comprehensive Paraprofessional Digital Resource Handbook filled with material to reinforce and extend learning and help train others Detailed Digital Trainer's Guide that walks participants through the delivery of the program including a PowerPoint presentation adaptable for immediate use

Seminar Schedule Overview

Program Schedule: 9:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M. Daily

Wednesday ( 9:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.) Experience numerous, practical strategies that increase learning for students with special needs including those who have fallen behind during COVID-19 catch up Learn seven nationally-recognized standards and practices every paraprofessional should utilize Proven strategies for increasing student independence Strategies for establishing and maintaining effective, collaborative relationships with paraprofessionals that lead to increased student capacity Put research‑based strategies into a meaningful context that will build confidence to provide effective, on‑going staff training Focus on detailed paraprofessional strategies and video footage for use in your own training program for paraprofessionals who work with students with special needs Ready‑to‑use strategies for working successfully with students with special needs Discover best practices for using outstanding video to train others Accommodations, adaptations, instructional strategies, and scaffolding student thinking and learning in small groups

Thursday ( 9:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.) Break out into separate, smaller breakout groups to experience numerous, practical strategies that increase learning for students with special needs Collect data effectively and efficiently: what, when, where, how, and why Explore dozens of strategies and activities that can be used in the classroom and in small groups immediately Learn ways to maximize student engagement and participation in a variety of settings Behavior management of students with special needs in diverse environments – strategies for keeping students with special needs on task while learning in whole-class Experience numerous, practical strategies that increase learning for students with special needs in inclusive settings Manage challenging behaviors that impede learning Strategies for establishing and maintaining effective, collaborative relationships with paraprofessionals that lead to increased student capacity Identify key presenting skills for presenting high-quality and engaging training sessions to paraprofessionals Create a plan for presentations Friday ( 9:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.) Participants will deliver brief presentations of paraprofessional strategies using video and will receive feedback from the small‑group facilitator Practice presentations will provide the perfect opportunity to listen and interact to deepen understanding, familiarity and confidence with the material Debriefing of presentations and feedback from the lead instructors will strengthen participants' skills in training Participants will leave with a training plan, including video for confidence to implement a state‑of‑the‑art training with paraprofessional staff

Featuring Two of the Nation's Top Experts in Working with Students with Special Needs

Catherine Wilson is an outstanding special educator, consultant and national presenter, who is known for her enthusiasm and practical ideas for teaching students with disabilities. She has a wealth of strategies for to help maximize the full potential of paraprofessionals who work with students with special needs. Catherine brings an extraordinary passion for meeting the needs of all students through specially designed instruction, appropriate access and supports that shift the focus from student "disabilities" to student "abilities." Through her work as an Access to General Curriculum Specialist, Catherine co-authored Grading and Progress Monitoring for Students with Disabilities, A Resource for Teachers. Catherine is known for her practical and innovative strategies in the area of inclusive practices.

Petra Nelson has more than 30 years of grades PreK-12 experience and has worked in self-contained, resource and co-taught special education settings. She has worked with thousands of teachers, administrators and paraprofessional in all areas of special education, including specialized instruction, behavior support, inclusive practices, transition programs, differentiation, multi-tiered systems of support, administrative procedures and co-teaching implementation. Petra knows firsthand the challenges facing paraprofessionals and is passionate about providing real, practical, high-leverage practices maximize their effectiveness working students with special needs.

Special Benefits of Attending

State Specific Credit:
You may be eligible for professional development credit through your state. For state specific information, please visit www.ber.org/ceus or call 1-800-735-3503.

Earn One to Four Graduate Semester Credits :
Up to four graduate level professional development credits are available with an additional fee and completion of follow up practicum activities. Details for direct enrollment with Brandman University, part of the Chapman University system, will be available at this program.

SAVE with Group Discounts
The fee is $1395 per person.
If groups of three or more register at the same time, the fee is $1295 per person.

Live Online Event • Jul 7-9, 2021

About BER Live Online Events

With the current health challenges, all BER in-person PD events are currently being presented in a Live Online format:

• Outstanding Instructors
  All programs are led by outstanding BER national trainers
• Extensive Resource Handbooks
  You'll have access to an extensive digital Resource Handbook before, during and after your seminar
• Highly Interactive
  You'll be able to ask questions in real time and interact with the instructor and other participants
• Program Guarantee
  As we have for 43 years, we guarantee the high quality of our programs. If you are not satisfied, we'll give you a 100% refund.

For more information on BER Live Online Events - click here.

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