Below you’ll find the schedule/options for each day. Note that there is a 45 minute break for lunch from 12:15-1:00
TO SIGN UP: Sign in to Sched on the top right, or create an account if you haven’t made one before. This will pop up the registration information page - once you complete that you are signed up for the conference, and will be able to add sessions to your schedule.
TO MAKE YOUR SCHEDULE: Make sure you are signed in to Sched. You’ll see white circles to the left of the session names - click on those to add those sessions to your schedule. Once you’ve made your selections, you can access all your sessions from your schedule (click on the head icon on the left to go to your personal schedule).
If you have any questions about using Sched, please contact Ben Baldizon ([email protected]). If you have questions about the PD Day, please contact Deb Miller ([email protected]) or Christie Rivera ([email protected]).
Sign up or log in to add sessions to your schedule and sync them to your phone or calendar.
This training gives paraeducators simple, practical ways to help students who are affected by things they see, hear, or know about behavioral incidents at school. The training has three clear sections:
During a crisis: Learn what to do if you are not part of the main response team, including how to help other students in the classroom feel safe and understand what “safe” and “included” mean. During and after a crisis: Practice how to support the class using questions and strategies that are sensitive to students’ ages, cultures, and experiences, and are based on restorative practices. See examples of what this looks and sounds like in different parts of the school. Welcoming students back: Learn how to welcome students back after a crisis, help everyone feel included again, and set up routines that make the classroom feel safe and connected.
Self-care isn’t just about pampering yourself. It’s about intentionally setting and maintaining healthy boundaries in a professional and thoughtful way. Let’s come together to reflect, connect, and create a personalized 90-day plan to lighten the emotional load we carry. We’ll start by exploring your physical well-being and ways to recover and feel grounded. Then, we’ll shift gears to focus on your purpose and identify the real, necessary boundaries that support you.
Co-created specifically for classified educators, this interactive session will explore how both school and books can act as "mirrors" for students to see themselves and "windows" to see and experience the world and different perspectives. You will experience an engaging mini-lesson with a focus on Oregon Tribal History and will have time to explore dozens of beautiful new picture books to find your own "mirror" or "window." This session will honor your incredible daily work alongside students and communities, and will feature built-in breaks, music, and collaborative teamwork and sharing.
In this session, we will explore the ideas in the book "Rethinking Disability and Mathematics" and consider practical strategies for removing barriers and providing needed supports when students are learning math. Math courses are usually designed for the imaginary "middle" student...what does math learning look like when we acknowledge the complex realities of our students' strengths, challenges, and the need for joy, play, and universal design in the math classroom?
This interactive, introductory session will explore Google Workspace for Education, focusing on Google Docs, Slides, and Drive. Participants will learn how to utilize these tools to streamline their own work and provide support and accommodations for students.
Have you ever wondered why some reading lessons are structured the way they are? Or why learning to read is easier or harder for different students? The simple answer is that reading is a complicated mental task. In this session, we will examine the underlying skills needed to read proficiently. We will also discuss the kinds of instruction needed to achieve this proficiency (but will not go into any particular instructional practice).
Paraeducator Professional Learning Coach, Early Literacy, Multnomah Education Service District
Elizabeth Israel-Davis is a teacher with 24 years of experience in public elementary & middle schools as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and TOSA. She is also an Orton-Gillingham Academy Associate level practitioner. Originally from Phoenix, AZ, she moved to Portland in 1992... Read More →
Friday September 25, 2026 10:15am - 12:15pm PDT TBA
In this session, we will explore the ideas in the book "Rethinking Disability and Mathematics" and consider practical strategies for removing barriers and providing needed supports when students are learning math. Math courses are usually designed for the imaginary "middle" student...what does math learning look like when we acknowledge the complex realities of our students' strengths, challenges, and the need for joy, play, and universal design in the math classroom?
For students who are non-speaking or minimally speaking, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is an evidence-based way to support communication and participation.
In this session, participants will: Discuss the impacts of ableism on people and students with disabilities Get an opportunity for hands-on exploration of different types of AAC tools that are often present in schools Learn strategies for supporting students to use AAC effectively in the educational setting
This interactive, introductory session will explore Google Workspace for Education, focusing on Google Docs, Slides, and Drive. Participants will learn how to utilize these tools to streamline their own work and provide support and accommodations for students.
Foster Psychological Safety: Create an environment where students feel secure and accepted. Acknowledge and Validate Emotions: Utilize trauma-sensitive and social-emotional learning (TSEL) strategies to help students identify and label their feelings, honoring their identities and experiences. Build Relationships and Resilience: Implement practices that strengthen connections and promote coping skills. Repair and Respond: Address moments of dysregulation with a focus on repair and restorative action.
We will examine and practice the best way for students to learn high frequency or irregularly spelled words. Then we will explore how to enhance instruction when students need more support learning to blend sounds when reading CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. If time allows, participants can bring questions about phonics instruction to discuss as a group.
Paraeducator Professional Learning Coach, Early Literacy, Multnomah Education Service District
Elizabeth Israel-Davis is a teacher with 24 years of experience in public elementary & middle schools as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and TOSA. She is also an Orton-Gillingham Academy Associate level practitioner. Originally from Phoenix, AZ, she moved to Portland in 1992... Read More →
Rhythm and routines are such a big part of our overall wellness. It’s not just about getting stronger so we can carry more, but also about creating habits that become automatic so we don’t have to think about everything all the time. When we build good routines, we give our lives a steady, calming rhythm. Our brains are pretty amazing. They can think both automatically and on purpose. The automatic thinking happens without us even realizing it, quick and effortless. The deliberate thinking takes more time and effort, and it’s slower and more focused. During our session, we’re going to have fun exploring how to add a little rhythm and routine into our lives. I hope you’ll join us for some practical, relaxed, and meaningful time together.
This session is for people who have attended one of Jackie's "Supporting Students with AAC" sessions before (including the one at 10:15 on this day) or are very familiar with using AAC devices
