Events

This in person book study will meet September 25, 2025 and October 30, 2025 from 3:30-5:30pm at Whiteside Elementary (must attend both sessions) Take some time to invest in yourself at the start of a new school year with a book study dedicated to help yourself set and maintain healthy boundaries. Join Amy Leritz, School Social Worker for Whiteside Elementary, in an interactive and discussion based book study. This PD will be held over 2 sessions. The book, Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab must be read as part of the book study. We’ll be discussing Chapters 1-8 during the first session, and will discuss Chapters 9-15 during the second session. Learn how to become aware of your own boundaries, identify areas of your life where healthier boundaries are needed, and what to do to create and reinforce boundaries. Participants must purchase the book independently (however the ROE will be raffling off 7 copies of the book). Registration closes Friday, September 19 at 12:00pm.

This breakaway we will have Emily Flach (Regional Educational Technology Coordinator from the Illinois Learning Technology Center) present a free session on "The Day the Internet Dies: Keep Your K-12 Building Running Amidst a Cyber Attack." In an age where connectivity is vital, the possibility of a cyber attack crippling the internet infrastructure is a growing threat. This workshop provides essential strategies to maintain your building’s operations in the face of such an incident. What if your teachers have non-digital resources and textbooks? What if you're hit by a cyber attack during state testing? Learn actionable steps to ensure the continuity of critical services like communication, instruction, and student safety during an internet outage caused by a cyber event. Participants will gain insights into offline communication protocols, data backup solutions, emergency power plans, and other best practices to safeguard operations and minimize downtime. Participants should bring a fully charged device to this session. After this session, we will debrief with IARSS, ISBE and local district updates.  Registration will close 4-5 days prior to the event.    

Join Heidy LaFleur, Tauma, Behavior and Leadership Expert (Creator of The Social Emotional Alphabet) in this virtual session.  The following tools and their themes will take us on a learning  journey to avoid pitfalls of power struggling with students and instead build strong and trusting relationships to guide them to success: Believe They’re Doing the Best They Can (Boundaries make us Builders, not Busters), Use Solution Language (Look in the Mirror), Listen to Learn (Help others feel Seen, Heard, Understood & Validated), Rethink Resistance (No One is Trying to make your Life Miserable), Control the Controllables (What am I Afraid Of?), Understand the Triangles, (Where is the Student & What can They Access?) I “Hear” You Loud & Clear (Is the Cortex Open for business?), Feedback is Information for Growth (Creating the Culture), Fair is Not Equal (It’s Not Giving Them What They Want. It’s Giving Them What They Need.) & Regulating Yourself (Is Your AWE Bringing You Peace?) Objectives

• Take away 10+ tools to avoid power struggles

• Learn language to build relationships and be able to lead difficult conversations around behavior

• Continue to develop perspective that success looks different for every child

Registration will close 4-5 days prior to the event.

This is a free workshop on behalf of the Illinois Masonic Foundation, lunch will be provided on site.  Boosting student motivation, engagement, and academic success can be incredibly rewarding and downright fun with the right mix of strategies and tools. Dive into these dynamic approaches and innovative tools that transform the learning experience into an exciting adventure for both teachers and students. Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event unless tickets are sold out.

  PD Co-op member districts $185.00, Non PD Co-op member districts $200.00 (lunch included on site). Attendees can earn 1 of the following: pd hours, academy credit or ceu credit. This course, presented by Mr. Rich Bickel, focuses on Domains 1 and 4 of the Danielson 2013 Framework and is intended for those administrators who have successfully completed Initial Teacher Evaluation required by ISBE. Administrators who evaluate teachers must demonstrate a high rate of inter-rater reliability and communicate evaluation outcomes in construction and supportive ways. They must also recognize and control for bias when conducting evaluations and determining results. Participants will record data from a pre-conference, align data to the Danielson Framework (Domain 1), collaboratively determine ratings, observe post-conferences, evaluate teacher evidence, and align to the Danielson Framework (Domain 4). Emphasis is placed on meaningful pre- and post-conferences with teachers that ultimately results in improved instruction and practices.Participants will also be expected to demonstrate a high degree of inter-rater reliability when they determine a final rating based on the evidence gathered for Domains 1 and 4. Particiapants should bring a fully charged device to this event. All applications/disseminations must be completed and submitted prior to departure on October 29. Registration closes Friday, October 24 at 12:00pm. Cancellations must be made before October 24 at 12:00pm or the amount paid will be non-refundable.

As an instructional coach or interventionist, you play a pivotal role in supporting educators and students, but your own work can be demanding and stressful. This workshop is specifically designed to help you navigate the pressures of your role while also equipping you with strategies to manage stress and foster a healthy, positive work environment.

In this session, we will explore the fundamentals of stress response and how it impacts both you and those you work with. You will gain a deeper understanding of the physiological and psychological effects of stress and learn how to identify common stressors that can influence your work performance and well-being.

We will also delve into the significance of workplace attitudes in creating a productive and supportive environment. Topics like job satisfaction, morale, organizational commitment, and work engagement will be discussed, highlighting how these factors directly affect your success and the effectiveness of your coaching and interventions.

Moreover, this workshop will provide you with practical coping strategies to manage stress in your daily routine. These techniques are designed to help you balance the demands of your role while promoting your own mental and emotional well-being, ultimately improving your ability to support others in the school community.

By the end of the session, you will leave with a toolkit of strategies to cope with stress, maintain a positive attitude, and enhance your work life, making you a more effective coach and interventionist.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the stress response and its role in the workplace

• Identifying workplace stressors and their impact on your role

• Exploring the importance of job satisfaction, morale, and work engagement

• Implementing healthy coping strategies to manage work-related stress

• Building a positive work environment to support both your well-being and that of your colleagues

Join us for this interactive and practical workshop, and gain the tools you need to thrive in your role while supporting the success of those around you.

Time will be given (35 minutes) for lunch on your own. Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event date.

This session is designed for instructional/behavioral/interventionists & coaches at any stage who want to strengthen their impact with teachers and students. Explore high-leverage student engagement strategies that can seamlessly integrate into your coaching conversations. Revisit your coaching playbook with fresh eyes and practical tools to refine your approach. Along the way, we’ll also focus on sustaining your purpose, strengthening relationships, and prioritizing self-care—because thriving coaches create thriving learning communities. After this session, ime will be given for lunch (on your own). We will re-group to debrief, collaborate, problem solve and share resources before you return back to your district.  Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event date.

Are you looking to maximize your use of Google tools in education? Join our Google Educator Level 2 Certification Workshop and discover how to effectively integrate a wide range of Google tools to enhance your teaching practices and engage 21st-century learners.

Join facilitator Emily Flach (Regional Educational Technology Coordinator, Learning Technology Center) in this workshop where you will:

• Dive deep into Google's educational tools: Explore advanced features in Gmail, Slides, Drawings, Scholar, Books, Google Arts & Culture, Earth, Maps, Sites, Blogger, YouTube, Classroom, Keep, and Trends.

• Master advanced skills: Learn organizational strategies for Drive, explore learning models to help personalize the learning experience, build collaborative lessons with Docs, conduct research with Scholar, analyze data with Sheets, create assessments with Forms, utilize advanced search techniques, and learn how to effectively utilize Chrome Add-ons and Extensions.

• Prepare for the certification exam: We'll break down the exam requirements and provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to pass confidently.

• Boost your teaching toolkit: Even if you don't plan to take the exam, this workshop offers valuable insights and practical strategies for integrating Google tools in your classroom.

This workshop is perfect for educators of all levels who want to:

• Expand their knowledge of Google for Education tools.

• Develop effective technology integration strategies.

• Enhance their teaching practices and engage students.

• Earn Google Educator Level 2 certification.

Prerequisites:

• Bring a fully charged Chromebook or laptop with access to a Google for Education account.

• No prior certification is required.

Don't miss this opportunity to level up your teaching! Reserve your spot today.

Learn more about the certification: https://edu.google.com/teacher-center/certifications/educator-level2/?modal_active=none

This breakaway we will have Emily Flach (Regional Educational Technology Coordinator from the Illinois Learning Technology Center) present a free session on "The Day the Internet Dies: Keep Your K-12 Building Running Amidst a Cyber Attack." In an age where connectivity is vital, the possibility of a cyber attack crippling the internet infrastructure is a growing threat. This workshop provides essential strategies to maintain your building’s operations in the face of such an incident. What if your teachers have non-digital resources and textbooks? What if you're hit by a cyber attack during state testing? Learn actionable steps to ensure the continuity of critical services like communication, instruction, and student safety during an internet outage caused by a cyber event. Participants will gain insights into offline communication protocols, data backup solutions, emergency power plans, and other best practices to safeguard operations and minimize downtime. Participants should bring a fully charged device to this session. After this session, we will debrief with IARSS, ISBE, ROE # 50 and local district updates.  Registration will close 4-5 days prior to the event.