Presentation 1: Leading With Your Heart Without Losing Your Mind

As an Instructional Services Supervisor, my job was to work with principals, teachers and support staff on how to work with diverse students with complex needs. These included students with :

a. learning disabilities

b. severe cognitive delays

c. at risk behavior

d. mild to severe autism

e. trauma

f. limited schooling

Then I got to work directly with these students at Our Lady of Lourdes School during the last two years of my career (2015 – 2017).

We followed a clinical model that showed great results. During this presentation, I share stories and experiences about our students and why we were successful in changing how they viewed themselves resulting in changing how they behave.

There are diverse and complex students in every class now. Principals, teachers and support staff are stressed to the max trying to program and manage them. The pieces of the model and strategies we used can be used in every class. Knowing how a student views himself and knowing why you view these students in a certain manner could be the key to unlocking a disengaged student. This presentation will create understanding and a plan for these vulnerable students.