SPED Summit

SPED Summit is back! ✨
Fueling the flame for another empowering year of ! 🔥 As we embark on this journey for the third time, emotions soar—grateful for the community, inspired by the progress, and ready to amplify the impact. Here’s to embracing the challenges, celebrating the victories, and crafting a brighter future together. Let’s make this year even more transformative! 🚀

Join us for dynamic sessions featuring expert insights from Lois Letchford, Lisa Parnello, Jennifer Hofferber, Dayna Abraham, Rachel Irwin, Lisa Hollady, Fe González Murray, and more! Stay tuned as we reveal three additional speakers.

Save the date: January 15 to February 14! 🗓️

🌈 Immerse your classroom in multisensory play experiences! 🎉

🎮 Join us as we explore the profound impact of multisensory play in early childhood education, with a focus on its value in inclusive classrooms. Discover practical strategies to create play-based learning environments that cater to diverse learning styles and needs. 🌟

💡 Learn how multisensory play fosters self-regulation, preparing all students to be calm, focused, and ready to engage. Gain practical tips, sensory play activity ideas, and a renewed appreciation for the transformative power of play in the classroom.

✨ About Melysa: ✨

Melysa, a dual-certified educator with a rich background in special education, is the visionary behind Pre-K Spot. With 16 years of experience in early childhood education, she passionately creates supportive, inclusive learning environments. Her expertise as an early intervention provider and Special Education Itinerant Teacher empowers her to champion play-based, child-led learning experiences that celebrate each student's individuality. Melysa is dedicated to equipping educators with tools for integrating child-led learning through professional development and coaching, advocating for the benefits of play-based learning.

🎈 Immerse your students in the joy of multisensory play. Register now for SPED Summit and transform your classroom through the power of play.

🎯 Unlock the power of Standards Aligned IEP Goals at SPED Summit! 🌟

📝 Join Stephanie, a dual-certified special education teacher and IEP Coach, as she shares invaluable insights on "Strategies for Writing Standards Aligned IEP Goals."

💡 Explore the importance of crafting SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Discover effective strategies to align these goals with students' unique strengths and challenges, fostering optimal growth and long-term success.

✨ About Stephanie: ✨

Stephanie is a passionate educator, children's book author, and mentor who is dedicated to supporting teachers and students with disabilities. As a self-proclaimed , she excels in creating engaging, adapted resources and providing professional development for teachers. Her mission is to bridge the gap between teachers and families, fostering true collaboration within the IEP team. Connect with Stephanie at Mrs. D's Corner and The Intentional IEP.

🌈 Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your IEP goal-writing skills! Register now for SPED Summit and empower your students with standards-aligned goals.

📚 Unlock the power of effective intervention for dyslexic students!

Join us for a compelling session on "Dyslexia and Effective Intervention in Classrooms." Discover what dyslexia is, recognize its signs, and explore practical ideas to support students who struggle with reading. 📖✨

💡 Learn about evidence-based interventions rooted in the science of reading, and gain valuable insights to rewire the brains of dyslexic learners. With early intervention, we can empower these students and help them crack the reading code.

✨ About Melanie Brethour: ✨

Melanie is a dedicated resource teacher and passionate dyslexia advocate from Montreal, Canada. Motivated by her son's dyslexia diagnosis, she has become a driving force in dyslexia awareness and the science of reading. Her extensive research and certifications, along with her roles in organizations like Decoding Dyslexia Quebec, Dyslexia Canada, and Teachers For Reading Canada, make her a valuable resource for teachers and parents.

🚀 Join Melanie's session and make a difference in the lives of dyslexic learners. Register now for SPED Summit and transform your classroom.

Unlock the power of sign language in your classroom! 🤟

📚 Join Cynthia, an experienced educator and creator of ASLTeachingResources.com, as she shares her insights on Setting Up Your Classroom with Sign Language.

💡 Discover five essential things that will transform your teaching experience, engage your students, and create an inclusive environment. Gain the tools and knowledge to make a lasting impact on their learning journey.

✨ About Cynthia: ✨

Cynthia brings extensive experience in homeschooling and interpreting, along with her passion for teaching sign language. As an author, speaker, and creator of online courses, she is dedicated to providing valuable resources to schools and families nationwide. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from Cynthia!

🚀 Embrace the power of sign language in your classroom. Register now for SPED Summit and elevate your teaching to new heights.

🎯 Boost your productivity in special education at SPED Summit! 🌟

📚 Join Ayo Jones, an experienced special education teacher and instructional coach, as she shares transformative insights on Productivity Hacks for Special Education.

🔒 Discover ten essential forms and sheets that will revolutionize your organization. Streamline your workflow, improve collaboration, and reclaim your time with powerful productivity hacks designed specifically for special ed teachers.

✨ About Ayo Jones: ✨

Ayo is a passionate advocate for special education, an engaging speaker, and an instructional coach with nearly 20 years of experience. Her expertise has impacted countless teachers and students. As the founder of Noodle Nook, she provides valuable resources and tools for classroom success. Don't miss Ayo's invaluable guidance!

🚀 Unlock your productivity potential! Register now for SPED Summit and gain essential organizational strategies for your classroom.

🌟 Uncover effective strategies for behavior management at SPED Summit! 🌟

🗓️ 25 July, 2023
⏰ 9:00 AM PST

Join Michelle Vazquez, a seasoned special education teacher, as she shares 7 powerful ideas to manage classroom behavior in a special education setting.

💡 Learn practical techniques to create an organized learning environment, set clear expectations, and implement personalized behavior plans. Gain valuable insights to support students with special needs on their educational journey.

✨ About Michelle Vazquez: ✨

Michelle is a dedicated resource specialist and special education teacher with over 14 years of experience in Southern California's public schools. As the host of the renowned podcast 'Stepping Into Special Education,' she is passionate about equipping special education teachers with strategies and support. Join Michelle as she empowers educators like you!

🔒 Don't miss out on this transformative session! Register now for SPED Summit and gain valuable tools for effective behavior management.

📊 Enhance your data collection skills at SPED Summit! 🌟

🗓️ 24 July, 2023
⏰ 9:00 AM PST

🔍 Join us as Esther Mmagu, an experienced special education teacher, shares her insights on Tools and Techniques for Digital Data Collection. 💻

💡 Learn how to track data digitally using online tools like Google Forms, and discover ways to create graphs and reports. Explore a variety of digital tools for efficient data collection.

✨ About Esther Mmagu: ✨

Esther is a passionate special education teacher with expertise in self-contained settings. With Education Specialist Credentials and a strong background in history and social sciences, she brings a unique perspective to data collection. Get ready to become a data ninja under Esther's guidance!

🎯 Don't miss out on this opportunity! Register now for SPED Summit and take your data collection skills to the next level.

🎉 Exciting update for SPED Summit! 🎉

We are thrilled to announce the addition of two exceptional speakers to our lineup. Joining us at the SPED Summit are Cynthia Long, who will be sharing insights on American Sign Language, and Melysa Mei, who will dive into the world of sensory experiences. ✨🌈

With these latest additions, we now have 8 expert speakers covering a diverse range of topics that will inspire and empower you. Get ready to learn from the best in the field of special education!

🌟 Don't miss the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and strategies from our exceptional lineup of speakers. Register now for SPED Summit and be part of this transformative event!

Pre-K Spot

🗣️ Discover effective strategies to engage neurodiverse learners, featuring Sue Larkey (Sue Larkey), a renowned special education teacher. 🎓

🌈 Learn how to create an inclusive classroom environment and optimize learning outcomes for students with Autism, ADHD, ODD, and PDA. 💡

✨ About Sue Larkey: ✨

Sue Larkey is a highly qualified special education teacher with extensive experience in mainstream and specialist schools. With a Master's degree in Special Education and significant contributions to the field, Sue is an invaluable resource for educators and parents alike. Her inspiring speeches and authored books have impacted countless lives worldwide.

📚 Don't miss out on Sue's invaluable expertise!
Register now for SPED Summit and embrace the power of inclusive education.

larkey

📣🌞 Introducing SPED Summit: Summer Edition! 🌞

Join us from 24 July to 23 August, 2023, for an empowering event that celebrates inclusivity and sparks inspiration. Back by popular demand, this online summit brings together experts and thought leaders from around the world to share valuable insights and practical knowledge.

Discover innovative teaching techniques, assistive technology, and inclusive practices that can transform the lives of individuals with special educational needs. Let's create a world where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential.

Save the dates, spread the word, and get ready for a remarkable Summer Edition of SPED Summit! 🥳

Please register at www.spedsummit.com now if you haven't already!

Good news! 🎉 Due to high demand, the session videos will now be available for one more week. Don't miss your chance to catch up on all the amazing insights and knowledge shared! 🥳

📣 Don't miss out! Only 2 weeks left to access exclusive sessions from the SPED Summit on our website. Watch now before they're gone! 🎥

Are you enjoying the SPED Summit? All sessions till now are available to watch on our website until the end of January. Catch up on all of the amazing presentations and discussions from education professionals from around the world. 🥳

What a fantastic session on creating a comprehensive transition curriculum for students with mild to moderate disabilities! So many valuable insights and strategies were shared by Susan. Don't miss this! 😍

Thank you to Dawn for leading such an informative and helpful session on self-care for special education teachers. Her strategies for avoiding teacher burnout are game changers and we are grateful for her expertise and dedication to the well-being of educators. 🧡

🍎

Don't miss out on these last two amazing sessions at the SPED Summit! Susan is talking about creating a holistic transition curriculum for the mild/mod program and Dawn is sharing self-care strategies for special education teachers to avoid burnout. Tune in now at www.spedsummit.com to learn from these experts! 🧡

🎥 All the sessions will still be available on the website throughout January.

Cultivating Exceptional Minds

Huge shoutout to Timothy for delivering an incredibly informative and thought-provoking session on accommodations and modifications! His insights on creating an inclusive environment were invaluable and truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us! 🧡

Thank you to Whitney for delivering an outstanding session on Managing Paraprofessionals! Your insights and expertise were invaluable and greatly appreciated. 🥳🧡

Go watch the session at www.spedsummit.com if you haven't already.

Rooted in Resource

Don't miss Timothy's super insightful session on Accommodations and Modifications and Whitney on Managing Paraprofessionals at the SPED Summit today! Both sessions will be live on www.spedsummit.com at 9 AM PST. ✨

What an incredible presentation by Chyna on implementing social emotional learning in a classroom! So much valuable information and strategies for creating a positive and inclusive learning environment were shared. How did you like it? Share your thoughts in the comments. 😃

Check it out on www.spedsummit.com if you haven't already.


Ms. Chyna

Wow, Jenn's presentation on Effective Strategies for Parental Communication at the SPED Summit was fantastic! So much valuable information and practical advice for improving communication with our children. Go watch the session at www.spedsummit.com now if you haven't already.


Teach Love Autism

Join Jenn Adams and Chyna Lenner at SPED Summit today to learn effective strategies for communication with parents and implementing social-emotional learning in the classroom. Both sessions will be available on SPED Summit website from 9 AM PST today. Don't miss it! 🥳

Aren't you feeling inspired after this incredible presentation by Esther? 🤩
These tools are definitely game-changers for efficient and accurate data gathering. Excited to put these tips and tricks into action! 😋

Head over to www.spedsummit.com and sign up if you haven't already.
It's completely FREE and all the sessions are availble to be watched throughout January.

📣 If you are not receiving automatic updates, please check your spam folder in your registered email account. If you find the email there, mark it as "not spam" to ensure that you receive future updates on time. 📩

Get ready to learn about the power of Google Forms and other digital tools for streamlining your data collection at the SPED Summit today! Esther is leading the charge and sharing her expertise on how these tools can help educators save time and stay organized. Don't miss out on this valuable session! 🤌✨

Head over to www.spedsummit.com and sign up if you haven't already!
It's completely FREE!

📣 If you are not receiving automatic updates, please check your spam folder in your registered email account. If you find the email there, mark it as "not spam" to ensure that you receive future updates on time. 📩

Stephanie wowed us at SPED Summit with her expert insights on how to craft top-notch IEPs! Thank you Stephanie for this amazing session. 🥳

You can still watch Stephanie's session on writing better IEPs till the end of January. Go to www.spedsummit.com and watch the session in your dashboard.

Mrs. D's Corner

Tune in to now for a session full of valuable insights on best practices for writing better IEPs with Stephanie DeLussey. Link in bio to join the session 📺

Teacher burnout is a common and serious issue that can have negative impacts on both the teacher and their students. Special education teachers often face additional challenges and demands that can make them particularly susceptible to burnout. In this session with Dawn Ellis, we will focus on preventing teacher burnout and practicing self-care for special education teachers.

We will discuss the signs and symptoms of burnout, as well as strategies for managing stress and maintaining work-life balance. Participants will leave with practical tools and techniques for promoting their own well-being and resilience.

Know the Speaker -

Dawn Ellis has been teaching for over 13 years in elementary and preschool special education and has an Educational Specialist degree in Special Education. Dawn has also a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of Exceptional Needs Specialist. She has worked with inclusion, resource, severe/profound, and autism classrooms throughout the years. She is an award-winning special educator including a state finalist for Teacher of the Year, as well as other awards within the district and state.

One of her most noted accomplishments is starting a school garden and coffee cart that was accessible and maintained by our students in the self-contained special education classroom. When not teaching, she is a mom, an avid reader, and also a podcaster. She has a podcast specifically designed for special education teachers, Be The Exception, to gain weekly tips to use in their classrooms. She also maintains a blog, sticker shop, TPT store, and a social media presence as Cultivating Exceptional Minds where she creates and shares time-saving strategies and resources for special education teachers.

Cultivating Exceptional Minds

Create a transition program that excites students, meets federal guidelines, and engages parents in a way that wards off contention and an adversarial relationship. Understand why relations can become strained and learn proactive steps to come together and provide the strongest, most effective program possible with Susan Traugh.

Know the Speaker -

Award-winning author, Susan Traugh, holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies and an M.A.Ed. with an emphasis on curriculum. After her small son fell from the second story and became traumatically brain-injured, Susan left her teaching career to work with her son. When her oldest daughter was diagnosed with ASD and her youngest with severe mental illness, Susan dedicated her life to kids with special needs by writing curricula for each of her children’s teachers. While her son was in high school, Susan was asked to write transition curricula for his class as the teacher could find no appropriate materials for students with mild/mod disabilities. The book took off and as more teachers began to request materials, the Transition 2 Life and Daily Living Skills series was born.

Fifteen years later, this award-winning series is currently used by tens of thousands of teachers all over the world. Susan has worked with teachers and trainers across the country to implement the program in schools, juvenile justice facilities, foster care settings, teacher-training programs, post-secondary transition programs, and more. Additionally, Susan’s young adult novel The Edge of Brilliance (the heroic journey of a teen with bipolar disorder) has won multiple awards and her freelance work has appeared in “Teachers of Vision,” “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” and “Body and Soul,” to name a few.

Learn how by using strengths as leverage, accommodations and modifications can provide a “just right” level of support, empowering a child to engage in class, instruction, and assessment in a meaningful way with Timothy Kretchman. ✨

Know the Speaker -

Tim started his career in education as a 4-6th grade learning support teacher where he was responsible for the implementation of successful inclusion for students with special needs. Always one to take on new challenges, after three years he accepted a position as a high school Life Skills teacher, where his primary goal was to ensure that every student would become literate in both math and reading, while gaining skills that would make them employable and able to live independently.

Tim's drive to serve education led him to become a k-12 Principal, Director of Special Education and Curriculum Coordinator. These experiences have come together to form his unique view on education, which is firmly founded on the belief that educators must recognize the value of their actions as a means to generate change.

He recently put this belief to the test when he started his own company, Action Driven Education. Action Driven Education aspires to bring meaningful tools and professional development to all teachers who work to educate students with and without disabilities.

Whitney will walk us through a framework for keeping paraprofessionals motivated and productive. We will also go through the common pitfalls and how to avoid them when dealing with paraprofessionals in a classroom.

Know the Speaker -

Whitney Lowrey is a special education teacher in Phoenix, Arizona as well as a college professor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in education. She is passionate about supporting educators and sharing her knowledge along the way. Prior to becoming a special education teacher, she was a paraprofessional for two years.

In the classroom, Whitney primarily focuses on seeing students thrive through gaining confidence in themselves and having a growth mindset as well as empowering her paraprofessionals to have the knowledge and resources she did that inspired her to becoming a teacher. When not in the classroom, Whitney enjoys hiking, travelling, spending time with her friends and family and running her t-shirt business. Her main passion is hiking the beautiful trails of Arizona and seeing students flourish in the classroom.