'25 MSAA Summer Institute

Conference fee: $150 / non-member$205
Click here to register

An increasing number of students are struggling with mental health issues, and their behaviors such as leaving class, disengaging from tasks, disrupting others, or quietly resisting are often misunderstood. This can lead to significant frustration for school teams, and traditional behavior plans frequently fall short, failing to address the underlying causes of these behaviors. One key issue often overlooked is the impact of negative and inaccurate thinking, a hallmark of student anxiety, which can contribute to disengagement and dysregulated behavior. For instance, if a student is overwhelmed by negative thoughts about the difficulty of an assignment or their ability to complete it accurately, which hinders their engagement during a writing task, a typical intervention such as a graphic organizer may not be effective. This workshop will equip participants with strategies to reduce these negative and inaccurate thoughts, thereby preventing oppositional behavior and improving students' work engagement, initiation, persistence, and self-monitoring through practical, preventive approaches.Learning Objectives:

1. Identify why common interventions may not always work for students with anxiety-related behavior
2. Enumerate strategies for reducing negative thinking toward writing
3. Participants will be able to enumerate strategies to promote initiation skills in students with work avoidance

A Presentation For:


Current Principals and Assistant Principals that are new to administration, teachers that are considering a future in school administration, or experienced school leaders that are looking to gain some new ideas.


Description:


The second edition of this presentation builds upon the first and offers tips and best practices to support principals and assistant principals to thrive, especially in their first few years as school leaders. Gain knowledge about proven strategies that enhance positive school culture, communication with families, educator evaluation, supporting all students, and distributed and instructional leadership. Learn how to best support teachers in the area of curriculum, assessment, and data-driven instruction.


Attendees will walk away with some new ideas from the interactive discussions as well as a toolkit to use at your own school.

Every student deserves to attend a school where they feel valued for their unique talents and contributions and safe to be their truest selves. Developing and implementing a vision of a graduate in your school is one way to help learners feel celebrated for the qualities and attributes that make them unique and special. Join NEASC staff and the co-principals of Nipmuc High School to talk about how the successful implementation of a vision of a graduate can give learners another way to shine. We will discuss the development and implementation of this important tool with specific examples from Nipmuc HS and other schools.

What if professional development actually inspired educators rather than felt like another box to check? Imagine a model where faculty are eager to collaborate, dive into meaningful learning, and apply new strategies that make an impact. This session will explore how one school transformed PD by creating four differentiated Professional Development Pathways based on faculty feedback. Attendees will discover how this model fosters individualized learning, strengthens collaboration, and ensures a year-long focus on growth. Walk away with practical ideas to revolutionize professional learning in your school-no mandates, just meaningful engagement.

Sharon McMahon said in a podcast with Adam Grant, "You can't stop somebody who enjoys their important work in the world." In a session filled with much needed music and joy, we will challenge ourselves together to identify our own important work in the world. Regardless of our titles, we will have the opportunity to identify what it is we are currently doing in the positions we hold, what lives in our hearts that we would like to do, and the non-negotiables we are committed to taking with us wherever our careers take us. We will have time to tweak our own job descriptions, brainstorm ways in which we can share them, as well as consider ways in which we can ask others to do the same, even our students. As we share and learn from each other, we will dive into creating next steps in whatever journeys we are on so that we can lead in ways that empower us to do our important work in the world and enjoy it.

In today's educational landscape, school leaders and educators must be prepared to foster inclusive, affirming environments for all students. This session, "Renaissance Leadership: Creating Brave and Inclusive Spaces for LGBTQIA Youth & Adults in Schools," provides school leaders with practical strategies to ensure that LGBTQIA students-particularly those from historically marginalized backgrounds-feel valued, seen, and supported.

Designed with an emphasis on building leadership capacity in predominantly conservative or uncertain environments, this session will equip participants with the tools to navigate resistance, develop inclusive policies, and foster belonging among all students. The workshop is inspired by Beyoncé's Renaissance album, using themes of boldness, resilience, and authenticity to empower educators to lead with confidence and compassion.

Student Study Teams (SST) are collaborative groups within the MTSS framework that address students' academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. This session will explain how the SSTs work within West Springfield Middle School, from early development to full implementation, with tangible takeaways for those ready to create a SST at their building.