On April 12th, 62 educators from nine regional school districts gathered at Riverside Jr/Sr High School in Boardman to receive targeted professional development hosted and organized by the Oregon Trail Regional Educator Network (REN). While the event was originally designed with paraprofessionals in mind, participants included teachers, counselors and administrators as well. During the three-hour training, attendees from Morrow County, Umatilla, Stanfield, Hermiston, Milton-Freewater, Elgin, IMESD, Helix and Pendleton engaged in learning delivered by Dr. Will Henson, a clinical psychologist who has worked for over 30 years with children and adolescents with behavioral challenges. For the past 18 years, Henson has been a psychologist consultant for districts across Oregon.
The event focused on supporting dysregulated students to get back on track, a request frequently elevated by teachers and paraprofessionals across the state. Henson provided an overview of the four pillars of a trauma-informed approach to education, explained why challenging behaviors manifest in the classroom from a psychological perspective, and detailed “best practice” interventions educators should employ to address challenging behavior. Henson’s recommended interventions emphasize the importance of creating predictability, structure, safety, and routines to support student well-being. He offered strategies to educators to help create these conditions.
Lucia Wiley, a paraprofessional who works at McNary Heights Elementary School in the Umatilla School District, attended the training alongside some of her colleagues. While she primarily supports students in a third-grade classroom, Wiley has also been pulled to serve in a substitute capacity in kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms this year. Wiley says she foresees applying the concepts presented during the training to help students regulate their behavior.
“As an adult in the room, I am in charge of the environment in which my students are learning,” said Wiley. “I have many students who have busy bodies. We love to give them different seating options such as wobble stools, yoga balls and cushions. When arguing and fighting breaks out between the students and they are not being used properly, it is far easier to just go back to regular seating to get the classroom back on track. As nice as it is to accommodate, there has to be a standard set that has to be followed.” Wiley emphasized her appreciation of Dr. Henson’s strategies for creating safe environments in a way that maintains high expectations for student learning.
The Oregon Trail Regional Educator Network is grant-funded and focuses on providing high-quality professional development to educators in 21 districts in Umatilla, Union, Morrow and Baker counties. The network provides ongoing, series-based support to educators in all stages of career development.
For more information about IMESD/REN hosted professional development, please contact Emily Williams at emily.williams@imesd.k12.or.us.