Resources _______________________________________________________ Sample Courses
Engaging Challenging Conversations
Target Audience
Educators, Parents, Service Providers
This Tier 1 core course, Engaging Challenging Conversations, is foundational to our Multi-Tiered System of Support for Conflict Engagement, MTSSCE. It is a stand-alone course designed for increasing a participant’s individual capacity for engaging conflict. It also serves as a prerequisite and introduction to key concepts, processes, and skills that will be built upon in all subsequent Tier 2 courses. In this seminar we:
- explore the work of key thinkers and leaders in the field,
- introduce foundational concepts, processes, and skills at the heart of effective conflict engagement, and
- explore and practice a fundamental framework and set of skills and strategies for effectively engaging interpersonal conflict.
Target Audience
Administrators, Supervisors, those with evaluation responsibilities
There is a critical relationship between the concepts of Leadership, Change and Conflict. Leadership facilitates vision that calls for change. Change becomes a context for conflict as people resist moving outside their current comfort zones. Understanding these dynamics will prepare leaders to mobilize people as they engage these challenges. In this seminar we:
- explore the work of key thinkers in the field of leadership, conflict, and change,
- explore our personal relationship to conflict and change, and
- introduce a framework for identifying who you need to be and what you need to do as a leader engaging change and conflict.
Leading Through Change and Conflict
Operating from the Third Side: Supporting Others to Navigate Conflict
Target Audience
Those interested in developing deeper conflict engagement skills
This Tier 2 core seminar builds on foundational concepts, processes, and skills taught in Tier 1 and at the heart of our Multi-Tiered System of Support for Conflict Engagement (MTSSCE). In this seminar we introduce the key Tier 2 roles of Conflict Coach/Consultant, Facilitator and Teacher. In this seminar we will:
- Review key concepts, processes and skills covered in Tier 1,
- Review core elements of MTSS framework,
- Introduce the role of Facilitator in support the challenging conversations of groups or teams,
- Introduce the role of Conflict Coach in support others to intentionally prepare to engage conflict within a range of contexts,
- Be introduced to tools for sharing core conflict engagement skills and strategies with others.
Facilitation: Supporting The Shared Work of Others
Target Audience
Anyone committed to developing these skills.
The significant challenges we face require collective engagement and shared new learning. They require deep, adaptive work in both an individual and group context. The quality of this work is often supported and enhanced by the role of a Facilitator. The role is to serve the group and do for them what they are not able to do for themselves. In this Tier 2 course, we explore the role and function of a Facilitator and the skills and strategies they bring in supporting the work of others. In this seminar we will:
- Deepen participant’s understanding of the role of a Facilitator.
- Provide Facilitators with a framework for supporting the work of others.
- Familiarize participants with concepts, skills, and strategies necessary to effectively act as a neutral third party supporting the work of others.
Foundations of Effective Teaming
Target Audience
This class is designed for individuals or groups looking to improve teaming. IEP Teams, Leadership Teams, Committees.
In our organizations and communities, it is expected that we will collaborate as we pursue our work. It is such a common expectation that we just assume that it will happen. Effective collaboration takes a shared commitment to a mutual purpose and mutually beneficial outcome. It must be built and nurtured as an essential element of the work. In this seminar we will:
- identify key challenges to effective teaming,
- explore a framework for creating shared expectations as a group, and
- focus on the core function of a team, shared learning.
Target Audience
Anyone committed to supporting the effectiveness of the IEP process.
The development of an IEP, defining FAPE for a student is a complex process of collaboration. It is a context in which team members with diverse expertise and experience must come together and leverage this diversity in service of a student. In order to support this process, many SEA’s and LEA’s are making available a facilitator to support this process. This seminar explores the role of a facilitator in this specific context.
- Deepen participant’s understanding of the role of a Facilitator.
- Provide participants with a “facilitation” framework for assisting IEP teams to work collaboratively and develop appropriate IEPs.
- Familiarize participants with concepts, skills, and strategies necessary to effectively act as a neutral third party in a shared decision-making context.
Facilitating the IEP Process
Supporting Adaptive Work
Target Audience
Anyone committed to supporting the growth and development of others.
Leaders who coach are more effective when measured by the success of individuals and teams. Directive leadership limits the individual or group to the thinking of the leader. A coaching approach unleashes team thinking and performance. By supporting others to think through their challenges, the coaching leader inspires insight and innovation, creates accountable actions, and motivates engagement. In this interactive coaching class, you will:
- Learn an inquiry-based, action-oriented coaching process that promotes flexible planning and dynamic action.
- Describe the mindset and strategies a coach uses to co-create trusting relationships
- Gain skills for effective coaching: inquiry, listening, creating agreements, and giving and receiving feedback.
- Practice coaching others and being coached.
Target Audience
Practicing professional IDEA mediators
Mediation as a practice has grown and matured significantly over the past 25 years. In this seminar, we will explore this growth and apply it to the application of Mediation in the context of the IDEA. We will draw on our individual experiences and learn to improve our practice.
- Create a Community of Practice
- Introduce / Revisit a model for organizing our learning and professional development
- Assess our current practice in the context of the IDEA
- Identify and explore upgrades, modification, accommodations
Upgrading the Application: Developing a More Robust Approach to Mediation
