Prosper Connects '26: Full Schedule

Prosper Connects 26: Your Ultimate Professional Learning Adventure!
Get Ready for the most incredible day of learning in Prosper ISD! July 30th at Walnut Grove High School | Over 300 Sessions Await!

Calling all educators! Prepare for a day packed with inspiration, innovation, and incredible learning opportunities. From the electrifying drumline welcome to the delicious indoor lunch options from the Walnut Grove cafeteria serving up a variety of food, this isn’t just another professional development day – it’s a celebration of education!
✨ Highlights:

👕Attire: Favorite Team Jersey, jeans, and comfortable shoes
🚍Grab the Shuttle from Rock Hill HS (16061 N Coit Rd, Frisco, TX 750) for easy parking (runs every 20 min)
🥁 Epic Drumline Kick-Off
☕Breakfast Options: Union Coffee and Baked Goods & Sonic
🌮 INSIDE Lunch options provided by Aramark and Hardy’s Cafe: Union Coffee, Cane’s, Chick-fil-A, Jimmy John’s, Sonic, Pizza Hut, Greens & Grains, Sushi, Taco Line, & Hardy’s Cafe
🧠 GT Credit Sessions Available (sessions that are orange = GT)
📚 Up to 6 Professional Learning Hours

8:00am CDT

Beyond Behavior: Understanding ADHD and Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria in Today’s Classroom (253)

Thursday July 30, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT

2101

Students with ADHD often experience more than challenges with attention, impulsivity, and executive functioning. Many also struggle with Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD)—an intense emotional response to perceived criticism or failure that can significantly impact behavior, relationships, and academic engagement.
This session will deepen educators’ understanding of how ADHD and RSD intersect and manifest in the classroom. Participants will explore how commonly misinterpreted behaviors (e.g., avoidance, defiance, emotional outbursts, shutdown) may actually be rooted in emotional dysregulation and fear of rejection.
Educators will leave with practical, research-informed strategies and ready-to-use tools that foster emotional safety, improve student-teacher relationships, and support self-regulation and resilience in students with ADHD. There will be opportunity to understand that these students aren't “overreacting on purpose”, but instead their brain has difficulty regulating emotional intensity.

Speakers

Kori Kalitta

Special Education Counselor, Prosper ISD

My name is Kori Kalitta. I work for Prosper ISD supporting secondary schools by providing direct counseling services for those students who receive special education services and qualify for sped counseling as a related service. I have been in education for 22+ years, ranging from... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
2101

GT, K-12

9:00am CDT

Language at the Heart of Content (270)

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

1119

Grounded in how the brain acquires language and the importance of affective support, this session will equip you with practical strategies to create a language-rich, student-centered classroom—no matter what subject you teach. You’ll explore simple yet powerful ways to make your instructional language more intentional to boost student engagement, thinking, and communication. Walk away with tools you can use right away to support all learners and elevate the learning happening in your classroom.

Speakers

Sandra Hernandez

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
1119

GT, Para Staff, K-12

9:00am CDT

Mindfulness in the Classroom - Strategies for You and Your Students (152)

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

2103

Our fast paced lives lead many of us to disengage due to distraction and feeling overwhelmed. Mindfulness strategies help us and our students find calm in our emotions, focus on instructional tasks and truly engage in learning. Over time and with practice, students grow in their self awareness and ability to self-regulate. In this session, experience mindfulness strategies as the participant and leave with ideas to share with your students.

Speakers