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)
This course focuses on implementing intentional, structured academic instruction within a behavior and social-emotional support classroom based on the Modified Workshop Model. Participants will explore what effective instruction should look like in these settings, including embedding academic learning within behavior supports, maintaining high expectations, and creating predictable, engaging learning environments for students with diverse needs. The course also emphasizes the importance of collaboration with general education teachers to ensure alignment of curriculum, accommodations, and student goals. Participants will be introduced to strategies for co-planning, communication, and supporting students in accessing grade-level content while addressing social-emotional and behavioral needs.
This session provides a concise, practical overview of strengths-based approaches to supporting students with Emotional Disability, Autism, and ADHD. The focus is on helping teachers quickly identify and leverage student strengths to improve behavior, engagement, and classroom success. Participants will gain a brief understanding of how these needs may impact behavior and will leave with a small set of high-impact, easy-to-implement strategies that can be embedded into daily routines. Emphasis is placed on proactive supports, positive relationships, and simple tools that can be used immediately to create a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment.
I'm a school psychologist who is passionate about advocating for students and systems-level change. I received my bachelor's degree in psychology from Baylor University and my specialist degree in school psychology from Texas State University. The 26-27 school year will be my 13th... Read More →
Dr. Kristine Rodriguez has dedicated 21 years to education, including 14 years as a school psychologist and 7 years as a middle school teacher. Throughout her career, she has served students and families across multiple North Texas school districts, as well as through the Department... Read More →
This session will empower paraprofessionals to be active members in the centralized classroom. Roles and responsibilities will be discussed and strategies for working in and out of the classroom will be shared.
This session equips secondary educators with practical strategies for delivering specially designed instruction (SDI) in inclusive classrooms. Participants will learn how to align instruction with IEP goals while maintaining access to grade-level content. Through examples and discussions, teachers will explore scaffolding, differentiation, and goal-based decision-making. Educators will leave with tools to support diverse learners while preserving rigor and engagement.
This session is designed to support teachers of all experience levels in developing effective IEP goals and PLAAFP statements. Together, we will explore how to write clear, measurable goals and create PLAAFPs that align with those goals while accurately reflecting each student’s needs and performance. The session will include practical strategies and examples that you can easily apply in your daily practice.
General education teachers implement 70% of student IEP goals. This session will give the General Education Teacher an understanding of SPED talk (basic acronyms) and the major components and functions of the IEP. This knowlege will improve collaboration with special ed teamsand better outcomes for students with disabilities
Jennifer Hoelker is a Resource and Inclusion English teacher, and case manager at Richland High School in Prosper ISD. After 25 years in the corporate world, she found her true calling in special education. Jen recently completed a Master of Education in Special Education, where her... Read More →
This session focuses on integrating AAC into daily instruction to support student access, participation, and communication across classroom activities. This training will also be applicable to both teachers and paraprofessionals! We will be going through examples of strategies, pictures of AAC in action in my own classroom, and providing you with resources to help you enhance your ability to incorporate AAC both in and outside of the classroom.
Hi there! I am currently a Communications Teacher at Hughes Elementary, and I will be starting my third year of teaching this 26-27 school year! I am an advocate for all things AAC and AT, so I am very excited to have been asked to present on these topics at Prosper Connects this... Read More →
This session will focus on each component of the workshop model and introduce strategies and resources for teachers so that they are equipped to implement the system in their classrooms.
Learn how to use three AI tools that can be used to better support diverse learners in the classroom. Participants will explore how these tools can assist in modifying assignments, creating accommodations, and adapting materials to meet a range of student needs. Featured tools include Claude, Canva AI, and Brisk, with a focus on practical classroom applications.
Take your instructional planning to the next level with a deep dive into Vizzle’s new Secondary Benchmark Assessments. While daily lessons provide great practice, the Benchmark feature allows you to capture a clear "snapshot" of student mastery at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. In this session, we will explore how to assign these 30-question, standards-aligned assessments across different subjects and levels. We will focus on how to interpret the resulting data to identify learning gaps and automatically find the exact lessons needed for targeted intervention. Join us to learn how these new tools can simplify your progress monitoring and provide the concrete data you need.
Michelle Gonzalez Gerth is an experienced education leader with a background in special education, behavior intervention, and customer success leadership. Prior to transitioning into educational technology, Michelle served as a special education teacher and behavior specialist, where... Read More →
This training focuses on planning instruction using the Modified Workshop Model in the secondary resource classroom. Participants will refine how they structure lessons to include explicit teaching, guided practice, and independent application while addressing student needs, IEP goals, and access to grade-level content.
Special Education Instructional Coach - Centralized Programs, Prosper ISD
Hello and welcome! I am currently serving as a Special Education Instructional Coach, and prior to that, I was a Behavior Specialist and a Special Education Teacher. I am proud to say that all 14 years have been spent in this amazing district! I am also a mom to 2, K-12 PHS graduates... Read More →
Learn how to use Unique Learning System benchmarks strategically to measure student progress and guide instruction. This session will walk teachers through selecting appropriate benchmarks, determining how they should be administered, and ensuring the format aligns with each student’s communication and access needs. Teachers will leave with practical guidance for collecting meaningful data that supports instructional decision-making.
I am Special Education Coach in Prosper ISD. I support teachers and campuses in implementing high-quality specially designed instruction and inclusive practices for students with diverse abilities. I am passionate about building teacher capacity through collaboration, coaching... Read More →
Session will provide examples and models, organizational outlines, communication tools, shortcuts/visuals for Embrace, and various other tools for being developing relationship understanding (i.e. with students, guardians, supporting staff, teachers, admin) and a consistent routine in order to become and maintain successful case manager duties.
The training explains how a paraprofessional can support specially designed instruction (SDI) in an inclusion setting by reinforcing the teacher’s individualized strategies and accommodations. It will help demonstrate ways to provide guided practice, clarify directions, and break tasks into smaller, manageable steps. The session also covers how to monitor student progress and behavior while communicating useful feedback to the teacher. Participants learn how to promote student independence by giving the right level of support. Overall, the training prepares paraprofessionals to help students access the general education curriculum while meeting their individual needs.
Why do some students struggle to start a task even when they know the answer? Why does the "messy folder" persist despite every intervention? Executive functions are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, and juggle multiple tasks. For many students, these skills are still under construction. Why do some students struggle to start a task even when they know the answer? Why does the "messy folder" persist despite every intervention? Executive functions are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, and juggle multiple tasks. For many students, these skills are still under construction.
In this interactive session, we will demystify the "EF brain" and move beyond generic organization tips. We will explore how teachers, counselors, and administrators can work together to build "scaffolds" that support student independence. Participants will walk away with a toolkit of strategies to help students manage their time, emotions, and materials, ensuring that executive weakness doesn't stand in the way of academic potential.
In this introductory session, we will explore RethinkEd’s Vizzle, a powerful digital platform designed specifically for the diverse needs of secondary special education students. We’ll walk through the basics of the workflow, showing you how to find standards-aligned lessons that match your students' IEP goals or modified curriculum needs. Participants will learn how to navigate the interface, customize reinforcement settings to keep students motivated, and access the automated data reports that make progress monitoring a breeze.
Michelle Gonzalez Gerth is an experienced education leader with a background in special education, behavior intervention, and customer success leadership. Prior to transitioning into educational technology, Michelle served as a special education teacher and behavior specialist, where... Read More →
Classroom support can be high impact when paraprofessionals and general education teachers establish explicit systems, priortize student independence, and build mutual respect. Through a partnership-focused lens, participants will: Establish explicit systems for delegating roles between the general education teacher and paraprofessional that eliminate ambiguity and maximize instructional time Collaborate to identify student needs and implement strategies that build confidence and promote meaningful engagement over compliance Identify purposeful moves to intentionally build mutual respect that students recognize and respond to Whether you are a teacher looking to better utilize support or a paraprofessional looking for clarity on expectations, this session provides tools to ensure all learners thrive.
This session will educate paraprofessionals about the modified workshop model and how they can actively be a part of student instruction. The focus of this session will be on the guided practice and independent work pieces of the model and how paraprofessionals can be effective when they are responsible for these parts of the model.
