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)
In many English classrooms, research instruction has become heavily focused on source credibility and compliance-based tasks rather than authentic inquiry. This session will challenge that approach by reframing research as a process of curiosity, discovery, and problem-solving. Participants will explore strategies to help students identify meaningful research gaps, develop compelling questions, and take ownership of their learning through choice-driven research pathways. Attendees will leave with practical tools, lesson structures, and student-centered frameworks that transform research from a checklist activity into an engaging and intellectually rich experience.
Do you ever wonder who the different specialists are coming in and out of your classroom, or how you can best support the specific work they do with students? Paraprofessionals are the "boots on the ground" who spend the most time with students, making you the most vital link in a student’s success. This session is designed to pull back the curtain on the multidisciplinary team. Participants will analyze specialist roles (such as SLP, OT, PT, and more) to understand their specific goals for student development and differentiate between service models, clarifying the "why" behind direct versus consultative support. Most importantly, we will move beyond theory into practice: you will leave with a practical toolkit of "carry-over" techniques you can use immediately to reinforce specialist interventions during your daily classroom routines. Join us to bridge the gap between therapy and the classroom, ensuring our students have unified support every hour of the school day.
High school classrooms often include moments that can quickly escalate—defiance, disengagement, and public challenges can trigger strong emotional responses. This session focuses on recognizing those triggers and responding with professionalism, clarity, and composure in real time. Through school-based data and reflection, teachers will examine common scenarios, identify their response patterns, and develop effective language to de-escalate situations. Participants will leave with actionable tools to maintain authority and build mutual respect within the classroom—even in challenging moments.
I care to see students grow in every aspect of their learning: academically, socially and emotionally. I care to see teachers be respected, build confidence and have strong community that supports each other. I hope I make a positive impact in this profession.
Are your students tuned out and just going through the motions? It's time to flip the script! In this hands-on session, you won't just hear about engagement strategies — you'll experience them. Step into your students' shoes through role-play, demonstrations, and simulations, and walk away with a ready-to-use toolkit you can implement tomorrow. Come ready to move, think, and have a little fun. Your students will thank you.
Kelley Henderson brings over two decades of dedicated service to education, with 22 years of experience shaping career and technical education pathways for students. Currently serving as a CTE Coordinator, she has spent 16 years with Prosper ISD, where she spent 12 years as a CTE... Read More →
You're already collecting data — but is it telling you anything useful? In this session, you'll move beyond gradebooks and test scores to uncover the qualitative data already happening in your classroom every day. Learn how to define mastery, track student progress with simple systems, and turn evidence into confident instructional decisions.
Kelley Henderson brings over two decades of dedicated service to education, with 22 years of experience shaping career and technical education pathways for students. Currently serving as a CTE Coordinator, she has spent 16 years with Prosper ISD, where she spent 12 years as a CTE... Read More →
