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

Procrastination, Perfectionism and Paralysis. How to Unlock Engagement in GT Learners (163)

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

2101

Gifted and Talented (GT) students often process information differently, which can lead to procrastination, perfectionism, and task paralysis. This session explores the obstacles that prevent engagement and why some GT learners underperform, including fear of failure, and the need for strong relationships.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies to recognize barriers, foster connection, and help GT students move from inaction to engagement.

Speakers

Darlene Griffin

Stacy Grinstead

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
2101

GT, 6-8, 9-12

10:00am CDT

Building Number Fluency & Confidence (using Multiplication Charts) (216)

Thursday July 30, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

2101

When calculators are not allowed, students’ confidence and ability to engage with grade-level content depend heavily on their number fluency. This session explores how multiplication charts can be used intentionally as a tool for building fluency and supporting mathematical reasoning—not just memorization.
Participants will learn routines and strategies that help students notice patterns, make connections across operations, and apply facts flexibly when working with fractions and ratios.
Participants will walk away with practical ways to turn multiplication tables into a powerful tool for reasoning, problem solving, and equitable access to rigorous math learning for all students, as well as some engaging fluency games that can be easily implemented in any classroom.

Speakers