A. Walker & Associates Consulting
"Each one, teach one"
202-492-6238
anise@awalkerconsulting.com
Professional Development Topics
Avoiding Teacher Burnout
The pressures of keeping up with a classroom of children can become overwhelming even for the most seasoned teacher (especially at the end of the school year). This workshop will focus on recognizing signs and symptoms of stress, its effects and appropriate ways to deal with it.
How to deal with aggressive and oppositional behavior
Children are using physical violence and aggression more often as a means of solving problems or expressing feelings about the world around them. This workshop will focus on specific strategies for working with students who have aggressive tendencies or are diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder
How to recognize common mental health disorders in your students
When a student acts out in class, how can you tell whether they are just having a bad day, they are making poor choices with their behavior, or they are exhibiting symptoms of a more serious problem? Studies show that more and more school-aged children are being diagnosed with medically recognized mental health disorders like Depression, Anxiety and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In addition, most incidences of school violence are being traced back to students who has undiagnosed or untreated mental health disorders. This is an issue that schools and school systems can no longer ignore! This workshop will focus on how to recognize common mental health disorders (including ADHD, impulsivity, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, learning disorders, anxiety, etc), and what to do once you sense a problem.
Team building
Working in a team is an essential part of providing quality education and support to students and families within your school. This workshop will focus on strengthening the bonds of school teams such as leadership teams, grade level teams, or any other school-based team or committee by being able to recognize individual behavior styles and how they play a part in working as a team.
Effective Communication for Educators
Engaging parents in their child’s education and in the school environment overall can be a very difficult task. Teachers and school staff are competing with parents who have single parent homes, multiple jobs, multiple children or other obligations that make their time scarce. This workshop will focus on improving the communication between education professionals and parents in situations such as report card conferences, SST meetings, and/or behavioral conferences to allow parents to feel heard, show a value for their time and commitment to their child’s education and to increase parental involvement in the classroom and within the school.
Managing Bullying Behavior
According to National studies, school aged students are reporting being either the target of bullies or the perpetrator of bullying behaviors in the last school year. This is an astounding statistic! With incidences of school violence being rooted (in some instances) in situations where victims were bullied in (and out) of the school environment, addressing this issue head on is essential to keeping students and school personnel safe. Teachers and school leaders can be the first line of defense in stopping a “minor” problem getting along from becoming a more serious issue of a student being bullied. This workshop will focus on recognizing bullying behaviors, its effects on victims, and ways to effectively deal with bullying behaviors in the classroom.
Parent Education Workshop Topics
Positive Discipline: 1-2-3 Magic
Raising children in today’s society can be a challenge even for the savviest parent. This workshop would focus on how to provide supportive discipline techniques for children ages 2-12 years. Broad topic areas include: Controlling Obnoxious Behavior, Discipline without Gratitude, Encouraging Good Behavior, and Your Child’s Self Esteem.
Positive Discipline – Part II: How to Manage and Let Go of your 13-18 Year Olds
Raising adolescents can be even more challenging than dealing with younger children. Teenagers can morph into these moody, unreasonable creatures and you sometime wonder “Where did this child come from?” This workshop will focus on how to handle the complex situations and issues that teenagers often present. Broad topics include: What’s Normal, Getting Along, Understanding your Job, Managing Risk Taking, and Managing Testing and Manipulation.
Avoiding Parent Burnout
The pressures of keeping up with everyday life as a parent can become overwhelming. Often parents ignore their own needs to attend to the needs of their children and families. This tendency, although admirable to some, can have lasting negative impacts. This workshop will focus on recognizing signs and symptoms of stress, its effects and appropriate ways to deal with it.
Effective Communication
Have you ever looked at your child after saying something to then and asking “What, am I speaking a foreign language?” Communication is the key to all amicable relationships in our everyday lives. This workshop will focus on improving your communication techniques that can benefit you in various facets of your life.
Effective Communication with Educators
Being able to communicate your wants, needs and concerns with school personnel can be a very anxiety-producing or intimidating experience for lots of parents. Having a positive experience with your child’s teacher and other school personnel can make or break the success of your child in school. This training will focus on improving the communication between education professionals and parents in situations such as report card conferences, SST meetings, and/or behavioral conferences to help you to feel heard and to help have your wants, needs and concerns addressed in a positive way.
How to support your child in the education process
Parents are the main advocates for their children when it comes to academic success. Studies show that when a parent is more actively involved in their child’s education, the student is more successful. This workshop would focus on how to more effectively support your child in meeting their educational benchmarks and how to support your child’s teacher in meeting those same goals.
Model Parents, Model Students
Have you ever heard of the expression “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”? Parents are the first teachers for their children in everything they do. How you act, and react, to day-to-day life situations can leave a lasting impression on your children. This workshop will focus on teaching your children how to behave by modeling appropriate behavior for them. Broad topics include: Redefining discipline, Spotlighting good behavior, behavior charts and contracts, being proactive in your disciplinary approach, motivating your child, consistency in discipline, using punishments that teach, conflict resolution, and fostering responsibility.
About Your Child’s Mental Health: What to do when something seems wrong
When your child is acting out at home and in school, how can you tell whether they are just having a bad day, they are making poor choices with their behavior, or they are exhibiting symptoms of a more serious problem? Studies show that more and more school-aged children are being diagnosed with medically recognized mental health disorders like Depression, Anxiety and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In addition, most incidences of school violence are being traced back to students who has undiagnosed or untreated mental health disorders. This is an issue that parents can no longer ignore! This workshop will focus on how to recognize common mental health disorders (including ADHD, impulsivity, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, learning disorders, anxiety, etc), and what to do once you sense a problem. Broad topics include: Understanding the Psychological Health of Children, Common Childhood Diagnoses and Disorders (including ADHD, impulsivity, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, learning disorders, anxiety, etc), and Getting Professional Help.
Bullying
According to National studies, school aged students are reporting being either the target of bullies or the perpetrator of bullying behaviors in school and in their neighborhoods. This is an astounding statistic! With incidences of school violence being rooted (in some instances) in situations where victims were bullied in (and out) of the school environment, addressing this issue head on is essential to keeping our children safe. Parents (as well as teachers and school leaders) can be the first line of defense in stopping a “minor” problem getting along from becoming a more serious issue of a child being bullied. This workshop will focus on recognizing bullying behaviors, its effects on victims, and ways to effectively deal with bullying behaviors and the issues that result from them.
Taking back your life
Have you ever felt like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to getting things done in your personal or professional life?? Ever feel like you just can’t catch a break when it comes to getting what you want? Then this workshop is for you. This workshop will focus on how to change your outlook on life and its ups and downs and strategies for making more positive things happen in your life.
Relationships 101
With “tweens” and teenagers engaging in sexual activity and “boyfriend/girlfriend” relationships earlier and earlier, parents need to be prepared on how to deal. This workshop will focus on how to set appropriate boundaries with your children around relationships (both platonic and romantic), how to recognize healthy and unhealthy relationships, and where to go for help if you or your child is in an abusive relationship
Homework 911
Do you often find yourself not finding out about homework assignments until the last minute or struggling to get your child to complete homework assignments on their own and on time? This workshop will focus on the importance of homework for your child’s educational success and ways to avoid the challenges that come with getting your child to complete their homework
In addition to the aforementioned topics, leadership, staff and parent trainings can be customized (depending on the consultant's area of expertise) on topics including but not limited to:
Parent Coaching
Coaching sessions are setup on an individualized basis depending on the need. Topics may include (but are not limited to): Positive Discipline, Raising a child with ADD/ADHD, and Effective Communication. Contact us via email or at 202.492.6238 for more detailed information.
