CATCA 2022

This is an introductory session to help teachers understand what trauma is and how it manifests itself in the classroom. We will go through the seven major risk factors and the five B's of trauma--how trauma affects the brain, biology, behaviour, body, and beliefs of a child. By looking through the lens of trauma, we will learn that change happens when thinking shifts from, "What is wrong with this child?" to, "What happened to this child?" and to see the need behind the behaviour. Lastly, we will address the role that fear plays in children from hard places.

Educators need a wide variety of tools. Children from hard places have unique histories and as such, require unique tools. With these insights you will be able to create a classroom where everyone is able to learn. While this session will focus on the ins and outs of trauma, you will take away many useable tools. The beauty of Trust Based Relational Intervention is that it works in any setting, with every age group and does not require a big budget to implement.

In this session, we will discuss "What are Executive Functions?", how executive functions impact learning and how we can equip our students with a take away toolbox (including games, strategies for inattention, brain breaks, notetaking strategies etc.). We will focus on students building a tool box that allows them to plan and organize, set goals, problem solve, and EXECUTE.To have access to this video you will need sign up with the following Google Form:https://forms.gle/UsdgGceaxX5mrMRx6

Learn the steps of documentary filmmaking through the case study of the 48 Hour Film Challenge. Alexis Marie Chute, award-winning filmmaker, will share her process of creating her documentary short, “Of Love & Light,” during the 48 Hour Challenge in 2021. Alexis will cover developing a shot list, storyboarding, writing interview questions, preparing equipment, working with a team, scheduling the shoot, sourcing music, and editing. The 48 Hour Film Challenge inserts a “Key” when the clock begins of things that must be included in the film. Alexis will share how she incorporated those elements on the fly.

“Of Love & Light” interviews nineteen-year-old Edmontonian Jordan Stonehouse whose mother, Lisa, died at the age of 52 at the University of Alberta Hospital following complications due to AstraZeneca vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). Lisa was the first case of VITT in Alberta.

Using games is a great way to teach SEL (social-emotional learning) skills and Executive Functioning (EF) skills in your classroom. In this session, attendees will learn what board games can be used to promote and target different SEL and executive functioning skills to better help your students. You'll leave feeling more confident in your understanding of SEL and executive functioning and how to incorporate and teach those skills using games.To have access to this video you will need sign up with the following Google Form:https://forms.gle/UsdgGceaxX5mrMRx6

If you teach special education then you know that it is paperwork galore. Well, I'm going to share 3 ways that I organize paperwork, data, and information. Join this session and get organized with Mel. To have access to this video you will need sign up with the following Google Form:https://forms.gle/UsdgGceaxX5mrMRx6

In recent years the importance of child and adolescent mental health has been discussed in many forums, including within the education sector. Interest in mental health supports has also increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. As well, suicide has been identified as a leading cause of death for Canadian youth and building mental health capacity is a responsibility of all human services sectors to comprehensively address suicide prevention and intervention.

School staff play a vital role in the identification of mental health concerns, including the identification of risk for suicide and supporting youth to seek help when expressing suicidal thoughts or behaviour. Over the course of a career working within a school setting, it is not unusual for a school staff to experience an instance when they need to meet the immediate mental health needs of a student and/or maintain their safety. However, school staff often report feeling uncertain about how to best support a student in these circumstances.

A School-based Suicidal Ideation Response Protocol (SI Protocol) was launched in August 2019 by Alberta Health Services and is highlighted in the Alberta Government’s Pathways to hope: best practices in suicide prevention for Alberta schools (April 2020). It offers a standardized and structured approach for all roles within a school, whether school teachers/support staff, school mental health providers, or school administrators. The protocol contains a step-by-step process for responding to a distressed student, with activities that are appropriate to the person’s role and training. Implementation of the SI Protocol is supported by online training (freely available through the Alberta Health Services Mental Health Online Resources for Educators website; https://more.hmhc.ca).
The SI Protocol can be adopted by an individual school staff member, a school, or across an entire school authority. Between 2019 and 2021 a number of school authorities across Alberta have implemented the SI Protocol. They have provided positive feedback about its impact to date.

This presentation will provide an overview of the SI Protocol, describe the benefits experienced by early adopters, and highlight the evaluation findings to date. It will also outline the results of recent research related to completely suicide risk assessments virtually and what to pay particular attention to.

This presentation will benefit you if you:
- are interested in support child and adolescent mental health in education settings,
- are interested in improving your comfort or confidence in addressing suicidal ideation,
- want a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities within a school setting related to suicide intervention, and
- want to provide the most appropriate response for a student and their family.

Special education systems and accommodations should be used to advance student learning. However, if we are not careful, it can stifle the students that we hope to help. Explore best practices to help ensure a positive meaningful, educational experience for students with disabilities in a variety of settings! To have access to this video you will need sign up with the following Google Form:https://forms.gle/UsdgGceaxX5mrMRx6

Join award-winning artist, bestselling author, and education advocate Alexis Marie Chute as she shares her round-up of ideas for schools looking for ways to collaborate with artists and writers in their community while maintaining COVID protocols. She discusses project ideas, virtual residencies, cooperative exhibitions, tech options, and multi-disciplinary art incubators. This program emphasizes the importance of collaboration and new ways of looking at programming in the time of COVID.

The round-up will include art, tech, writing, and cross curricular ideas. The session will also address practical concerns such as safety, funding, and timeline considerations, as well as ways to discover and connect with community creatives.

What works for all students in the inclusive classroom? This entertaining session will provide teachers with a smorgasbord of instructional tips and tools designed to engage reluctant learners. You will also be introduced to some universal strategies that work well for all students. Once we understand these students and their struggles, we can teach the way they learn. Come learn practical tactics and effective approaches that work with struggling students. While many of these strategies come from the field of inclusive education, they are beneficial for all students.

It’s scientifically proven that sound has a huge impact on the body and mind. In this interactive session learn how some sounds hurt, while other sounds heal. Discover ways to use sound to bring peace and calm into your classroom to facilitate better learning. Additional files are found here: https://albertateachersassociation-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/catca_ata_ab_ca/EvXuFgLGUVVOjjAmbQqA2NIB05FZJ10TnkMK6sFsiXzAxQ?e=ufgiFO

It is never more important to be right than it is to relate rightly. In this session we will explore the tools used in Trust Based Relational Intervention. The I.D.E.A.L. response helps us to remember and apply the "connecting while correcting" approach. The Levels of Engagement tools will help us know how much correction is necessary to stop and correct the behaviour. We will also talk about "Time-In's", how to teach regulation, give choices, offer compromises, and the beauty of Re-Do's.
Many sessions deal with trauma and what it is. While this is foundational and necessary to understand, many parents and teachers want to know what to do to deal with challenging behaviours. This session will give you those tools. The beauty of Trust Based Relational Intervention is that it works in any setting, with every age group and does not require a big budget to implement.

Teaching any concept in the special education classroom usually involves a lot of prep work: adapting, laminating, cutting, and velcroing visuals and materials. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the thought of doing this for every single lesson plan, Fiona will show you how to use some of the resources and materials you probably already have in your classroom to create engaging group lessons! This is a pre-recorded session that is offered by TYHO (Teach Your Heart Out).To have access to this video you will need sign up with the following Google Form:https://forms.gle/UsdgGceaxX5mrMRx6

Global evidence suggests that children, parents, and families are presenting to all levels of educational systems with increasingly complex psychosocial needs from a variety of forms of trauma. Therefore, future success of classrooms of all ages will be dependent on the need for continually seeking out creative trauma informed interventions.

This workshop will include discussions from both a trauma informed therapeutic parent and a trauma informed family counsellor to link specific trauma informed literature bases for students of all ages. Strategies and interventions discussed will be suitable for implementation level for both individuals students as well as entire school systems.

Working with children and teens struggling with challenging behaviours can be a very difficult and stressful part of teaching. Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) is an evidence based, trauma informed, neurobiological approach that provides a philosophy and tools for working with children and youth with challenging behaviours. This session is an introductory training on CPS. During the session we will explore what causes challenging behaviours and provide an overview of the three key components of the approach. This training is a foundation for professionals and parents interested in learning more about CPS.

Remote learning poses an additional challenge for students that need additional support. Fear not, there are engaging ways to help your students access the curriculum and maintain active participation. Fiona will share some of the tried and true ways she has had success with a self-contained population during virtual learning. This is a pre-recorded session that is offered by TYHO (Teach Your Heart Out). To have access to this video you will need sign up with the following Google Form:https://forms.gle/UsdgGceaxX5mrMRx6