Workshop 1: Avoiding and Defusing Classroom Battles With Students (2 hours)
Using a model that explains why teachers and students end up in arguments and escalating disciplinary situations, this session provides insight into why behavior battles occur and how to avoid or defuse them.  Videotape sequences and real-life examples set the stage for the later "what to do when..." sessions.
 

Workshop 2: Nice Ways to Gain Cooperation & Compliance from Oppositional Students (2.5  hours)
Harsh methods backfire with defiant kids, creating more of the behavior we complain about.  When it comes to getting compliance with directions, it's all about what you say and how you say it.  This session provides practice in easy-to-use positive and respectful techniques that:
    -Solve the problem
    -Promote compliant and cooperative behavior
    -Model appropriate interaction
    -Promote self-control (in the students AND us)
    -Build positive connections with our kids (because compliance is also about WHO says the right words in the right ways).

This session focuses on how we can approach oppositional students and phrase our comments in order to maximize our chances of a successful outcome.
 

Workshop 3: Dealing with Different Types of Defiance(11/2  hours)
   The various types of defiance (e.g., delaying tactics; staff splitting; asking "Why?"; passive-aggressive behavior; claims of unfairness; attempts at deal making; meeting the letter, but not the intent of 'the law'; getting in the last word; & direct refusal) are identified, described, and demonstrated.  Building on a listing of interventions, groups devise appropriate interventions and approaches for handling the different forms of defiance.

Any of the 3 sessions above can be presented in isolation.

I Don't Know and I Don't Care: Motivating non-motivated students (2-3 hours)
This session examines the reasons why kids lack motivation to apply themselves to their studies, describes how to determine which cause applies, and provides approaches for re-motivating kids who have lost the love of learning.

Student RAGE: Preventing and defusing aggressive behavior(3 hours)
    Do you work with youngsters who threaten or implement violence?  If so, this workshop is necessary for your professional growth and personal safety.  The session, through the use of videotape analysis and role playing, provides practical information and practice regarding: defusing potentially violent situations, intervening during aggressive episodes, what to do after the incident has been quelled, and how to prevent future events of this sort.
The session familiarizes participants with:
    -the various types of aggression
    -prevention strategies and the detection of indicators of impending aggression
    -methods for defusing various types of aggression
    -procedures for reviewing the incident with the student(s)
    -planning for the prevention of future incidents.

Get (street)Smart: Recognizing and Countering Streetcorner Behavior  (2-3 hours)
    Few educators understand the urban low income streetcorner microculture or the "games" and tactics that are used by streetwise adolescents to confuse, intimidate, and victimize others.  Youngsters who gather on the the urban street corner have learned behaviors like "woofing", "signifying", hustling", and "showing out" that allow them to gain power, prestige, and influence in their neighborhoods plagued by social ills (e.g., poverty, crime, prominent drug use).  These caustic and manipulative behaviors are often brought into the schools where they confuse and frighten educators and their students.  This session helps staff understand street slang and vernacular, recognize and defuse the various streetcorner "games", and develop skills that allow them to work safely and productively with streetcorner youth.

Building a better kid: The "Circle of Courage"  (3 hours)
    This popular psycho-educational model explains why students with behavior disorders exhibit misbehavior that is so resistant to typical interventions (positive and/or punishing).  After an explanation of the model, participants use it to assess whether areas of their student's psychological makeup is "strong", "distorted" or "absent".  They then use this knowledge to plan intervention strategies which make use of areas of strength while healing weak ones.

Tips for Helping Students with ADD and ADHD  (2 hours)
    The behaviors of ADD and ADHD students can try the patience of any teacher.  This session examines the conditions and provides over a hundred different ideas for helping these youngster stay focused on the task at hand.

Understanding the Mind of Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders
    Along with communication, social, and sensory issues is a little understood psychological orientation that drives the repetitious, ritualistic, and self-stimulatory behaviors seen in youngsters with Pervasive Developmental Disorders such as Autism and Asperger's syndrome.  These youngsters are unable to recognize patterns in recurring daily events, experiencing life as a series of random events.  They operate at a high level of alertness, on guard against unpleasant surprises that could occur at any moment.  Their ritualistic, repetitive, and withdrawal behaviors are an attempt to shut out the unpredictability or create familiarity in a world that makes little sense to them.  Strategies for helping these youth better cope with school and home life are presented.

Teaching Social Skills to Kids Who Don't Have Them Yet (3 hours)
    While many misbehaving students may be able to tell you what they OUGHT to be doing, they don't have the training and experience to display those appropriate behaviors on a regular basis.  If we want to see the desirable behavior, we have to know how to teach it.  This session provides guidelines for assessing skill deficits, designing units to teach behavior, and implementing those lessons to promote everything from listening skills to well-mannered interactions with others.

Counseling in the classroom (3-4 hours)
    An important part of any teacher's job is providing support to students who are in emotional upheaval.  But how can we spare the time to help when there are so many other duties that demand our attention?  This workshop provides steps for engaging in quick, but caring conferences that gather information, soothe youngsters with short-term issues, or prepare troubled students for intervention by a trained counselor.

Making Your School Safe from Gun Wielding Students Bent on Revenge  (3 hours)
    The violent acts committed by alienated and dissociated youngsters concerns us all.  The question: What can be done to decrease the chances of shootings happening in our schools?  The answer: A lot.  Via consulting (and supplementary workshops if requested) Tom can help your school fully understand the risk, assess it's safety quotient and readiness for potential incidents, and develop a multi-faceted school wide plan of action to develop a sense of belonging, community, and esprit de corp among all students.

Modifying Instruction to Match Culturally Different Learning Styles  (2-3 hours)
    Culturally different students often learn best in ways that are different than teachers are taught to teach.  Those youngsters might also prefer to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities in ways that don't match well with typical classroom assessment procedures.  This workshop describes commonly found manifestations of culturally different learning styles (in contrast to the learning styles promoted in most schools), how to identify if they are present in one's classroom, and modifications for addressing them.
 

The Need to be Skilled in (respectful) Behavior Management
    (1 hour)
    Using statistics on teacher stress/burnout, misbehavior, and research on stages of teaching evolution, this session points out the need to continually add behavior management strategies to one's repertoire of teaching skills.  Serves as a great motivator to promote attention to follow-up sessions. (7021st)
What makes special educators so special?
  (40 minutes)
    A motivational, "pat yourself on the back" presentation that reviews research comparing general and special educators.  However, the contrast is used to point out the need to work collaboratively with our general education colleagues.
 

A humorous look at the field of behavior disorders
  (1 hour)
    An irreverent, but positive look at the absurd situations, diagnoses, theories, approaches and practices that sometimes make us shake our heads.  Positive messages about teaching and respectful interaction with students are presented in a laugh-filled session.
 

A humorous look at behavior management
  (1 hour)
    Presents a humorous look at the ways we try to influence student behavior.  The serious message of using respectful and effective practices is conveyed via anecdotes, cartoons, and jokes.
 

Steering clear of the conflict cycle
    (1 hour)
    The "Conflict Cycle" is a model for helping educators become aware of the role they play in disciplinary situations that escalate.  This eye-opening awareness leads to an understanding of the need to change our approaches when intervening with kids who are pesky, abusive of others, acting out, or non-compliant.  This session serves as a great introduction to workshops regarding behavior management or aggressive behavior
 

Should our school(s) develop a school wide behavior management plan?
  (1 1/2  to  2 1/2  hours)
    This session provides an overview of how to develop and implement a comprehensive school wide behavior management plan that goes beyond just using penalties.  The model and procedures to undertake are presented and discussed.  All the information needed for your school to start doing it on its own is provided.  Dr. Mac is also available (electronically or in person) if your school could use a consultant during the planning and start up phases.
 
 
 

Click here to read one of Dr. Mac's Keynote Addresses

Dr. Mac can assist your school or district in the following ways:
-Observing teachers and helping them improve their behavior management skills
-Offering on-line assistance to individual teachers
-Creating a comprehensive school-wide behavior management plan
-Making your school more welcoming and creating a sense of community therein
-Helping your School Based Support Team and Committee on Special Education develop greater skill in
        conducting functional behavior assessment
-Decreasing the risk of school shootings

Dr. Mac's personal assistant prepares him for an upcoming session
(C'mon...it's a joke.  This young fella was the ring bearer from my wedding...no nasty e-mails about child labor laws please.)

Click here for recommendations from districts where Dr. Mac has conducted workshops

 

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