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AWSA Webinars

The AWSA webinars page is where you can find recordings of past webinars available to the public. To find information or register for an upcoming webinar please see our Upcoming Events page.

To find webinars that are part of an AWSA professional learning academy please select that academy on the Upcoming Events page.

If you have a question about an AWSA webinar please contact AWSA at 608-241-0300 or at [email protected]

Fundamentals for Proactively Preparing for Contentious Topics in Your School

Date: July 6, 2023

 

Presented by: Malina Piontek, Bob Butler, Joe Donovan and Kevin Anderson 
Click here for the slide deck.

Mastering your Priorities: Tools and Strategies for District Leaders 

Date: April 25, 2023

Presented by: Danielle Bosanec, Warm Demanders
PDF of the slide deck

Retirement Planning for the Busy School Leader

Date: March 21, 2023

 

Presenter: Joel Craven, Astraios Financial
Click here to see a copy of the presentation.

The Role of a Building Leader as the "Supervisor" of Professional Staff

Date: March 2, 2023

 

Presenter: Mike Julka, Attorney, Boardman & Clark
Slide deck: here

The Traveling Administrator

Date: September 23, 2022

 
Presenter: Chase Gildenzoph, Principal, Coloma & Oxford Elementary Schools

Human 3.0: Change the Game, Change Your Life

Date: August 17, 2022

Human 3.0: Change the Game, Change Your Life:  Quickly train your brain to respond, adapt and thrive in a chaotic world,
Presenter: Dr. Niraj Nijhawan, Founder & CEO, Life Ecology Organization (LEO)
Slide deck: Here
LEO Flyer: Here
Activity Worksheet: Here

Ten Ways to Avoid PLC Lite

Date: June 16, 2022

Teacher teams (PLCs) analyzing and acting on interim assessment data - Ten ways to avoid "PLC lite" and use student work in ways that boost learning and teaching.

Presenter: Kim Marshall, Author of the Marshall Memo
resources from the Best of the Marshall Memo website
These documents were shared
Copy of the webinar slides

Retention and Recruitment Strategies to Prevent the Great Resignation

Date: June 15, 2022


It’s hard to find a principal who hasn’t been affected by staffing challenges and the shortage of subs, both of which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Join Jenn David-Lang, Author of the Main Idea, and educational leaders from around the state and walk away with dozens of strategies for RETENTION and RECRUITMENT during this critical time.

Presenter: Jenn David Lang, Author of the Main Idea
The 2-pager on RETENTION & RECRUITMENT
The Jamboard with our brainstormed ideas

Retirement Planning for the Busy School Leader

Date: April 21, 2022 

This webinar will provide information on the Wisconsin Retirement System, Social Security, and personal savings. The session will also cover what educators should know about putting savings to good use. Come with your questions and leave better prepared for your future!  
The webinar will be hosted by Joel Craven. Joel is the owner of Astraios Financial. Astraios Financial specializes in helping educators and their families with insurance and retirement planning. He has been serving this market for the past 16 years. He graduated from UW Madison with a degree in accounting and information systems. After working for Grant Thornton for 3 years as a financial consultant, he began his career with Horace Mann. His mission is to help educators have a healthy and successful financial future.
Presenter: Joel A Craven, CFP, RICP, Astraios Financial
Presentation slides found here

 

Communicating in a Time of Change: Connecting to Stakeholders, Responding to Crisis

Date: August 17, 2021


Effective communications and management are always important for school leaders, but getting communications right is even more critical as we emerge from the pandemic. Join Jerry Gallagher and Joe Donovan from the Donovan Group in discussing the principles of communication and crisis management that will promote clarity while preventing or minimizing the damage a crisis can inflict on the organization, its stakeholders, and its reputation. School leaders in large districts and small and from every corner of the state can attend this webinar for practical school communication tips for the 2021-22 school year. 

Presenters: Jerry Gallagher and Joe Donovan 

 

Professional Learning That Sticks Webinar

Date: August 2, 2021


If ever we needed our staff to grow, it’s now. The best professional learning does not come from outside consultants – it is home grown. I will share a simple four-step process for designing professional learning (PL) sessions that stick. Come with an idea for a PL session and we will brainstorm ideas together. I will also share a tool to help you with the most neglected part of professional learning – evaluating it. How do you know if it worked? You will walk away with 2 tools and 5 strategies to improve professional learning at your school.

Tools Mentioned in Webinar: 4As Template and Tool to Evaluate Professional Learning

Presenter: Jenn David-Lang, Founder of The MAIN Idea 

 

Self-Awareness and Positive Self-Talk

Date: May 4, 2021


While serving others can be incredibly rewarding, it also can take its toll, especially this year.  So how are you caring for yourself?  How are you finding support for your ongoing role in the road ahead?

Your AWSA Community is here to help. Based on positive feedback from participants of our initial back-to-school Self-Care sessions in recent weeks, AWSA will be offering a 45-60 minute monthly Self-Care session for the remainder of the school year at no cost. 

Presenter: Joe Schroeder, AWSA Associate Executive Director 

 

Building Community and Empathy

Date: April 9, 2021


While serving others can be incredibly rewarding, it also can take its toll, especially this year.  So how are you caring for yourself?  How are you finding support for your ongoing role in the road ahead?

Your AWSA Community is here to help. Based on positive feedback from participants of our initial back-to-school Self-Care sessions in recent weeks, AWSA will be offering a 45-60 minute monthly Self-Care session for the remainder of the school year at no cost. 

Presenter: Joe Schroeder, AWSA Associate Executive Director 

 

Retirement Planning for the Busy School Leader

Date: March 18, 2021


This webinar will provide information on the Wisconsin Retirement System, Social Security, and personal savings. The session will also cover what educators should know about putting savings to good use. Come with your questions and leave better prepared for your future! 

The webinar will be hosted by Joel Craven. Joel is the owner of Astraios Financial, a Horace Mann partner, that specializes in helping educators and their families with insurance and retirement planning. He has been serving this market for the past 16 years. He graduated from UW Madison with a degree in accounting and information systems. After working for Grant Thornton for 3 years as a financial consultant, he began his career with Horace Mann. His mission is to help educators have a healthy and successful financial future.

Presenter: Joel A Craven, CFP, RICP, Astraios Financial

 

Developing Optimism and a Growth Mindset

Date: March 4, 2021


While serving others can be incredibly rewarding, it also can take its toll, especially this year.  So how are you caring for yourself?  How are you finding support for your ongoing role in the road ahead?

Your AWSA Community is here to help. Based on positive feedback from participants of our initial back-to-school Self-Care sessions in recent weeks, AWSA will be offering a 45-60 minute monthly Self-Care session for the remainder of the school year at no cost. 

Presenter: Joe Schroeder, AWSA Associate Executive Director 

 

Data Leadership: School & Instructional Leadership Inquiry

Date: March 4, 2021 

How do you know if your instructional leadership is effective during COVID? In this webinar, participants will learn about evidence sources to inform local practices for high-quality instructional leadership, followed by self-assessment into their own evidence of supports and barriers for staff, students and other learning partners. Teams will begin a Data Inquiry Journal to document their data inquiry connecting student results with adult practices, as well as a plan of continuous improvement.

A video extension activity will be made available for teams to guide them in diving more deeply into the work on their own with local related data sources. Teams are encouraged to complete this activity prior to follow-up online collaboration so they can check in with facilitators for additional coaching and support to further their improvement planning, as needed.

Slides can be found here.

Presenters: Judy Sargent, CESA 7, Lisa Arneson, CESA 3, Mary Ann Hudziak, CESA 6, and Jim Lee, CESA 12

 

State Assessment Webinar Grades 9-12

Date: February 24, 2021 


Federal and state-mandated assessments are resuming this spring despite a challenging year of pandemic schooling. On February 24th AWSA will host two webinars on assessment. Topics will include the following with a focus on grades 3-8 and the Forward Exam. (or with a focus on the High School Aspire and 10th grade Forward)
  • Modifications made to the assessment windows and assessments to ease administration.
  • Possible options for including students in virtual education models.
  • Scheduling considerations for schools operating in hybrid models.
  • Planning for a potential pivot to virtual during the testing window.
  • Family outreach.
  • And other questions from the members' survey.

 

State Assessment Webinar Grades 3-8

Date: February 24, 2021 


Federal and state-mandated assessments are resuming this spring despite a challenging year of pandemic schooling. On February 24th AWSA will host two webinars on assessment. Topics will include the following with a focus on grades 3-8 and the Forward Exam. (or with a focus on the High School Aspire and 10th grade Forward)
  • Modifications made to the assessment windows and assessments to ease administration.
  • Possible options for including students in virtual education models.
  • Scheduling considerations for schools operating in hybrid models.
  • Planning for a potential pivot to virtual during the testing window.
  • Family outreach.
  • And other questions from the members' survey.

Data Leadership: Engagement Inquiry

Date: January 29, 2021

To what degree are you engaging families and the community during the pandemic? In this webinar, participants will learn about evidence sources to inform local practices for family and community engagement, followed by self-assessment into their own evidence of supports and barriers for that engagement. Teams will begin a Data Inquiry Journal to document their data inquiry connecting student results with adult practices, as well as a plan of continuous improvement. 

A video extension activity will be provided for teams to guide them in diving more deeply into the work on their own with local related data sources. Teams are encouraged to complete this activity prior to follow-up online collaboration so they can check in with facilitators for additional coaching and support to further their improvement planning, as needed

Slides can be found here.

Presenters: Judy Sargent, CESA 7, Lisa Arneson, CESA 3, Mary Ann Hudziak, CESA 6, and Jim Lee, CESA 12

Strengthening Adult SEL

Date: January 7, 2021

Strengthening adult SEL requires attention to staff learning, collaborating, and modeling.  In this session, participants will learn how these three actions build and strengthen adult social and emotional learning and why this is so important.  Three takeaway strategies will be shared, providing participants with immediate actions they can take to build and support adult SEL. 

Presenter:  Beth Herman (DPI)

Acknowledging “the Good” & Expressing Gratitude 

Date: January 5, 2021

While serving others can be incredibly rewarding, it also can take its toll, especially this year.  So how are you caring for yourself?  How are you finding support for your ongoing role in the road ahead?

Your AWSA Community is here to help. Based on positive feedback from participants of our initial back-to-school Self-Care sessions in recent weeks, AWSA will be offering a 45-60 minute monthly Self-Care session for the remainder of the school year at no cost. 

Presenter: Joe Schroeder, AWSA Associate Executive Director 

Click here for slides.

 

Data Leadership: Effective Instruction Inquiry

Date: December 3, 2020

What compass would you use to determine if your teachers deliver high-quality instruction during the pandemic? In this webinar, participants will learn about evidence sources to inform local practices for high-quality instruction, followed by self-assessment into their own evidence of supports and barriers to effective teacher practices. Teams will begin a Data Inquiry Journal to document their data inquiry connecting student results with adult practices, as well as a plan of continuous improvement.

A video extension activity will be made available for teams to guide them in diving more deeply into the work on their own with local related data sources. Teams are encouraged to complete this activity prior to follow-up online collaboration so they can check in with facilitators for additional coaching and support to further their improvement planning, as needed.

Slides can be found here.

Video: Data Inquiry Journal Module

Video: Root Cause Video Final

Presenters: Judy Sargent, CESA 7, Lisa Arneson, CESA 3, Mary Ann Hudziak, CESA 6, and Jim Lee, CESA 12

 

Strategies to Review School Policies & Practices Through a Trauma-Sensitive Lens

Date: November 12, 2020

Anxiety is increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 30 % of Americans saying the crisis is having a “serious impact” on their mental health, according to the American Psychiatric Association.  To counter the negative psychological effects of the pandemic, schools can ensure policies and practices are trauma-sensitive to avoid re-traumatization.  Everyone has been impacted by the pandemic in differing ways and effective trauma-sensitive practices add to support for all school-community members, allowing each person to feel safe and able to perform at a higher level.  This session will focus on how to improve your system by using theReview Tool for School Policies, Protocols, Procedures & Documents:  Examination Using a Trauma-Sensitive School Lens from The TSS online learning series.  Real examples of how to do the work will be shared, so that you feel ready to implement this tool in your setting.

Presenters: Julie Incitti, School Social Work Consultant, DPI, and Joe Schroeder, AWSA Associate Executive Director 

 

Managing Expectations (of Self and Others)

Date: November 3, 2020

While serving others can be incredibly rewarding, it also can take its toll, especially this year.  So how are you caring for yourself?  How are you finding support for your ongoing role in the road ahead?

Your AWSA Community is here to help. Based on positive feedback from participants of our initial back-to-school Self-Care sessions in recent weeks, AWSA will be offering a 45-60 minute monthly Self-Care session for the remainder of the school year at no cost. 

Presenters: Joe Schroeder, AWSA Associate Executive Director 

 

Data Leadership: Safe & Supported Students Inquiry

Date: October 28, 2020

 

How do you know if your students feel safe and supported during the pandemic? In this webinar, participants will learn about evidence sources to inform local practices for safe and supported students, followed by self-assessment into their own evidence of supports and barriers for students. Teams will begin a Data Inquiry Journal to document their data inquiry connecting student results with adult practices, as well as a plan of continuous improvement. 

A video extension activity will be made available for teams to guide them in diving more deeply into the work on their own with local related data sources. Teams are encouraged to complete this activity prior to follow-up online collaboration so they can check in with facilitators for additional coaching and support to further their improvement planning, as needed.

Slides can be found here.

Presenters: Judy Sargent, CESA 7, Lisa Arneson, CESA 3, Mary Ann Hudziak, CESA 6, and Jim Lee, CESA 12

MHR: Building a Compassionate Staff Culture

Date: October 12, 2020

 

Now, more than ever, educators may be feeling burnout and compassion fatigue. However, with the current challenges comes an opportunity for administrators to lead the work of building a compassionate school culture. This includes strengthening individual resilience skills through important conversations about the role of expectations, boundaries, and self-care strategies, while also examining the aspects of the work environment that drive staff fatigue. In this session, participants will explore three strategies that administrators can use to advance compassion resilience and refocus themselves and their staff on the sense of purpose that drew them to the profession.
Presenters: Joe Schroeder (AWSA), Molly Herman and  Liz Krubsack (DPI)

New Mental Health Resources from ESSER Funding

Date: September 29, 2020

 

This session will provide an update on new mental health resources developed through ESSER set-aside funds.  Participants will learn what the new free resources are, when they will be available, and how they can be accessed. 
Presenters: Joe Schroeder (AWSA), Beth Herman, Julie Incitti, Liz Krubsack (DPI)

 

Seclusion and Restraint: An Introduction to 2019 WI Act 118

Date: August 28, 2020

On March 4, 2020, the new pupil restraint and seclusion law went into immediate effect upon the signature of Governor Evers and is now in Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 118 General School Operations at §118.305. Act 118 includes new provisions school principals are responsible for implementing.

Presenters: Alana M. Leffler and Gary M. Ruesch from Buelow and Vetter

Sponsored by: AWSA, WCASS and WASDA

 

Helping Students and Staff Cope with Crisis and Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Date: 1 pm July 30, 2020


This session is offered to members of AWSA and WCASS and will provide practical advice on how to help students and staff understand and cope with the pandemic, review the unique challenges schools face in supporting grieving students during the pandemic, and highlight free resources to address these challenges.  The session will underscore the need to provide support to school professionals and to promote self-care.  Ample time will be devoted to questions and discussion. Together, we will consider how best to support students, staff, and ourselves during this evolving pandemic. 

Presenter: David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, established and directs the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement (www.schoolcrisiscenter.org), located at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; the Center coordinates the Coalition to Support Grieving Students (www.grievingstudents.org), comprised of 100 organizations.