Eric Twadell, PhD, is the superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson District 125 in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Prior to his role as superintendent, Dr. Twadell served Stevenson as a social studies teacher, curriculum director, and assistant superintendent for leadership and organizational development.
Stevenson High School recently received its fifth National Blue Ribbon Award and is one of only six schools to win the United States Department of Education (USD) National Blue Ribbon Award on five different occasions. Stevenson was also one of the first comprehensive schools designated as a New American High School by USDE as a model of successful school reform. Stevenson has been described by the United States Department of Education as “the most recognized and celebrated school in America.” In the popular press, Stevenson High School has been repeatedly cited as one of America’s top high schools and the “birthplace” of Professional Learning Communities at Work®.
In addition to his teaching and leadership roles, Dr. Twadell has been involved in coaching numerous athletic teams and facilitating outdoor education and adventure travel programs. He is a member of many professional organizations, including Learning Forward and ASCD, and he earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University Chicago.
Participants will experience a fun blend of dance cardio, strength training, and upbeat music designed for all fitness levels. Whether you’re a longtime fitness enthusiast or just looking for a fun way to boost your energy during PD Palooza, this session offers a great opportunity to relieve stress, build community, and prioritize wellness while having a blast!
TRIS exists because in Arkansas, two-thirds of youth will face at least one potentially traumatic event before adulthood and educators often see the impacts of those events on their campus. This presentation is an overview of the trainings, resources and supports TRIS offers to school staff to help them prepare, support and respond to traumatic events. At the end of this presentation the audience will walk away with access to trainings for school staff on how to help them become more trauma-informed and trauma responsive on their campus. Participants will gain knowledge on how to use the TRIS Crisis Support Toolkit in their school’s preparation and response to traumatic events.
Description - Students’ brains are constantly developing, and their behavior, attention, emotional regulation, and learning needs reflect the stage of development they are in. This session will provide an overview of typical brain development across childhood and adolescence and explore how these developmental changes influence behavior and learning in the classroom. Participants will learn practical, developmentally appropriate strategies that can be implemented at different grade levels to support students’ cognitive, social, and emotional growth.
Objectives - By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Describe key stages of typical brain development across childhood and adolescence and how these stages influence learning and behavior. Apply developmentally appropriate instructional and behavioral strategies that align with students’ cognitive and self-regulation capacities. Adjust classroom expectations and supports to better match students’ developmental needs.
In this session, participants will practice speaking, listening, and having a short conversation in Spanish with the goal of being able to communicate with Spanish-speaking students and their parents.
This training provides educators and school staff with a foundational understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including the different levels of support needs and the behavioral characteristics commonly observed in school settings. Participants will explore how autism can impact communication, social interaction, sensory processing, and behavior. The training will also address how these characteristics may present in the classroom and how staff can respond in ways that support student success and reduce misunderstandings about behavior.
Teachers face increasing demands on their time, from lesson planning and assessment creation to parent communication and administrative tasks. This session introduces educators to the free version of ChatGPT as a practical tool to improve efficiency and enhance instructional practices.
Participants will learn how ChatGPT differs from familiar tools such as Google Search and Google Drive, and how it can generate customized materials rather than simply locating information.
Through live demonstrations and guided practice, educators will explore how ChatGPT can support: lesson planning and instructional design, assessment and rubric creation, differentiation and scaffolding, communication with families and colleagues, routine administrative tasks
Session Objectives By the end of the session, participants will: understand how ChatGPT functions and how it differs from traditional search tools, identify multiple ways ChatGPT can save time and improve workflow, practice using effective prompts to generate classroom-ready materials, evaluate appropriate and responsible uses of AI in education
This workshop was developed for school teams who have started RTI but are still refining processes or experiencing challenges. The presenter has worked with hundreds of schools throughout North America and can help your school make RTI efficient, effective, and equitable. RTI work must be divided between collaborative teacher teams and two schoolwide teams (a leadership team and an intervention team). Together, the entire school assumes responsibility for the learning of every student.
Participants will experience a fun blend of dance cardio, strength training, and upbeat music designed for all fitness levels. Whether you’re a longtime fitness enthusiast or just looking for a fun way to boost your energy during PD Palooza, this session offers a great opportunity to relieve stress, build community, and prioritize wellness while having a blast!
TRIS exists because in Arkansas, two-thirds of youth will face at least one potentially traumatic event before adulthood and educators often see the impacts of those events on their campus. This presentation is an overview of the trainings, resources and supports TRIS offers to school staff to help them prepare, support and respond to traumatic events. At the end of this presentation the audience will walk away with access to trainings for school staff on how to help them become more trauma-informed and trauma responsive on their campus. Participants will gain knowledge on how to use the TRIS Crisis Support Toolkit in their school’s preparation and response to traumatic events.
Description - Early experiences shape brain development. While supportive relationships promote healthy development, exposure to chronic stress and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can alter how the brain develops and functions. These changes can influence attention, behavior, emotional regulation, and learning in the classroom. This session will provide an overview of how trauma and adverse childhood experiences affect the developing brain and how these impacts may appear in school settings. Participants will explore how trauma can influence students’ stress responses, executive functioning, and relationships with adults and peers.
Objectives - By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Describe how chronic stress and adverse childhood experiences can impact brain development. Recognize common classroom behaviors that may be linked to trauma-related stress responses. Explain how trauma can affect attention, emotional regulation, executive functioning, and learning.
Participants will experience a fun blend of dance cardio, strength training, and upbeat music designed for all fitness levels. Whether you’re a longtime fitness enthusiast or just looking for a fun way to boost your energy during PD Palooza, this session offers a great opportunity to relieve stress, build community, and prioritize wellness while having a blast!
TRIS exists because in Arkansas, two-thirds of youth will face at least one potentially traumatic event before adulthood and educators often see the impacts of those events on their campus. This presentation is an overview of the trainings, resources and supports TRIS offers to school staff to help them prepare, support and respond to traumatic events. At the end of this presentation the audience will walk away with access to trainings for school staff on how to help them become more trauma-informed and trauma responsive on their campus. Participants will gain knowledge on how to use the TRIS Crisis Support Toolkit in their school’s preparation and response to traumatic events.
This professional development training is designed to deepen educators’ understanding of the disability categories recognized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Participants will explore the characteristics, eligibility criteria, and educational implications of each disability category to better support students receiving special education services.
Objectives: 1. Identify and describe the disability categories defined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 2. Differentiate between disability categories that may present with similar characteristics. 3. Recognize common characteristics and educational needs associated with each disability category.
Participants will experience a fun blend of dance cardio, strength training, and upbeat music designed for all fitness levels. Whether you’re a longtime fitness enthusiast or just looking for a fun way to boost your energy during PD Palooza, this session offers a great opportunity to relieve stress, build community, and prioritize wellness while having a blast!
TRIS exists because in Arkansas, two-thirds of youth will face at least one potentially traumatic event before adulthood and educators often see the impacts of those events on their campus. This presentation is an overview of the trainings, resources and supports TRIS offers to school staff to help them prepare, support and respond to traumatic events. At the end of this presentation the audience will walk away with access to trainings for school staff on how to help them become more trauma-informed and trauma responsive on their campus. Participants will gain knowledge on how to use the TRIS Crisis Support Toolkit in their school’s preparation and response to traumatic events.
This training provides educators and support staff with an overview of how to respond to student misbehavior using a function-based approach. Participants will learn how to identify the most common functions of behavior (escape, attention, access to tangibles, and sensory/automatic reinforcement) and how adult responses can unintentionally reinforce problem behavior. The training will focus on practical strategies for responding to behaviors in ways that address the underlying function while teaching and reinforcing appropriate replacement behaviors. Staff will review common classroom scenarios and practice selecting responses that reduce problem behavior and support positive student outcomes.
Description - Early experiences shape brain development. While supportive relationships promote healthy development, exposure to chronic stress and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can alter how the brain develops and functions. These changes can influence attention, behavior, emotional regulation, and learning in the classroom. This session will provide an overview of how trauma and adverse childhood experiences affect the developing brain and how these impacts may appear in school settings. Participants will explore how trauma can influence students’ stress responses, executive functioning, and relationships with adults and peers.
Objectives - By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Describe how chronic stress and adverse childhood experiences can impact brain development. Recognize common classroom behaviors that may be linked to trauma-related stress responses. Explain how trauma can affect attention, emotional regulation, executive functioning, and learning.
