Some of our most sought-after workshops include: 

Co-Teaching Workshops

The Art Of Co-Teaching: Level 1

Whether you are co-teaching for the first time or your first year with a new partner, this workshop is for you. Participants will explore the six models of co-teaching, learn pros and cons for each model and practical classroom examples. Easy to implement strategies for team communication and collaboration will be explored. Best practices in co-planning and lesson plan development will be discussed. 

The Art of Co-Teaching: Level 2

Is the honeymoon over and you already have some great co-teaching strategies built into your everyday practice? This workshop is for co-teaching teams that have co-taught together for 1-2 years. In this workshop, you will explore variations to the six basic co-teaching models, experience activities that deepen co-teaching knowledge and practices and learn concrete tools to develop team communication strategies further. Develop a concrete plan for making co-teaching changes based on self-evaluation of your current practice and plan lessons that incorporate both new and previously learned techniques and information.

The Art of Co-Teaching: Level 3

You consider yourselves an “old married couple,” and you are confident in all of the basics of co-teaching and some dynamic variations. This workshop is for co-teaching teams that have co-taught together for 3 or more years. In this workshop, you will self-evaluate current co-teaching skills, explore and expand current roles and practices, choose from various new learning topics, set team goals for the implementation of newly acquired strategies and plan lessons that incorporate higher-level information.

Differentiated Instruction Workshops

Dive Into Differentiation

This workshop will teach the necessary tools for meeting the needs, capacities and skills of the diverse learners in the K-12 classroom. Participants will learn what differentiated instruction is and is not, explore strategies to differentiate the four quadrants of differentiation and plan lessons that incorporate the strategies and information presented. This is perfect for educators looking to learn new differentiation strategies that they can readily incorporate into their classrooms the next day!

Deeper Dive Into Differentiation

This lively, hands-on workshop is to ignite interest in differentiated instruction for new and experienced teachers alike. You will learn a systematic approach for looking at your current differentiation skills and practices and planning your own "baby steps" for advancing where you are right now! By looking at your existing practice, you will plan lessons that infuse new and exciting strategies that increase your diverse classroom's learning and engagement. At the same time, you observe and participate in modeling strategies and methods for supporting and challenging students across a range of abilities.

The Art of Questioning and Discussion Techniques

Do you struggle with how to get all your students to participate in discussions actively? Do you find that you have the same students answering your questions and engaging in discussions, while other students rarely respond? This workshop will teach you the skills you need to engage all learners actively. Techniques and strategies such as Bloom’s Taxonomy, questioning through choice boards, Depth of Knowledge, and Socratic seminars will be explored.

Choice Boards for the Everyday Classroom

Does incorporating differentiated instruction strategies overwhelm you? Are you looking for a way to differentiate the range of students in your classroom and provide many options? The use of choice boards could be what you need. This workshop will provide you with examples of choice boards and an opportunity to create your own.

Supporting Students with Disabilities Workshops

Differentiation-Accommodation-Modification: Putting The Pieces Together

Is that a differentiated instruction strategy, an accommodation or a modification? This workshop will clarify this question and offer ways to combine all three within a classroom to support a wide range of learners. You will gain a deeper understanding of differentiated instruction components, explore the need for and implementation of accommodations, learn a paradigm for understanding and creating modifications, and plan lessons that incorporate the information presented.

Accommodations and Modifications Made Simple

Do you have questions about accommodations and modifications? Are they just two words for the same thing? Are they different, and if so, how? How can each of them support student’s learning while keeping them in the least restrictive environment? If you’ve wondered about one or more of these questions, this workshop will provide the answers. You will have the opportunity to apply this new knowledge in upcoming lessons for your students.

Putting the “Special” back in Special Education

This workshop explores the meaning of "specially designed instruction" and how to provide the unique types of instructional services needed by students with disabilities. Participants will understand modifications that help students accomplish IEP goals and objectives that support the achievement of the general curriculum standards. You will explore a three-tiered approach for making modifications. Learn new effective strategies for altering, modifying and/or adapting instructional methods, materials, techniques or learning environments for students and engage in activities that can support students' learning with a wide range of abilities.

Progress Monitoring for Students with Disabilities

We know that data collection is vital to monitoring the progress of students with disabilities. This workshop will help educators use tools and strategies for tracking students' progress with disabilities to make meaningful instructional decisions for students. Participants will explore various ways to collect data, learn how to monitor academic and behavioral goals, and develop skills for using data to drive instruction.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports

In this workshop, you will learn tools to impact your school culture positively, discover ways to make your classroom life easier during the school day, learn how to reduce referrals, build a culture of positive behavior, and understand the foundations of PBIS, including reward functions features. You will increase your knowledge and understanding of proactive supports and practical strategies for students with challenging behaviors.

Disability-Specific Training

Workshops are created based on the participants' interests and learning needs regarding specific disabilities such as learning disabilities, dyslexia, sensory processing disorders, Down Syndrome, ASD, ADHD, and traumatic brain injury. You will explore information, learn strategies and create materials for students with a specific disability.

Supporting Students with Down Syndrome

This workshop is for all team members working with a student with Down Syndrome. Information provided will offer teachers and other team members the necessary tools for meeting the academic, behavioral, and social needs of a student with Down Syndrome. You will explore Down Syndrome information, learn a three-tiered paradigm for creating modifications, develop concrete strategies for addressing challenging behaviors, explore a variety of individualized and whole-class social structures that support students with Down Syndrome and build materials and adaptations for students with Down Syndrome.

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Addressing needs, Supporting outcomes, Developing skills

Teaching Executive Functioning Skills: The Hidden Curriculum

This interactive, hands-on workshop will increase your knowledge about the eight domains of executive functioning. You will come away with practical strategies to help your students strengthen their executive functioning skills and become more independent and productive learners. You will explore systems that support students with specific executive function difficulties, observe and participate in modeling of strategies, learn tools for identifying the executive functioning needs in your students.

Demystifying Dyslexia

This workshop will provide teachers with a complete understanding of what dyslexia is, how you can identify it, and ways to support students with dyslexia in the classroom. You will review current definitions of dyslexia, including recent legislation. Guidance surrounding dyslexia, gain a greater understanding of how dyslexia affects the brain, learn common characteristics associated with dyslexia and the necessary components of an evaluation for dyslexia, explore effective reading, writing and math programs for students with dyslexia and create a toolkit to accommodate challenges and maximize potential strengths.

Specialized Workshops

Inclusion: How to Make It Happen

This workshop provides the practical strategies and tools needed to help students with disabilities experience better outcomes while being educated alongside their typical peers. Additionally, historical and functional perspectives about inclusion will be discussed and explored through hands-on, multimodal activities. You will learn key strategies that support a wide range of academic, behavior and social needs within inclusion settings, observe and participate in modeling of strategies and tools, and explore ways to implement new techniques and tools.

Teaching ENL Students through Co-Teaching and Differentiation

In light of the amendments to Part 154 of the Commissioner’s Regulations adopted in September 2014, this workshop provides strategies for utilizing co-teaching and differentiation techniques for ENL students with and without disabilities. You will explore the use of co-teaching models and learn differentiation strategies to provide a language-rich classroom environment that will lead to your students’ success.

Best Practices for the Paraprofessional

Often, teacher assistants and teacher aides carry out job responsibilities with very little training. This workshop provides paraprofessionals with concrete strategies for developing their own “bag of tricks.” You will learn strategies for effectively communicating with classroom teachers and other staff members. Additional topics to be addressed include roles and responsibilities, academic support strategies, positive behavioral interventions, data collection methodologies, team collaboration skills, techniques for fostering independence and facilitating learning with students. You will problem-solve real classroom scenarios and create strategies to implement in different situations.

Strategies for Success in the Special Area Classroom

We find that special area classrooms are often the most diverse in a school building. Special area teachers must plan for a wide range of abilities and disabilities within their classrooms. This can sometimes involve more than one grade level, a range of students with varying abilities and disabilities, and additional adults such as teacher aides and teacher assistants. This workshop will provide special area teachers with concrete strategies and vital information for meeting the diverse needs of their students and helpful tools for maximizing the use of adult support. You will explore differentiation strategies for special area classrooms, learn how to make the best use of adult support within the special area classroom, develop skills for planning lessons to meet a range of abilities.

Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

This workshop will explore the different aspects of motivation and its impact on student learning. You will learn what it takes to re-energize your students to reach their potential, help your students discover their own personal steps to achieve success,  and inspire more responsible student behavior and class participation. From this workshop, you will come away with practical strategies to increase student motivation for learning. 

Social and Emotional Learning: The What, Why and How

Research supports the notion that SEL needs to be a vital part of the education we provide for all students. Students need to be equipped with the necessary skills to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. In this workshop, you will learn the research, key ideas and evidence-based activities and strategies for implementing SEL into your classroom.

Workshops for Administrators

These workshops provide administrators with the opportunity to explore and experience the information being presented to district staff. All workshops are tailored to meet the specific needs of the group. You will gain a deeper understanding of the professional development being introduced to the district staff, learn tools for supporting the professional development being provided and explore current practice and future district goals related to professional development.

Blending MTSS and RTI: Practical Classroom Applications

This workshop enables educators to discover proven teaching strategies and tools to improve interventions at all tiers of the RTI (Response to Intervention) pyramid and MTSS (Multi-tiered System of Supports) framework. Participants will explore this proactive approach to measuring students’ skills and using it to decide which types of targeted teaching strategies to use. This engaging workshop provides ideas for providing high levels of support for academics, behavior and social-emotional learning. You will create a toolkit of an effective response to intervention strategies, identify students for intervention and determine their unique needs, learn to monitor student progress, and revise interventions provided.

“CMDI’s workshop is very helpful! All classroom and special education teachers should attend seminars like this.” – Bridget R. Tidd, Ed. Tech. III