Powerful and Effective Strategies for Reaching “I Don’t Care” and Disengaged Students

Presented by MaryAnn Brittingham, MS

Tuesday, November 5, 2019  |  Oakville, on

Date & Location

Everyone wants to know how to reach their students who are unmotivated, underperforming and claim to not care about school. This innovative seminar will demonstrate successful strategies you can use in your classroom or school to make positive changes in these challenging students. Many of us are frustrated with the numerous students who have “checked out,” are disengaged, unmotivated, and underperforming. We know the symptoms, but don’t always know the solutions. The good news is that there is hope and there are strategies to begin to stop the cycle of helplessness these students experience. Join behaviour expert, MaryAnn Brittingham , in this one‑day seminar that will cover practical ideas, strategies and techniques to help increase your success with these challenging students. She will give you numerous ideas and strategies to help you guide students toward making positive behaviour changes.

Dear Colleague:

As educators, we are under increased pressure to develop a repertoire of behavioural intervention skills that will allow us to meet the needs of all students, including students with serious behavioural problems, even though there is very limited training on what really works. The usual methods, such as sticker charts and emphasis on students’ performance to gain rewards or sending students to the principal’s office, usually fall flat with “I don’t care” and underperforming students.

When working with “I don’t care” and unmotivated students, it is critical to keep in mind that you cannot change anyone except yourself, but you can assist  others to make their own changes. The good news is, with the right help, students can  learn and change their behaviour. This seminar will teach you strategies to inspire students to want to change their behaviour. This approach focuses on internal encouragement rather than external rewards and punishment. I will walk you through all of the steps and provide dozens of examples as well as demonstrate sound techniques and activities that can enrich what you are already doing in the classroom.

This seminar is filled with concrete strategies for classroom teachers, behaviour specialists and counsellors. It provides detailed and helpful suggestions that support you in anticipating and addressing repeated and often overwhelming behaviours. You will learn realistic, research‑based strategies that will make a difference in how you view and respond to students.

I hope you will join me in this engaging, thought‑provoking seminar to explore new ways to deal effectively with your “I don’t care” students.

Sincerely,

MaryAnn Brittingham

Who Should Attend

Education and Clinical Professionals: K–12 Classroom Teachers, School Counsellors/Psychologists, Learning Assistance/ Resource Teachers, School Administrators, School Paraprofessionals including Special Education Assistants, Classroom Assistants and Childcare Workers. All other professionals who support students including but not limited to: Nurses, Social Workers, Psychologists, Clinical Counsellors, Family Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Addiction Counsellors, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Probation Officers, and Early Childhood Educators.

Parents, Caregiver, Foster Parents, Grandparents, and Extended Family raising a child.

Agenda

Practical Strategies and Ideas to Help You Work Successfully with “I Don’t

Care!” Attitudes

Practical, doable ways to respond and work with students who say “I don’t care!” … What

you can do to help these challenging students begin to develop the desire to work, be

productive and put forth effort

Break the Cycle of Discouragement in Students Who “Just Don’t Care”

Practical strategies to begin to break the feeling of helplessness in students who insist

they don’t care about school … Guide students in reframing their negative thoughts and

perceptions

When and Why Contracts and Punishment Don’t Work with Disruptive

and Underperforming Students

Yes, there needs to be accountability, but punishment is not the answer … Learn new ways

to get students to take responsibility for their actions

Begin to Build Small Successes

Simple ways to respond to students to promote positive attitudes … Think differently

about your underperforming students to better meet their needs … Help students become

aware of their natural gifts, build on them and learn how to teach replacement behaviours

Develop Positive Relationships with Underperforming Students

Gain new insights on how to establish productive relationships … Effectively deal with

disrespectful behaviours while handling your own counter aggression … Proven methods to

decrease disrespectful behaviours and effectively address them when they occur

Effective Ways to Stay Emotionally Neutral and Objective

Don’t let students entangle you and their classmates in negative behaviours … Discover

how to stay objective so you can defuse challenging situations

Practical Strategies to Empower Rather than Enable Students

In‑class ideas to get more constructive and positive behaviour from your unmotivated and

underachieving students … Empower your students to see their potential and reach for it

Learn the Four Functions of Students’ Behaviours and How to Respond to Each

First, learn how to tell the difference, then discover specific responses you can use for each

behaviour … Understand the four functions of behaviour so you can deal more productively

with each

Increase the Motivation of Your Underachieving Students

Practical strategies to use with your unmotivated, disinterested and defiant students …

Help these students be more successful and motivated in your classroom

Learning Objectives

• Powerful strategies for working with students who consistently say, “I DON’T CARE!”
• Learn specific strategies to adjust your responses to help guide students toward their own behaviour change
• When to ignore negative, self‑destructive behaviours
• When and why contracts and rewards don’t work with “I don’t care!” students
• Pitfalls of behaviour plans and how to revise them to work
• How to take yourself out of the conflict cycle when teaching underperforming and unmotivated students
• Learn the roles anxiety, depression and self‑esteem play in your underachieving students
• Numerous relationship‑building ideas you can easily incorporate
• Help students reframe their negative thoughts and perceptions
• How to encourage positive change in “I don’t care!” students
• Practical methods to empower students who have given up
• Maintain your enthusiasm and energy while teaching apathetic students
• Discover ways to help your most challenging students develop the desire to learn and work to their personal potential

Your Presenter

MaryAnn Brittingham, MS

MaryAnn Brittingham, MS, holds a master’s degree in family and child counselling from Long Island University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from D’Youville College. She has over 38 years of experience as a special education teacher and child/family counsellor, with experience working in psychiatric settings creating therapeutic options for students who require higher levels of emotional and academic support. MaryAnn is a certified trainer at Life Space Crisis Intervention, which uses interactive therapeutic strategies to transform crisis situations into learning opportunities, and she teaches graduate-level courses in special education and educational psychology at two colleges in New York. Her passion is to help educators gain insights into student behaviours in order to create a safe learning environment where students can discover their talents. MaryAnn is the author of several books, including: Transformative Teaching: Changing Today’s Classroom Culturally, Academically and Emotionally; Respectful Discipline; Dealing with Difficult Parents; and Motivating the Unmotivated. MaryAnn’s course focus on practical solutions for helping students be successful in both the general education and the special education classroom. Her approach to behavioural intervention empowers students and provides realistic solutions for working with challenging behaviours.

Testimonials

“There was so much valuable information. I don’t know which idea to implement first!”
– Irene Gilbert, Teacher

“In my many years of teaching, this was hands down the best seminar I have ever attended.
More valuable than words can express.  Thank you!”
– Justine, ENL Teacher

“Really excellent seminar. It seriously changed my outlook toward struggling students and
my role  in their lives.”
– Tiffani Miller, Teacher

“Absolutely AMAZING seminar and presenter! Thank you for a worthwhile day !”
– Tracy Rizzo, Special Education Teacher

“Wow! Thank you so much for an inspiring and motivating seminar. MaryAnn’s mix of humour,
practical strategies and realistic advice  helped remind me of why I became a teacher and
reignited my sense of purpose and commitment.”
– Barbara Coyle, ASI Reading Teacher

“MaryAnn is an unbelievable wealth of knowledge who is so interesting and realistic. She has
provided me with great strategies for helping stu

dents  have a safe, happy environment.”
– Megan Ridolf, English Teacher

 

Registration & Fees