2021 Power Up! Conference
Agenda
9:00 – 9:45 AM “Mindfulness for Students & Staff”
Alex Beekman, M.Ed., LPC, Hilliard City Schools LEAD Teacher
The practice of mindfulness is more important now than ever. As a nation, we are experiencing increased anxiety and general unease and neither we nor our students are exempt. The practice of mindfulness is often dismissed by students because it seems too simple to "work." By helping students understand how our mind and body are inextricably linked, we can show them that the power of mindfulness is in its simplicity...and we can take away some practices for ourselves, too.
10:00 – 10:45 “Building Your Resilience During Uncertain Times”
Joanna Malachowsky, Coach, Building Better Lives Initiative
The stress, the intensity, and the constant onslaught of needs in the current environment can lead to burnout, vulnerability, and even secondary traumatic symptoms in teachers and staff. Participants will explore the different levels of stress and will examine the importance of self-care. Additionally, participants will discover practical strategies to increase resilience amongst staff as they face the challenges of the school year.
11:00 – 11:45 “Building Power through Local Elections”
Isabel Bozada-Jones, OEA Staff
Learn how you can use your educator voice by screening and endorsing candidates in local elections. This session will move through a year of local election advocacy, starting with setting up a local PAC this winter, recruiting or identifying candidates throughout the spring, and screening and endorsing candidates in the fall. Participants will receive everything they need to get started right away and will participate in a mock screening!
12:00 lunch
1:00 – 2:30 “Staying Safe (and out of trouble) in the Virtual World”
Ellen Adornetto & Amber James, OEA Staff
This 90-minute interactive session will delve into the Licensure Code of Conduct’s principle on appropriate and responsible use of technology, examining how the lines between personal and professional boundaries can become blurred, especially while navigating remote and hybrid learning. Social media opportunities can further blur those boundaries, so an educator’s constitutional right to free speech will be explained. Examples will be provided, highlighting how educators’ first amendment rights are limited in some ways because of the special position of trust they occupy. Join this session to learn more about your rights and responsibilities, hear real-world examples, and receive guidance on how to stay safe (and out of trouble) in the virtual world!
2:45 Closing
Members will also be able to attend a Panel discussion during the conference. Everyone is welcome to attend this, but we believe local officers and bargaining committee members would greatly benefit.
9:00 – 10:30 “What Have We Learned This Year?” - President Panel
Ty Tatman & Karrie Strickland – President & LRC, Zane Trace EA
Brian Morgan & Mark Linder – President & LRC, Worthington EA
India Smith & Kerri Hoover – President & LRC, Miami Trace Non-Cert EA
The panel will discuss what has been learned from the COVID pandemic. What holes have been discovered in your contract? What MOU’s have you needed to create? How have you kept members engaged? What lessons have been learned? How are you preparing for next year? Attendees will be able to submit questions for the panelists.
Attendees of this panel wold then be free to join the main conference at the conclusion of this panel discussion.