WSD Support Staff embrace professional development, growth

With educators across the province engaged in the MTS PD Day on Oct. 21, WSD support staff also took part in a day of professional growth.

This year’s WSD Support Staff Professional Development Conference saw over 375 staff participating in a wide range of workshops and seminars.

“We want to make sure we have professional development opportunities for our educational assistants and other support staff,” said WSD Human Resources Officer Joelle Aylward. “This is about personal growth and to help staff develop their skillsets.”

WSD has been holding the conference annually for over 20 years, paying for the facilitators and offering the professional development free to staff members. 

Grant Park High School served as the main site for this year’s conference, with staff attending workshops on assisting students with Autism, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Neurodiversity and other areas, such as Conflict Management and Working with Newcomers. Other sessions focused on wellness, such as Improving Your Sleep and Energy and a daylong session that explored stress, compassion fatigue and resilience.

“It is important to acknowledge that we value our staff and have wellness supports and PD in place for them,” Ms. Aylward said.   

Several off-site sessions were also offered, including an Emergency First Aid/CPR Combination Course at the First Choice Training Centre on Madison Street, a session on Google Docs and Sheets Basics at Administration Building No. 2 on Notre Dame Avenue and an online session on RELATE (Regulate, Empathy, Learn, Adapt, Team, Experience) de-escalation training.

Feedback important

WSD Human Resources Administrative Clerk Erin Cavers said the Division gets feedback on topics of interest through surveys and staff suggestions.

“We also do evaluations for every PD that we have, so at the end of the sessions staff can feel free to give their suggestions for next year,” she said. 

WSD's Taylor Homenick (pictured) and Stephanie Midford led a workshop on Circle Teachings and Holistic Learning.

Cheryl McNabb, who works as both an educational assistant and a community support worker at Keewatin Prairie Community School, said she was appreciative of the opportunity to broaden her knowledge.

“It’s important to me to learn something new every day. Not only from my students, but from adults and staff. I can teach them something, and they teach me as well,” said Ms. McNabb, who was attending a morning session on Circle Teachings and Holistic Learning with educators Stephanie Midford and Taylor Homenick. “I run a pow wow club right now at school, so I’m learning more today about the traditional ways.”  

Ms. Cavers said that work will begin immediately to put together next year’s conference: “We’re planning all year round.”