PD Your Way

Show of hands: how many people enjoyed the amazing ISCA conference in Indianapolis this year? Our annual conference is always a terrific opportunity to learn new skills and strategies while networking with other counselors around the state. However, for some of us, attendance is not always feasible. Although centrally located, Indianapolis is a long drive for some folks. Perhaps for you, as was true for me, the conference fell during a time of year where you were too busy at school to get away. Fortunately, ISCA is here for you with many other opportunities to enhance your program and collect those needed PGPs.

Lawyer Angela Adams speaks about immigration law.

Maria Caceres of the Indiana Latino Expo introduces Angela Adams.

This year, one of those opportunities is the immigration law workshop. In collaboration with the Indiana Latino Expo, we were able to provide a 2.5-hour training with Angela Adams, an immigration lawyer in Indianapolis. Angela walked us through the intricacies of immigration law in our country, helping to explain why it is difficult for so many immigrants to achieve and maintain legal status. She also answered questions about how we can help support our students and their families. Angela’s presentation is completely non-partisan and she translates legal jargon into terms we can all understand. Her primary message is that we, as school counselors and faculty, can be a voice of hope and encouragement to a group of people who are often seeking just that. The Indiana Latino Expo has a variety of resources to help families as well. With the future of DACA still unknown and so many of our students living in fear, we are beholden to stay informed on this topic. If you missed the original workshop held in Indianapolis, don’t fret: as of this writing, there is a seminar scheduled in Frankfort and we are putting together details to host one in Columbus. In addition, Angela is working with Amanada Culhan at the IDOE to create a webinar on the moodle site so this information will be widely available.

What is moodle? I am glad you asked! The Indiana Department of Education moodle site at has 27 (and counting) webinars specifically for school counselors. The topics range from ethical use of technology to trauma-informed care to college and career readiness. Many of these webinars were developed in collaboration with ISCA and based on feedback from members like you. We have worked hard to be sure the material is updated and relevant and new content is always being added. The best part is that these webinars are absolutely free and available at any time! That’s right – you could be sitting in your pajamas on a snow day, drinking hot cocoa and getting professional development! Some of the webinars do require a super-secret enrollment key (it’s “counselor”).

With all the great work done around the state last year for the Lilly grant, administrators are more aware than ever of the important and unique role that we play. This means that now is a great time to advocate for our programs and for our own professional development. Many times, PD in schools targets academic material or pedagogy that doesn’t apply to us. When this happens, the webinars at the IDOE would be a great alternative. Sit down with your principal ahead of time to explain that the content of your next delay day will not be the best use of your time. Show him/her the website above and together you can determine which of the topics listed would most enhance your program. While the rest of the faculty is learning about phonics, you can commit that time to training that will be beneficial to your students.

In closing, I want to mention one other resource: Counselor1Stop, a clearinghouse of resources and information on myriad topics. It is a DIY website, meaning we are always welcoming new resources and updated information from counselors in the field. If you commit to becoming an editor on the site, you can earn PGPs for the time you spend working on it. You have control of when you work on it and how much time you spend, making it another fantastic way to hone your skills on your own schedule. Our job is hard and the learning curve is steep. ISCA is here to help you get professional development your way!