Session Descriptions
Session 1:
Session 1 breakouts are aligned to specific officer positions tailored for various district sizes. These sessions will provide CTA officers ideas and techniques being used by other successful CTAs in like-sized districts. This breakout session is intended to be interactive. Participation and networking are encouraged. The following is a general guide for determining which breakout you want to register to attend. However, if you find you have registered for a session you believe does not apply to you or your district, please move to a different breakout that will better serve your needs.
Large districts: Comprised of multiple high and middle schools
Medium districts: One high school, multiple middle and elementary schools
Small districts: One or less of each building.
President/President Elect/Vice President
- Large District Facilitators: Jessica Miller-Tierney, Columbia 93 CTA; Laurie Sullivan, Springfield CTA
- Medium District Facilitators: Katie Webb, Hannibal CTA; Emily Lehman, Clinton CTA
- Small District Facilitators: Barb Alber & Jen Gill, South Shelby CTA; Heidi Beatty, Northeast Nodaway CTA
Treasurers
All Size District Facilitators: Bruce Moe, MSTA Executive Director and Gail McCray, MSTA Legal Counsel
Secretaries/Building Reps/Membership Chairs
- Large District Facilitators: Savannah Gehrs & Shellie Wolfenbarger, Blue Springs CTA
- Medium District Facilitators: Monique Agueros & Wendy Hunt, Warrensburg CTA
- Small District Facilitators: Adam Clark, Dexter CTA; Valerie Parman, Tri-County CTA
Session 2
Campaign School Tips for Regional and State Elections
Have you ever considered serving students/teachers through MSTA? Attend campaign school and we will help you navigate the entire process whether you are running for a local, regional, or state office. We have been there, done that with MSTA and are here to help you achieve your goals. We will have suggestions, answer your questions, and even help you find and complete the proper documents to enter the running. Come get your campaign off the ground!
Presenters: Tonni Schmidt & Russell Smithson, Warrensburg CTA
Communication Is Key
This session focuses on easy and engaging ways to communicate and connect with your members using different year-round ideas that build strong relationships among your CTA members. This session will incorporate how to use technology (specifically Google, SnapChat, and Facebook) to simplify and streamline communication among all stakeholders. Participants will take away new ideas on how to market their CTA, improve member involvement, and keep everyone in the loop on what’s going on with your CTA. This will include how to make hilarious and informative monthly meeting minute videos, various member spotlights, and more.
Presenters: Abby Hall, Victoria Briscoe, Christy Buffington, & Becky Turner; Bowling Green CTA
Communicate with Video: Not Just Another Email
Are you looking for ways to share information with your members but are tired of sending out long emails? This session has a solution for you! Come and learn how to make easy short videos to push out to your members via social media.
Presenters: Ashley Stanton & Ryan VanDyke, St. Joseph CTA
Engaging Reluctant Leaders
Many CTAs are struggling to fill leadership positions. It can be difficult to find and encourage members to take on leadership responsibilities. After reviewing research, we will explore strategies to identify and engage leaders (building representatives, committee members, and officers) in local CTAs. Come learn from MSTA leaders with district, regional, and state committee experience.
Presenters: Stacy Blakley, St. James CTA & Jennipher Adams, Maries County R-2 CTA
Hello, I’m New Here
This session will focus on engaging new and different professionals in leadership roles. We will focus on getting new professionals engaged and active in CTAs and regions. There will be advice on how to stay professional and courteous, while working your way into leadership roles as a new staff member
Presenter: Heather Camuso, Pleasant Hill CTA
Languages in the Workforce
Everybody knows the importance of communication in the workplace, especially when working with your direct supervisor. This workshop looks at the different ways people communicate and feel appreciated at work.
Presenter: Scott Smith, MSTA Staff Attorney
Leadership without Labels
Unsure of what your role is in your CTA? We can help show that your role is what you make it. This session is an opportunity for both new and veteran MSTA members to highlight your strengths in leadership and in turn consider the strengths of others. There will be a facilitation of activities and discussion about how leaders come in many forms and all are important to the vitality of your CTA.
Presenters: Dustin Romans, Belton CTA & Leslie Muench, Liberty CTA
Leading, Living, and Learning with Purpose
Feeling like you can’t escape the time-pressure of our society? This session is designed to teach the critical difference between urgency and importance utilizing the Eisenhower Matrix. Participants will engage in prioritizing tasks, aligning everyday responsibilities with the mission, vision and value of your organization, and optimizing your calendar to get the most out of every single day.
Presenters: Bryson Travis & Nic Vasquez, Excelsior Springs CTA
Make It/Take It–Easy Recruitment Ideas
Past presenter on recruitment, Amanda Bradshaw will be offering a fun session of make-it and take-it projects to amp up your recruitment of new members. Easy take-and-use templates will be shared with a multitude of ideas for the not-so-crafty and the mega-crafty alike. Ideas from the last two years and new designs and themes will all be shared along with tips for increasing your membership and increasing your confidence in the recruitment process. YOU CAN DO THIS! and It CAN be fun! Bring your scissors and enthusiasm and come have fun while gaining some great ideas and making some cool and creative items you can easily re-create at home for your CTA.
Presenter: Amanda Bradshaw, Mt. Vernon CTA
Partnering for Success: Building Stronger Relationships with Building and District Level School Leaders
Early in his teaching career, Dr. Turner was elected president of the Webb City CTA. He realized quickly that building a strong relationship between MSTA and the school administration was very important for both teachers and administrators to thrive. After nine years as a high school speech, debate, and social studies teacher, Turner began his school administration career serving 16 years in school administration. Currently a professor of educational administration at Missouri State University, Dr. Turner teaches courses for aspiring school leaders. This session will offer teacher leaders tips on communication with decisionmakers and building relationships with their school administration team so that together we can build better schools in Missouri.
Presenter: Dr. Jon Turner, Missouri State University Professor of Educational Administration & Retired-MSTA Member
Pave the Way with MSTA Autopay!
Come experience first-hand the convenience and flexibility of our online membership sign up and dues collection process. Seamlessly join MSTA, renew your membership and pay dues with Autopay! During this informative session, we will demonstrate and provide a step by step guide to enhance your workshop experience. With ease, we will walk through the online member sign up process (featuring mobile-friendly forms) and dues payment flexibility (including credit card or ACH/bank draft). Already an Autopay subscriber? Please join us and share your feedback!
Presenters:
Kelly McNamara, Training Specialist for Billhighway & Sarah Neuman, Senior Client Executive Specialist for Billhighway
Professional Rights & Responsibilities
Public school employees need to be aware of the federal and state laws that dictate how they perform their job and how they interact with their employer. Presented in layman’s terms, this legal presentation is your crash course to the most important aspects of education law. Attendees will learn the most important dos and don’ts of public school employment from real-world examples.
Presenter: Kyle Farmer, MSTA Staff Attorney
Recruiting When You Are Not the Majority
This session will focus on how to be a successful CTA in a district where MSTA is not the exclusive representative. Jessica Miller will give tips on recruitment, how to stay current on district initiatives, and what to do to stay in the good graces of the board and administration.
Presenter: Jessica Miller-Tierney, Columbia 93 CTA
Surviving Yourself: Reigniting Your Fire for Teaching When You Are Burnt Out
Teachers are leaving the profession earlier and at a higher rate than ever before. Demands on a teacher’s time have always leaked outside of the classroom, but now we are expected to do more for our students, be more to our students, maintain relationships with students while not infringing on their boundaries and keep up with all the trends in education, legislation, and pedagogy. Teachers are stressed and exhausted. So what is one to do? I believe through a process of setting boundaries for self, BY self, adhering to those boundaries, opening up your memory and your heart to your authentic self and utilizing time management skills we can get back that passion. The fire for teaching started with a spark…..let me help you get that spark back through humor, personal stories and personal revelation exercises that will help you rekindle your love for the art of teaching.
Presenter: Jami Williams, Mexico CTA
Virtual Field Trips with a Side of Mindfulness
The World Health Organization calls stress the 21st-century epidemic, a $300B people and profit killer, but you can learn to beat it in this session as you discover the differences between virtual, mixed and augmented realities. Get hands-on with these extended realities to discover how they can be used to give yourself a few minutes of virtual peace. Using a brain-sensing headband, you’ll have the opportunity to hatch virtual butterflies with your feelings of positivity and learn about some drugless solutions for stress management that are fun, calming and will leave you feeling like the super hero that you are!
Presenter: Sarah Hill, CEO of StoryUp XR
You Do Not Have to Lead Alone
As a veteran leader, I have learned that it is okay to ask for help. Teachers and MSTA leaders tend to do a lot of things on our own instead of asking for help. This session will focus on how leaders can enlist others to help them lead their CTA. Attend this interactive session and learn from others so you can feel less stress to begin the 2019-2020 school year.
Presenter: Victoria Barton, Grandview CTA
Walking the Communication and Bargaining Tightrope
When HB 1413 passed in 2018, it ushered in numerous changes regarding the collective bargaining process and how teacher groups can communicate with their school administrators. This breakout session will go over some of the most common issues and provide tips and tools for overcoming communication obstacles.
Presenter: Jane O’Toole, MSTA Staff Attorney
Session 3
EdCamp MSTA Leadership
This session is participant-driven following the EdCamp style of learning. Participants determine the focus topics for this session. Everyone is welcome to propose and lead a session where conversation and collaboration are paramount. Edcamp is all about learning and sharing. You are welcome to propose a session where you are the expert or propose a session where you are the one with questions or concerns. Sometimes the best learning is born of an informal conversation.
Session 4
Campaign School Tips for Regional and State Elections
Have you ever considered serving students/teachers through MSTA? Attend campaign school and we will help you navigate the entire process whether you are running for a local, regional, or state office. We have been there, done that with MSTA and are here to help you achieve your goals. We will have suggestions, answer your questions, and even help you find and complete the proper documents to enter the running. Come get your campaign off the ground!
Presenters: Tonni Schmidt & Russell Smithson, Warrensburg CTA
Communication Is Key
This session focuses on easy and engaging ways to communicate and connect with your members using different year-round ideas that build strong relationships among your CTA members. This session will incorporate how to use technology (specifically Google, SnapChat, and Facebook) to simplify and streamline communication among all stakeholders. Participants will take away new ideas on how to market their CTA, improve member involvement, and keep everyone in the loop on what’s going on with your CTA. This will include how to make hilarious and informative monthly meeting minute videos, various member spotlights, and more.
Presenters: Abby Hall, Victoria Briscoe, Christy Buffington, & Becky Turner; Bowling Green CTA
Communicate with Video: Not Just Another Email
Are you looking for ways to share information with your members but are tired of sending out long emails? This session has a solution for you! Come and learn how to make easy short videos to push out to your members via social media.
Presenters: Ashley Stanton & Ryan VanDyke, St. Joseph CTA
Engaging Reluctant Leaders
Many CTAs are struggling to fill leadership positions. It can be difficult to find and encourage members to take on leadership responsibilities. After reviewing research, we will explore strategies to identify and engage leaders (building representatives, committee members, and officers) in local CTAs. Come learn from MSTA leaders with district, regional, and state committee experience.
Presenters: Stacy Blakley, St. James CTA & Jennipher Adams, Maries County R-2 CTA
Hello, I’m New Here
This session will focus on engaging new and different professionals in leadership roles. We will focus on getting new professionals engaged and active in CTAs and regions. There will be advice on how to stay professional and courteous, while working your way into leadership roles as a new staff member
Presenter: Heather Camuso, Pleasant Hill CTA
Languages in the Workforce
Everybody knows the importance of communication in the workplace, especially when working with your direct supervisor. This workshop looks at the different ways people communicate and feel appreciated at work.
Presenter: Scott Smith, MSTA Staff Attorney
Leadership without Labels
Unsure of what your role is in your CTA? We can help show that your role is what you make it. This session is an opportunity for both new and veteran MSTA members to highlight your strengths in leadership and in turn consider the strengths of others. There will be a facilitation of activities and discussion about how leaders come in many forms and all are important to the vitality of your CTA.
Presenters: Dustin Romans, Belton CTA & Leslie Muench, Liberty CTA
Leading, Living, and Learning with Purpose
Feeling like you can’t escape the time-pressure of our society? This session is designed to teach the critical difference between urgency and importance utilizing the Eisenhower Matrix. Participants will engage in prioritizing tasks, aligning everyday responsibilities with the mission, vision and value of your organization, and optimizing your calendar to get the most out of every single day.
Presenters: Bryson Travis & Nic Vasquez, Excelsior Springs CTA
Make It/Take It–Easy Recruitment Ideas
Past presenter on recruitment, Amanda Bradshaw will be offering a fun session of make-it and take-it projects to amp up your recruitment of new members. Easy take-and-use templates will be shared with a multitude of ideas for the not-so-crafty and the mega-crafty alike. Ideas from the last two years and new designs and themes will all be shared along with tips for increasing your membership and increasing your confidence in the recruitment process. YOU CAN DO THIS! and It CAN be fun! Bring your scissors and enthusiasm and come have fun while gaining some great ideas and making some cool and creative items you can easily re-create at home for your CTA.
Presenter: Amanda Bradshaw, Mt. Vernon CTA
Partnering for Success: Building Stronger Relationships with Building and District Level School Leaders
Early in his teaching career, Dr. Turner was elected president of the Webb City CTA. He realized quickly that building a strong relationship between MSTA and the school administration was very important for both teachers and administrators to thrive. After nine years as a high school speech, debate, and social studies teacher, Turner began his school administration career serving 16 years in school administration. Currently a professor of educational administration at Missouri State University, Turner teaches courses for aspiring school leaders. This session will offer teacher-leaders tips on communication with decisionmakers and building relationships with their school administration team so that together we can build better schools in Missouri.
Presenter: Dr. Jon Turner, Missouri State University Professor of Educational Administration & Retired-MSTA Member
Pave the Way with MSTA Autopay!
Come experience first-hand the convenience and flexibility of our online membership sign up and dues collection process. Seamlessly join MSTA, renew your membership and pay dues with Autopay! During this informative session, we will demonstrate and provide a step by step guide to enhance your workshop experience. With ease, we will walk through the online member sign up process (featuring mobile-friendly forms) and dues payment flexibility (including credit card or ACH/bank draft). Already an Autopay subscriber? Please join us and share your feedback!
Presenters:
Kelly McNamara, Training Specialist for Billhighway & Sarah Neuman, Senior Client Executive Specialist for Billhighway
Professional Rights & Responsibilities
Public school employees need to be aware of the federal and state laws that dictate how they perform their job and how they interact with their employer. Presented in layman’s terms, this legal presentation is your crash course to the most important aspects of education law. Attendees will learn the most important dos and don’ts of public school employment from real world examples.
Presenter: Kyle Farmer, MSTA Staff Attorney
Recruiting When You Are Not the Majority
This session will focus on how to be a successful CTA in a district where MSTA is not the exclusive representative. Jessica Miller will give tips on recruitment, how to stay current on district initiatives, and what to do to stay in the good graces of the board and administration.
Presenter: Jessica Miller-Tierney, Columbia 93 CTA
Surviving Yourself: Reigniting Your Fire for Teaching When You Are Burnt Out
Teachers are leaving the profession earlier and at a higher rate than ever before. Demands on a teacher’s time have always leaked outside of the classroom, but now we are expected to do more for our students, be more to our students, maintain relationships with students while not infringing on their boundaries and keep up with all the trends in education, legislation, and pedagogy. Teachers are stressed and exhausted. So what is one to do? I believe through a process of setting boundaries for self, BY self, adhering to those boundaries, opening up your memory and your heart to your authentic self and utilizing time management skills we can get back that passion. The fire for teaching started with a spark…..let me help you get that spark back through humor, personal stories and personal revelation exercises that will help you rekindle your love for the art of teaching.
Presenter: Jami Williams, Mexico CTA
Virtual Field Trips with a Side of Mindfulness
The World Health organization calls stress the 21st-century epidemic, a $300B people and profit killer, but you can learn to beat it in this session as you discover the differences between virtual, mixed and augmented realities. Get hands-on with these extended realities to discover how they can be used to give yourself a few minutes of virtual peace. Using a brain-sensing headband, you’ll have the opportunity to hatch virtual butterflies with your feelings of positivity and learn about some drugless solutions for stress management that are fun, calming and will leave you feeling like the super hero that you are!
Presenter: Sarah Hill, CEO of StoryUp XR
You Do Not Have to Lead Alone
As a veteran leader, I have learned that it is okay to ask for help. Teachers and MSTA Leaders tend to do a lot of things on our own instead of asking for help. This session will focus on how leaders can enlist others to help them lead their CTA. Attend this interactive session and learn from others so you can feel less stress to begin the 2019-2020 school year.
Presenter: Victoria Barton, Grandview CTA
Walking the Communication and Bargaining Tightrope
When HB 1413 passed in 2018, it ushered in numerous changes regarding the collective bargaining process and how teacher groups can communicate with their school administrators. This breakout session will go over some of the most common issues and provide tips and tools for overcoming communication obstacles.
Presenter: Jane O’Toole, MSTA Staff Attorney