Fresh ideas. Practical strategies. A serious boost for your teaching.
Brian Buffington is back in Kentucky for a special one-day professional learning event!
Get ready for a fast-paced, practical day packed with ideas you can actually use. Essential Buff Nuggets for
Teaching brings together some of Brian’s favorite strategies, tools, activities, and workflows designed to help
teachers save time, engage students, strengthen classroom culture, and get even better at the craft of teaching.
Throughout the day, we’ll explore:
● Building an engaging classroom culture
● Practical classroom management and student engagement
● AI workflows that actually save teachers time
● Communication, relationships, and “Things That Can’t Be Googled”
● Rapid-fire Buff Nuggets: tools, resources, activities, and ideas you can use immediately
This isn't New Teacher 101. It’s a Buff Boost for educators who want fresh ideas, practical strategies, and
some new energy for their classroom.
Especially valuable for new teachers, alternatively certified teachers, career changers entering
education, and any educator ready for a fresh boost.
Come ready to participate, laugh, learn, and leave with a whole lot of nuggets!

A year-long professional learning community designed to equip new special education teachers with the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to serve students with disabilities while meeting compliance requirements and fostering inclusive, engaging learning environments.

Format:
4 – 2-hour sessions held virtually
4 – full-day sessions held in-person
Register for all cadre dates at once
In person: 9/2/26, 12/3/26, 2/4/27, 4/1/27
Virtual: 10/1/26, 11/4/26, 1/7/27, 3/4/27
Contact susan.hall@ckec.org with questions.

We frequently talk about setting high expectations and motivating all staff and students. We DO have high expectations, but what can we do to make them permeate the culture of our school or district? How do we motivate our staff to improve, especially when it requires change? How do we motivate and set high expectations for our students? This session is filled with practical, systemic practices that set the stage for high expectations to take hold in your school or district.

Collaborative transition planning is essential for creating meaningful, student-centered pathways to life after high school. This training will explore practical strategies for bringing students, families, educators, agencies, and community partners together to support successful postsecondary outcomes. Participants will learn strategies for building collaborative transition teams, engaging families, partnering with outside agencies, and connecting transition goals to meaningful opportunities in education, employment, independent living, and community participation. Educators will leave with tools to strengthen transition teams and develop plans that reflect each student’s strengths, preferences, interests, and goals for adulthood.

Handling Difficult Situations - Difficult Discussions will be a comprehensive review of how to manage interactions within school districts. The training will cover proactive approaches to mitigate difficult discussions and how to handle those difficult situations when they arise.

Join us for an in-person session focused on building knowledge and confidence with UFLI Foundations. Participants will develop an understanding of the program and the essential background knowledge needed for implementation, while also engaging in hands-on practice with the Day 1 and Day 2 lesson components.

The session is designed to help participants become familiar with the structure of UFLI Foundations and feel prepared to begin using the program in the classroom. Participants who attend will receive a copy of UFLI Foundations and 6 professional development hours.

The RAD Related Services Cadre brings together related service professionals to connect, collaborate, and share practical strategies that support student success across school settings. Participants will explore effective push-in, pull-out, and collaborative service approaches, along with strategies for addressing sensory, behavioral, communication, and access needs in the classroom. Through discussion, shared resources, and research-based practices, the cadre will highlight what is working and how related service personnel can partner with educators to increase student participation, independence, and success throughout the school day.

This two-hour virtual session will provide participants with a practical understanding of dyslexia and how it may impact students with disabilities. Participants will explore what dyslexia is—and is not—identify common signs and characteristics, and examine strategies that can be used to support students with reading difficulties. The session will focus on practical, classroom-ready approaches educators can use to better recognize student needs and provide effective reading support.

Fractions are a journey, not a single standard! Join us for a hands-on deep dive into the Kentucky Academic Standards for fractions in Grades 3–5, with a focus on how fraction understanding develops and connects across grade levels.
Participants will explore vertical alignment, key representations, and engaging tasks that build conceptual understanding. Come ready to model, make connections, and leave with classroom-ready activities you can use right away!

Beyond the Basics: ASD Cadre
Teaching on the Edge of Trauma and Autism

Educators will explore how trauma-informed practices and specially designed instruction intersect to support autistic students. You'll gain practical, brain-based strategies to foster self-regulation, reduce behavioral challenges, and build inclusive environments where all students can thrive. In this session, you will understand the impact of trauma on autistic students, explore trauma-informed, strength-based practices, learn brain-based strategies to support self-regulation, and reduce behavioral challenges through proactive support.

Participants will receive a 6 hour PD/EILA credit certificate.
This session is the third in the Beyond the Basics: ASD Cadre. Participation in all cadre sessions is encouraged but not required.

For any questions, contact erica.price@ckec.org.

Join fellow K–12 social studies educators for a monthly virtual professional networking hour designed to connect, collaborate, and share best practices. The Social Studies Cadre provides a dedicated space to discuss emerging curriculum strategies, exchange high-impact classroom resources, and build a supportive community of practice across schools and districts. Come ready to share insights, gain fresh perspectives, and strengthen your instructional leadership.

Transform your classroom into a thriving culture of mathematical learning for every student. In this two-hour, virtual professional development, we’ll explore how teachers’ and students’ math autobiographies—their past experiences, beliefs, and emotions around math—shape engagement, confidence, and learning in today’s classroom. Participants will learn how to intentionally weave the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs) and Mathematics Teaching Practices (MTPs) into daily instruction while addressing math fears, honoring student voice, and building a community where curiosity, reasoning, and collaboration flourish. You’ll walk away with practical, ready-to-use strategies to foster deep thinking and create a classroom culture where math learning is meaningful, inclusive, and empowering.

Postsecondary Transition Cadre

This professional learning cadre brings together those who work with and support students with disabilities as they prepare for life after high school. Through collaborative learning, resources, and best-practice strategies, participants will deepen their understanding of effective postsecondary transition planning. Topics will include college and career readiness, independent living skills, community-based opportunities, and connecting students with agencies and supports. The cadre will highlight practical tools, state and federal requirements, and real-world examples to help teachers design meaningful, student-centered transition plans. Educators will leave equipped to guide their students toward successful and fulfilling futures in education, employment, and independent living.

Contact sydney.green@ckec.org with questions.

Practical behavior and classroom management strategies for MSD classrooms. Join us to explore:
Antecedent-based interventions that prevent challenging behavior
Reinforcement strategies that motivate and build positive behavior
Visual supports that increase understanding, independence, and success Contact Erica Price at erica.price@ckec.org or Jennifer Dove at jennifer.dove@ckec.or

The CKEC Multilingual Learner Teacher Network will be time to work with other EL/ML teachers, specialists, admin, and other educators in the region. Through participant input, training and workshop opportunities will be developed based on the needs, trends, and ongoing issues that face schools and districts across our region and the state. The network will provide open chair time for members to share success stories. There will also be time to vet specific issues in a supportive and constructive manner.

Network Dates/Times:
Nov 16, 2026 (virtual, Google Meet) 4:00-5:00pm ET;
Mar 8, 2027 (In-person Harrodsburg) 8:30am-3:30pm ET;
Apr 19, 2027 (virtual, Google Meet) 4:00-5:00pm ET.
EILA credit will be awarded.

The science of reading is not just a primary-grade concern—and many upper-grade students are still struggling with the demands of complex texts. In this session, we'll explore what the science of reading means for grades 4-12. We'll build a clearer understanding of how skilled reading develops over time and what factors most often interfere with comprehension in later grades. We'll connect this research to practical, classroom-ready strategies that support students in navigating complex academic texts—through vocabulary development, sentence-level understanding, knowledge building, comprehension, and disciplinary writing across content areas. Whether you teach upper elementary or secondary, you'll leave with research-informed strategies you can use immediately, along with a clearer picture of how your instruction supports students in becoming proficient readers of increasingly complex texts.

The Coaching Connection is a virtual professional learning community designed for instructional coaches across elementary, middle, and high school settings. Each month, coaches will come together to learn, connect, grow, and collaborate as they navigate the opportunities and challenges of instructional coaching.

Each session will include a brief learning segment focused on practical, relevant coaching strategies that can be taken directly back to schools, followed by opportunities for coaches to share ideas, discuss experiences, problem-solve, and learn from one another. Whether you are a new coach or a seasoned coaching professional, The Coaching Connection provides a space to build your practice and connect with others who understand the work.

When students explain their thinking, they understand math more deeply and writing makes that thinking visible. In this one-hour session, explore simple, high-impact writing strategies that strengthen mathematical reasoning, build precise language, and surface misconceptions in real time. Designed for K-12 math teachers, this session focuses on writing-to-learn and writing-to-demonstrate-learning routines that fit seamlessly into everyday instruction without adding extra workload. Leave with ready-to-use strategies you can use in tomorrow's math lesson.

Format: Virtual (Zoom) - 1 hour of PD credit provided - Zoom link sent prior to the session.

School Health Operations will be an in depth look at school
health programs with specific support from KDE. This training will be open to anyone looking to learn
more about school health. The training will include an overview of school health operations in Kentucky
with training and discussion on a wide variety of school health topics. This training will be helpful for
personnel involved with school health along with those that provide operational support.

As AI shows up in classrooms, planning periods, and district conversations, the question isn't whether to engage with it, but how to do it well. The AI Empowered Teacher Cadre is a standing community for educators who want to build real skill with AI tools and collaboratively figure out what responsible and effective use looks like in K-12 schools.

This cadre will meet monthly on the third Thursday to build AI literacy and skills, think together, integrate AI into instruction, and streamline workflows. An hour of PD credit will be provided for each session attended.