Professional Development Workshops for Teachers and School Staff
Practical Strategies for Student Engagement, Emotional Regulation and Staff Wellbeing
Healthy Teens delivers practical professional development workshops that help teachers and school staff respond more confidently to student disengagement, emotional escalation, challenging behaviour and wellbeing concerns. Our workshops draw on direct experience working with young people through school mentoring, wellbeing, fitness and engagement programs. Sessions are interactive, relevant and focused on strategies staff can apply immediately.
Join us in creating a positive and nurturing school environment where every student can thrive.
Supporting the People Who Support Students
Teachers and school staff are managing increasingly complex student needs while working to maintain safe, inclusive and productive learning environments.
Staff may be supporting students who:
- Have disengaged from learning
- Struggle to manage frustration or strong emotions
- Avoid participation because of low confidence
- Respond defensively to correction or authority
- Find it difficult to trust adults
- Need practical rather than lecture based support
- Experience behavioural or wellbeing challenges
- Come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Healthy Teens helps staff consider what may sit beneath student behaviour and develop realistic ways to improve connection, participation, emotional safety and accountability.
Professional Development Workshop Options
Workshops can be delivered individually or combined into a customised professional learning session.
Engaging Students Who Have Switched Off
Some students appear unmotivated, resistant or disconnected from school. They may refuse activities, avoid help or expect adults to give up on them.
This workshop explores practical ways to:
- Build trust without lowering expectations
- Create achievable entry points for participation
- Communicate respect while maintaining authority
- Avoid unnecessary power struggles
- Encourage effort without creating excessive pressure
- Repair relationships after conflict
Staff leave with strategies for building stronger working relationships with students who do not respond well to traditional classroom or wellbeing approaches.
Responding to Escalation Without Escalating It
When a student becomes emotionally reactive, the adult response can either reduce or intensify the situation.
This workshop helps staff:
- Recognise early signs of escalation
- Understand triggers and reactive behaviour
- Maintain calm and professional communication
- Set clear and consistent boundaries
- Avoid language that increases conflict
- Support students to slow down and regain control
- Respond after an incident in a way that supports accountability
This workshop provides practical strategies for everyday school interactions. It does not replace formal behaviour, crisis response or clinical mental health training.
Connecting With Boys Through Movement and Mentoring
Some boys find it difficult to engage through traditional conversations about emotions, behaviour or wellbeing.
Drawing on Healthy Teens’ experience in fitness, boxing based wellbeing and mentoring programs, this workshop explores:
- Why some boys resist direct wellbeing conversations
- How movement can create an entry point for connection
- The role of positive adult relationships
- Using structure, responsibility and boundaries effectively
- Supporting confidence without encouraging aggression
- Teaching emotional awareness in practical ways
These strategies may also benefit students of any gender who engage more effectively through movement and practical activity.
Supporting Culturally Diverse Students
Culture, identity, family expectations, language and previous experiences can influence how students communicate, participate and respond to school expectations.
This workshop helps staff explore:
- Building trust across cultural differences
- Avoiding assumptions about behaviour or motivation
- Communicating expectations clearly
- Strengthening belonging and participation
- Responding with curiosity rather than judgement
- Recognising the importance of identity and representation
- Engaging families and community supports appropriately
The workshop focuses on practical cultural responsiveness while recognising that students within the same cultural group may have very different experiences.
Staff Wellbeing Under Pressure
Supporting young people can be highly rewarding, but it can also be physically and emotionally demanding.
This practical workshop helps staff identify realistic ways to manage pressure and protect their wellbeing.
Topics may include:
- Recognising early signs of stress and overload
- Understanding the effect of prolonged pressure
- Using movement to support energy and mood
- Creating brief recovery opportunities during the school day
- Managing the transition between work and home
- Maintaining healthy professional boundaries
- Building sustainable routines
- Supporting a healthier team culture
This workshop is practical and preventative. It does not replace medical, psychological or employee assistance services.
What Staff and Schools Receive
Depending on the workshop selected, your school may receive:
- A pre session planning conversation
- A workshop adjusted to your school’s priorities
- Practical strategies staff can apply immediately
- Facilitated discussion and reflection
- Scenario based activities
- Practical demonstrations
- Takeaway resources
- Suggested professional standards connections where relevant
- Certificates of participation
- Recommendations for possible next steps
Our aim is not to overwhelm staff with theory. It is to provide useful ideas they can understand, remember and apply.
Designed Around Your School
Every school and staff group is different. Before the session, we discuss:
- The challenges staff are currently experiencing
- The students or cohorts being supported
- The experience and responsibilities of participants
- Existing school wellbeing and behaviour approaches
- The outcomes school leaders want to achieve
- The most suitable workshop format and duration
The content can be adjusted for:
- Teachers
- Education support staff
- Wellbeing teams
- Year level leaders
- Sports and physical education staff
- School leadership teams
- Whole staff groups
Delivery Options
Professional development can be delivered as:
- A focused 60 minute session
- A 90 minute interactive workshop
- A two hour professional learning session
- A half day program
- A customised curriculum day session
- A series of workshops delivered across the year
Sessions may include discussion, scenarios, reflection, practical demonstrations and movement activities where appropriate.
In person delivery is available across Melbourne and selected regional or interstate locations. Online delivery may also be discussed. Session length, group size, travel requirements and fees will be confirmed before booking.
Practical Experience in School Settings
Healthy Teens facilitators bring direct experience working with young people, teachers and school wellbeing teams.
Our experience includes:
- Student mentoring
- Emotional regulation programs
- Boxing based wellbeing
- Fitness and movement programs
- Respectful relationships education
- Student engagement initiatives
- Culturally diverse student programs
- School gyms and sports academies
- Staff health and wellbeing sessions
- Targeted support for students who are difficult to engage
We focus on respectful relationships, clear boundaries, active participation and realistic progress.
We do not present one strategy as the answer for every student. We help staff consider what may be happening, what is within their control and what response may improve the situation.
The facilitator selected for your workshop will depend on the topic, school needs and availability.
Professional Learning Connections
Where relevant, Healthy Teens can provide suggested connections to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
These may include:
- Knowing students and how they learn
- Creating and maintaining supportive and safe learning environments
- Engaging in professional learning
- Engaging professionally with colleagues, parents, carers and communities
A certificate of participation can be provided.
Schools and individual teachers remain responsible for determining whether the workshop meets their professional learning needs and for recording any required evidence or reflection.
Healthy Teens does not claim that workshops are formally accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching unless this has been separately confirmed.
How to Book
1. Tell Us What Your Staff Are Experiencing
Share the main challenges, staff group and outcomes your school wants to achieve.
2. Choose the Most Suitable Format
We will recommend the workshop topic, duration and delivery approach that best fits your school.
3. Confirm the Session
You will receive clear information about the content, timing, fees, travel requirements and next steps.
Professional Learning Connections
Where relevant, Healthy Teens can provide suggested connections to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
These may include:
- Knowing students and how they learn
- Creating and maintaining supportive and safe learning environments
- Engaging in professional learning
- Engaging professionally with colleagues, parents, carers and communities
A certificate of participation can be provided.
Schools and individual teachers remain responsible for determining whether the workshop meets their professional learning needs and for recording any required evidence or reflection.
Connect Staff Learning With Student Programs
Professional development can be delivered as a standalone workshop or alongside a Healthy Teens student program.
Staff learning may connect with:
- Student mentoring
- Emotional regulation programs
- Boxing based wellbeing
- Respectful relationships education
- Student engagement initiatives
- Fitness and movement programs
This can help staff understand the strategies being used with students and reinforce consistent language, expectations and support across the school.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the workshops designed for?
Sessions may be suitable for teachers, education support staff, wellbeing teams, year level leaders, sports staff, leadership teams or whole staff groups.
Can the content be customised?
Yes. The workshop can be adjusted according to your student cohort, staff experience, school priorities and the challenges being addressed.
Can workshops run on curriculum days?
Yes. Sessions can be delivered during curriculum days, staff meetings, wellbeing days and other professional learning times.
Do staff need to participate in physical activity?
Not necessarily. Any movement component can be adjusted to suit the group, venue and purpose of the session.
Is this clinical mental health training?
No. Healthy Teens provides practical professional development based on youth engagement, mentoring, movement and wellbeing experience. Our workshops do not replace training delivered by psychologists, counsellors, behaviour specialists or other clinical professionals.
How much does a workshop cost?
Fees depend on the topic, duration, location, group size, customisation and travel requirements. A written quote will be provided before the booking is confirmed. Build Staff Confidence With Practical Professional Learning. Tell us what your staff are experiencing, the students they are supporting and the outcomes your school wants to achieve. We will recommend the most suitable workshop, delivery format and next step.
Contact us today
Together, we can create a supportive, inclusive, and mentally healthy atmosphere for all students and educators.
