Virtual emotional support workshop offered for special ed assistants

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés

By THE STAR STAFF

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés announced Thursday that the agency will offer the workshop “Basic Strategies for Emotional Support in the Classroom,” aimed at special education assistants for students in regular, transitional, and irregular enrollment categories.

The training will take place today from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., via the Microsoft Teams platform, and will be available to participants from all Regional Education Offices.

“The professional development of our service assistants is key to supporting students’ emotional well-being and strengthening classroom dynamics,” the education secretary said in a written statement. “Initiatives like this workshop contribute to creating more humane and supportive educational spaces focused on the real needs of students.”

Alayra Figueroa, associate secretary of special education, said the initiative aims to expand the professional skills of staff who provide direct support to students in the Special Education Program.

“At the Special Education Secretariat, we continue to promote practices that foster more effective and sensitive daily interventions regarding the socio-emotional well-being of students,” she said. “This training addresses the need to prepare staff to support the holistic development of students within inclusive educational environments,.”

The workshop will be offered as part of a collaborative agreement with the University of Puerto Rico. Those interested can access the link https://adistancia.upr.edu/estrategias to participate in the training.