Benefits

Diamonds are the most valuable mineral found on earth. They are formed deep underground in an environment of extreme heat and pressure. In life there are challenges, but we can endure and overcome them. This presentation focuses on how the educator can explore within and reveal concealed abilities. They will identify and prepare to implement their enhanced expertise in the school and classroom. With the proper level of encouragement and affirmation, they will have the catalyst needed to begin the process. This session will also focus on establishing the proper environment needed to cultivate both student rapport and academic success. Jeremy will also discuss his story and will also tie in strategies on how to relate and touch the hearts of at-risk students.

The #1 job of schools is to guide young people in developing the intellectual, affective, and social competence and confidence necessary to lead productive and satisfying lives both now and in the future that awaits them. Sadly, there are many indicators that we have failed many students in ways that place the goal out of their reach. We live in a particularly perilous time right now, but perilous times are also moments of great opportunity for change. This keynote will present a challenge to re-think several key aspects of how we think about teaching, learning, and leading that could quite literally make a world of difference in outcomes for students. Making the shift would require big dreams and wise planning on the part of educators. The reward would be many more pathways to possibility for the kids we teach.

If building relationships is key to significant learning, that goes double for kids & families in poverty, where relationships are valued about all else. This session will provided strategies to lay that solid foundation to build social and academic success.

What really makes a difference in teaching? There are many factors that have a powerful impact, but when it comes to that 45-to 90-minute block of time we set aside for instruction, what activities actually move the needle on learning? This session explores four rock-solid truths backed by research on how people learn. These laws apply to every subject area and grade level, and if you follow them when planning lessons, you’ll be a lot more likely to make some real learning happen for students.

In this empowering address, Principal Kafele will state emphatically to educators at all levels that each of them possess the power toward completely altering the trajectory of a child. He will encourage them to reflect upon their initial “why” for entering the world of education and remind them of the significance their “why” holds throughout the course of each and every day while ultimately taking children to heights previously unimagined.

The United States and the world have endured unprecedented challenges in the past 18 months. Today, we are recovering from the impact of economic and social hurdles that may seem overwhelming. It’s during times like the present that leadership is most important. Guided by peer-reviewed research in resilience, and the lessons learned by school leaders after Hurricane Katrina, this presentation will provide participants with 5 research-supported principles designed to guide schools through the many obstacles ahead. Excellence is possible—even when times are tough.

During this session, attendees will learn how to garner student leadership skills, develop a growth mindset, and promote life skills with students of poverty within a high-trust school culture.

This session draws upon research findings regarding the components found in magnet schools that are both diverse and educationally effective.  Attendees will learn evidence-based policy recommendations aimed at helping schools design, implement, and sustain effective magnet schools that can foster integrated learning and positive student outcomes.

During this session, attendees will learn how to provide enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The information provided will be adaptable to all afterschool or before school programs, including 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

This session will focus on the key components of an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and detail how to determine the least restrictive environment for a student with a disability. Participants will gain knowledge in how to choose appropriate accommodations to assist in making students successful in a general education classroom.

Poverty is the single most significant event impacting public education today. Every year school districts dedicate resources, draft policies, and create new services to meet the academic and behavioral challenges associated with students coming from poverty. However, much of the attempts of public education to address the need of students in poverty are occurring without vital information on how poverty is transforming the brains of students today. Attempting to address the issues of poverty with only partial information is like completing a puzzle with key pieces missing. The brain transformations resulting from poverty speak to the heart of the academic and behavioral issues schools seek to overcome. The neuroscience of poverty provides not only a clear picture as to the whys academic and behavioral problems are occurring but also how to design a more precise response to best address the issues.

This workshop is an indispensable experience for educators who want to take their instruction to the next level. Drawing on a fifteen-year scientist-teacher collaboration, more than 100 years of research, and illustrative examples from K–12 and higher education, Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal, cognitive scientist and author of the book Powerful Teaching, presents step-by-step guidance on how to transform teaching with four essential strategies: Retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, and feedback-driven metacognition. Equipped with scientific knowledge and evidence-based tools, turn your teaching into powerful teachingand unleash student learning in your classroom.

After March 2020, districts across the state embarked upon the virtual education system journey. Instruction and student support (telehealth, tele-counseling, remote food preparation…) were delivered virtually. In the world of social-emotional learning, calming spaces to help promote self-regulation in a brick-and-mortar setting were just gaining traction as a SEL practice when, again, virtual became the only option. Virtual calming spaces found their place, although still evolving, as the option to promote self-regulation.

Learn how to truly offer your students equitable and meaningful learning tools and experiences and learn why sometimes the newest and most expensive tools are not the right choice in preparing students for college and career.