Cultivating Connection Throughout the First Eight Weeks of School

Establishing and maintaining a connected classroom community isn’t a nice-to-have, a perk; it’s a need-to-have, a prerequisite for meaningful learning. Connectedness—defined by Dr. Brené Brown as the energy that exists between people when they feel heard, seen, and valued—lifts students out of feeling unwelcome or dysregulated and into a place where they are ready to learn: “Being connected is the most efficient and effective way to get information up to the cortex”(Perry & Winfrey, 2021). This workshop introduces simple creative-writing and visual-art invitations, games, and peer-to-peer feedback routines that open the door to connection, which in turn opens the door to every other good thing that happens at school: joy, engagement, inspiration, you name it.

Brain-Changing Words: Shared Classroom Language That Transform How Kids Think, Feel, and Achieve

Thanks to remarkable advances in the science of emotion and neuroplasticity, we now know that words we hear and use every day can literally shape our brain, changing microscopic parts of our neurons and inviting us to create new mental concepts (Barrett, 2017). Until a learner is exposed to a word or a particular combination of words, epiphanies lie dormant. For instance, a teacher’s unusual pairing of the words “brilliant” and “mistake” in the phrase “what a brilliant mistake!” can rewire how a child responds to making errors, replacing feelings of shame with self-compassion and curiosity. Teachers who share bite-sized, literally brain-altering language with students (who repeat this language to themselves as self-talk) can empower children to navigate the school-day with confidence and resilience. This workshop introduces simple, affirming language suggestions and practical curricular extensions (such as poetry invitations and reading responses) that help students explore and internalize these transformative phrases.

Positive Classroom Management

How can educators effectively respond to challenging behavior while also maintaining the dignity of children? How can students learn to see their hardest moments not as “who they are” but simply as instances in which something was uniquely difficult for them? This workshop empowers educators to move away from incentivizing kids to simply modify their behavior (think sticker charts and demerits) and instead towards identifying the root of children's challenging behavior. Only then can teachers offer specific coaching, strategies, and tools that enable students to do better next time.

The Power of Student Agency: How Choice Boosts Engagement & Investment in Learning

Educators can inspire a love of learning that transcends the classroom by weaving opportunities for student agency throughout all areas of curricula. When teachers move away from a compliance-oriented, one-size-fits-all approach to instruction and instead let students’ interests and strengths lead the way, engagement soars. This workshop introduces practical strategies and resources (such as choice boards, extensions, and varied publishing options) that inspire children to listen to their instincts and take ownership in their learning.

Teaching Emotional Literacy: How to Help Children Positively Navigate Their Inner Lives Through Reading and Writing Instruction

Emotional literacy—the ability to name, express, and positively manage our feelings—is a skill often neglected in the traditional teaching model, yet one that’s essential to success in the classroom and beyond. Emotionally literate kids can navigate their anxieties, diplomatically advocate for themselves, and tackle challenges with a growth mindset. This workshop outlines how teachers can weave a focus on emotional literacy into reading and writing curricula through personal narrative brainstorming strategies, book club discussion prompts, reading responses, and other immediately-implementable strategies. Why hone-in on literacy instruction, as opposed to other content areas? Emotional literacy and traditional literacy have a symbiotic relationship: analyzing characters’ emotional experiences empowers invites children to be more curious and metacognitive about their own inner lives; conversely, introspective students make stronger writers and more insightful readers, better able to dream up meaningful ideas for writing and to understand characters’ motivations.

Windows & Mirrors: Fostering an Inclusive Classroom Community

In Emily Style’s 1988 essay “Curriculum as Window and Mirror,” she explains that in order feel valued and welcome at school, students need “mirrors”: positive reflections of their identities and experiences. But to cultivate an appreciation of varied perspectives and lived realities, students also need “windows”: insights into identities and circumstances that are not their own. This workshop introduces strategies to ensure that all children feel represented and validated at school, as well exercises that empower them to imagine and respect the experiences of others.

Creative Drama in the Classroom: Making Literacy Learning Come Alive

This workshop outlines how to weave Creative Drama strategies (such as narrative pantomime and guided imagery) into reading and writing curricula. These kinesthetic techniques get kids up from their desks and up on their feet and inspire them to engage with their literacy learning in an energetic, personal way.

Where Poems Hide: Weaving Poetry into All Subject Areas

Are your students reticent writers? Poetry—with its economy of language and endless possibilities—is a breath of fresh air for children. Writing poetry connected to social studies, mathematics, science, and, of course, literacy curricula can inspire students to find delight in unexpected places, to make meaningful connections with each other and with academic content, and to express their learning in varied ways. Educators will leave this workshop with a bounty of strategies and practical resources that empower kids to pick up their pencils and start writing in a joyful, low-stakes manner.

Student-as-Teacher: Enhancing Learning Through Peer-to-Peer Instruction

We’ve all heard it said: “The best way to learn something is to teach it.” But what exactly does this look like in the classroom? Educators can boost children’s engagement at school and their understanding of academic material by providing opportunities for peer-to-peer teaching moments.