Lack of funding… overcrowded classrooms… students with increasingly tempting technology…bullying issues…test score frenzy. Education is certainly on the hot seat these days with everyone expecting schools to answer all of society’s problems.
Classroom teachers are already overwhelmed with a myriad of responsibilities that didn’t exist a decade ago. They need to, as the requirements state, “increase student achievement, enhance classroom instructional strategies that promote rigor and relevance throughout the curriculum, and prepare students for continuing education and the workforce”. But how best to do that with limited resources and time?
One of the best ways is to enhance the classroom atmosphere and modify the style of teaching so that students want to be there, want to learn. As Julia Steiny, former educational writer for Rhode Island’s Providence Journal states, “What so many reformers don’t seem to get is that a kid needs to WANT to learn first.” When they want to learn, are eager to attend class, are captivated by the lessons presented, the challenges that provide the most difficulties in teaching fall away.
The late Dr. Laurence Martel, author of “The Seven Secrets of Learning Revealed: What Your Teacher Never Taught You Because Your Teacher Never Knew” stated that, “There is recent brain research that shows that the frontal lobes of the neo cortex which are responsible for empathy, consideration of others…do not mature until the late teens, early twenties. This might explain why anything in learning that is immersed in positive emotions, with love, fun, joy and high active energy tends to have more success than the traditional drudgery of high school classrooms.”
Classrooms that are engaging, safe, inspirational and even fun have a greater chance of creating a climate conducive to learning and free of the stresses that more traditional classrooms often encounter, whatever the subject matter. They also help create a more resilient and empathetic student which can help decrease incidents of bullying and discipline problems in general.
This professional development session will share how this type of classroom is not only possible but achievable with the added benefit of increased test scores, higher graduation rates and improved school attendance. It will be presented modeling how it was used over twenty times in a public high school classroom - a blend of lecture, activities, participation, and humor. Participants will learn simple, practical, researched-based strategies that are ready to implement upon return to the classroom. Additional support will be made available through distance learning (webinars, teleseminars), online mentoring and a book for those wishing to expand and support their learning.
"This seminar was phenomenal! It was wonderful professional development. Inspiring!
"Rhode Island Middle Level Educator's Conference - 2011
"Great practical information that any teacher can use in the classroom that will promote learning! Loved your real-life experience."
NASSP Conference - San Francisco 2011
"I'm at a point in my life that is low, professionally and personally and this presentation was so motivating and engaging that I'm feeling like you are a genuine supporter of me and that I can do this!"Rhode Island Middle Level Educator's Conference
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