Battling Boredom: Strategies to Spark Student Engagement
Based on the book, Battling Boredom: 99 Strategies to Spark Student Engagement, this session focuses on the relationship among boredom, engagement, and behavior. It includes research and definitions of student boredom and engagement, including brain and cognitive processes. The majority of the workshop focuses on specific strategies for teachers to use in the classroom setting to engage students in meaningful learning.
Who Should Attend: Teachers (K-12), administrators, academic coaches and anyone interested in learning how to conquer boredom in the classroom.
Finding Enthusiasm for Teaching in an Online World
Without the face-to-face connection between people, it can be difficult to teach effectively. Feeding off the audience and sensing cues from the student’s faces and voices don’t exist in a virtual classroom or a discussion thread. Or do they? In this session, educators will learn strategies for managing their workload as an online moderator, coaxing the best out of their students, and balancing rigor with engagement for student and teacher alike, all in the name of finding a happier place as an educator in this ever-changing online world.
Who Should Attend: Teachers (K-12, higher education), administrators, instructional leaders, and anyone who teaches online classes and is in need of a motivational boost.
Student Engagement in a 21st Century World
Teachers who educate students online face challenges that no brick and mortar teacher could anticipate. Student engagement can be challenging. Building community can be challenging. Differentiation for the wide variety of students takes a wide variety of teaching strategies. Educators will learn how to design and develop engaging, multimodal online lessons, and will find out how to motivate students to be their own advocates in an online environment. In this session, educators will learn strategies for becoming online moderators who are able to coax the best out of their students. Educators will also learn tips for balancing rigor with engagement for students and teachers alike, so that everyone can find a happier place in this ever-changing online world.
Who Should Attend: Teachers (K-12, higher education), administrators, instructional leaders, and anyone who teaches in a virtual environment and who is interested in learning effective ways to engage students through online instruction.
Managing and Engaging Students in the Common Core Classroom
The Common Core State Standards will require that students collaborate, think deeply about content, make connections across disciplines, communicate ideas, and direct some of their own learning. As a result, classrooms will have to be organized and managed in an authentic manner. This session will provide specific organizational, behavioral, and instructional techniques that will help to produce self‐controlled, cooperative, and focused learners.
Who Should Attend: Teachers (K-12), administrators, academic coaches, and anyone interested in learning how to optimize their classroom management style to support the teaching of the Common Core State Standards.
The Big Picture: The Science of Motivation and the Mind
Every teacher has experienced the frustration of trying to motivate a student who just doesn’t seem to care. As educators, we’ve tried marbles in the jar, table points, competitions, candy, free time, punishment, and even sarcasm in an effort to get the best out of students. But what if we’ve gotten it all wrong? This session explores the current research on motivation. It also examines the brain processes that provide evidence and strategies for a more complete understanding of motivation and how it gets exhibited by students. Participants will be challenged to reflect on the statement/question, “Think not so much, what can I do to motivate my students but rather how can I create the environment and contexts where students will demonstrate motivated behavior.” Participants will be given numerous classroom examples and strategies to use with students.
Who Should Attend:Teachers (K-12, higher education), administrators, and anyone who is interested in learning how to build students’ intrinsic motivation.
Reaching the Reluctant Learner
This session focuses on strategies for those students in our classrooms who may not exhibit overt, difficult behavior but who nonetheless provide challenges for classroom teachers. Numerous, easy-to-use classroom strategies will be provided and modeled for participants. Partially based on strategies provided in Battling Boredom: 99 Strategies to Spark Student Engagement, this session explores questions and topics centered on meaningful learning and engagement. Plus, it encourages participants to consider why students may be reluctant and what can be done to connect with students so that they commit to classroom activities.
Who Should Attend: Teachers (K-12, higher education), administrators, and anyone who is interested in learning practical strategies for reaching reluctant students in the classroom.
Strategies for Students Who Drive You Nuts
This session focuses on strategies for those students in our classrooms who may not exhibit overt, difficult behavior but who nonetheless provide challenges for classroom teachers. Numerous, easy-to-use classroom strategies will be provided and modeled for participants. Partially based on strategies provided in Battling Boredom: 99 Strategies to Spark Student Engagement, this session explores questions and topics centered on meaningful learning and engagement. Plus, it encourages participants to consider why students may be reluctant and what can be done to connect with students so that they commit to classroom activities.
Who Should Attend: Teachers (K-12, higher education), administrators, and anyone who is interested in learning how to deal with challenging behaviors.
The Passion-Driven Classroom
Over the years, our consultants have heard many stories about how a few words or a simple act has changed a student’s life forever. An expert consultant shares with teachers how they can sustain students’ energy, excitement, and love for learning.
Who Should Attend: Teachers (K-12, higher education), administrators, and anyone who is interested in receiving techniques to improve the students’ desire for learning.