BE THE ONE!
The education of America’s youth is a challenging prospect when one considers the many burdens faced by impoverished children and their families. Research indicates that poverty need not be a barrier to academic excellence. As co-author of the book Standing in the Gap, Dr. Hodge states, "Across the nation, schools are demonstrating that it can be done: That students can reach high standards, that all children can succeed, that the gap between white and minority students, poor and affluent, can be closed." More often than not, one caring adult can make all the difference in the world. Today’s presentation will encourage all of you to BE THE ONE!SHOW LESS
PLEASE STOP CALLING ME AT-RISK: THE POWER OF RESILIENCE IN TODAY'S URBAN YOUTH
In the fall of 2002, Dr. Jo Lynne DeMary, Superintendent of Public Instruction for Virginia Schools, requested that the Urban Learning and Leadership Center provide training for schools listed in Governor Mark Warner’s Partnership for Achieving Successful Schools (PASS) initiative. PASS targeted more than 100 academically warned schools based on the results of the Standards of Learning exams. Thirty-four of the schools were designated as PASS priority schools based on very low performance and were encouraged to attend training during the summer of 2003. With the governor’s approval, the training was called the Governor’s Urban Learning and Leadership Institute. As Director of the Urban Learning and Leadership Center, I was an integral part of the planning and delivery of training sessions.
I can vividly remember a comment made by a somewhat disgruntled participant. After expressing resentment that his school was “labeled” a PASS priority school, the participant commented; “these children can’t be successful because the deck is stacked against them.” Research regarding a phenomenon called resilience suggests that this type of deficit thinking may be partly responsible for the failure of students (Bernard, 1997). In keeping with the metaphorical observation presented by the participant, it is not that the deck is stacked against students; it may be that educators sometimes focus on the wrong cards. Research on resilience illustrates that children who are born with factors that place them at risk of failure can grow into productive citizens in spite of those factors (Werner & Smith, 1992). As educators, we must stop calling students at risk and begin to develop their resilience.
MOTIVATING TEACHERS TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS: LET'S TALK ABOUT BELIEF!!!
The stakes in public education have never been higher. If educators and communities think No Child Left Behind changed the game in schools, they should brace themselves for Common Core Standards. Now more than ever before, it is imperative that teachers and students are motivated to meet new challenges. This emotional presentation is designed to give teachers the push they need to re-enter classrooms with the desire to inspire every child they teach.
EDUCATING STUDENTS SOCIALLY, ACADEMICALLY AND MORALLY
This presentation teaches educators what it takes to create and sustain excellence in the classroom.
HELPING STUDENTS BOUNCE BACK: RESILIENCE
This presentation provides research supported strategies designed to help children bounce back from adversity.
HIGHER ORDER THINKING: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE
It is safe to say that most educators believe that higher order thinking is necessary for educational success. We all know that this is a universal truth in education. Yet in classrooms throughout the United States, classroom instruction focuses on basic facts and relies on the ability of students to recall information and not think through challenging content. The staff of the Urban Learning and Leadership Center has had the opportunity to work with educators throughout the United States. We fully realize what is driving instruction for many teachers: Common Core. But in attempting to prepare students for success on state testing, teachers are failing to teach students how to think. Please note the dramatic difference. Classrooms that focus on the ability of students to recall content are simply teaching students WHAT to think. We believe that if our focus is on teaching students HOW to think through problems, schools will meet and exceed state and federal academic standards. This presentation will provide teachers with tools they can immediately use to facilitate higher order thinking in all classrooms.
THE MIRACLE STARTS HERE
Have you ever become discouraged after you've worked hard and the results did not reflect your effort? Have you ever, just for a moment, let the thought cross your mind that the barriers to educating all students might be too overwhelming to overcome? This presentation will inspire participants to reflect on the true purpose of education and their role in ensuring that all children reach their fullest potential. This session is designed to help school staff unleash the miraculous power of collaboration to create excellent schools.
FOLLOWING THE S.A.M.E. PATHWAY TO EXCELLENT SCHOOLS
S.A.M.E. stands for Social, Academic and Moral Education. It is a holistic approach to creating and sustaining academic excellence in today's schools. S.A.M.E. provides a research-supported, holistic view of school improvement by addressing all of the components of school and district culture which must be addressed if lasting school reform is to be attained, i.e. the Social Domain, the Academic Domain and the Moral Domain. As the rigor of state accountability measures increase, schools must focus their efforts to achieve and sustain academic excellence. This approach is designed to assist schools along a vast performance continuum, from schools that are struggling to schools that are exceeding performance standards. This approach has been particularly successful in schools serving high-poverty populations.
ACHIEVING AND SUSTAINING EXCELLENCE IN THE COMMON CORE ERA
This presentation is designed to help school districts meet and exceed the Common Core Standards with their students.
