Does your team feel safe, seen, and valued? Are they invested in the success of the organization beyond their own needs? Do they look forward to coming to the workplace and sharing their full intelligence with the community? This workshop is designed to help you build a vibrant culture of belonging and ownership in your school community. You will walk away with clear strategies and actionable steps for how to create a culture that inspires a sense of belonging, promotes staff engagement, and results in greater longevity. Learn more.

In the tumult of day-to-day operations, organizations can lose their footing without a solid foundation of defined values. Thriving school communities invest in crafting explicit values that serve as guiding beacons for every member. Join us to discover how to collaboratively shape these values with all stakeholders in your community. Learn how to seamlessly integrate them into decision-making, behaviors, and strategic planning, anchoring your organization’s identity and actions in its core principles.

Research shows that the way you bring new staff into your school community makes a significant difference in their feelings of belonging, success in the role, and longevity in your organization. Learn intentional tools that send belonging cues including how to implement a thorough orientation program, ways to partner new staff with experienced colleagues, structures for ongoing mentoring for employees’ first years, and how to provide channels for listening and responding to feedback offered. School leaders will walk away with a successful framework for onboarding and supporting new staff.

Enhance collaboration, alignment, and partnership within your school community through honest and direct conversations. This workshop offers strategies to create an environment that facilitates authentic communication of your vision and values. Learn how to navigate conflicts constructively, promoting accountability and growth. Develop skills to articulate thoughts effectively, actively listen, and encourage others to do the same, fostering mutual understanding and alignment. Explore the power of dialogue in nurturing trust and collaboration across your community. Experience firsthand the transformative impact of candid communication in fostering a supportive, inclusive, and harmonious school environment. Learn more.

Unlock the potential of your educators by embracing reflective practice as a cornerstone of professional growth. In this workshop, you will learn to foster a culture of self-reflection within your staff by establishing consistent frameworks for personal assessment and meaningful goal setting. From weekly team meetings to monthly check-ins, peer observations, and facilitated discussions on pedagogy and individual student needs, explore a range of tools and techniques designed to foster collaboration, growth, and empowerment among educators. We’ll delve into methods to nurture a supportive atmosphere where imperfection is embraced as a means of learning and growth.

The statistics are staggering. More than 500,000 educators leave the field each year and 44% of teachers quit in the first five years. It is more important than ever to support young educators so that they build confidence, gain experience, and stay in the field. Fortunately, current research indicates that mentoring programs for new teachers have a positive impact on teachers and their retention. In this workshop, we offer a research-based framework for mentoring, including a schedule for observations and mentoring meetings, the mentoring meeting structure, how to set SMART goals, and examples of possible discussion topics. We will also discuss who benefits from mentoring and the essential qualities needed in experienced mentors.

As educators and school leaders, it is easy to get caught up in the daily to-do list. In the rush to accomplish tasks, we often overlook our own basic human needs, including the spiritual work required for us be fully prepared for our role in the classroom guiding children and adolescents. To truly serve and nurture the spirit of the child, we must first focus on our own spirits. In this workshop, we will delve into supporting educators in cultivating a peaceful core as the foundation for educating – and inspiring –  our young people.

Discover an innovative approach to classroom discipline that emphasizes partnership with your students. This workshop is based on the tenet that all behavior is communication, and “challenging” behaviors are in response to needs that are not being met. Children thrive when their needs are supported appropriately. Through observation and conversation, you’ll learn to identify the underlying needs of your students and gain insights into addressing responsive behaviors effectively, while fostering a more harmonious classroom environment. Join us to explore strategies for collaborative discipline that prioritize student engagement and empowerment.

Are your students invested in their own learning? How do you support students in caring about their community, engaging their passions, and connecting to the work in a way that fuels them? The key is through meaningful, purposeful work and connection to their school community. Learn how to support your students in building internal motivation through one-on-one goal setting, self-reflection, student-led conferences, and purposeful work in their communities.

From understanding the intersectionality of identities to implementing culturally responsive teaching methods, this workshop will provide actionable steps for creating a more equitable and welcoming school environment. Participants will explore strategies for identifying and addressing bias in curriculum, policies, and classroom practices. This workshop will empower all faculty and staff to actively work toward anti-bias, antiracist education and continue the conversation within your school community.

This workshop provides an overview of the major “Specific Learning Disabilities” (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory processing disorder, language processing disorder, non-verbal learning disorders, visual perceptual/visual motor deficit), and other “related disorders that impact learning,” including ADHD, sensory processing, and autism spectrum disorder. (This diagnostic terminology comes from The Learning Disabilities Association of America and is used by clinicians, but throughout this workshop, we will use the terminology “learning differences” or “neurodiversities.”) Participants will learn the early signs of various learning differences that are observable by teachers, how these observations should be documented, and how to best share them with families. Most importantly, participants will learn how to adapt Montessori materials and lessons to meet the needs of neurodiverse students. This workshop will empower teachers to step straight into supporting students at risk rather than take the “wait and see” approach, which is a disservice to the child. When we scaffold Montessori materials and lessons so that all children can be successful, we are providing the early intervention they need, whether or not they end up being identified as neurodiverse and need outside support as well. We are following the child!

Recent research underscores that cultivating a spiritual foundation is pivotal in predicting fulfillment, success, and thriving. While our educational system has separated religion from secular instruction, it’s become evident that spirituality—a fundamental aspect of our humanity—should not be overlooked. This workshop discusses the sacred essence of childhood and how to build an educational paradigm to nurture each child’s connection with their own spiritual growth and honor the spiritual nature of all living beings. This approach encourages exploration of self and one’s role in the world, with a profound emphasis on spiritual growth.

Discover an innovative approach to discipline that emphasizes partnership with your child. This workshop is based on the tenet that all behavior is communication, and “challenging” behaviors are in response to needs that are not being met. Children thrive when their needs are supported appropriately. Through observation and reflection, you’ll learn to identify the underlying needs of your child and gain insights into addressing responsive behaviors in partnership with your child. Join us to explore strategies for collaborative discipline that prioritize self-awareness, open communication, and empowerment.

School and family partnership is pivotal for supporting social-emotional learning for young people. Social-emotional learning has many facets; it involves building emotional intelligence, self-awareness, self-regulation, executive functions, and empathy. These skills are foundational for all other types of learning. This workshop describes what social-emotional learning looks like for different ages of children – preschoolers, elementary-age students, and adolescents. Strategies will be presented for both the classroom and home settings to encourage alignment and practice in building these essential skills. 

Join us in exploring how to seamlessly incorporate the wonders of nature into any educational setting. Embrace the innate curiosity and awe that children possess towards the natural world as we delve into the intricacies of ecological systems. This workshop offers tailored activities and resources for educators, equipping you with practical strategies for integrating nature-based learning into your curriculum. Together, we’ll cultivate a culture of environmental awareness and activism, empowering students to become champions of environmental stewardship. Through hands-on sessions, educators will gain insights into fostering children’s self-discovery and inspiring a sense of responsibility towards the planet. Transform your classroom into a hub of natural discovery!

How do we raise confident and compassionate leaders? It starts with supporting your child’s independence and self-discipline. This workshop will present simple but effective strategies for the home setting that will empower your child to become more independent, resilient, and self-motivated. Receive a toolkit of family structures, including creating a family charter and how to hold regular family meetings. By implementing these strategies consistently in a supportive environment, you can assist in your child’s self-construction as they grow into confident and compassionate leaders.