Every teacher brings his or her whole self to school: their dreams, their personal challenges, their hopes and fears, along with their desire to be valued, to be connected and to learn and grow. We have a duty to create school environments that can nurture every part of a teacher, that can help them stay connected to their why, and fulfill their servant hearts. We will break down the specific components of the whole teacher in this session and dive into strategies that will help create the environment that teachers need in order to thrive. Read More >

This session explores the six components of the whole teacher with strategies and ideas to make your school environment one that nurtures teachers. When teachers are nurtured, they are better able to nurture their students.

• Emotional safety: Ensure emotional safety comes first by making school a safe space for teachers to have both successes and failures.
• Valued educator: Make sure teachers feel valued by recognizing their strengths.
• Positive relationships: Build healthy, strong, and positive relationships among all staff, students, and families.
• Healthy workload: Protect healthy workloads by removing responsibilities from teachers’ plates when possible and encouraging them to hold family and personal time sacred.
• Decision-maker: Give teachers a seat at the decision-making table by empowering their voices.
• Continuous learner: Foster continuous growth and learning for teachers throughout the course of their careers.

This presentation is a journey of reflection and self-discovery. The interactive format features innovative technology tools. The participants will feel big, ask themselves important questions, laugh, maybe cry, and be compelled to improve for tomorrow. Read Less ^

Many of our students, staff and families have been affected by trauma, which makes becoming a trauma-informed educator an important part of setting our students up for success. In addition, the CDC discovered that exposure to trauma increases the likelihood of 7 out of 10 of the leading causes of death in the United States. As educators, not only do we have a responsibility to support students affected by trauma, we must make sure that our school environments are not trauma-inducing for any of our students. Our staff may come with their own background of trauma, and are at risk for trauma-fatigue as they give everything they have to their student. The good news? The supports that are required for students affected by trauma are good for all students. Read More >

Outcomes:

• Identify indicators of trauma
• Understand the crisis cycle and how to support students through it
• Learn strategies to support students who have been affected by trauma
• Understand how the strategies are good for all students
• Recognize trauma-fatigue in staff, and learn strategies to counter the impact of student trauma
• Value taking care of yourself so you can serve others

This presentation is a journey of reflection and self-discovery. The interactive format features innovative technology tools. The participants will feel big, ask themselves important questions, laugh, maybe cry, and be compelled to improve for tomorrow. Read Less ^

This engaging and empowering keynote will leave educators inspired to live their very best lives and to help each other do the same. Now more than ever we need to handle each other with care, and the best way to do that is to understand what motivates others' behavior and that everyone has a story that goes well beyond what meets the eye. This presentation is a journey of reflection and self-discovery. Be ready to feel big, ask important questions, laugh, maybe cry, and be compelled to improve for tomorrow. Read More >

Allyson Apsey will lead participants through the eight steps to helping others discover the best in themselves from her book Through the Lens of Serendipity.

Outcomes: Read Less ^

• Know that there is always more to someone’s story than what meets the eye.
• Review (or learn about) Glasser’s five basic needs and expand on that learning by understanding how to change how we are thinking and feeling.
• Understand that looking for the good in all people benefits more than just the people around you—it benefits you as well.
• Begin to understand how our brains work and why someone might choose fight, flight, or freeze over pausing and problem-solving.
• Understand what trauma is and that the same compassion and supports that those who have been affected by trauma need benefit ALL people.
• Know that others’ past experiences change their view on the world, their perceptions of others, and motivate their own self-preserving behaviors. And our own past experiences change our view of the world.
• Understand that we impact each other with our behavior, and this impact can be negative or positive.
• Passionately believe that in order to support everyone, we have to HANDLE each other with care.
• Hope is everything
• Assure safety
• No shoulda’ needed
• Do things differently
• Listen to understand
• Establish trust

The origin of the word serendipity comes from a Persian tale, “The Three Princes of Serendip.” In the story, three princes tried to impress their father by traveling as everyday people rather than as nobles. During their travels, the princes saw the hardships people went through as well as the good in the world. They learned a life without hardships was a life devoid of valuable lessons. Read More >

Serendipity is a way of living, but not one that came naturally to me. When I was younger and trying to figure out how life worked, I thought life just happened to us. We woke up each morning, stuff happened, we dealt with it, and then we went to bed to repeat the same process the next day.

This presentation is about embracing all experiences, particularly our challenges, and allowing them to make us better. It is about stumbling upon the fortunes of life and looking at every experience as a treasure—those moments that bring us more pain than we thought possible, more joy than we feel we deserve, and everything in between.

Outcomes:

• Five basic needs drive all behavior.
• All behavior is purposeful, and all behavior is information.
• We get to decide who we want to be and how we react to what life throws at us.
• The only person who controls you is you.
• We can’t always get what we want, and there are three things we can do when we don’t.
• Respect means meeting our own needs without interfering with someone else trying to meet their needs.
• Strong, positive relationships are essential to our well-being, and they take work!

This presentation is a journey of reflection and self-discovery. The interactive format features innovative technology tools. The participants will feel big, ask themselves important questions, laugh, maybe cry, and be compelled to improve for tomorrow. Read Less ^

The true test of our character comes not from surviving through the hard times, but thriving because of the hard times. Challenges give us an opportunity to test the strength of our spirit. Embedded in every experience we face is a beautiful opportunity to inch closer toward the person we want to become. Allyson will guide participants on a journey to uncover the lessons the boulders in our path present, to allow ourselves to experience the great joys bestowed upon us, and to live in the moment because, as Gretchen Rubin says, “The days are long, but the years are short.” Read More >

Outcomes:

• Understanding what is within our control, and what is not.
• Reflecting on challenges we have faced and the beautiful lessons embedded in them.
• Learn strategies to live in the moment so you can present your whole self to the people right in front of you.
• Identify the boulders in our path and take action to crush them, avoid them, or allow the person who created the boulder to keep it for themselves.

This presentation is a journey of reflection and self-discovery. The interactive format features innovative technology tools. The participants will feel big, ask themselves important questions, laugh, maybe cry, and be compelled to improve for tomorrow. Read Less ^

Nothing is more important in an organization than strong, positive relationships built on trust. In this presentation, Allyson will share the components necessary for strong positive relationships, strategies to develop these relationships, and allow participants to reflect on their relationships in their workplace and their personal lives. Read More >

Outcomes:

• Understand the five basic needs.
• Self-evaluate the strength of your own needs.
• Reflect on what motivates your own behavior and the behavior of others.
• Explain what trust is and how it is developed.
• Accept what is within our control and what is not.
• Develop strategies to contribute to the important relationships in your life.

This presentation is a journey of reflection and self-discovery. The interactive format features innovative technology tools. The participants will feel big, ask themselves important questions, laugh, maybe cry, and be compelled to improve for tomorrow. Read Less ^

Allyson's interactive session will focus on creating a need-satisfying environment in your classroom for both students and for YOU. You will see behavior through a new lens as you explore the purpose of behavior and the information we can learn from behavior. Read More >

Outcomes:

• Learn about Dr. William Glasser’s five basic needs and assess the strengths of your own needs.
• Identify ways students’ motivation to meet their own needs impact your classroom and/or school.
• Learn that all behavior is purposeful and that all behavior is information.
• Develop strategies to give your students opportunities to meet their needs within the functions of your classroom.
• Learn how to CRAFT a need-satisfying classroom and school environment.
• Identify ways adults attempt to meet their own needs in school and the impact that has on the culture, positively and/or negatively.

This presentation is a journey of reflection and self-discovery. The interactive format features innovative technology tools. The participants will feel big, ask themselves important questions, laugh, maybe cry, and be compelled to improve for tomorrow. Read Less ^

As they say, in the absence of information, others often form their own conclusions about you, about your school, about your students, and about your staff. In this interactive and engaging session, you will explore ways to own your story. Participants will have an opportunity to explore the benefits of various social media platforms, blogging for different purposes, and making videos that reflect the values of your school. Be ready to laugh, to collaborate, and to have a great time as we grow together! Read More >

Outcomes:

• Participants will explore the purpose and audience of various social media platforms.
• Participants will consider the value of telling their story through videos.
• Participants will discover their own "why" that motivates sharing their own story.

This presentation is a journey of reflection and self-discovery. The interactive format features innovative technology tools. The participants will feel big, ask themselves important questions, laugh, maybe cry, and be compelled to improve for tomorrow. Read Less ^