Speaking Topics for Teachers
Alternatively, you can contact me and tell me more about the needs of your organization at:
Speaking Topics for Teachers – Descriptions
Teaching Kindness
From about age 3 onwards, children know what they should do to be kind, but it's not always easy for them to act on that knowledge, especially when they're upset. This presentation offers educators practical ways to address common barriers and stumbling blocks that get in the way of children behaving kindly, so they can guide children toward better choices. It also discusses how to cope with the understandable frustration educators feel when children behave in unkind ways. Participants will come away with actionable insights and do-able strategies for addressing mean behavior and encouraging kind actions.
“Good hands-on ideas to use immediately in class.”
Teaching Children People Skills Through Literature and Activities
People skills are an essential, but often unacknowledged, part of every school curriculum. This presentation describes five people skills that are also common themes in children’s literature: Reaching Out, Pulling Back, Blending In, Speaking Up, and Letting Go. Participants will explore books related to each theme and learn classroom activities to help children gain these essential skills.
Sometimes particular children need extra help in learning to get along with others. This presentation includes a hands-on activity to help participants learn about typical social development and common social struggles at every age. Using a case study format, participants then discuss strategies for helping children develop the social skills they’ll need throughout their lives. (Can be offered in combination with “Teaching Children People Skills” to provide an all-day workshop.)
“Make this a district mandatory workshop.”
Reaching and Teaching the Challenging Child
Working with children is meaningful and fun, but it can also be frustrating and discouraging, especially when dealing with challenging children. This presentation reframes the not-so-pretty feelings that can come up for teachers with challenging students as important data and a starting point for understanding these harder-to-reach children. Participants will come away with useful, positive, and empowering strategies for engaging and guiding children who come across as “mean,” “uncooperative,” or “unmotivated,” as well as ideas for engaging their sometimes equally challenging parents.
“Credibility that rings true to our teacher experience.”
Positive Teacher-Parent Conferences
Dealing with parents can be one of the most challenging parts of educators’ jobs. This highly interactive workshop provides participants with the opportunity to work in groups to discuss the interventions they’d recommend for particular scenarios involving a struggling child, and how they’d respond to a “surprise” reaction from a parent. (Can be offered in combination with “Getting Unstuck” to provide an all-day workshop.)
“Interesting, energetic speaker…kept us engaged and got us thinking.”