THRIVE! Not Just Survive: Grant Wood AEA Seminar Series

THRIVE! Not Just Survive Grant Wood A E A Learning Series 2023 24

Grant Wood AEA Seminar Series

This series is open for all!

Presentations this year include:

A Culture of Achievement — Dominique Smith

  • Most school improvement efforts focus on academic goals. But sometimes what can make or break your learning community are the intangibles – the relationships and connections that make up its culture. Dominique and his colleagues believe that no school improvement effort will be effective unless school culture is addressed. They identify six pillars that are critical to building a culture of achievement and embracing a growth mindset. Dominique will describe how these pillars support good teaching and learning. Effective adult communication and the growth mindset in the classroom will support a culture of achievement in the classroom.

Handle with Care: Manage Difficult Situations in Schools with Dignity and Respect — Jimmy Casas

  • In schools across the country, educators at every level are faced with delicate, challenging situations that require leadership skills and insight in order to produce favorable outcomes for students and staff. You will hear; what it takes to cultivate a school culture in which every student and staff member feels seen and heard, how to treat student and staff missteps as opportunities for teaching & learning based on dignity and respect, how to build leadership capacity and culturize school pride, the value of student-centered
    classrooms and school-related programs.

Soaring Balloons and Heavy Shackles, Featuring the Social Emotional Alphabet — Heidy LaFleur

  • This powerful true story, based on real life trauma, provides practical strategies to understand how our Actions, Words & Expressions (AWE) have a direct impact on the outcome of every interaction with our students. Trauma transforms the student experience and practicing our perspective can assist in a child’s journey to reclaim livelihood, heal and be able to access academics. We are empowered to be a part of the problem or part of the solution with ALL kids. Our AWE can either add weight to their shackles or fill their balloons to soar. Every letter of the Social Emotional Alphabet represents a practical & powerful strategy to help our kids who have been traumatized, feel misunderstood or take frequent detours from what’s expected.

Ready for Real Life: Unpacking the Five Essential Soft Skills Great Leaders Instill in Their Students — Andrew McPeak

  • Our app-driven world is faster and more convenient than ever before, but the evidence is mounting to show that our students’ lives may not be getting better. Today’s students are the most social generation in history, but they are also the loneliest. They are the smartest generation in history, but they also struggle in basic social interactions. They have more opportunities than ever before, but they tend to feel overwhelmed rather than empowered. In this timely and practical session, Andrew McPeak, author of Ready for Real Life, defines the five core soft skills that prepare students to face the real life challenges of the 21st century. In this session, he will offer both easy-to-use strategies and compelling stories of success to show how these five skills, though timeless in human history, are still relevant for the modern age.

Perform at Your Best — Traci McCausland

  • As a strengths and engagement consultant and owner of Follow Your Strengths, Traci McCausland knows you want to be a high-performing leader. In order to do that, your team and organization must be at their best. However, as your people get busier, they can get lost in the shuffle resulting in your team checking out. Along with everything else on your plate, creating a great place to work is overwhelming.
    Good leaders want to help their teams make a difference and have a purposeful career. However, you have more demands than time and the list of problems to solve pile up, all while trying to create an engaging and dynamic workplace.
    Traci and her team have helped more than 50 organizations and 2,500 people improve their team’s performance by creating a culture built on individual and team strengths. Traci will help you to build a happier and healthier team.

Each session is open for area educators from 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. (Morning session is reserved for administrators.)