In this dynamic, highly interactive presentation, participants will discover the common ingredients of all great schools, teachers, and common characteristics of staff. You’ll hear stories from across the country about practices that really work, and you’ll be informed about the most recent research from the Gallup Organization and Search Institute on the importance of a strength based approach and seeing youth as participants, not recipients, parents as players, not protagonists, and communities that support youth in innovative ways. You’ll discover how focusing on “small changes” improves Attendance, grades, and even test scores! Participants will also learn how great schools focus on nine key areas to create thriving environments, and will learn about the most important characteristics students want from their teachers!

In this keynote you’ll discover how resiliency research tells us that at-risk students who demonstrate challenging behaviors need programs that focus on what’s positive and allows them to contribute to their school. You’ll learn how Just one highly disruptive student (as we all know) can divert learning dramatically. Many “tough” students are unaffected by principal visits, suspensions, or expulsions. When asked to do something, some students will respond: “you can’t make me,” and they’re right! The bottom line is that we can never punish students to stay in school, and one of the most compelling and powerful ways to begin to shift this approach this is through an innovative approach of meaningful work, the power of relationships, and youth as active participants, not recipients!You’ll discover how to begin a Meaningful Work program that thoughtfully assigns school jobs to students and how each has an adult to mentor them in real life skills and how to the power of relationships and youth as participants can transform the school. Disruptive students begin to see themselves in a different way and teachers are thrilled that they get a break from having that student out of class with the hope behavior will begin to change. What are the outcomes?These approachesdramatically reduce high risk and inappropriate behaviors, creates connectedness to school and caring adults while increasing thriving behaviors that can translate into higher attendance, grades, and test scores. We’ll cover how the entire student body and faculty can be involved!