Kyle Schwartz

Featured Keynote Programs

- increasing student voice in our school communities
- increasing equity in education
- building strong classroom communities
- increasing rigor in the classroom through differentiated instruction
- supporting English language learners
- meeting diverse student needs in classrooms.

For years I have been asking the same beautifully simple question of her students: What do you wish your teacher knew? When I finally shared this community building activity through her new Twitter account, the response astounded her. In this session Kyle will share a detailed teacher’s guide to the #IWishMyTeacherKnew lesson as well explore issues that may arise through students’ responses. Participants will explore multiple issues that affect students and come away with “Teacher Tools,” actionable steps they can take to address students needs and build relationships that lead to learning.

The beginning of every school year, teachers are faced with a monumental task-- to turn a list of names on a class roster into a community of learners. In this talk, we look at how educators can show our students to become active and generous members of their communities, both inside and outside their classroom. We discuss strategies teachers and use teach students the value of community, we show them how to live and grow among, others, how to be kind and compassionate, how to be a good friend, how to help others feel appreciated, and how to contribute to our global community.

I provide an look at issues like students, such as poverty and student mobility that affect millions of students nationwide, alongside problems that affect individual children and families, such as coping with trauma and grief. In addition to statistics and research, I provide real stories from students, teachers, and family members that shed light on how we can all help students tackle these challenges and grow as individuals.

In this session, Kyle focuses on setting up the physical environment in the classroom that is calming and culturally competent. She discussed strategies that she uses everyday in her classroom to help students regulate, adjust, and focus. This includes how trauma and grief manifest in the classroom, how to recognize it, and respond appropriately and effectively.