Kim Strobel

A Mission to Make the System Work for All

Schools are struggling. Administrators are frustrated. Teachers are overworked. Students are paying the price. And everyone is looking for a way to reform—and transform—a troubled education system.

But before any sort of reform can happen, I think everyone involved needs to ask themselves a very important question:

Do we need to reimagine what education can really be?

As educators, we are preparing young people for the future. And that’s why our outdated educational system needs to change. The future belongs to artists, inventors, storytellers—creative thinkers!

We need to take advantage of the technological resources we have at our disposal.

We need to understand the unique challenges of the 21st century learner.

We need to offer a personalized approach to educating young people.

We have an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine education in a BIG way. One that supports our students’ abilities, yet pushes them to accept new challenges. One that recognizes the sacrifices teachers make, yet encourages them to embrace new perspectives, professional development, and techniques. One that understands administrative limits, yet pushes for the reform and resources our schools need and deserve.

As an accomplished educational keynote speaker, I want to renew HOPE and let everyone who is involved in education know they DO have the power to change the system. And I’m heartened to know that so many teachers, administrators, and others are willing to join me on this mission to reimagine what our students are capable of doing.

For so long, the system has placed an outsized value on IQ, on the ability of students to perform and learn in only a few outdated ways, on the almighty test score. These are outdated practices, and thankfully, schools are moving in the right direction.

But there’s still work to be done. That’s why I’m looking for recruits for my mission to reimagine education. This keynote will inspire teachers, parents, and policymakers to rethink the real nature and purpose of education—to get back to the business of learning.

Ignite Your Spark & Unleash Your Potential

In this thought-provoking and compelling keynote, Kim shares how we can reprogram our brains to become more positive and step into our power.  When our happiness and well-being are at the forefront, employees are ten times more engaged, 31% more productive, and three times more creative.
 
Emotions are at the heart of what teachers do and why they do it. Educators come to teaching with dreams of changing the odds for disadvantaged children and inspiring a love for learning. Unfortunately, research shows that 40-50 percent of teachers will leave the profession within the first five years. Stress among teachers has reached unprecedented levels.

Teaching is an emotional practice, and teachers need support in strengthening their social and emotional skills to manage the stress that comes with teaching and stay in the profession for the long term.

Well-being” takes the stage front and center, and how we can create fulfilling lives while also working to improve performance in life and workplace success.
 
Kim unpacks the positive psychology science and research that pivots the crowd towards optimism. She asks, “Would you press a button to increase your happiness levels by 40% and your productivity levels by 31% while also having 300% more creativity on a Monday morning? When people respond, “Yes!” she explains how to achieve this.

Her inspiring stories and practical tips for well-being leave the audience feeling inspired and full of hope for creating their own happiness within their profession and their personal lives.

When you reset your brain toward positive, you become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive in life—including your work life. 

Boosting Motivation and Achievement

Everyone knows that not all change is good or even necessary. But in a world that is constantly changing, it is to our advantage to learn how to adapt and enjoy something better.” –Kenneth H. Blanchard"

Life is always going to be full of hardships, adversities, drama, and disruptions. Roadblocks and tough times are inevitable. How will you respond?  Your mindset has everything to do with this.

When we can learn how to pivot, persist, and adapt rather than crack, crumble, and give up.  We can learn to see stress as a challenge and create new opportunities within our schools, businesses, and organizations where our beliefs become the very center of what we know is possible. 

According to mindset psychology researcher Carol Dweck, “A growth mindset is the understanding that we can develop our abilities and intelligence.” Research has shown that our implicit beliefs about our abilities intelligence can greatly impact our achievement in all areas of our life.

A person’s mindset (student, employee, etc.) and the mindset of those around you will have a significant impact on your life.

In this keynote, Kim discusses how a person's intelligence has a significant impact on their motivation, effort, and approach to challenges. Those who believe their abilities are changeable are more likely to embrace challenges and persist despite failure. 

We all need reminding of the value of productive struggle and feeling safe taking risks to learn something new. We all want our children, students, and employees to have confidence and feel like they can positively impact their community. We want them to believe they have the power to make our world a better place.

(For Middle/High School & College Students)

Ignite Hope, Create Purpose, & Inspire Students

Kim spent her childhood, teen, and young adult years dealing with panic attacks and crippling fears that debilitated her life for years.  But the fears we don’t face become our limits, and now she plants seeds of hope in others that they can overcome hard things and create their life from the inside out. 

Kim took control of her life and discovered how to break through her limits. And she turned the mess of her life into her mission. She teaches that we can overcome hard things, take responsibility for our life, and move forward in the direction of our dreams.  

Kim owns her vulnerabilities and other difficulties she's had in life and uses them to empower herself and others to reach for more. But it began with taking her emotional and mental well-being and placing it at the forefront of her life. 

Kim has found that when she shares her story and the very depths of her despair, others feel less alone and gain the strength and courage to move forward in their lives.  In this moving keynote, she shares the power of bravery, the importance of self-compassion, and that we are worth fighting for. 

We can make life-changing choices where we discover our strength, take control of our happiness, and begin to navigate through our adversities to chase the light within each of us.