Life Skills

Jillayne Flanders the executive director of the Center for Educational Improvement, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting mindful and compassionate schools with heart-centered, trauma-informed practices. She has taught graduate classes at Westfield State University, supervised student teachers at Mount Holyoke College, and lectured at Boston University, Springfield College, Boston College, and Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Inspired by the book A Blueprint for Belonging, this session offers a transformative approach to leadership and team building for educators, leaders, and paraprofessionals. Explore strategies to prevent burnout, build resilience, and foster cultures of belonging using the BUILD framework (Boundaries, Understanding, Integrity, Listening, Dependability), while tackling leadership challenges in high-impact roles.

Author Hedreich Nichols infuses this book with a direct yet conversational style to help you identify biases that adversely affect your practice and learn how to move beyond those biases to ensure a more equitable, inclusive campus culture.

Randy Ross has over 50 years of experience as a writer, teacher, administrator, coach, and facilitator of dialogue and professional learning. She has worked with community, school, district, and state education leaders for nearly 30 years.

Mark Anthony Gooden, PhD, is a Christian Johnson Endeavor professor of education leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Gooden has spent over two decades in higher education developing and teaching courses in culturally responsive leadership, race, law, and research methods.

Dr. Dawn Brooks DeCosta, EdD, is a distinguished educator and leader, currently serving as the deputy superintendent for Harlem Community School District 5. She is a renowned advocate for culturally responsive teaching and social-emotional learning.

Equipped with 25 essential practices, educators can use this guide to reinvigorate their ELA classrooms. These strategies cultivate engagement and independent learning, helping students strengthen literary analysis of texts, pursue inquiries, and cultivate their voice as readers and writers.

Join author Hedreich Nichols to examine the cognitive processes we use to draw a circle around our “in groups,” and learn to mitigate any negative fallout that may impact our practice as educators. While learning about the brain science behind belonging, you will explore a few of more than 180 cognitive biases. This webinar will equip you to use this knowledge to look closely at personal connections and trends that impact student and staff relationships.

Explore how school leaders can cultivate compassion and equity in their school communities. By leveraging antiracist and culturally competent professional development, program planning, and curriculum, leaders can improve their school climate, addressing the numerous inequities their students, staff, and families face, paving the way for lasting change.