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REDUCE PROBLEM BEHAVIORS AND STRESS BY IMPROVING THE SELF

Social and psychology researchers have found that we can improve student behavior and achievement as well as reduce student and teacher stress by focusing on improving our self-stories and beliefs, confidence, self-care, and practicing mindfulness and self-compassion. Psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed in his "Hierarchy of Needs" that self-esteem (the need to feel loved and accepted by yourself and others) was essential for self-actualization -- or becoming the best you can be. However, Maslow believed self-esteem wasn't enough. Self-actualization also requires getting outside oneself, transcending the ego, and experiencing love of self and others, awe, and curiosity. This conference will show you how changing students' self-stories, concepts, and identity can improve their behavior and help them overcome trauma and self-doubt; why promoting mindfulness and self-compassion can reduce stress and boost achievement and self-actualization; how confidence, self-awareness, and curiosity increase learning; and ways practicing authenticity and self-care as educators can improve student engagement.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

You will gain knowledge about:
  • The science of self-esteem, awareness and actualization
  • How children's sense of self and worth develop early in life
  • Ways to change self-stories and concepts to improve behavior and treat trauma
  • Teaching students be more aware, accepted, and confident
  • How mindful self-compassion reduces stress and improves achievement
  • Ways students' self-concepts and beliefs impact math, reading, and learning
  • Why curiosity and awe motivate math and science learning and thinking
  • How Maslow's “Hierarchy of Needs” connects to teaching and learning
  • Cultivating student self-awareness, acceptance, esteem, and confidence
  • Why teacher authenticity, awareness, and self-care can improve student engagement
  • Using self-stories and self-efficacy for reading and school climate
  • Strategies to improve self-confidence and empower girls and teens



WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This conference is applicable for K-12 teachers, administrators, curriculum and staff developers, learning specialists, school psychologists and counselors, early childhood professionals, math, science and reading teachers, superintendents, principals and school heads, staff development trainers, social workers, school climate professionals, college and university professors, and other educators that support classroom instruction.

Featured Speakers

The Deep History of Ourselves

Joseph E. LeDoux, PhD

Love One Another: The Benefits of Kindness, Loving-Kindness Meditation, and "Positivity Resonance"

Barbara L. Fredrickson, PhD

Redirect: Changing Students' Behavior by Editing Their Self Stories

Timothy D. Wilson, PhD

The Science of Self-Kindness: Using Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Students' Brains for Calm, Clarity, and Thriving

Shauna L. Shapiro, PhD

The Psychology of Self-Transcendence: Awe, Elevation, and Hive Psychology

Jonathan Haidt, PhD

Transcend: The Science of Self-Actualization

Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

Cognitive and Humanistic Psychologist; Founder and Director, Center for Human Potential; Former Adjunct Associate Professor, Barnard College, Columbia University; Honorary Principal Fellow, Center for Wellbeing Science, University of Melbourne; Former Scientific Director, The Imagination Institute, University of Pennsylvania; Host of the #1 Psychology Podcast, The Psychology Podcast, with over 30 million downloads; Columnist, “Beautiful Minds,” Scientific American; Author, Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization (2020), Twice Exceptional (2018), and Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined (2015); Co-Author, Learned Helplessness (2020), Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt (2022), Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (2016), and “Imagination Is the Seed of Creativity” (2018, The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity)

Self-Confidence, Self-Reflection, Self-Assessment, and Self-Adjustment Matter: Strengthening Ourselves for Our Students

Baruti K. Kafele, MA

How Trusted Allies Strengthen and Expand the Self

Todd B. Kashdan, PhD

Professor of Psychology, George Mason University; Director, Well-Being Laboratory; Author, The Art of Insubordination (2022) and The Upside of Your Darkside (2017); Co-Author, “Understanding Psychological Flexibility: A Multimethod Exploration of Pursuing Valued Goals Despite the Presence of Distress” (2020, Psychological Assessment) and “Meaning in Life Buffers the Impact of Experiential Avoidance on Anxiety” (2020, Contextual Behavioral Science)

1) KNOWING OURSELVES: THE SCIENCE OF ACCEPTANCE, AWARENESS, & ACTUALIZATION

Transcend: The Science of Self-Actualization

Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

Cognitive and Humanistic Psychologist; Founder and Director, Center for Human Potential; Former Adjunct Associate Professor, Barnard College, Columbia University; Honorary Principal Fellow, Center for Wellbeing Science, University of Melbourne; Former Scientific Director, The Imagination Institute, University of Pennsylvania; Host of the #1 Psychology Podcast, The Psychology Podcast, with over 30 million downloads; Columnist, “Beautiful Minds,” Scientific American; Author, Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization (2020), Twice Exceptional (2018), and Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined (2015); Co-Author, Learned Helplessness (2020), Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt (2022), Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (2016), and “Imagination Is the Seed of Creativity” (2018, The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity)

The Deep History of Ourselves

Joseph E. LeDoux, PhD

Awareness of the Self as a Teacher

Vanessa Rodriguez, EdD

How Trusted Allies Strengthen and Expand the Self

Todd B. Kashdan, PhD

Professor of Psychology, George Mason University; Director, Well-Being Laboratory; Author, The Art of Insubordination (2022) and The Upside of Your Darkside (2017); Co-Author, “Understanding Psychological Flexibility: A Multimethod Exploration of Pursuing Valued Goals Despite the Presence of Distress” (2020, Psychological Assessment) and “Meaning in Life Buffers the Impact of Experiential Avoidance on Anxiety” (2020, Contextual Behavioral Science)

Cultivating Self-Awareness to Move Learning Forward: Promoting the Development of Executive Function and Self-Awareness

Sucheta A. Kamath, MA, CCC-SLP

The Science of Self-Knowledge: Knowing Ourselves and How Others May Know Us Better

Norhan Elsaadawy, PhD Candidate

2) SCHOOLING THE SELF: HOW CHANGING SELF-STORIES/CONCEPTS CHANGE BEHAVIOR & TRAUMA

Redirect: Changing Students' Behavior by Editing Their Self Stories

Timothy D. Wilson, PhD

The Self in Action: Impacts of Self-Concepts and Self-Beliefs on Behavior and Academic Achievement from Childhood to Adolescence

Pamela Davis-Kean, PhD

Ability Stereotypes and Children's Self-Concepts: Working Toward Equity in the Classroom

Andrei Cimpian, PhD

How Telling Our Story Transforms Our Self

Paula Prentis, LMSW

The Stories Students Live By: Narrative Identity and the Development of an Agentic Self

Dan P. McAdams, PhD

Teaching Children People Skills Through Literature and Activities to Support Genuine Self-Esteem

Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD

Exploring Who You Are: The Long-Lasting Benefits of Helping Students Explore Their Identity

Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, PhD

Trauma on Learning, Behavior, and Self-Esteem: Teaching & Self-Care from a Trauma-Informed Perspective

Hayley Watson, PhD

3) CONFIDENT SELF: BOOSTING SELF-CONFIDENCE IN KIDS, GIRLS, TEENS, & TEACHERS

Relating to Ourselves and Others: The Science of Self-Esteem, Self-Compassion, and Authenticity

Mark R. Leary, PhD

Kids' Confidence: What We Get Wrong About Children's Self-Esteem

Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD

Self-Confidence, Self-Reflection, Self-Assessment, and Self-Adjustment Matter: Strengthening Ourselves for Our Students

Baruti K. Kafele, MA

How to Like Yourself: Building Teens' Confidence and Quiet Their Inner Critic

Cheryl M. Bradshaw, RP, BEd, MA

Empowering Teens: Using Restorative Circles to Promote Confidence, Compassion, Self-Awareness, and Acceptance

Amber Chandler, MA

4) LOVING SELF AND OTHERS: HOW SEL & MINDFUL SELF-COMPASSION REDUCES STRESS & RAISES ACHIEVEMENT

Love One Another: The Benefits of Kindness, Loving-Kindness Meditation, and "Positivity Resonance"

Barbara L. Fredrickson, PhD

The Science of Self-Kindness: Using Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Students' Brains for Calm, Clarity, and Thriving

Shauna L. Shapiro, PhD

Integrating Mindfulness and Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom

Carla Tantillo Philibert, MA

Self-Calm, Self-Aware: Mindfulness Practices in the Classroom

Kathleen M. Kryza, MA

Master Teacher; CIO, Infinite Horizons; Co-Author, Transformative Teaching: Changing Today's Classrooms Culturally, Academically, and Emotionally (2015), Developing Growth Mindsets in the Inspiring Classroom (2011), Inspiring Elementary Learners (2008), Inspiring Middle and Secondary Learners (2007), and Differentiation for Real Classrooms (2009)

Making Friends with Yourself: Teaching Teens Mindfulness and Self-Compassion

Karen Bluth, PhD

Moving from Me to We: Teaching Collective Efficacy to Cultivate Resilience, Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Reframe Mental Health Self-Stories

Kristen Lee, EdD, LICSW

5) BEING YOURSELF: HOW AUTHENTICITY & SELF-CARE IMPROVES STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Teach Like Yourself: Using Authentic Teaching to Transform Our Students and Ourselves

Gravity Goldberg, EdD

Educational Consultant; Former Assistant Professor of Education, Iona College; Former Instructor and Staff Developer, Teachers College, Columbia University; Author, Teach Like Yourself (2018) and Mindsets and Moves: Strategies That Help Readers Take Charge (2015); Co-Author, Active Learning: 40 Teaching Methods to Engage Students in Every and Subject (2023), What Do I Teach Readers Tomorrow? (2017), and Conferring With Readers (2007)

Take Time For You: Utilizing Self-Care for Educators to Foster Esteem, Self-Actualization, and Transcendence

Tina H. Boogren, PhD

Everyday Self-Care for Educators

Carla Tantillo Philibert, MA

The Self, Self-Care, and Self-Actualization for Educators

Amanda J. Wintink, PhD

Strengthen Overall Literacy Achievement by Centering on Self-Efficacy, Relevance, and Authenticity

Leslie E. Laud, EdD

Happy Teacher Revolution: Supporting the Mental Health and Wellness of Educators

Danna Thomas, MSEd

6) BEYOND SELF: HOW WONDER, AWE, & CURIOSITY PROMOTE LEARNING

A Nuanced View of Curiosity: Managing the Anxiety of Confronting the New

Todd B. Kashdan, PhD

Professor of Psychology, George Mason University; Director, Well-Being Laboratory; Author, The Art of Insubordination (2022) and The Upside of Your Darkside (2017); Co-Author, “Understanding Psychological Flexibility: A Multimethod Exploration of Pursuing Valued Goals Despite the Presence of Distress” (2020, Psychological Assessment) and “Meaning in Life Buffers the Impact of Experiential Avoidance on Anxiety” (2020, Contextual Behavioral Science)

The Case for Curiosity: Curiosity, Early Academic Achievement, and the Role of Early Experiences

Prachi E. Shah, MD

The Psychology of Self-Transcendence: Awe, Elevation, and Hive Psychology

Jonathan Haidt, PhD

Curiosity in the Classroom: Promoting Child Curiosity, Wonder, Exploration, Questions, and Scientific Thinking

Jamie J. Jirout, PhD

The Power of Awe: How It Promotes Awareness of Knowledge Gaps and Interest in Science

Jon McPhetres, PhD

Awe and Self-Transcendent Experiences: From Space Flight to Virtual Reality

David B. Yaden, PhD Student

Co-Sponsors Include:

Mind, Brain, and Education Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Neuroscience and Education Program, Teachers College, Columbia University

Laboratory for Educational Neuroscience (brainLENS), University of Connecticut and University of California, San Franscisco

National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)

National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)

LEARNING & the BRAIN® Foundation

Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, The Dana Foundation