Executive skills are task-oriented skills that underlie students’ ability to learn. Although seldom taught explicitly, many educators now see that students who are strong in these skills are more successful than those who aren’t. This workshop will provide step-by- step instructions for incorporating executive skills into everyday classroom lessons and activities. After introducing executive skills, you will learn to connect classroom behavior to specific executive skills, introduce these concepts to students, create routines that incorporate executive skills, embed skills into lessons, and engage students in problem-solving. Both general education and regular education teachers of K-12 students will benefit from this workshop, but school administrators and support staff will also find these strategies helpful. The workshop will incorporate numerous case examples and group activities to support learning.

How do developing executive functions interact with emotional reactivity across childhood and adolescence? This workshop bridges current neuroscience with classroom practice. You will examine how bottom-up “hot” circuits (limbic and motivational systems such as the amygdala and ventral striatum) generate rapid, reactive responses to emotionally charged events, while top-down “cold” executive circuits (prefrontal and parietal networks) provide the capacity to regulate, reframe, and redirect these responses. The distinction between “hot” executive function (executive skills taxed in emotionally or motivationally salient contexts) and “cold” executive function (executive skills in neutral, abstract contexts) will be highlighted. Emphasis will be placed on (1) early childhood practices that foster healthy expression and co-regulation of emotion, and (2) CBT- and DBT-informed classroom strategies for older students, such as cognitive reappraisal, opposite action, behavioral activation, and brief mindfulness. 

Experience how your brain learns in this immersive physical simulation. You will get to experience first-hand how learning happens in the brain through a once in a lifetime experience. Through this interactive workshop, you will gain a new perspective on learning differences, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, autism, trauma, and more. Discussion will focus on how to apply what was learned through the simulation to improve learning outcomes in your classroom.

Are your students zoning out or struggling to stay engaged during classroom lessons? This dynamic and interactive workshop will provide K-12 educators with practical, research-backed strategies to transform their instruction and captivate every learner. Discover how, when, and why to use strategic pauses to break up instruction, inspire curiosity, and foster active participation. These techniques work regardless of student language barriers, special needs, or learning styles. Through hands-on activities, real-world examples, and guided modeling, you’ll learn and experience innovative ways to make lessons more memorable and enjoyable. Join us to unlock the neuroscience behind student engagement and leave with a dozen tools you can implement immediately to deepen learning in any lesson.

Let’s rethink our approach to executive function. Rather than focusing on select groups of students, let’s switch to an inclusive perspective: “schools and classrooms challenge the executive functioning of ALL our students.” This broader viewpoint allows teachers, school leaders, and support staff to strategize both wisely and effectively about managing all students’ EF. This lively and practical workshop focuses on two core EFs—working memory and attention—through six (and a half) questions designed to sharpen our thinking and enhance student learning. Join us to transform how you think about attention and working memory—and discover why supporting executive function for all students is both simpler and more powerful than you imagined.