Program

Conference registration is open now for Learning & the Brain's first annual fall conference in Austin, TX held at the Hilton Austin November 12-14, 2026.   

This conference will be run as a hybrid conference.  Whether you attend in-person or remotely, recordings will be available for 45 days after the conference.
Teaching Motivated Minds

IMPROVING MOTIVATION IN STUDENTS AND CLASSROOMS

Student motivation is a growing concern among educators. Education Week’s April 2025 Student Motivation Special Report, revealed that 41% of secondary educators said their students were “very” or “somewhat” unmotivated and 87% of them believe the pandemic has caused a decline in student motivation. A 2025 Brookings Institute “Disengagement Gap” Report found only 26 percent of 10th graders say they love school; only 29% of them say they get to learn things they are interested in; and only 39% say most of the time they feel they belong at school. Yet research shows that intrinsic motivation is driven by students’ goals, mindsets, and beliefs; competence and mastery; personal values and interests; relevance and meaning; curiosity; a sense of belonging and autonomy; safe, supportive classrooms; and positive teacher-student relationships. This important interdisciplinary Conference will explore the “Science of Student Motivation” and the scientific links between student motivation and mastery, autonomy, relevance, meaning, metacognition, curiosity, struggle, values, mindsets, beliefs, belonging, and relationships. Discover science-based strategies to create more engaging classrooms; promote mastery, meaningful experiences, metacognition,  autonomy, belonging, and productive struggle; and develop effective learning and teaching strategies.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

You will gain knowledge about:
The science of student motivation
Strategies for evidence-based effective teaching
How mindsets and beliefs shape student achievement
The importance of metacognition and meaning for learning
Strategies and feedback to promote mastery and competency
Creating purposeful, meaningful, relevant learning experiences
The role of relationships, values, and interest on engagement
Promoting student autonomy, voice, choice, and struggle
Using cognitive rigor and competence-based education
Mindset beliefs on reading and STEM learning

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Educators, Parents
Curriculum, Staff Developers
Speech-Language Pathologists
PreK-12 Teachers, Administrators
Psychologists, School Psychologists
Learning Specialists, Special Educators
Early Childhood Educators, Professionals
Technology, Reading, Math, Science Teachers
School Social Workers, Wellness Professionals
Superintendents, Principals, School Heads
Schools of Education, Teacher Leaders
Physical Education, Health Teachers
College, University Professors

Featured Speakers

1) MOTIVATED MINDS: CHANGING MINDSETS & BELIEFS TO BOOST ENGAGEMENT

2) METACOGNITIVE MINDS: TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO LEARN & REFLECT

3) MASTERED MINDS: MOVING STUDENTS TOWARDS MASTERY & COMPETENCY

4) ENGAGED TEACHERS: USING SCIENCE FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING & LEARNING

5) ENGAGED MINDS: EMPOWERING CHOICE, VOICE, AUTONOMY, & STRUGGLE

6) MEANINGFUL MINDS: PROMOTING PURPOSEFUL, RELEVANT LEARNING

Newsletter & Event Emails

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