Life with limited access to key resources can negatively affect both school and life success, but what if teachers and schools can actually have a prominent and positive impact? What if we choose to see learner differences, rather than deficits, and to view every student through a lens of success and possibility? What if the science of learning is used to inform policies and practices? What if we focus on the choice we can make to elevate the importance and urgency of every explicit educator action taken during each school day because of the implications of life experiences? This session will focus on the role of educators as change-makers uniquely positioned to seize opportunities to reveal the often-hidden potential of many learners who arrive with limited resources. Specific, evidence-based and budget-neutral practices grounded in neuroscience will be offered in a practical context, and access to 25 Best Practices will be provided for future use. Don't miss this session!
Tammy Pawloski has served since 2004 as the director of The Francis Marion University Center of Excellence to Prepare Teachers of Children of Poverty (www.fmucenterofexcellence.org), and the content of this presentation is based on more than 18 years of research and practice conducted in schools that serve students who arrive with limited resources. Pawloski has facilitated more than 1500 presentations across the nation, including keynote addresses and plenary sessions at national and state conferences, as well as sustained school-level projects that focus on the implementation of specific actionable steps grounded in the science of learning. Pawloski is a noted expert because of her breadth of knowledge, however what resonates most with teachers and school leaders is her ability to deliver an uncommon combination of research, practice, and compelling stories from the field that both empower and challenge. Don’t miss this session!