Day 1 | Art of Motivating Students

Reading, Writing, ‘Rithmetic

Let's face it - many learners have a tough time with the basics of reading, writing, and math. In this final section of day one, speakers share cool tricks to help students build stronger skills in these foundational areas.

Enjoy the presentations below for the next 48 hours!

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Boost Writing Confidence with Mentor Sentences | Abena Baiden

Join Abena Baiden, an experienced psychology teacher and DEI leader, as she shares an innovative approach to boost students' confidence in writing and grammar. In this engaging session, you'll discover how to help students face their fear of the blank page by using “mentor sentences” to guide their writing.

Enjoy the presentation, and then click here to grab her handout about mentor sentences.

  • 20+ years joyfully navigating learning. An internationally-qualified mental fitness coach & educator, I thrive on fostering resilience & wellbeing within my communities. Currently teaching in an international school in Doha, Qatar, I serve as a psychology and Theory of Knowledge teacher as well as the IBDP CAS Coordinator, DEIB leader and Grade 12 Pastoral Lead. Let’s connect and share our journeys! Find out more here: diversityinmind.com

  • Ready to watch Abena's Deep Dive interview? Click here to find out more and purchase your All-Access Pass.

Speed Up Reading and Boost Comprehension | Bara Sapir

Bara tackles the time crunch students face with reading on standardized tests. Many underestimate task duration and lack speed-reading skills. This dynamic session unveils a powerful strategy to boost students' text-scanning abilities, empowering them to read swiftly and effectively. Discover how to build your students' "reading muscles" and transform their test performance!

After watching the presentation, don’t miss out on Bara’s two free gifts: the Speed Reading Self-Assessment and an Infographic on Optimal Reading.

  • BARA SAPIR, CEO/Founder of City Test Prep and MindFlow Speed Reading is an internationally recognized expert in high-performance coaching, personal empowerment, and transformative test preparation. She has over 30 years in the education field including six years as an instructor for The Princeton Review.

    Through City Test Prep she and her staff have coached hundreds of clients, including students at top prep schools, physicians, entertainment and advertising professionals, and advisors to U.S. Government leaders. Their clients have been accepted at such leading schools as Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, LBS, and many more.

    A pioneer in bringing holistic, human potential techniques to the test preparation field, Sapir is
    - co-author of The Full Potential GMAT Sentence Correction Intensive, published by Nova Press,
    - creator of the HypnoPrep™ method
    - the Full Potential™ audio series, which optimizes test-taking results and professional success by reducing anxiety and enhancing concentration, confidence, and ease. This radically different approach works as a complement to any content-based study program. The Full Potential™ series—unique interactive audio courses for SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and other standardized tests, designed to inspire relaxation and improve test scores.
    - Creator of MindFlow, a mindful speed reading workshop and online interactive platform that increases verbal scores on standardized testsup to 26% and reading speed up to 5x.

    Bara’s test prep expertise has been featured in the media, including, The Wall Street Journal, LA Times, CBS Bay Sunday, Cosmogirl, Women’s World, Next Step, CNN/Fortune Magazine’s online blog and Positive Thinking, National Public Radio (NPR), WBAI, and on Karen Salmonson’s Lime Satellite Radio program, Be Happy...Dammit!. She’s a founder and co-host of the weekly vidcast, MBA Waves (https://mbawaves.com) for business school applicants.

    Sapir holds masters degrees in education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and in art history from the University of Michigan. She also has certifications in hypnosis, Integrative Life Coaching, Reiki, Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. She lectures and conducts workshops for students, parents, educators, business people, and creative professionals seeking high-performance results at school, work, and in life.

    Bara is extremely active in animal advocacy, and is a founding member of Animal Advocates of Contra Costa County (https://animaladvocates.info) which helps to improve the lives of animals in her county. She is an appointed Municipal Advisory Councilperson in East Richmond Heights and was on the Board of Directors of the National Test Prep Association (NTPA) for 3 years. She is bicoastal, lives with her dog, Chata, and fosters, and loves to travel and make art.

    Find out more at https://mindflowspeedreading.com/

  • Ready to watch Bara's Deep Dive interview? Click here to find out more and purchase your All-Access Pass.

Spice Up Math With This Card Deck | Dr. Pamela Seda

Dr. Pamela Seda revolutionizes math education with her innovative VANG framework, addressing the critical gap in secondary students' mathematical skills. Using engaging card-based activities, she transforms abstract concepts into accessible, multi-representational learning experiences. Discover how this groundbreaking approach is not only fun, but fosters equity, boosts student motivation, and deepens mathematical understanding, regardless of a student's background or learning style.

Enjoy the presentation, then click here for Dr. Seda’s free gift. You might also want to purchase one of the VANG card decks.

  • Dr. Pamela Seda is a passionate mathematics education expert with over 30 years of experience in the field. She is the Founder and CEO of Seda Educational Consulting, LLC, based in metro Atlanta. Dr. Seda's career has spanned various roles, including high school mathematics teacher, math instructional coach, college math instructor, and K-12 district math supervisor[1].

    Dr. Seda holds a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning with a concentration in Math Education from Georgia State University, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Math Education from the University of South Florida and a Master's degree in Math Education from Georgia State University. She is the co-author of "Choosing to See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom," which incorporates her dissertation research on equitable mathematics instruction. Dr. Seda is dedicated to transforming mathematics education through equity and excellence, with a particular focus on supporting marginalized learners. She advocates for mathematics instruction that develops all students as mathematical thinkers and problem-solvers, believing that mathematical brilliance comes in all races, ethnicities, genders, and economic backgrounds.

    Find out more about her at https://www.sedaeducationalconsulting.com/

  • Ready to watch Dr. Pamela's Deep Dive interview? Click here to find out more and purchase your All-Access Pass.

Read and Spell Big Words Better | Joanne Kaminski

Students often struggle with reading and pronouncing unfamiliar names or places in texts, leading them to skip over these words or spend too much time trying to decipher them. Joanne Kaminski, an from Online Tutor Coach, shares her "spot and dot" strategy, which gives students a process and the confidence to slow down and read.

NOTE: Unfortunately, this was recorded without Joanne’s slides! She’s such a good explainer, the visuals aren’t actually necessary (we’ve been told), but so you can reference them, here is her slide deck.

Watch the presentation and click here to get your copy of Joanne’s free gift What does dyslexia look like?

  • Meet Joanne Kaminski, an online reading tutor who closes the reading gap by a full year in just 8-12 hours of instruction and teaches other tutors to do the same. Recently featured on The Blox Season 18, Joanne mastered business scaling, while her YouTube channel has garnered over 1 million views, sharing educational and business insights for tutors. Outside of tutoring, she enjoys traveling, crocheting, and spending time with her family.

    Find out more at www.onlinetutorcoach.com/50

  • Ready to watch Joanne's Deep Dive interview? Click here to find out more and purchase your All-Access Pass.

Decode Word Problems Easily | Kenya Bratton

Many students and adult learners have difficulty with math word problems. This issue affects both young students and adults, including those studying for the GED. Math word problems can be particularly challenging and often cause stress or anxiety for learners, impacting their ability to solve them effectively. In this presentation, Kenya shares a helpful acronym that provides a clear process for students to understand, and ultimately solve, word problems.

After watching Kenya’s interview, click here to access her CUBES strategy worksheet.

  • My background in school psychology combined with backpacking has influenced my approach to providing solution-oriented, efficient and tailored strategies for success. I believe that every interaction should make an impact in the person's journey. Juken Learning Services provides impactful services to individuals, organizations, and corporations.

    What is Juken?

    Juken is a combination of my first name and my daughters first name. There was no better way to come up with a name combined with passion and purpose.

    I wear a few hats and I have learned to prioritize each of them to have a fulfilled life. I practiced over fifty strategies for organization, planning and retention of concepts over a 3 year period. From this experience I would share and teach high schoolers and adult learners the same and they had results that made a difference in their confidence and perspective on goal completion. Essentially, I help people create time.

    Just like backpacking and tenting for two days requires efficient, purposeful resources for survival and peace of mind, the same we offer in Juken Learning Services to attain educational goals and personal development.

    Find out more at www.jukenlearningservices.com

  • Ready to watch Kenya's Deep Dive interview? Click here to find out more and purchase your All-Access Pass.

Text Hacks: Info Without Overwhelm | Nicola Lott

Many students struggle with feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of reading they face, especially when the material becomes more complex or they advance to higher levels of education. Nicola Lott, an Academic Interventionist and founder of CAI Hub, equips students with a powerful approach to tackle this challenge. She teaches how to identify five different text structures within their reading materials and introduces a simple yet effective strategy called the "text walk" to help students prep for reading and note-taking with greater confidence.

Enjoy the talk, and click here to get your copy of Nicola’s Science of Reading Playbook.

  • Nicola is an academic interventionist who has worked in both school and in private practice environments. Her mission is to tear down the wall between general and special education so that kids can get the support they need, when the need it. Being both dyslexic and the parent of a dyslexic child, she has navigated multiple paths through the education system, giving her unique perspectives.

    Training educators in the science of reading, data-based interventions, and MTSS is her passion. She loves equipping teachers with the knowledge and tools to create collaborative and effective classrooms where every learner can thrive. Plus, as an MTSS consultant for schools, she helps institutions build inclusive and equitable learning environments.

    Driven by a commitment to bridge educational gaps, Nicola is on a mission to ensure every student has access to the resources and support they need to succeed. With her blend of expertise and personal experience, she's dedicated to transforming educational practices and outcomes for all learners.

    Find out more at https://caihub.ca

  • Ready to watch Nicola's Deep Dive interview? Click here to find out more and purchase your All-Access Pass.

Done Watching? Here’s What’s Next:

  • 👉 Want to discuss what you’re learning? Head over to the FREE Summit Chat Lounge.

  • 👉 Running out of time? Purchase the All-Access Pass to watch the videos later.

  • 👉 Ready for more? Head back to the Day 1 schedule to keep on learning. 👇

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