Speaker and Sessions

NOTE: Due to high demand, in-person attendees registering at this time will view keynotes in the OVERFLOW room via a live stream. Concurrent session attendance will not be affected. Please call 857-444-1500 x1 if you have any questions.

TEACHING TO CHALLENGING CHILDREN AND CLASSROOM


Behavior problems in schools continue to rise in the wake of the pandemic. A recent Education Week survey found that 44% of all school and district leaders say that they are receiving more threats of violence from students and over 66% of them say kids are misbehaving even more than in 2019. A 2019 survey by the Education Advisory Board found rising misbehavior even before COVID with 81% of school administrators and 71% of elementary school teachers reported that the frequency of disruptive behaviors (tantrums, bullying, defiance) in schools was “more” or “significantly more” than during the three previous years. A 2018 study by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the prevalence of ADHD has increased from 6.1% to 10.2% over the last 20 years.

This conference will focus on the brain science behind disruptive behaviors, executive deficits, emotional dysregulation, and learning disorders. Explore evidence-based strategies for dealing with challenging behaviors, ADHD, autism, LD, and bullying and for improving emotional self-regulation, executive skills, classroom management, discipline, and school climate.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@learningandtheb / #LatB64) for conference updates and news.

This conference will be presented as a hybrid conference. You can either attend in person in San Francisco or participate virtually. Click here for more details.



 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

You will gain knowledge about:

  • The science of human behavior and emotional regulation
  • Rethinking challenging behaviors using a neuroscience approach
  • Strategies to improve classroom management and school climate
  • Ways to develop students' executive function and self-regulation
  • Creating a school culture of empathy and dignity to reduce bullying
  • Promoting emotionally inclusive classrooms and emotional balance
  • Pandemic impacts on teens, depression, and emotional regulation
  • Removing labels and promoting resilience in learning disorders
  • Treating ADHD and Autism in adolescents, smart kids, and girls
  • Emotions and executive function in LD, reading and math
 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Curriculum, Staff Developers
Speech-Language Pathologists
PreK-12 Teachers, Administrators
Psychologists, School Psychologists
Learning Specialists, Special Educators
Early Childhood Educators, Professionals
Reading, Math, SEL, Inclusion Teachers
Superintendents, Principals, School Heads
Teen, Bullying, School Climate Counselors
ADHD, Autism, LD Specialists, Professionals
College, University Professors
 

Featured Speakers

BEHAVE: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

Robert M. Sapolsky, PhD

Renowned Neuroscientist and Biologist; MacArthur "Genius" Fellow; John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor of Biological Sciences, Neurology, and Neurological Sciences, Department of Biology, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University; Research Associate, Institute of Primate Research, National Museum of Kenya; Author, “Double-Edged Swords in the Biology of Conflict” (2018, Frontiers in Psychology), Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst (2017), A Primate’s Memoir (2007), and Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers (2004, 3rd Edition)

Behaved Brains are Regulated Brains: Moving Beyond Behavior Management to Building Resilience and Self-Regulation (during trying times)

Mona M. Delahooke, PhD

Clinical and Consulting Pediatric Psychologist; Senior Faculty Member, Profectum Foundation; Former Faculty Member, Early Intervention Training Institute (EITI) of the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic; Trainer to the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health; Author, Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids (2022), Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children's Behavioral Challenges (2019), and Social and Emotional Development in Early Intervention (2017)

Managing ADHD and Autism in Smart Kids: Struggle, Support, and Treatment

Thomas E. Brown, PhD

Clinical Psychologist; Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of California Riverside School of Medicine; Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California; Director, Brown Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders; Former Associate Director of the Yale Clinic for Attention & Related Disorders, Yale University; Author, ADHD and Asperger Syndrome in Smart Kids and Adults: Twelve Stories of Struggle, Support, and Treatment (2021), Smart but Stuck: Emotions in Teens and Adults With ADHD (2014), and A New Understanding of ADHD in Children and Adults: Executive Function Impairments (2013)

ADHD in Girls: Challenges, Promises, and the Need for Coordination Between Home and School

Stephen P. Hinshaw, PhD

Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley; Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Vice-Chair for Child and Adolescent Psychology, University of California, San Francisco; Co-Director of the UCSF-UC Berkeley Schwab Dyslexia and Cognitive Diversity Center; Co-Director of the Child Teen and Family Center at UCSF; Author, Straight Talk About ADHD in Girls: How to Help Your Daughter Thrive (2022), Another Kind of Madness: A Journey Through the Stigma and Hope of Mental Illness (2017), The ADHD Explosion: Myths, Medications, Money, and Today’s Push for Performance (2014), and The Triple Bind: Saving our Teenage Girls from Today’s Pressures (2009)

Rethinking Challenging Behavior: Combining Neuroscience, Compassion, and Common Sense

J. Stuart Ablon, PhD

Award Winning Psychologist; Associate Professor; Thomas G. Stemberg Endowed Chair in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Founder and Director, Think:Kids Program in the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital; Author, Changeable: How Collaborative Problem Solving Changes Lives at Home, at School, and at Work (2018); Co-Author, The School Discipline Fix: Changing Behavior Using the Collaborative Problem Solving Approach (2018) and Treating Explosive Kids: The Collaborative Problem Solving Approach (2005)

Developing an Emotionally-Inclusive Classroom to Improve Behavior

Brian Dinkins, EdD

Assistant Professor and Director of Experiential Program for Preparing School Principals, Butler University; Former Turnaround Principal in four high poverty schools; President, Center for Empowering Education Inc.; Founder and President, National Institute for Child Empowerment, which provides support to enhance the social and emotional learning needs of children

Chatter: The Voice in Our Head and Controlling Emotions

Ethan F. Kross, PhD

Neuroscientist; Director, Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory; Professor, Department of Psychology and Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Faculty Affiliate, University of Michigan's Center for Culture, Mind, and Brain; One of the world's leading experts on controlling the conscious mind; Author, Chatter: The Voices in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It (2021); Co-Author, "From the Laboratory to Daily Life: Preliminary Evidence That Self-distancing Training Buffers Vulnerable Individuals Against Daily Rumination and Depression Over Time" (2022, Psychology of Consciousness) and "Does Distanced Self-talk Facilitate Emotion Regulation Across a Range of Emotionally Intense Experiences? (2021, Clinical Psychological Science)

Raising Our Village: Creating A Culture of Dignity for and With Young People

Rosalind N. Wiseman, BA

Co-Founder, Cultures of Dignity; Creator, Owning Up Curriculum; Author, Owning Up: Empowering Adolescents to Create Cultures of Dignity and Confront Social Cruelty and Injustice (2020), Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boys, and the New Realities of Girl World (2016, 3rd Edition), and Masterminds and Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope With Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World (2013); Co-Author, Courageous Discomfort (2022) and Queen Bee Moms and Kingpin Dads: Coping With the Parents, Teachers, Coaches, and Counselors Who Can Rule-or Ruin-Your Child's Life (2006)

Responding Instead of Reacting: Reimagining Behavior Management by Creating Mindsets of Agency, Empathy, and Resilience

Michele Borba, EdD

Psychologist; Educator; Bullying Prevention and Character Development Expert; Author, Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine (2021), End Peer Cruelty, Build Empathy: The Proven 6Rs of Bullying Prevention That Create Inclusive, Safe, Caring Schools (2018), Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World (2016), The Big Book of Parenting Solutions (2009), No More Misbehavin': 38 Difficult Behaviors and How to Stop Them (2005), and Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues That Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing (2002)

Reflection, Executive Function, and the Developing Brain

Stephanie M. Carlson, PhD

Neuroscientist; Internationally-Recognized Leader on Executive Function; Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota; Co-founder of Reflection Sciences Inc. (which provides executive function assessments for children) and Reflective Performance Inc. (which brings executive function insights to the workforce); Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science; Co-Author, "Family Resilience and Psychological Distress in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study" (2021, Developmental Psychology), "Ready? Set. Go!: A School Readiness Programme Designed to Boost Executive Function Skills in Preschoolers Experiencing Homelessness and High Mobility" (2020, European Journal of Developmental Psychology), and "The Neurodevelopment of Executive Function Skills: Implications for Academic Achievement Gaps" (2020, Psychology & Neuroscience)

Philip D. Zelazo, PhD

Neuroscientist; Internationally-Recognized Leader on Executive Function; Nancy M. and John E. Lindahl Professor, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota; Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, and the Mind & Life Institute; Lead Developer of the executive function measures for the NIH Toolbox, and the Lead Scientist (Cognitive Health Domain) for the National Children’s Study, federally authorized and funded study of over 100,000 children (and their parents) followed from birth through adulthood to examine a wide range of environmental and biological influences on healthy development; Co-Author, "Development of Executive Function Skills in Childhood" (2022, The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Development), "Self-Regulation and Executive Function: The Foundations for Student Success" (2022, Handbook of Special Education Research), and "The Neurodevelopment of Executive Function Skills: Implications for Academic Achievement Gaps" (2020, Psychology & Neuroscience)

1) BEHAVED BRAINS: IMPROVING CLASSROOM BEHAVIORS & MANAGEMENT

BEHAVE: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

Robert M. Sapolsky, PhD

Renowned Neuroscientist and Biologist; MacArthur "Genius" Fellow; John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor of Biological Sciences, Neurology, and Neurological Sciences, Department of Biology, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University; Research Associate, Institute of Primate Research, National Museum of Kenya; Author, “Double-Edged Swords in the Biology of Conflict” (2018, Frontiers in Psychology), Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst (2017), A Primate’s Memoir (2007), and Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers (2004, 3rd Edition)

Behaved Brains are Regulated Brains: Moving Beyond Behavior Management to Building Resilience and Self-Regulation (During Trying Times)

Mona M. Delahooke, PhD

Clinical and Consulting Pediatric Psychologist; Senior Faculty Member, Profectum Foundation; Former Faculty Member, Early Intervention Training Institute (EITI) of the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic; Trainer to the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health; Author, Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids (2022), Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children's Behavioral Challenges (2019), and Social and Emotional Development in Early Intervention (2017)

Keep Calm and Carry On: Effectively Respond to Power Struggles

MaryAnn Brittingham, MS

Professional Development Consultant; Graduate Course Instructor, State University of New York at New Paltz; Co-Author, Transformative Teaching: Changing Today's Classrooms Culturally, Academically, and Emotionally (2015); Author, Motivating the Unmotivated (2008), Dealing With Difficult Parents: Powerful Strategies for Parent/Teacher Interactions (2005), and Respectful Discipline: Your Guide to Effective Classroom Management (2003)

Rethinking Challenging Behavior: Combining Neuroscience, Compassion, and Common Sense

J. Stuart Ablon, PhD

Award Winning Psychologist; Associate Professor; Thomas G. Stemberg Endowed Chair in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Founder and Director, Think:Kids Program in the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital; Author, Changeable: How Collaborative Problem Solving Changes Lives at Home, at School, and at Work (2018); Co-Author, The School Discipline Fix: Changing Behavior Using the Collaborative Problem Solving Approach (2018) and Treating Explosive Kids: The Collaborative Problem Solving Approach (2005)

Responding Instead of Reacting: Reimagining Behavior Management by Creating Mindsets of Agency, Empathy, and Resilience

Michele Borba, EdD

Psychologist; Educator; Bullying Prevention and Character Development Expert; Author, Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine (2021), End Peer Cruelty, Build Empathy: The Proven 6Rs of Bullying Prevention That Create Inclusive, Safe, Caring Schools (2018), Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World (2016), The Big Book of Parenting Solutions (2009), No More Misbehavin': 38 Difficult Behaviors and How to Stop Them (2005), and Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues That Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing (2002)

Push Past It: A Positive Approach to Challenging Classroom Behaviors in Young Children

Angela R. Searcy, EdD

Teacher; Child Development Specialist; Independent Consultant; Owner/Founder, Simple Solutions Educational Services; Adjunct Faculty and Continuing Education Instructor, Erikson Institute; National Trainer, Teaching Strategies, LLC; Trainer for Vanderbilt University, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning, and the Multisensory Training Institute; Author, Push Past It: Positive Approach to Challenging Classroom Behaviors (2019)

Rethinking Classroom Management: Creating Effective Behavior Management to Increase Student Achievement in Middle Schools

Dennis J. Walker, PhD

Clinical Instructor, University of Missouri, Columbia; Implementation Coach for the Safe and Civil Schools Leadership Project; National Director/Consultant of Special Subjects for Edison Schools; Former Principal of the Kansas City Public Schools; Researcher/Contributor, “Can Effective Classroom Behavior Management Increase Student Achievement in Middle School? Findings From a Group Randomized Trial” (2020, Educational Psychology)

Conscious Classroom Management: Bringing Out the Best in Students and Teachers

Grace Dearborn, MA

Executive Director, Conscious Teaching, LLC; Education Consultant; Instructional Coach; Award-Winning Teacher; Professional Development Coordinator; Served in schools as a Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Coordinator, Literacy Coach, Curriculum Specialist, and Mentor Teacher; Co-Author, Yeah, But What About This Kid? Tier 3 Behavior Interventions That Work (2019) and Conscious Classroom Management: Unlocking the Secrets of Great Teaching  (2016, 2nd Edition), and Picture This: Visuals and Rubrics to Teach Procedures, Save Your Voice, and Love Your Students (2011)

2) DIVERSE BRAINS: SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ADHD, AUTISM, & LD

Managing ADHD and Autism in Smart Kids: Struggle, Support, and Treatment

Thomas E. Brown, PhD

Clinical Psychologist; Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of California Riverside School of Medicine; Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California; Director, Brown Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders; Former Associate Director of the Yale Clinic for Attention & Related Disorders, Yale University; Author, ADHD and Asperger Syndrome in Smart Kids and Adults: Twelve Stories of Struggle, Support, and Treatment (2021), Smart but Stuck: Emotions in Teens and Adults With ADHD (2014), and A New Understanding of ADHD in Children and Adults: Executive Function Impairments (2013)

ADHD in Girls: Challenges, Promises, and the Need for Coordination Between Home and School

Stephen P. Hinshaw, PhD

Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley; Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Vice-Chair for Child and Adolescent Psychology, University of California, San Francisco; Co-Director of the UCSF-UC Berkeley Schwab Dyslexia and Cognitive Diversity Center; Co-Director of the Child Teen and Family Center at UCSF; Author, Straight Talk About ADHD in Girls: How to Help Your Daughter Thrive (2022), Another Kind of Madness: A Journey Through the Stigma and Hope of Mental Illness (2017), The ADHD Explosion: Myths, Medications, Money, and Today’s Push for Performance (2014), and The Triple Bind: Saving our Teenage Girls from Today’s Pressures (2009)

Promoting Resilience in Adolescents and Young Adults With ADHD and Learning Disorders

Nicole S. Ofiesh, PhD

Cognitive Behavioral Scientist; Chief Innovation Officer, Potentia Institute 21; Director, Schwab Learning Center at the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation; Former Executive Director of the Stanford Schwab Learning Center and Founder of the UDL Innovation Studio, Stanford University; Former Senior Research Scientist, CAST, Universal Design for Learning; Author, Teaching for the Lifespan (2016); Co-Author, Teaching for the Lifespan: Successfully Transitioning Students with Learning Differences to Adulthood (2015) and “Cognitive Diversity and the Design of Classroom Tests for All Learners” (2012, Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability)

Removing Labels: Techniques for Disrupting Negative Expectations About Students

Douglas B. Fisher, PhD

Chair, Department of Educational Leadership, San Diego State University; Classroom Teacher, Health Sciences High and Middle College; Co-Author, The Artificial Intelligence Playbook (2024), Welcome to Teaching (2024), Belonging in School (2024), The Vocabulary Playbook: Learning Words That Matter (2023), Confronting the Crisis of Engagement: Creating Focus and Resilience for Students, Staff, and Communities (2022), The Social-Emotional Learning Playbook (2022), The Restorative Practices Playbook: Tools for Transforming Discipline in Schools (2022), and Removing Labels: 40 Techniques to Disrupt Negative Expectations About Students and Schools (2021)

Guard Rails for Inclusive Classrooms: Systems for SEL and Behavioral Supports

Elizabeth B. Kozleski, EdD

Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Education; Director of Stanford’s Initiative on Learning Differences and the Future of Special Education; Author, Special Education and Distance Learning: Supporting Students Through the Pandemic (2020, National Education Policy Center); Co-Author, Ability, Equity, and Culture (2014) and Inclusive Education in the 21st Century (2000)

The Gift of ADHD: Strategies for Teens

Lara A. Honos-Webb, PhD

Clinical Psychologist; Former Assistant Professor, Santa Clara University; Former Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of California, San Francisco; Author, BRAIN HACKS: Life-Changing Strategies to Improve Executive Functioning (2018) and The Gift of ADHD: How to Transform Your Child’s Problems Into Strengths (2005); Co-Author, Six Super Skills for Executive Functioning: Tools to Help Teens Improve Focus, Stay Organized, and Reach Their Goals (2020)

Behavioral and Brain Differences in Boys and Girls With Autism

Kaustubh Supekar, PhD

Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University; Autism Expert; Co-Author, "Deep Learning Identifies Robust Gender Differences in Functional Brain Organization and Their Dissociable Links to Clinical Symptoms in Autism" (2022, The British Journal of Psychiatry) and "Aberrant Dynamics of Cognitive Control and Motor Circuits Predict Distinct Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Children with Autism" (2021, Natures Communication)

Their Brains Are Not Broken: Understanding ADHD to Improve Student Learning

Tamara Rosier, PhD

ADHD Coach; Founder, ADHD Center of West Michigan; President of the ADHD Coaches Organization; Principal, Acorn Leadership Consulting; Former Academic Dean, Kuyper College; Author, Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD (2021)

Seen, Heard, and Values: Creating Safe, Supportive, and Inclusive Environments for Neurodiverse Young People

David Flink, MA

Founder/Chief Empowerment Officer, Eye to Eye National; Eye to Eye Diplomat and Social Movement Leader who has dyslexia and ADHD; Ambassador for the UCSF Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco; Board Member, Generation Citizen and Swanee Hunt Family Foundation; Recipient of the Early Alumni Career Award at Teachers College, Columbia University, the Prime Movers Fellowship award, the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship, and was named a "Top 10 2021 CNN Hero for his work supporting students with learning disabilities; Author, Thinking Differently: An Inspiring Guide for Parents of Children With Learning Disabilities (2014)

Insights Into Brain and Behavior Changes Across Childhood With Autism Spectrum Disorder

David G. Amaral, PhD

Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis; Director, UC Davis Autism Center of Excellence; Core Scientist, California National Primate Research Center; Director, Autism BrainNet; Started the Autism Phenome Project; Editor-in-Chief, Autism Research, INSAR; Co-Author, "Default Mode and Fronto-Parietal Network Associations With IQ Development Across Childhood in Autism" (2022, Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders), "Patterns of Sensory Processing in Young Children With Autism: Differences in Autism Characteristics, Adaptive Skills, and Attentional Problems" (2022, SAGE Publications), "Change in the Severity of Autism Symptoms Relates to Co-Occuring Psychopathology During Middle Childhood" (2022, Psychomatic Medicine)

3) EMOTIONAL BRAINS: PROMOTING EMOTIONAL CONTROL & BALANCE

Chatter: The Voice in Our Head and Controlling Emotions

Ethan F. Kross, PhD

Neuroscientist; Director, Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory; Professor, Department of Psychology and Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Faculty Affiliate, University of Michigan's Center for Culture, Mind, and Brain; One of the world's leading experts on controlling the conscious mind; Author, Chatter: The Voices in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It (2021); Co-Author, "From the Laboratory to Daily Life: Preliminary Evidence That Self-distancing Training Buffers Vulnerable Individuals Against Daily Rumination and Depression Over Time" (2022, Psychology of Consciousness) and "Does Distanced Self-talk Facilitate Emotion Regulation Across a Range of Emotionally Intense Experiences? (2021, Clinical Psychological Science)

Developing an Emotionally-Inclusive Classroom to Improve Behavior

Brian Dinkins, EdD

Assistant Professor and Director of Experiential Program for Preparing School Principals, Butler University; Former Turnaround Principal in four high poverty schools; President, Center for Empowering Education Inc.; Founder and President, National Institute for Child Empowerment, which provides support to enhance the social and emotional learning needs of children

The Science of Emotional Regulation (COVID and Beyond)

James J. Gross, PhD

Ernest R. Hilgard Professor of Psychology; Director, Stanford Psychophysiology Laboratory, Stanford University; Founding President, Society for Affective Science; Co-Editor-in-Chief, Affective Science; Fellow, Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association; Author, Handbook of Emotion Regulation (2015, 2nd Edition); Co-Author, “Emotion Generation and Emotion Regulation: The Role of Emotion Beliefs” (2022, Affective Disorders), “Effortless Training of Attention and Self-Control: Mechanisms and Applications” (2022, Trends in Cognitive Science), and A Multi-Country Test of Brief Reappraisal Interventions on Emotions During the COVID-19 Pandemic” (2021, Nature Human Behavior)

The Amazing Teen Brain: CBT and Neuroscience to Help Teens Manage Stress and Balance Emotions in the Classroom and Beyond

Elisa E. Nebolsine, LCSW

Cognitive Behavioral Therapist; Clinical Supervisor, Adjunct Faculty, Beck Institute; Adjunct Faculty, Catholic University; Member, Academy of Cognitive Therapy, Anxiety Disorders Association of America, and National Association of Social Workers; Author, Your Amazing Teen Brain: CBT and Neuroscience Skills to Stress Less, Balance Emotions, and Strengthen Your Growing Mind (The Instant Help Solutions Series) (2021)

Early Life Stress, Neurodevelopment, and Depression in Adolescents: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ian H. Gotlib, PhD

Marjorie Mhoon Fair Professor of Psychology; Director, Stanford Neurodevelopment, Affect, and Psychopathology Laboratory, Stanford University; Fellow, American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the American Psychopathological Association; Co-Author, “Early Life Stress, Systemic Inflammation, and Neural Correlates of Implicit Emotion Regulation in Adolescents” (2022, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity)

How Social, Emotional and Academic Learning (SEAL) Strengthens Achievement, Behavior, and Climate

Janeen Antonelli, MA

Co-Founder and Chief Culture Coach, Thriving YOUniversity; Former Teacher, Principal, and County Office Administrator with expertise in reaching and teaching at-promise youth; Consultant; Professional Learning Designer and Facilitator

Jessie Fuller, MA

Co-Founder and Lead Learner Coach, Thriving YOUniversity; A California League of Schools' Teacher of the Year

Joelle Hood, EdD

Co-Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer, Thriving YOUniversity; Certified Life Coach; Consultant; Professional Learning Designer and Facilitator; Former Principal; Former Senior Consultant, Collaborative Learning Solutions; Awarded Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year; Passionately committed to empowering individuals and organizations to THRIVE

Liz Toruno, MEd

Lead Climate Coach, Thriving YOUniversity; Coordinator for Social Emotional Learning, Bakersfield City School District; Former Teacher, Behavioral Management Specialist, and District Administrator

4) BULLIED BRAINS: PREVENTING BULLYING & IMPROVING SCHOOL CLIMATE

Queen Bees and Masterminds: Helping Young People Navigate Friendships, Social Conflicts, and Bullying

Rosalind N. Wiseman, BA

Co-Founder, Cultures of Dignity; Creator, Owning Up Curriculum; Author, Owning Up: Empowering Adolescents to Create Cultures of Dignity and Confront Social Cruelty and Injustice (2020), Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boys, and the New Realities of Girl World (2016, 3rd Edition), and Masterminds and Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope With Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World (2013); Co-Author, Courageous Discomfort (2022) and Queen Bee Moms and Kingpin Dads: Coping With the Parents, Teachers, Coaches, and Counselors Who Can Rule-or Ruin-Your Child's Life (2006)

The 6Rs of Bullying Prevention

Michele Borba, EdD

Psychologist; Educator; Bullying Prevention and Character Development Expert; Author, Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine (2021), End Peer Cruelty, Build Empathy: The Proven 6Rs of Bullying Prevention That Create Inclusive, Safe, Caring Schools (2018), Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World (2016), The Big Book of Parenting Solutions (2009), No More Misbehavin': 38 Difficult Behaviors and How to Stop Them (2005), and Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues That Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing (2002)

Understanding and Addressing Violence Against Educators

Frank C. Worrell, PhD

President of the American Psychological Association (APA); Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley; Faculty Director of UC Berkeley’s School Psychology Program, the Academic Talent Development Program, and the California College Preparatory Academy; Member of the APA Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel; Co-Author of the Report: Violence Against Educators and School Personnel: Crisis During COVID (2022, APA); Co-Editor, The Cambridge Handbook of Applied School Psychology (2020)

Raising Our Village: Creating A Culture of Dignity for and With Young People

Rosalind N. Wiseman, BA

Co-Founder, Cultures of Dignity; Creator, Owning Up Curriculum; Author, Owning Up: Empowering Adolescents to Create Cultures of Dignity and Confront Social Cruelty and Injustice (2020), Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boys, and the New Realities of Girl World (2016, 3rd Edition), and Masterminds and Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope With Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World (2013); Co-Author, Courageous Discomfort (2022) and Queen Bee Moms and Kingpin Dads: Coping With the Parents, Teachers, Coaches, and Counselors Who Can Rule-or Ruin-Your Child's Life (2006)

Bullying Prevention Through the Lens of Social and Emotional Learning: From Biology to Policy

Diana Divecha, PhD

Developmental Psychologist; Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale Child Study Center and the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Yale University; Advisory Member, Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley; Councilor, Futures Without Violence and National Partnership for Women and Families; Author, "What Can Parents Do About Bullying?" (2019, Greater Good Science Center), "What Are the Best Ways to Prevent Bullying in Schools?" (2019, Greater Good Science Center); Co-Author, "How to Regulate Your Stir-Crazy Emotions" (2020, Medium), "Sorry There’s No Easy Toolkit for Social-Emotional Learning" (2020, Education Week), and "Rethinking School-Based Bullying Prevention Through the Lens of Social and Emotional Learning: a Bioecological Perspective" (2019, International Journal of Bullying Prevention)

Cultivating an Anti-Bullying Climate in Schools Through Kindness, Empathy, and Gratitude

Janeen Antonelli, MA

Co-Founder and Chief Culture Coach, Thriving YOUniversity; Former Teacher, Principal, and County Office Administrator with expertise in reaching and teaching at-promise youth; Consultant; Professional Learning Designer and Facilitator

Joelle Hood, EdD

Co-Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer, Thriving YOUniversity; Certified Life Coach; Consultant; Professional Learning Designer and Facilitator; Former Principal; Former Senior Consultant, Collaborative Learning Solutions; Awarded Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year; Passionately committed to empowering individuals and organizations to THRIVE

Liz Toruno, MEd

Lead Climate Coach, Thriving YOUniversity; Coordinator for Social Emotional Learning, Bakersfield City School District; Former Teacher, Behavioral Management Specialist, and District Administrator

5) EXECUTIVE BRAINS: DEVELOPING EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, FOCUS, & REGULATION

Beyond Planners and Post-Its: Ten Practical Strategies to Teach Children and Teens Executive Functioning

Rebecca A. Branstetter, PhD

Licensed School Psychologist; Founder, The Thriving Students Collective; Contributor, Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley; Former Clinical Psychologist, UCSF Autism Clinic, University of California San Francisco; Creator, “How to Teach Executive Functioning” course to support neurodiverse learners; Author, Small Habits Create Big Change (2024), The Thriving School Psychologist (2020), The Conscious Parent’s Guide to Executive Functioning Disorders (2016), The Conscious Parent’s Guide to ADHD (2015), and The Everything Parent’s Guide to Children With Executive Functioning Disorders (2013)

BRAIN HACKS: Super Skills for Emotional Regulation, Focus, and Executive Functioning

Lara A. Honos-Webb, PhD

Clinical Psychologist; Former Assistant Professor, Santa Clara University; Former Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of California, San Francisco; Author, BRAIN HACKS: Life-Changing Strategies to Improve Executive Functioning (2018) and The Gift of ADHD: How to Transform Your Child’s Problems Into Strengths (2005); Co-Author, Six Super Skills for Executive Functioning: Tools to Help Teens Improve Focus, Stay Organized, and Reach Their Goals (2020)

Confronting the Crisis of Engagement: Creating Focus and Resilience for Students and Schools

Douglas B. Fisher, PhD

Chair, Department of Educational Leadership, San Diego State University; Classroom Teacher, Health Sciences High and Middle College; Co-Author, The Artificial Intelligence Playbook (2024), Welcome to Teaching (2024), Belonging in School (2024), The Vocabulary Playbook: Learning Words That Matter (2023), Confronting the Crisis of Engagement: Creating Focus and Resilience for Students, Staff, and Communities (2022), The Social-Emotional Learning Playbook (2022), The Restorative Practices Playbook: Tools for Transforming Discipline in Schools (2022), and Removing Labels: 40 Techniques to Disrupt Negative Expectations About Students and Schools (2021)

Reflection, Executive Function, and the Developing Brain

Stephanie M. Carlson, PhD

Neuroscientist; Internationally-Recognized Leader on Executive Function; Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota; Co-founder of Reflection Sciences Inc. (which provides executive function assessments for children) and Reflective Performance Inc. (which brings executive function insights to the workforce); Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science; Co-Author, "Family Resilience and Psychological Distress in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study" (2021, Developmental Psychology), "Ready? Set. Go!: A School Readiness Programme Designed to Boost Executive Function Skills in Preschoolers Experiencing Homelessness and High Mobility" (2020, European Journal of Developmental Psychology), and "The Neurodevelopment of Executive Function Skills: Implications for Academic Achievement Gaps" (2020, Psychology & Neuroscience)

Philip D. Zelazo, PhD

Neuroscientist; Internationally-Recognized Leader on Executive Function; Nancy M. and John E. Lindahl Professor, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota; Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, and the Mind & Life Institute; Lead Developer of the executive function measures for the NIH Toolbox, and the Lead Scientist (Cognitive Health Domain) for the National Children’s Study, federally authorized and funded study of over 100,000 children (and their parents) followed from birth through adulthood to examine a wide range of environmental and biological influences on healthy development; Co-Author, "Development of Executive Function Skills in Childhood" (2022, The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Development), "Self-Regulation and Executive Function: The Foundations for Student Success" (2022, Handbook of Special Education Research), and "The Neurodevelopment of Executive Function Skills: Implications for Academic Achievement Gaps" (2020, Psychology & Neuroscience)

How to Keep Student’s Executive Function Functioning: Effective Strategies for Building Emotional and Academic Self-Regulation

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)

Jack A. Naglieri, PhD

Research Professor, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia; Senior Research Scientist, Devereux Center for Resilient Children; Author, Helping Children Learn (2011, 2nd Edition); Co-Author, Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Translating Science to Practice (2017), The Handbook of Executive Functioning (2014), and “The School Neuropsychology of ADHD: Theory, Assessment, and Intervention” (2008, Psychology in the School)

6) YOUNG BRAINS: EARLY READING & LEARNING

Teaching Reading to the Brain: Developing Skilled Readers in Difficult Times

Nancy Frey, PhD

Professor of Literacy, Educational Leadership, San Diego State University; Teacher, Co-Founder, Health Sciences High & Middle College; Recipient, Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education, American Association of State Colleges and Universities; Co-Author, Teaching Reading: A Playbook for Developing Skilled Readers Through Word Recognition and Language Comprehension (2022), Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility (2021), Comprehension [Grades K-12]: The Skill, Will, and Thrill of Reading (2020), and This Is Balanced Literacy, Grades K-6 (2019)

Empowering Young Children: How to Develop Appropriate Behavior, Deep Cognition and Social Justice

Wendy L. Ostroff, PhD

Professor, Hutchins School of Liberal Studies, Sonoma State University; Applied Developmental and Cognitive Psychologist; Author, Empowering Young Children (2022), Cultivating Curiosity in K–12 Classrooms: How to Promote and Sustain Deep Learning (2016) and Understanding How Young Children Learn: Bringing the Science of Child Development to the Classroom (2012)

The Emotionally Intelligent Child: Effective Strategies For Raising Self- Aware, Cooperative and Well-Balanced Kids

Rachael Katz, MSEd

Head of School, Discovery School at the Bay Area Discovery Museum; Director of Social and Emotional Learning for Early Years at Dulwich College Beijing; Elementary Classroom Teacher; Creator and television writer for Nick Jr. and Radio Television Hong Kong; Consultant for Educational Programs at Children’s Television Workshop

Dealing With the Unpredictable: Using Improv for Literacy and Stress With Twice Exceptional and ELL Students

Richard M. Cash, EdD

International Speaker, Educator, and Consultant; Former Director of Gifted Programs; Author, “Enhancing Social-Emotional Learning With Self-Regulation for Learning” (2019, Free Spirit Publishing Blog), Advancing Differentiation: Thinking and Learning for the 21st Century (2017), and Self-Regulation in the Classroom: Helping Students Learn How to Learn (2016); Co-Author, Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going Beyond the Basics (2013)