Bullying: A Social Plague That Must be Eradicated

Bullying, defined as unwanted and aggressive behaviors that involves real or perceived power imbalance, is today one of the greatest social illnesses that threatens the emotional and social welfare of our youth. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for students to reach academic proficiency in school environments that promote or allow bullying behaviors. This seminar provides school staff members with the knowledge, skills and strategies they need to recognize, confront and eliminate bullying behaviors in the students’ lives and create a school culture that promotes emotional and social wellbeing.

Math Phobia: Strategies to Improve Students’ Attitude and Performance

In a time that most high in demand and high-paying degrees require students to have a strong foundation in mathematics – math mediocrity reigns in America! Hating math is culturally acceptable and avoiding math courses is the norm. Their peers from other parts of the world consistently outperform American students and huge achievement gaps between ethnic groups continue to exist in the United States. This seminar allows school staff members to reflect on 12 possible reasons behind students’ apathy and low performance. It also provides them with 12 proven-to-work strategies to improve students’ attitudes and increase math proficiency.

Classroom Assessments: Using Tests’ Results to Improve Classroom Instruction

Classroom assessments are the corner stone of the teaching-learning process. The teachers’ ability to assess student learning has a significant impact on the level of academic proficiency that students reach. This seminar provides educators the background knowledge and skills they need to design, modify or select classroom assessments that have a clear purpose and are in alignment not only with their daily instruction but also with the state’s academic standards and accountability test, in content, level of rigor and format. Teachers also learn how to interpret tests’ scores to guide and improve their classroom instruction.

Standardized Tests: Helping Students Become Assessment Literate and Test-Taker Experts

Hispanic, African-American, English Language Learner (ELL) and Low Income students face great and sometimes unique challenges in most testing situations due to their assessment illiteracy. They do not understand the purpose, format, item type and the administration process of high-stake standardized tests. This seminar not only provides participants with a deeper understanding of how these student populations experience testing, but also grant proven-to-work school/classroom practices and up-to-date test-taking strategies that will empower students to overcome barriers and improve their performance in any testing situation.

Assessment Data Analysis: Mining, Analyzing, Communicating and Using Assessment Data for School Improvement Purposes

The process of mining, analyzing student assessment data is pivotal in any school improvement process. The ability to communicate and use student tests’ results will greatly determine the level of attainment of student academic achievement goals. Through this training, participants learn how to read and interpret statistical measures, charts, graphs, etc. to identify academic strengths and weaknesses; compare performance between subgroups; establish realistic doable school academic goals; and decide strategies to improve academic achievement.

Math Boot Camp: Increasing Pre-K to 5th Grade Teachers’ Level of Math Proficiency

Teachers’ level of content expertize is one of the leading indicators of students’ level of proficiency. This workshop provides elementary school teachers the opportunity to:

Acquire or strengthen their knowledge and skills regarding the five basic math strands, which are: Number Sense and Operations, Algebraic Thinking, Geometry/Spatial Sense, Measurement, and Data Analysis and Probability
Increase their capacity to solve word problems, communicate findings and solutions, use reasoning and critical thinking, and make connections to other sciences
Use technology, kinesthetic and hands-on classroom strategies to enhance their instruction and accommodate students’ different learning styles

College Casualties: Competencies to Avoid Becoming One

With 80% of today’s occupations requiring post-secondary education, students are attending college in unprecedented numbers. However, we are facing a new challenge – many high school students are becoming college casualties! Students, are either unprepared for the rigors of a college education and dropout or graduate with degrees that are not in demand and/or with unsurmountable amounts of debts. This seminar provides participants with the awareness, insights and strategies they need to ensure that more students graduate college, debt-free and with degrees that lead to high-in-demand careers.

In the Driver’s Seat: Ten Competencies that Increases Hispanic Parents’ Ability to Navigate the American Education System

In spite of decades of school improvement initiatives, Hispanic students continue to lag behind their Asian and White peers in key academic areas. Since parental involvement is the leading indicator of student academic achievement, empowering parents so they can play a significant role in their children’s education is key in our efforts to increase the academic achievement of Hispanic students. This seminar not only provides participants with a better understanding of the Hispanic culture, challenges, assets, trends and issues, but also explains the ten competencies that parents demonstrate when they “sit in the driver’s seat” when it comes to their children’s education.

Voices: African American and Hispanic Students’ Perceptions Regarding the Academic Achievement Gaps

Hispanic and African American students continue to lag behind their Asian and White peers in all core academic subjects. Decades of school improvement efforts have failed in minimizing the stubborn achievement gaps that exist between ethnic groups in America. This eye-opening workshop provides participants with a fresh perspective. They learn what high school students from these two ethnic groups believe deters their same-race/ethnic peers from achieving greater academic success. School staff members also have the opportunity to discuss twenty-seven proven-to-work strategies that, according to students, can improve the academic achievement of these two ethnic groups and minimize their schools’ performance gaps.

The Impact of Culture: Why Some Ethnic Groups Achieve Higher Than Others Do

Some of the greatest challenges that school districts across our nation are facing are the huge and persistent performance gaps that exist between student populations. The truth is that some ethnic groups seem to achieve more than others do. This thought-provoking seminar allows participants to think out of the box and consider how cultural values, beliefs, attitudes, etc. can enhance or impede student academic achievement. They also have the opportunity to discuss strategies that can help school staff members construct a student mental frame of reference and a school culture in which all students, no matter their cultural background, can achieve greater academic success.

Hispanic Parent Involvement: Implementing Successful School Hispanic Parent Involvement Programs

One of the leading indicators of student academic success is parent involvement. This seminar provides teachers, school administrators, guidance counselors, school social workers, etc. the opportunity to discuss the kind of Hispanic parent involvement they need, and can get, to increase the academic achievement of their Hispanic student population. Participants learn the basic and key components of a yearlong effective parent involvement program and numerous strategies to help parents successfully navigate the American Education system, monitor their children’s education and ensure that their children receive a top quality education.

Emotional Tug-of-War: The Impact of the Undocumented Status on Student Academic Achievement

Although the actual size and origin of undocumented immigrants in the USA is uncertain, national surveys and other sources of information are reporting that the current population may be as high as 20 million. Sadly, most school staff members are unaware of the challenges undocumented students (or children of undocumented parents) face and are not prepared to help them achieve academic success. Through this eye-opening and highly sensitive seminar, participants learn about the emotional “tug-of-war” that students experience while learning down-to-earth strategies to help them overcome their immigrant-related challenges, graduate high school and enroll in post-secondary programs.

Dr. Lourdes

Seminars for Teachers

The target audience, content, objectives, length, etc. of each of the following seminars can be modified to meet the specific professional development needs of the school or district.