2012 NAREN National Conference

Conference Keynotes & Breakout Sessions

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• Breakout Sessions

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Keynote Speakers

Note: Click here for the FULL conference schedule in Adobe Acrobat PDF format (latest revision: January 24, 2012)

• Keynote Speaker: Debbie Phelps

  Deborah Phelps is widely recognized as an innovative, energetic and talented leader and master teacher with more than three decades of teaching and administrative experience. The proud mother of three children and grandmother of two, Ms. Phelps is an active Principal of Windsor Middle School in the Baltimore County Public Schools system. A highly sought after motivational speaker and recent author, Ms. Phelps addresses a range of topics related to education, child development and life lessons.

  Debbie Phelps A Mother for All Seasons

  Ms. Phelps began her career in education as a teacher at Havre de Grace Middle School in 1974 and evolved her experiences from teacher to team leader to department chair, which has served as the foundation to her successful role in administration. Over the course of her distinguished career, Ms. Phelps has developed a state-of-the-art food science lab, designed and implemented award-winning nutrition and food science curriculum and has been actively involved in the successful launch of two middle schools.

  Her dedication and commitment to excellence in the field of education has earned Ms. Phelps honors including Baltimore County Public School's Teacher of the Year Finalist, two-time Maryland Family & Consumer Science Teacher of the Year, and Baltimore County's "Baby Boomer of the Year" (2004).

  Beyond the school halls, Ms. Phelps is also affectionately known as a "swim mom" to three accomplished swimmers: her daughters Hilary (University of Richmond) and Whitney (U.S. Olympic Trials), and son, Michael (14-time Olympic gold medalist). She recently added "author" to her resume with the release of her first book, A Mother for All Seasons, in which she reveals the universal themes of her life story that is rich with struggle, humor, hope, advice and passion and rallies readers to cheer for all of our children at every stage of their growth and in every endeavor.

  Ms. Phelps serves on multiple business and community-advisory boards including the Board of Directors of the Maryland Character Education and American Students' Fund. Ms. Phelps is also a member of the Kids Helping Hopkins Board of Directors, as well as a board member for Northwest Hospital. She has been actively involved with a variety of charity organizations, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County, Make-A-Wish Foundation (mid-Atlantic region), Pathfinders for Autism, and John's Hopkins Shock Trauma Medical Center, among others. Ms. Phelps is also a spokeswoman for Chico's.

  A highly sought after public speaker, Ms. Phelps has addressed various education conferences and business seminars including Every Child Matters Education Fund, POWERED by ME!, Strategic Air & Space Museum's Brain Educators Conference, and Children's Mental Health Institute, among others.

  A native of Allegany County (Western Maryland), Ms. Phelps received her Master's degree in Education Management & Supervision from Loyola College (MD) and BA in Education from Fairmont State College. She currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland where she enjoys spending her free time with her family.

Bryan Harris "My big question: How can I create an environment where students are naturally motivated?"

• Keynote Speaker: Bryan Harris

  Bryan Harris is active in the field as Professional Development Director of Elementary Schools in Casa Grande, Arizona. He has presented from Maryland to California and never fails to inspire AND engage his audience. His topics for the 9th Annual NAREN Conference:

  • Battling Boredom — The Power of Student Engagement to Prevent Discipline Problems

    Bryan will focus on the most common blocks to effective RTI — the basic relationships between boredom, engagement, and student behavior. Topics will include research-based practices and clarifications on the topics of student motivation and brain and cognitive processes.

  • Reaching the Reluctant Learner — Increasing Performance!

    This roll up your sleeves seminar offers specific interventions and strategies for educators to implement with students who may or may not be identified as discipline problems but are at-risk of failing to live up to their potential as learners unless someone not only gets the big picture but the personal issues that impact learning as well.

  Bryan Harris is the author of 75 Quick and Easy Solutions for Classroom Disruptions (just released on January 25, 2012), as well as Battling Boredom: 99 Strategies to Spark Student Engagement.

Marcus Gentry

• Conference Addictions Strand

  A Fresh Look at Addiction — Marcus Gentry is NAREN's Chairman of the Addictions Strand for the 2012 National Conference. He works the streets of Chicago and Gary, Indiana as a social activist, and is also known as Dr. RESPECT, a public speaker, actor and entertainer. Marcus will also be delivering on Wednesday night of the conference his highly acclaimed A King's Journey in honor of Black History Month.

  Much like it is done in many colleges and universities, each year at the NAREN Conference we have a major and a minor. Our "major" is always the same: "Successful Programs & Practices for Quality At-Risk Education." Each year we change the minor.

  This year, in light of some startling statistics revealing increases in the "addictions energy" in our youth, the "minor" will be an Addictions Strand. Not just about alcohol and other drugs, but we are open to presenters of all current addictions: tobacco, gambling, Internet, food, relationships, and gaming — to mention a few.

  Chairing the Addictions Strand at the conference will be Marcus Gentry, former social services worker/supervisor and substance abuse program coordinator for addicted adolescents in Cook County (Chicago), Illinois. For more than 20 years Marcus has worked as a professional in the field of social services. He began his career in a locked, co-ed residential facility for aggressive adolescents in Chicago. From there, he supervised workers in a co-ed, detox unit for chemically dependent adults. After that, he was afforded the opportunity to identify and counsel youth at-risk for substance abuse in Cook County alternative schools. His last position in social services was as the substance abuse coordinator for Cook County, where he provided assessments and counseling services to the residents of public housing from pre-teen to senior citizens.

  Marcus "Dr. Respect" Gentry currently is an internationally acclaimed speaker, having presented on a variety of topics related overall wellness such as, overcoming self-destructive and addictive behaviors, stress management (a five step system), the universal principles of team building, how to deal with difficult people and how to unleash your peak potential. He has provided lectures and workshops to teachers, students, religious leaders and various businesses. Marcus Gentry is presently one of the top requested speakers for the Department of Defense and their nationally recognized Yellow Ribbon Events.

  If you are interested in presenting a conference breakout on addictions in our children, please complete the form which you can download from the Call for Conference Presenters page.

Breakout Sessions

Note: Click here for the FULL conference schedule in Adobe Acrobat PDF format (latest revision: January 24, 2012)

• Addictions, Angels & Warriors (Addiction Track)
  Presented by Anthony Dallmann-Jones — Marco Island, FL

  In this session educators will learn with Dr. Anthony Dallmann-Jones, author of SHADOW CHILDREN, what to do about the hydra-headed monster of addiction, in all its forms — whether chemical, behavioral or mental. Over 70% of high school students admit they can obtain illegal and prescription drugs without leaving the school. Gambling, gaming, texting, and food addictions are the new 21st Century addictions. Schools are filled with two kinds of students: the actively addicted and those in danger of becoming addicts or enablers. Today's educator is sometimes a counselor, a parent substitute, and a role model — as well as a teacher of content. The really great ones are Angel-Warrior Educators, a phrase coined by Dr. Dallmann-Jones in the DIAL Program he directs for Marian University. Goal of this special two hour session: How an educator can begin to develop the Angel-Warrior attributes that can effectively intervene and convert potentially disastrous destinies into actualizing student potential.

  [Participants may attend either session or both. There will be a 15 minute natural break between the two (different) sessions.]

• Adult Issues in Crisis with Troubled Youth (General Track)
  Presented by Steve Parese — Danbury, NC

  Emotionally challenging children and youth can sometimes push problems to the very limits with defiance, withdrawal, sarcasm, and/or neediness. Staff may find themselves reacting personally rather than professionally to certain youth without any conscious awareness of why these youth push their buttons so easily. This intriguing 60-minute workshop first provides staff with a deeper understanding of four self-defeating patterns common among troubled youth. Next, it explores the dynamics of power struggles between students and staff, then delves deeply into therapeutic explanations of why some dynamics may be so profoundly disturbing for us. Finally, it closes with specific strategies for remaining focused in such moments. Participants leave with insights helpful in maintaining a professional perspective in challenging situations.

• Autism: Hope for Kids Holding the Umbrella (General Track)
  Presented by Terri Martin-Yates — Gainesville, GA

  This informative session presents cutting-edge facts and statitstics about autism spectrum disorders, as well as evidence-based teaching strategies and techniques to use in the classroom. The importance of early identification and early intervention is highlighted, and a parent-school-community partnership is encouraged in serving families impacted by autism.

• The B.R.I.D.G.E. Program at the David J. McHugh Alternative Middle School: A Positive Choice and a New Beginning for 7th and 8th Graders (General Track)
  Presented by Ellen Spiegel — Brookline, MA

  The B.R.I.D.G.E. Program is an alternative middle school servicing students in Lowell, Massachusetts who are exhibiting behavioral problems. In this workshop, educators will hear ways in which we have provided a nurturing, structured, safe and positive environment for students with histories of truancy, suspensions, expulsion, gang involvement, domestic abuse and/or mental health issues.

• Battling Boredom — The Power of Student Engagement to Prevent Discipline Problems (KEYNOTE)
  Presented by Bryan Harris — Casa Grande, AZ

  This presentation will focus on the most common blocks to effective RTI — the basic relationships between boredom, engagement, and student behavior. Topics will include research-based practices and clarifications on the topics of student motivation and brain and cognitive processes.

• Beyond Poverty: Brain-Inspired Ways to Understand and Respond to Poverty (General Track)
  Presented by Debra Ingersoll — Magdalena, NM

  Poverty has a synergistic and pervasive impact on children's brains. In this workshop, participants will learn the specific differences developing brains exposed to poverty have, the impact of those differences in the classroom, and the unique interventions that can be used to overcome poverty's effects.

• Brain-Based Interventions to Improve Academic Performance and Graduation Rates (General Track)
  Presented by Ron Odell — Woodstock, GA

  This presentation will explain and demonstrate 3 effective brain-based interventions and techniques that can be used to remediate weak laerning skills in students who struggle to learn. These techniques help to promote transfer of information from one side of the brain to the other, increase phonemic awareness, helps transposing sight into sound to become automatic, develop attention skills and teach keyboarding.

• Building Resilience to Improve Academic Performance and Graduation Rates (General Track)
  Presented by Christin A. R. Nichols — Denver, CO

  Researchers have identified critical, interrelated resiliency skills including motivation, connectedness, and confidence that are directly tied to student engagement, achievement and graduation rates. Longitudinal research has demonstrated that assessing resiliency can reliably predict future academic performance. This session provides proven classroomready strategies for building these essential resiliency skills.

• The Bully Brain: Understanding Why Bullying Happens (Addiction Track)
  Presented by Heather Higgins — Baltimore, MD

  In this workshop, bullying will be looked at through the lens of cognitive neuroscience with a new perspective provided on the often perplexing behavior of these students. Participants will learn how the brains of bullies may be hardwired differently and which types of interventions are most (and least) effective.

• Changing the Classroom Culture for Girls General Track)
  Presented by Cherish Smith — New Baltimore, VA

  This multimedia presentation will provide participants with ideas for improving the social climate for adolescent girls in their classrooms. Participants will leave with techniques and lesson plans that will help make their classroom a safe, comfortable place for girls. Current research on girls' emotional, physical, and intellectual development and relational aggression will be presented.

• Changing the Culture of Conflict: A New Model for Interpersonal Problem Solving in the Workplace (Administrative Track)
  Presented by Frank Kros — Baltimore, MD

  Conflict in the workplace has historically been managed by the twin pillars of authority and the legally informed "discipline process." However, these pillars have often fallen short of what human serving professionals need in times of conflict and crisis: the very best thinking and creative collaboration among and between employees. In addition, authoritative approaches often lead to the creation of a "culture of blame." This workshop offers a new model of conflict resolution focusing on ownership, collaboration, and strengthening employee relationships. This four-part, progressive problem solving model combines the best of brain research with 30 years of human service experience to produce an efficient, effective conflict resolution model proven effective in a multi-service children's organization. Learn a new paradigm for solving difficult, personal and seemingly intractable problems among and between your employees and usher in a new era of creative, cutting-edge solutions to age-old dilemmas.

• Creating Connections between Schools and Businesses to Support Student Success! (Administrative Track)
  Presented by Marty Gholston — Pewaukee, WI

  The disconnect between formal education and employers is real! In order to address it, local businesses and schools are forming partnerships to help students understand the expectations of future employers or educational institutions are not so very different. How teachers and schools can create partnerships, engage students in real-time learning experiences, and help prepare our young people for the expectations after high school will be explored and discussed.

• Expecting and Receiving Students' Best Work: Relationships, Relevance and Rigor (General Track)
  Presented by Cherish Smith — New Baltimore, VA

  This interactive presentation will test participants' knowledge of pop culture and show the importance of how to integrate students' interests into the classroom lessons. Participants will leave with lesson plans for core areas that demand rigor and high-level thinking while maintaining relevance for the students.

• Feed the White Dog: A Healing Approach to Academics and Behavior (Addiction Track)
  Presented by John Perotti — Springville, UT

  This session will provide educators with practical ideas for improving student performance by changing the way students view themselves and their potential. Feed the White Dog teaches students to find their own significance and power in the positive choices they make.

• A Fresh Look at Addictions (Addiction Track)
  Presented by Marcus Gentry — Riverdale, IL

  NAREN's Chairman of the Addictions Strand for the 2012 National Conference. He works the streets of Chicago and Gary, Indiana as a social activist and is also known as Dr. RESPECT a motivational speaker and vocal entertainer.

• Giving a Fish a Bath: The Untold Story of the Adolescent Mind (General Track)
  Presented by Terri Martin-Yates — Gainesville, GA

  Neuroscience has offered exciting insights into "brain-based" challenges facing adolescents as they mature, and reveals why teens are especially vulnerable to risk-taking behaviors such as drug use. This session offers information and strategies to help educators understand and empower the teenage brain during this miraculous developmental period.

• Glasser Quality Schools: A Comprehensive School Success Program (Administrative Track)
  Presented by Kim Olver — Country Club Hills, IL

  The William Glasser Institute has 19 Glasser Quality Schools and many more in progress. This involves implementing a system that changes the school culture, resulting in increased scores on standardized testing, decreased truancy, increased cooperation and decreased disciplinary incidents. Come see if our system could work for you!

• GOAL Academy — Colorado: a "High Tech — High Touch" Model for 21st Century At-Risk Youth (Administrative Track)
  Presented by Ken Crowell, Terri Martinez-McGraw and Cheryl Anderson — Pueblo, CO

  GOAL Academy, a statewide Colorado high school, combines a robust, competency-based online curriculum with high level support from HQ instructors, adivors and coaches who live in the same communities as their students. Early results offer hope that this is a highly effective option for our most at-risk youth.

• Grading Malpractice (Administrative Track)
  Presented by Ryan Champeau — Waukesha, WI

  As American secondary schools take on the challenge of preparing students for a challenging world, they must embrace the state-of-the-art research that will accomplish that goal. There is a preponderance of evidence on assessment and grading that shows how traditional practices not only produce low yields, but frequently inhibit motivation and academic growth. This session will provide participants with research and tools that will allow them to explode the myth of the zero, address the tyranny of averaging, and lead their teachers to grading for learning.

• "Just Do Your Job!" (Administrative Track)
  Presented by Steve Parese — Danbury, NC

  We ALL have "high maintenance employees," who have difficulty getting along with coworkers, accepting limits, and dealing with authority. Some were raised in harsh or disadvantaged environments, and simply never learned these skills. Others have had overwhelming issues in their personal lives and bring them to work, seemingly unaware of professional boundaries. These employees can be very difficult to relate to, motivate and supervise effectively. As a result, many administrators rely heavily on counterproductive reward and punishment approaches. This workshop offers new insights and skills to help supervisors understand and motivate workers to succeed. Participants will:

  • Identify four common patterns of problem workplace behavior, along with typical supervisory traps to avoid in dealing with each;
  • Explore motivating and demotivating forces within any work environment; and
  • Review a process for giving constructive criticism in meaningful ways.

• Lapeer Community High School — Where Students are "At Risk" — for SUCCESS! (Administrative Track)
  Presented by Kevin Walters — Lapeer, MI

  Alternative Education provides the BEST, not the last chance for many students. Innovative design, high expectations, and flexible learning options offer students at Lapeer Community High School the BEST chance at finding academic success! This session will outline the continuing journey of building a quality programming model from the ground up.

• Leadership Effectiveness... Looks Like? (Administrative Track)
  Presented by Debbie Phelps — Baltimore, MD

  What is effective leadership and how can it best be used to serve our children? Come hear from middle school principal, Deborah Phelps, on how administrators can best work with their teachers when it comes to educating our at-risk youth and teens. In this session, Ms. Phelps will provide strategies and tools for working not only with your students from an administrative level, but also ways to best strategize with your teachers on pragmatic methods for them to work effectively in the classroom.

• A Learning and Functional Classroom Begins with Profound Leadership, Engaged Staff, Effective Behavior Program(s) and Accountability (Administrative Track)
  Presented by Dr. Yvette Bartee — Montgomery, AL

  This presentation will show research-based rationales as to why and how sound leadership, strategic planning, effective programs (behavioral), pertinent partnerships, program progress monitoring and outcome assessments are necessary for school districts across the country to engage all students in learning, thereby changing the climate of the classroom, the academic achievement levels, as well as the development, empowerment and enhancement of school, family and community partnerships.

• Lesson Planning for Students Who Don't Know How to "Do" School Successfully (General Track)
  Presented by Margaret Black — Menomonee Fall, WI

  This presentation will discuss the topics in the new book, Minding the Gap for the Academically At-Risk Students (ASCD, March 2001). At-Risk students tend to lack the knowledge or see the patterns of how to "do" school successfully. With specific research-based planning tools, teachers can make the classroom familiar and doable for marginalized students. We will learn to use the GANAGPlua lesson planning model.

• Making Co-Teaching Work for Special Education, ELL, and At-Risk (General Track)
  Presented by Margaret Black — Menomonee Fall, WI

  Districts are requiring inclusions for Special Education, English Language Learners and At-Risk students with little or no training for their teachers and specialists. Listen to the experience of districts who have redefined "inclusion" to an Integrated Service Delivery Model. Learn strategies and practices that teachers working together can employ that will improve student learning, reengage students and maximize resources — particularly human capital!

• Preparing At-Risk Youth for the Workplace (General Track)
  Presented by Steve Parese — Danbury, NC

  Troubled youth often have difficulty with peers and authority figures -- difficulties sure to cause problems in the workplace. This highly interactive workshop explains why at-risk youth and young adults have trouble adjusting to the culture of the workplace, and offers cognitive behavioral strategies for teaching them how to work through workplace problems rather than blowing them out of proportion.

• Reaching the Reluctant Learner — Increasing Performance (General Track)
  Presented by Bryan Harris — Casa Grande, AZ

  This "roll up your sleeves" seminar offers specific interventions and strategies for educators to implement with students who may or may not be identified as discipline problems but are at-risk of failing to live up to their potential as learners unless someone not only gets the big picture but the personal issues that impact learning as well.

• Read for Meaning, Fluently! (General Track)
  Presented by Angela Flavin — Gainesville, FL

  Learn how to combine the research-proven strategies of teacher modeling, repeated reading and monitoring of progress into a single, powerful strategy to accelerate the reading achievements of Title I, special education, ELL and mainstream students.

• Reclaiming Youth through the Circle of Courage (General Track)
  Presented by Stacey Adamczyk and Shelly Gillmore — Muskego, WI

  Discover how Connects Learning Center builds its positive school culture and models the Circle of Courage* -- creating a sense of belonging, fostering independence, promoting generosity, as well as developing mastery -- through student learning activities and school policies. Attendees will become active participants as they experience strategies and activities that can be applied to any classroom environment. * The Circle of Courage was developed by Dr. Larry Brendtro, Dr. Martin Brokenieg, and Dr. Steve Van Bockern.

• Rethinking Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD): What Works, What Doesn't, and Why (General Track)
  Presented by Heather Higgins — Baltimore, MD

  Children and youth with Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) have unique brains. Like all brains, AD/HD minds have strengths and weaknesses. In this illuminating workshop, you'll learn the 12 power tools for maximizing the strengths and minimizing the contextual weaknesses of the AD/HD brain.

• Research-Based Classroom Management Strategies (General Track)
  Presented by Ron Antinori — Mullica Hill, NJ

  Learn immediate steps to gain and keep control of a classroom even when disruptive behavior is serious and challenging. Identify and eliminate the "stress" triggers for both you and your students. This research-based approach with a 27-year track record of success, teaches behavioral expectations and academics simultaneously.

• S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Program — Innovative Safety Net Program for At-Risk Students (General Track)
  Presented by Matthew Bland — Chesterfield, VA

  The SUCCESS Program is an innovative safety net program for high school at-risk students. Improving scores, grades, graduation rates and schol climate at little to no cost.

• A Triangular Approach: Composure, Collaboration and Communication (KEYNOTE)
  Presented by Debbie Phelps — Baltimore, MD

  In this session, you'll hear what has worked for Deborah Phelps, a mother to many and a principal of thousands. Ms. Phelps, mother of three including World Champion Swimmer Michael Phelps and principal of Windsor Mill Middle School, will share her experiences and best practices for parents, administrators and educators of at-risk children. Through Composure, Collaboration and Communication, children of all ages and abilities will thrive.

• Trouble Letting Go: Understanding Addiction and the Developing Brain (Addiction Track)
  Presented by Frank Kros — Baltimore, MD

  In this workshop, participants will learn why teens and adolescents are more sensitive and vulnerable to the effects of alcohol, nicotine and drugs than are adults. We will examine why this vulnerability exists and will provide concrete methods on both presentation and intervention after use. In addition, the process of addiction in the brain is examined with implications for changing addictive behaviors in teens and adolescents.

• Understanding the Addiction Cycle in Adolescents (Addiction Track)
  Presented by Angie Senic-Shockley and Sandy Schmiedeknecht — Davis, WV

  With every negative behavior there is a positive intent. We discuss what is behind the addiction at the core level. Beliefs, perceptions and responses are driving forces to the addiction cycle. Identify the stages of this cycle, the behaviors and patterns that develop. We will touch on generational parenting patterns and how this influences the addictive behavior of adolescents. We will use discussion tools and resources to support sobriety of the adolescent and the family.

• Using the Scale of Student Engagement / Disengagement (SOS ED) to Identify Students At-Risk of Graduating from High School (General Track)
  Presented by Dr. Lynn Frickey — Seattle, WA

  The Scale of Student Engagement / Disengagement (SOS ED) uses a bubble-sheet format to solicit student feedback, which is converted into an engagement score, is group-administered, and can be given as early as the sixth grade. Engagement scores provide valuable information to tailor interventions / support for increased student engagement.

• Creating Connections between Schools and Businesses to Support Student Success! (Administrative Track)
  Presented by Marty Gholston — Pewaukee, WI

  The disconnect between formal education and employers is real! In order to address it, local businesses and schools are forming partnerships to help students understand the expectations of future employers or educational institutions are not so very different. How teachers and schools can create partnerships, engage students in real-time learning experiences, and help prepare our young people for the expectations after high school will be explored and discussed.

• Wooly Bully or Cool School — Just Survive... or Thrive! (General Track)
  Presented by Ceceilia Mills & Dr. Marilyn Lewis — Montgomery, AL

  What is happening to our kids today? Bullying, harassment, cyberbullying, sexting, toxic culture... where does it end? How can we help? Let's talk about multiple-source, research-identified indicators of need and strategies to practice that can effect realistic school culture change from toxicity into a thriving, positive, successful campus.

Please Note:

Keynotes and Breakout Sessions may be subject to change
prior to the conference

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