2026 Summer Symposium

For new teachers and experienced teachers alike. Here you'll get steps on how to reach and influence today's learners (The Selfie Generation), but with that old-school respect and focus. Practical advice mixed with videos and experience sprinkled with humor(ish) and a dab of The Dab. Utilizing fun/creative elements/apps to engage and focus on being authentic to your personality in the process!

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is most impactful when it is embedded into the daily practices and systems of a school rather than implemented as a stand-alone program. This session explores how schools can intentionally integrate SEL practices into all aspects of the school day, including Tier 1 universal supports, Tier 2 targeted interventions, and Tier 3 intensive supports. Participants will learn how SEL can be woven into instruction, behavior systems, and intervention processes to strengthen school culture and climate for both students and staff. Real-world examples will illustrate how schools can intentionally align SEL practices with existing structures to build stronger relationships, reduce conflict, increase engagement, and cultivate a climate where both students and staff can thrive.

When classroom conflict, student shutdowns, or escalations occur, educators often feel pressure to respond quickly,sometimes relying on reactive or punitive strategies that unintentionally damage relationships and psychological safety. This interactive session introduces Repairing the Moment, a restorative, SEL-aligned framework designed to help educators pause, reflect, and respond with intention when safety breaks down.


Participants will explore how everyday disruptions such as student withdrawal, peer conflict, or public escalation can become opportunities to strengthen relationships rather than fracture them. Using real classroom scenarios, educators will practice moving from reaction to repair through affective statements, decision mapping, community agreements, victim-offender dialogue, and structured restorative talk circles. Emphasis is placed on regulation before resolution, collective accountability, and repairing harm while maintaining adult authority.


Grounded in evidence-based restorative and SEL practices, this session equips educators with concrete tools they can immediately apply to build classrooms where belonging, trust, and connection lead the way.