Listening for What Students Really Need Us to Hear

Student engagement remains high on the priority list this school term. Recent studies suggest keenly listening to students’ needs can make a significant difference. In this session, we explore what students really need us to hear and how we can improve our ability to hear what matters most to each of them.

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Related Resources:

Orchestrating the Move to Student-Driven Learning | by Bena Kallick and Allison Zmuda
Inclusive Schools: Does Your Classroom Support Introverts | by Steven Weber

Brandi Halverson is a mental health professional currently working as a School Counselor. She has 25 years of experience in education ranging from elementary to high school students. Ms. Halverson obtained her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health from San Houston State University. She plans to continue her career by pursuing her LPC and research in mental health studies.

Lisa Leaheey has taught English at North Providence High School for the entirety of her 23-year career. A lifelong voracious reader and movie buff, she spends every day sharing her passion for stories with her students, and she continuously seeks out new ways to elevate her students’ individual strengths and to support their individual needs. Lisa was recently named the 2023 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year,

Sara Silber is an award-winning elementary school teacher and a lead mentor with 30 years of classroom experience. Sara has written two blogposts, for BehaviorFlip’s Blog — “Social Emotional Growth Maps” and “A Teacher’s Journey Through Hacking School Discipline.” More recently, she authored a chapter in the inspiring book Thank You, Teacher. Sara enjoys working with her students and helping them grow and become independent learners. When she is not teaching or planning she is finding ways to support her colleagues. She loves to share her expertise, funny stories and other things that happen in the life of a teacher.

Dr. Steven Weber is an Assistant Principal at Rogers Heritage High School (AR). He has spent over twenty five years in education, serving as a teacher, administrator, and adjunct professor. His leadership experience includes serving as Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning with Fayetteville Public Schools (AR), Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction with Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (NC), and Director of Secondary Instruction for Orange County Schools (NC). Weber was a social studies curriculum specialist with the Arkansas Department of Education and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. In 2019, Weber was named the AACIA (Arkansas Association of Curriculum & Instruction Administrators) Administrator of the Year. Weber is the past president of Arkansas Association of Curriculum & Instruction Administrators, vice president of Arkansas ASCD, and has served on multiple state and national boards.