Keynotes:

• Be A Teacher -- Be A Hero! (50 to 90 minutes)
  • In this presentation Debbie Silver utilizes humor and sensitivity to remind audiences of how important teachers (and other educators) are in the lives of children. Through poignant stories and hilarious characterizations, Debbie connects with the souls of all who touch children. Audience members laugh and cry as they are reminded of the value of each and every child in the classroom.
• Pay It Forward (50-90 minutes)
  • (Modification of this presentation for counselors, bus drivers, school secretaries, librarians or other educational support personnel is available) In this celebration of educational employees Debbie Silver congratulates those who “go outside the lines” to ensure the best environment for all students. She utilizes humor and sensitivity to remind audiences of how important all the adults in school are in the lives of children. Through poignant stories and hilarious characterizations, Debbie connects with the souls of all who touch children. Audience members laugh and cry as they are reminded of the value of each and every child in the educational system.
• Reflections From An Educator Exemplar
  • In this spoof characterization of a 30-year teacher (a teacher with one year’s experience repeated thirty times), Rhodeena Culsmucker, expounds on her philosophy of education, “My way or the highway!” She laments her troubles with everyone in education including students, fellow teachers, support personnel, administrators, and of course, the parents. She is the antithesis of all the Debbie extols in effective teachers, and she loves to present a “rebuttal address” to Debbie’s “Be A Teacher -- Be A Hero” speech. Laced with Rhodeena’s comments about audience members, this stand-up comedy routine brings the house down! (It takes Debbie approximately 10 minutes to change into this “lovely” creature.) This routine can last from 15 to 35 minutes and can easily be included in any of the keynotes or workshop sessions without a costume change.
• Going "Outside the Lines" (1 to 3 hours)
  • This keynote (or workshop) addresses how to engage students from all backgrounds and experiences. Relevant, applicable teaching strategies for reaching previously disenfranchised learners are modeled. Researchers tell us that educators should no longer ask about students, “How smart are they?” but rather, “How are they smart?” Debbie discusses how to incorporate students’ competencies into curriculum planning and assessment. Participants are engaged in classroom activities designed to help students construct their own learning. Loads of illustrations and ideas! Dr. Silver demonstrates an approach that engages learners and helps them hone their critical thinking skills
• The Art and Heart of Teaching (1 to 3 hours)
  • In this presentation Dr. Debbie Silver utilizes humor and sensitivity to remind audiences how important teachers are in the lives of children. She demonstrates how to engage all types of learners in the classroom. Her belief is that all children have gifts, and teachers hold the important key for getting students to “open them.” Audiences laugh and cry as they are reminded about the value of each and every child in the classroom. Participants leave with loads of new ideas for creative instructional and assessment strategies. ‹This keynote is a blend of “Be a Teacher -- Be a Hero,” “Going Outside the Lines,” and “Reflections of an Educator Exemplar.”›

Workshops:

• "Calgon, Take Me Away!" A Stress Management Workshop for Educators (1 to 3 hours)
  • The physical and psychological costs of stress can undermine our health, our sense of well-being, our spiritual growth, and our interpersonal relationships. This workshop offers proven techniques that can be used to deal with stress and burn-out. Humor, role-playing, and anecdotes are used to illustrate how anyone can reduce and manage unwanted stress. Learn to laugh, love, and live a more satisfying life.
• Cooperative Learning That Really Works! (1 to 3 hours)
  • Whether they are using flexible grouping or a more traditional cooperative grouping, teachers can maximize student learning with appropriately applied techniques. In this workshop participants work cooperatively on engaging tasks while practicing basic cooperative learning concepts. Specific job assignments, classroom management, grading, and trouble-shooting are modeled and discussed. Teachers have fun while learning how to use cooperative learning to enhance student achievement. Beginners gain confidence to try it, while experienced cooperative grouping managers are reaffirmed and gain new ideas. - A special session for PK-3 educators is also available.
• NEW! - Desperately Seeking a “Round Tuit’”-- Time Management for Educators (1 – 2 hours)
  • There is nothing so constant as change and little as challenging as organizing and managing our time in a world of the unexpected. Come and learn about your own psychological strengths and stumbling blocks when it comes to taking control of your schedule. Through proven techniques and insightful anecdotes Debbie Silver will present a step-by-step approach for connecting your individual needs to a system for attaining your life long goals and dreams. Loads of time saving techniques are provided. This workshop tackles the serious business of time management skills with humor and with fun.
• "Earth to Educator, Earth to Educator, Are You There?” A Workshop About Interpersonal Communication Skills. (1 to 2 Hours)
  • This general workshop is appropriate for everyone involved in education. It is designed to improve the communication skills of educators in their many daily interactions with others. Dr. Debbie Silver leads audience members through activities designed to enhance the written and verbal communication skills they need for dealing with students, colleagues, administrators, and parents. Goal setting, empathy, listening skills, and interpersonal relationships are addressed.
• "Emotionally Intelligent Educators “-- NOT an Oxymoron! (1 – 2 hours)
  • This session explores emerging brain research on the neurobiology of emotions and its links to learning. Debbie demonstrates applications of classroom strategies designed to foster emotional health and enhance students’ ability to learn. Her ideas can be integrated into any grade level or subject discipline. Audience participants receive activities that teach empathy, impulse control, and other fundamentals of emotional competence. The serious business of building “emotional competence” is handled with sensitivity as well as humor.
• Great Teaching Tips I've Stolen From My Friends (1 to 2 hours)
  • In this session Dr. Silver mixes her own considerable classroom experience, her background as a university methods professor, her observations as a supervisor of new teachers, and ideas from 100’s of her colleagues. Designed as a new teacher in-service presentation it gives neophytes time saving strategies, practical tips, and great ideas to begin their teaching careers. Mixed with both heart and humor this presentation is a wonderful gift for those new to the teaching profession as well as those who wish to be renewed.
• Learning About Learning Styles (1 to 2 Hours)
  • An excellent workshop for those who need help in understanding the learning styles of others! This one has an extra charge because of the instrument used ‹*see below›. This workshop is designed to acquaint participants with different learning styles. Participants develop an understanding of the various ways people internalize information. While exploring their own learning styles, they examine how to positively interact with those whose styles are different. Dr. Debbie Silver uses humor, role-playing, and anecdotes, to demonstrate how best to deal with the varied learning styles of students. She presents methods for adapting any lesson to the needs of individual learners.
    *The instrument used for this is workshop is copyrighted and must be purchased for approximately $2.30 per participant. For more information see http://www.gregorc.com/instrume.html
• Lion Taming 101: Classroom Management (1 to 3 hours)
  • This session is a MUST for new teachers, teachers who are experiencing difficulty with classroom management, teachers who need to be “recharged,” or administrators who want to help their staffs work towards being more studentcentered. Dr. Debbie Silver offers simple practical helpful tips on everything from how to begin the very first day of school to how to trouble-shoot with disruptive students. Included are tips on student-centered discipline along with basic classroom routines and procedures. Teachers in the session laugh, think, and go back to their classrooms with scores of ideas on how to establish a classroom environment that facilitates learning. ‹Also see Workshop, “What Do I Get?”›
• Positive, Proactive Parental Involvement (1 to 2 hours)
  • In this presentation Debbie Silver explores the dynamics of interpersonal relationships when dealing with parents. Through proven procedures, anecdotes, and humor she reminds participants of basic sensible procedures for dealing with parents. She offers a twist in perspective in that she had five very different sons who went through the public school system with varying degrees of success. Effective management skills are highlighted as well as fundamental techniques for dealing with exacting personal encounters. The importance of professionalism, communication, and compassion are emphasized. ‹Debbie also offers a Parental Involvement Seminar specifically designed for parents›.
• NEW! - A Survival Guide for Teachers of Post Secondary Students (1 to 3 hours)
  • This seminar is designed for teachers of post secondary students who want to become skilled at engaging both traditional and non-traditional students in the learning process while maintaining a positive classroom environment. Debbie delivers simple, practical tips for both long-term and short term goals. She offers guidelines and tips for immediate solutions to classroom management problems.
• Teaching and Assessing Through Multiple Intelligences (2 to 6 hours)
  • In this session Dr. Debbie Silver capitalizes on her background in curriculum and instruction to demonstrate excellent teaching strategies along with appropriate assessment tools. She presents instruction and assessment as “two sides of the same coin.” Debbie believes that by capitalizing on student strengths rather than emphasizing their weaknesses, teachers can elicit greater achievement gains and higher motivation among students. She discusses how to give students multiple opportunities to demonstrate what they know and understand. Participants receive classroom activities designed to help students construct their own learning. Loads of illustrations and ideas!
• “What Do I Get For Doing It?” Using Rewards as a Classroom Management Strategy (1 to 2 hr)
  • Do your students often ask the question, “What will you give me for doing this?”? Does that bother you? This session is a must for teachers and administrators struggling with the issue of using rewards as reinforcers. It offers practical, helpful tips on how to move towards a system that is more intrinsically based. Participants laugh, think, and leave with scores of ideas on how to establish a classroom environment that truly facilitates lifelong learning. ‹Also see workshop “Lion Taming 101” . . .›
• NEW! - Will the Real Teacher Please Stand Up? (1 to 3 hours)
  • Are you teaching harder and enjoying it less? Do you secretly covet that job as a Wal Mart greeter? Perhaps it is time to explore your unique blend of individual assets and “find your own voice” as an educator. There are many paths to successful teaching, and this session will help both new and experienced teachers reflect on what it takes to make this job personally satisfying and rewarding. Heart, humor, and hand-outs.

Specialized Topics:

• Middle School Topic(s) of Your Choice . . . (1 to 6 hours)
  • As a former middle school teacher and a university professor of middle school methods, Debbie has a vast understanding of middle level issues. She has spoken to local, state, national, and international middle school organizations across the country, in Europe, in Asia, and in Canada. She can customize presentations to suit the needs of your particular middle school educators. Subjects from which you can choose are characteristics of a true middle school, the nature of a preadolescent, exemplary middle schools, advisory periods, interdisciplinary instruction, teaming, and other relevant topics.
• Science Topic of Your Choice ( 1 to 6 hours)
  • Debbie presents physical, biological, earth, and health science workshops. She can develop programs from a one-hour workshop to a week long course on the topic(s) of your choice. Included with all topics are cooperative learning, laboratory safety, the learning cycle, hands-on learning, and alternative assessment.

For Students:

• "Finding Your North Star" (1 to 1.5 hours)
  • In this motivational speech for students, Debbie entertains children while challenging them to make their own dreams come true. Through demonstrations, audience participation, stories, and comedy she involves participants in creative thinking and risk taking situations. Based on a theme by Fablevision’s™ Peter Reynolds, the message that comes through loud and clear is that through commitment, courage, and character, students can set their own goals and achieve them.
• Science Topics of Your Choice for Students. . . (1 to 1.5 hours)
  • Debbie presents physical, biological, earth, and health science workshops for students. Through “magic,” the learning cycle, and hands-on learning, she can engage and challenge your students to “do” science. She can develop programs from one to two hours on the topic‹s› of your choice.