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Debbie Silver  

Former Louisiana State Teacher of the Year, Author, Educator

Dr. Debbie Silver is a speaker, author, and educator with extensive experience in the field of education. She holds a notable position as a former Louisiana State Teacher of the Year and has over 30 years of experience in roles ranging from a science teacher to a university professor. Silver has dedicated her career to enhancing educational practices and understanding learning behaviors across various levels of education.

With her deep commitment to professional development in education, Silver has become a prominent keynote speaker and professional development presenter. She has conducted presentations in 49 states, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Africa, and Asia, engaging her audiences with her expertise in motivational theory and teaching strategies. Her work emphasizes the critical role of educators and the powerful impact they have on the lives of children.

Silver is the author of several influential books, including "Drumming to the Beat of Different Marchers: Finding the Rhythm for Differentiated Learning," and "Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed," which discusses strategies for fostering resilience and self-motivation in students. Another significant contribution is "Deliberate Optimism: Reclaiming the Joy in Education," co-authored with Dedra Stafford, which focuses on maintaining a positive outlook in educational settings. Her latest publication, "Teaching Kids to Thrive: Essential Skills for Success," integrates social and emotional learning into educational curricula, providing tools and strategies for educators to enhance student success beyond academic achievements.

Silver's presentations are well-regarded for their incorporation of humor and practical insights into educational challenges. She continues to inspire educators through her books, keynote speeches, and workshops, emphasizing the joy and impact of teaching. Off the stage, she resides in Texas with her husband, Dr. Lawrence Silver, cherishing the time spent with their family spread across various states.

Speech Topics

Deliberate Optimism: Still Reclaiming the Joy in Education

How do educators maintain a positive learning environment while addressing the increasing challenges in education today? Dr. Debbie Silver discusses how educators can maintain a sense of self as they navigate the current shifts in public and parental support as well as the increasing fall-out from behavioral and emotional issues in students. Through her research and expert understanding of human behavior, Debbie provides insights into how to maintain one’s sanity and sustainability while finding fulfillment in one's job. Using her well-known candor and sense of humor, Debbie offers participants a genuine and thought-provoking look at how the adults at school can empower themselves.

Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: Empowering Self-Motivated Learners

Do you ever ask ever yourself, “Just how am I supposed to motivate these kids?” The real question, of course, is how do we help them to motivate themselves? Based on extensive research for her book, Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: Raising and Teaching Self-Motivated Learners, Dr. Debbie Silver offers sometimes surprising new findings about fundamental ways we can change our teaching practices to help kids become self-motivated. Come prepared to have your thinking challenged and to receive a multitude of strategies that help learners develop internal motivation and resiliency.

Teaching Kids to Thrive – Embedding SEL into Any Curriculum

For students to thrive in their frenzied, high-speed, hyper-connected environments, it is imperative for them to learn important competencies that go beyond academic standards. In their book, Teaching Kids to Thrive: Building the Other Essential Skills for Success, Debbie Silver and co-writer, Dedra Stafford, explore topics such as mindfulness, controlling executive functions, student agency, resilience, perseverance, responsibility, integrity, empathy, and gratitude. In this thought-provoking presentation, Dr. Debbie Silver examines how educators can help students develop their social and emotional learning (SEL) skills to find success both now and in the future. Debbie combines meaningful points about the importance of Thrive skills with tips on how to seamlessly integrate SEL skills into current curriculum preK-12.

Drumming to the Beat of Different Marches: Why We Need to Pay Attention to Learning Differences

Based on her best-selling book, Drumming to the Beat of Different Marchers – Finding the Rhythm for Differentiating Learning, Debbie Silver offers her wisdom and humor to answer the question, "How do we engage students from diverse backgrounds and experiences?" She demonstrates how to capitalize on student strengths and elicit greater achievement gains and higher motivation among students. Dr. Silver shares her view on what she considers a non-negotiable in education – that every student deserves a reasonable chance at success. Participants will leave with great ideas for preparing 21st century learners.

Be an Educator, Be a Hero

In this presentation, Debbie Silver utilizes humor and thoughtful insights to remind audiences of how important teachers (and other adults at school) are in the lives of children. Through poignant stories and hilarious characterizations, Debbie connects with the souls of all who work with students. Audience members laugh and cry as Debbie reminds them of the value of each child in the classroom.

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