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Dedra Stafford        

Education Author, Speaker, & Coach, "Queen of Practical Classroom Strategies"

Dedra Stafford is a passionate educator with a belief in the power of positive purposeful teaching. Her goal is to play a small part in helping educators find (and keep) their joy for education while gaining new skills. Stafford combines audience interaction and her personal story of her educational journey to create an entertaining and inspirational experience, leaving audiences with a newfound determination to do “whatever it takes” to reach all students.

As a former classroom teacher, professional development specialist, and current school board member with over 20 years in education, she understands the need for professional development that can be implemented immediately into the classroom.

Known as the "Queen of Practical," her easy to use implementation ideas help teachers put proven practices into place to impact engagement, instruction and student achievement. Stafford's toolbox includes social and emotional learning, growth mindset, rigorous instructional strategies, differentiated instruction, technology integration, formative assessment, restorative practices and teacher/student motivation. Having such a vast skill base has made her a popular presenter and coach working with local, state, and national organizations in over 40-states nationwide and 3 international schools.

Much of Stafford's time is spent supporting high-risk schools in an embedded capacity. She has the ability and versatility to come into a school and work with the leadership team to develop a professional development plan that is responsive to the students’ needs and teachers’ needs in that specific school. Dedra has worked with multiple “School Improvement Grant-SIG” schools, developing embedded PD plans that combine PLC Training, model teaching, co-teaching, and classroom observations.

Dedra Stafford is the author and co-author of 4 educational books including, the best-selling book Teaching Kids to Thrive: The Other Essential Skills for Success with Dr. Debbie Silver and newly released in 2018, Summarization in Any Subject with Rick Wormeli. She stays connected to teachers and the classroom through the Teaching Kids to Thrive website (full of free resources for teachers) and her teachers' social media resource, Teachtiviites: From Pencils to iPads.

Speech Topics

Finding Our Edu-Joy Again!

With the last few years of incredible sacrifice from educators, students, and parents, it is time to celebrate and reconnect with the joy for education. Every student that walks through the doors of our schools deserves to encounter adults that have a joy and passion for kids, learning and life. With relatable stories and laughter, Dedra shares practical strategies to reconnect to our EDU-JOY!

Get Your Classroom Thinking! Deeper Learning Strategies for Any Classroom

Today's students must not only know facts but must also be skilled at identifying salient information and then structuring it for meaning, long-term retention, and application. Summarization is a proven mechanism to boost student achievement, but how do you engage students? It's time to revitalize learning and shatter the tedium associated with summarization. Join Dedra Stafford, coauthor with Rick Wormeli of the book Summarization in Any Subject: 60 Innovative, Tech-Infused Strategies for Deeper Student Learning, 2nd Edition, for a look at fresh and creative variations to the basics, including brand new summarizing techniques that you can differentiate for multiple disciplines and levels of student readiness. Dedra will walk you through several of her favorite interactive "use it now" summarization strategies that you can implement immediately in your own classroom.

Give Yourself Oxygen Before Helping Children: Teacher Self-Care

Over-tasked teachers rarely prioritize themselves and it is a real concern when teaching students. Secondary Traumatic Stress is a REAL thing that happens to educators. Learn how to prioritize yourself so you can be your best you as you care for the children. This session will be a positive strategy gathering reminder of how to manage work-life balance and will be filled with tools to help you get there.

Classroom Management Successful Systems and Strategies That Work

Successful Systems, Strategies, and Relationships are the foundation of a classroom culture that is productive and enjoyable for all. This session offers effective interventions for common classroom disruptions such as blurting out, side talking, rude behavior, lack of focus, and refusing to try. We will discuss a simple 1-2-3 approach to finding the magic solution for most classroom behavior issues. New teachers and veteran teachers must attend this session. We will walk through scenarios and discuss the obstacles that are in your way. Come in and bring a pencil; you will want to write this stuff down!

Trauma What a Classroom Teacher Needs to Know

As educators we may not always know the whole story but we know how it affects the student and learning. Research shows, half of the total student population in the United States has experienced some sort of trauma, violence, or chronic stress at home and it has only intensified due to the pandemic. Events like divorce, incarceration , deportation, neglect, sexual abuse, verbal and physical violence in the home, and death are clearly tied to deficits in academics. Teachers don’t need to become mental health experts to teach in this trauma filled world but there are things we can know and do to create the optimum environment for kids as they grow and learn. Dedra will provide teachers with an overview of trauma along with practical strategies for trauma informed classrooms. We will go from A.C.E.s to the HOPE theory. Walk away with a better understanding of trauma and how you can build a resilient classroom community to support all learners.

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