10 Strategies Proven to Inspire & Engage EVERY Student

Presenters

Christian Moore, WhyTryFollow

Focused Area

Improving School Climate for Youth-At-Risk

Relevance to Focused Area

This session will demonstrate 10 strategies proven to strengthen relationships, grab attention, inspire, and build resilience in students of all ages and learning types. Participants will receive valuable insights into teaching social and emotional life skills in ways that students can understand, relate to, and remember. These strategies have helped over 2 million youth in 16,000 K-12 schools, mental health, and correctional organizations worldwide in the areas of academic success, dropout prevention, classroom management, and bullying prevention. Learn how to engage every student using visual metaphors, videos, music, and activities.

Primary Strand

Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance to Primary Strand

Christian implemented his personal life experiences into the creation of an educational model that ensures success for all students regardless of social or economic status, race, background, or personal obstacles. Christian spent most of his childhood on the streets near Washington, D.C. Due to poor grades and learning disabilities, counselors informed him college wasn’t an option. However, Christian became the recipient of a master's degree. As a social worker in education, youth corrections, and a homeless program, Christian saw the need for a new approach in reaching youth and now dedicates his efforts to creating strategies to reach every student.

Brief Program Description

Participants who attend the proposed session will learn 1) how to speak the language of today’s youth using relevant multimedia, physical activities, and visual metaphors; 2) how youth can take the challenges they face in life and channel them in a positive direction; and 3) how to guide youth in building positive support systems. Ultimately, this presentation will provide the audience with tools to help students in any tier answer the question, “Why try in life?”

Summary

Emphasizing the importance of multiple intelligence approaches, this presentation will highlight the significance of teaching youth social and emotional life skills in ways youth can relate to and remember. The multiple intelligence approaches emphasized in this presentation will include videos, music, hands-on activities, journaling, discussion, and ten visual metaphors.

The ten strategies addressed in this session center around these easy-to-understand ten visual metaphors. Using PowerPoint, video, and activities, the audience will receive a walkthrough of each of these metaphors while explaining what each teaches youth. The presentation will give special focus to one metaphor in particular, entitled “The Reality Ride,” to demonstrate teaching an entire lesson using multiple intelligence approaches. This lesson teaches youth that choices have consequences, and shows them how to get on a path that leads them to opportunity, freedom, and self-respect.

This portion will be interactive, using challenge questions and a variety of multimedia and activities that will help the attendees gain personal insight into the challenges youth face. Participants will also be given a 10-page handout that outlines the presentation’s approach to reaching every student. This handout will include the ten visual metaphors and a link to a free sample lesson.

The methods in this presentation are based on current research relating to multisensory learning, multiple intelligences, and solution-focused brief therapy. Thousands of school districts across the U.S. have used these strategies as a resilience education tool to lower dropout rates, improve school climate, prevent bullying, lower the achievement gap, and improve academics.

Evidence

Multiple third party studies have shown the strategies demonstrated in this presentation, which are part of the WhyTry program, yielded the following outcomes:

School Climate: Students improved social behavior and emotional health. Students showed less social stress and anxiety. Students improved self-concept and overall happiness. Students showed more internal control.

Academic Success: The average GPA increased. Academic progress improved in all areas. Youth perceived themselves as being more capable of learning.

Dropout Prevention: Students reduced failing grades by 47%. Students were three times more likely to graduate. Time spent in WhyTry correlated with a reduced number of explosions. 90% of students reported increased motivation to keep trying.

Classroom Management: Students reported fewer emotional, attention, and rule-breaking problems. Students showed improved attitudes and motivation. Behavior incident reports decreased by 20%

Bullying Prevention: Students reduced fighting/aggressive behavior and harassment/bullying behavior. Students emotionally showed more internal control and less social stress and anxiety. Students had a 13% decrease in referrals and behavior problems.

Format

Individual Presentation

Biographical Sketch

Christian is a renowned author, speaker, and licensed clinical social worker. Christian spent most of his childhood years on the streets near Washington, D.C. Due to learning disabilities, counselors informed him that college wasn’t an option. However, Christian became a well-respected recipient of a master's degree. As a social worker in education, youth corrections, and a homeless program, Christian saw the need for a new approach and created WhyTry. He now consults with thousands of school districts on lowering dropout rates, improving school climate, preventing bullying, and closing the achievement gap by teaching social and emotional education.

Start Date

11-5-2015 2:45 PM

End Date

11-5-2015 4:00 PM

Recommended Citation

Moore, Christian, "10 Strategies Proven to Inspire & Engage EVERY Student" (2015). National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017). 2.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_vegas/2015/school/2