Finding Purpose: Beyond the Curriculum

Presenters

Aaron L. PolanskyFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Old Colony Regional VTHS

First Presenter's Brief Biography

A husband, and father of six, Aaron currently serves a Superintendent in the state of Massachusetts and recently completed his Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Certificate of Specialization in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the Harvard Business School Online. Aaron has a Master of Science from Springfield College in Athletic Administration and earned his Bachelor of Science from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass, Amherst. He has served in the capacity of coach, teacher, or administrator at all levels of education from pre-K through college. Aaron worked in the private sector as the Executive Sales Manager and designer for a multi-million dollar landscape construction company and as the Director of Massachusetts USA Wrestling (affiliate of the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado) for ten years. He was the Director of Athletics for the 2003 Dalton Award Winning Hopkinton Department of Athletics, a 2x Wrestling Coach of the Year, 2011 Wrestling USA Magazine Massachusetts Man of the Year, 2013 Virco/NASSP Massachusetts Assistant Principal of the Year, was presented with the Frederick Douglass Award in 2015 for his contributions to 'at-risk' youth, and serves as a Keynote Speaker for events nationwide. Aaron released his first book, Dolphins in Trees: A Children's Book with Implications for All of Us, in the summer of 2018. Dolphins in Trees has been used to guide leadership teams, school systems, cultural expectations, and family values throughout the country and internationally. His second book, Beyond Us, has received national attention and was written about, and illustrated by, one of his Graphic Design and Communication students who has since graduated. Aaron’s third book, Finding Purpose, was published in June of 2021 as a tool to help readers move beyond doubt to a place of inspired action. Aaron has served as a keynote speaker, conference presenter and consultant nationwide. He has reached audiences in almost all 50 states, and has impacted students and staff throughout the United States and beyond.

Document Type

Event

Primary Strand

Social-Emotional Learning

Relevance to Primary Strand

Aaron will share a story decorated with peer-modeling, direct-speak, and innovative approaches that reach far beyond curriculum. This approach founded in social-emotional well-being, has led to the transformation of students and educators on a multitude of levels. Leave smiling and inspired as you change the way you teach and transform the way you think.

Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics

Climate and Culture

Brief Program Description

As seen on ABC, Fox News, CBS, and CNN and in schools nationwide, Aaron will remind you of your "why". The best educators elicit curiosity and innovation in their students through passion, competence, and connection. The day to day demands of curriculum and protocol can often feel overwhelming in a world where a clear mind contributes to our best work. Neuroscientists and psychologists have routinely proven the importance of culture in education. ‘Finding Purpose: Beyond the Curriculum’ focuses on the importance that school culture plays in our quest to reinforce a growth mindset and will provide attendees with take-aways that result in a culture where staff, students, and families are encouraged to communicate authentically, learn creatively, and contribute passionately. The formula shared is simple with implications that will last a lifetime.

Summary

The benefits of gratitude start with the dopamine system, because feeling grateful activates the brain stem region that produces dopamine.” Alex Korb, PhD

“When threatening conditions do not exist, the Reticular Activating System focuses its attention on stimuli that arouse curiosity. This is the “key to the gate.” The brain seeks input about the new, the unexpected, the colorful, musical, moving, aromatic sensations.” Dr. Judy Willis

Topics covered include:

- The power of connection

- Growth mindset

- Flipping the classroom

- Peer modeling

- Goal setting

- Best practices

Evidence

Neuroscientists and psychologists have routinely proven the importance of culture in education. ‘Finding Purpose: Beyond the Curriculum’ focuses on the importance that school culture plays in our quest to reinforce a growth mindset and will provide attendees with take-aways that result in a culture where staff, students, and families are encouraged to communicate authentically, learn creatively, and contribute passionately. The formula shared is simple with implications that will last a lifetime.

Learning Objective 1

Understand the power of connection and it's impact on student learning and staff retention

Learning Objective 2

Identify mechanisms for increasing student and staff buy-in

Learning Objective 3

Utilize strategies to ensure mindfulness and wellbeing of students and staff

Learning Objective 4

Establish a sound philosophy to drive constructive decision-making for an entire school community

Recommended Citation

Polansky, Aaron L., "Finding Purpose: Beyond the Curriculum" (2023). Southeast Conference on School Climate. 44.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/secsc/2023/2023/44

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.