Dr. Anane Olatunji

Building A Climate to Promote Happy, Healthy, High Achievers

A teacher’s impact on students’ social-emotional skills is far more predictive of success in high school than that of test scores (Jackson, 2018). Clearly, if school leaders wish to optimize student achievement, then they must create supportive learning environments that enable teachers to effectively address the emotional as well as academic needs of students. This workshop addresses the architects of school climate: school leaders. It provides an understanding of how the social environment may promote or undermine the mental health of adolescents, regardless of socioeconomic background. Moreover, leaders will learn a framework with specific strategies for enhancing teaching and learning and thus a healthier climate for teachers as well as students.

Participants will:

• Understand school culture and climate and how they influence student performance.

• Acquire a research-based framework for leveraging engagement to boost achievement.

• Learn specific strategies to make learning enjoyable, engaging, and challenging, and fulfilling.