Participants in this interactive workshop will learn about how to implement and improve their own engagement with students and support students understanding.
This interactive workshop introduces participants to the concept of reflective practice, a research-based approach that helps educators improve their engagement with students and support deeper understanding. You’ll explore how reflection enhances self-awareness, strengthens communication, and informs instructional decisions. Through guided activities and essential questions, you'll learn how to use reflection to identify both successes and areas for growth in your teaching.
By the end of the workshop, you’ll be able to apply reflective strategies to your instructional practice and student interactions. The session emphasizes reflection as a pathway to building character, encouraging independence, promoting well-being, and nurturing a sense of community among learners.
Dr. Amy Alamar has worked in the field of education as a teacher, teacher educator, researcher, parent educator, and education reformer for over twenty years. Dr. Alamar’s first book, Parenting for the Genius: Developing Confidence in Your Parenting through Reflective Practice (For the Genius Press, 2014) is a comprehensive guide to becoming the most thoughtful and confident parent possible, with anecdotes and details relating to the guidance and support of children throughout their formative years. Her second book, The Parenting Project: Build Extraordinary Relationships with Your Kids through Daily Conversation (Fair Winds Press, 2018), focuses on communication strategies to maintain influence with kids. Dr. Alamar co-hosts the podcast, Parenting Beyond the Headlines. Dr. Alamar worked as the Director of Learning and Instruction at Gooru designing and implementing digital curriculum for K-12 schools. Previous to that, she served as the Schools Program Director for Challenge Success at Stanford University where she oversaw programming for member schools and conducted professional development for middle and high-school faculty and parent education presentations. As a frequent speaker to parent and faculty groups, Dr. Alamar focuses on a wide range of parenting topics including student stress and well-being, raising digital natives in the information age, and parenting kids with character. She also conducts faculty development workshops that focus on engagement with learning, professional communication, and curriculum design. She was an invited guest of Michelle Obama at the White House for a conversation about kids’ health in 2016. Dr. Alamar is married and the mother of three children whom she learns from and enjoys each and every day. She is a resident of San Francisco, CA, and serves on the board of the Watkinson School.
