Reinvigorating Classroom, Group, and School Climate: Everyday Strategies to Inspire Teachers, Mental Health Professionals, and Students
Friday, Oct. 16, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET
The verdict is in: for educators and for students, academics and social-emotional and character development proceed much more smoothly in classrooms that have a positive climate. In this workshop, eight strategies to assess and build elements of classroom and group/team climate will be reviewed. Specific examples will be shared, with a focus on understanding the unique role of inspiring students and ways to do so. Finally, challenges and suggestions for sustaining a positive climate will be discussed.
Presenter: Maurice Elias, Ph.D.
Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D., is Professor, Psychology Department, Rutgers University, Director, Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab (www.secdlab.org), Co-Director of the Rutgers-based Academy for SEL in Schools, which offers online certificates in SEL Instruction and School Leadership (SELinSchools.org) and a member of the Leadership Team for SEL4NJ and SEL4US (www.SEL4US.org). He received the Joseph E. Zins Memorial Senior Scholar Award for Social-Emotional Learning from CASEL, the Sanford McDonnell Award for Lifetime Achievement in Character Education, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the European Network for Social-Emotional Competence. Recent books includeReinvigorating Classroom Climate: Everyday Strategies to Inspire Teachers and Students, Morning Classroom Conversations: Build Your Students’ Social-Emotional, Character and Communication Skills Every Day, Addressing equity through culturally responsive education and SEL, Students Taking Action Together: 5 Teaching Techniques to Cultivate SEL, Civic Engagement, and a Healthy Democracy, Nurturing Students’ Character: Everyday Teaching Activities for Social-Emotional Learning, and Social-Emotional Learning Lab: A Comprehensive SEL Resource Kit (with Victoria Poedubicky),. He writes a blog on SECD for Edutopia.
Foundational Applications to Support On-Going Mental Health and SEL Growth for Professionals in Everyday Family Life and Beyond
Friday, Nov. 5, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET
As passionate professionals and committed parents, information overload can make it hard to figure out where to focus our energy when it comes to doing what’s best for our own health, wellness, and relationships. This can create confusion instead of clarity, adding to already-existing stress. This session cuts through the noise to offer foundational principles that help us discern what truly supports our personal well-being and circumstances — building more sustainable practices and stronger, more satisfying relationships at home, at work, and beyond.
Presenter: Toni Warner, Ph.D.
Dr. Toni Warner is a mom of 5, licensed trauma and relationship therapist with 17+ years of experience supporting families, teens, and adults navigating anxiety, chronic stress, trauma and complex relational dynamics—including challenges in parenting, intimate partnerships, and extended family conflict.
As the founder of Authentically Me Psychotherapy, she goes beyond traditional talk therapy by integrating brain-body methods like Brainspotting with evidence-based psychology and soulful insight to foster deep, lasting healing. Clinically, she’s often sought out by high-functioning individuals who feel stuck in cycles of overthinking, overdoing, overwhelm, or disconnection.
Outside the therapy room, Dr. Toni is a mental health advocate, educator and mentor- providing various levels of support to professionals in service-oriented fields. She serves as a mental health consultant for businesses and organizations invested in the wellness and care of their staff, teams and community members- focusing on practical methods for navigating life at the intersection of leadership, parenting, professions and passions- with integrity and purpose.
Dr. Toni is bestselling author of The Reset: A High Achiever’s Guide to Freedom and Fulfillment, and is known as an impactful speaker for her relatable style that offers both practical and powerful engagement for the audience.
Transformative SEL: Belonging, Voice, and Culturally Responsive Learning
Friday, Dec. 9, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ET
What changes when we take a more transformative approach to SEL? Join us to unpack Transformative SEL, explore what distinguishes this approach, and consider how it can shape the experiences of young people and the adults who support them. Through the lenses of belonging, student voice and agency, and culturally responsive practice, participants will consider practical ways to bring Transformative SEL to life across schools and other settings that serve young people.
Presenter: Michelle Gill, Founder and CEO of Believe Learning
Michelle Gill is an organizational learning consultant, facilitator, and coach with extensive experience in social and emotional learning, leadership development, adult learning, and organizational culture. She supports schools, districts, nonprofits, and other mission-driven organizations in strengthening the relational and emotional skills, leadership practices, and organizational conditions that help people and teams thrive.
Michelle began her career as a classroom teacher in the School District of Philadelphia and Fairfax County Public Schools. She later worked as a professional development designer and Director of Consulting and Certification for the Center for Responsive Schools, supporting educators, schools, and districts with social and emotional learning implementation. Michelle also served as Coordinator of Student Services for Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning in Centennial School District, where she collaborated with stakeholders to design and lead districtwide SEAL implementation. She now leads Believe Learning, through which she provides leadership development, team development, coaching, and organizational consulting.
Michelle is a member of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning’s SEL Fellows Academy alumni network, a certified Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach, and a member of the leadership team for the Pennsylvania Alliance for Social, Emotional, and Mental Well-Being. She lives in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, their two children, and their Portuguese Water Dog.