Tamara Taylor Speaking Topics

• (Behavior Education) Behind the Mask: Understanding the Functions of Bullying Behaviors

  There are more to students that challenge school climate and safety than the masks of their behaviors. To effectively improve and eliminate the bullying that challenge school climate and safety we have to identify, develop, and implement integrated systems, programs, interventions, and best practices that directly target the foundational issues that motivate those behaviors.

  The questions that are addressed and answered in this professional development are: “What are the foundational issues motivating bullying behaviors?” “How do schools identify the foundational issues that motivate bullying behaviors?” “How do schools directly target the foundational issues motivating bullying behaviors while simultaneously improving and eliminating bullying?”

  This professional development answers these questions by applying functional behavior analysis, the concept of motivation and social-emotional needs and development, and the functions of the brain to discover what is really behind the mask of bullying behaviors.

• (Behavior Education) Lock & Key: 5 Evidence-Based Keys That Unlock the Secret to Behavior/Classroom Management

  Lock & Key professional development focuses on the 5 evidence-based keys that unlock the secret to the most prevalent issue in schools today, the performance art and science for implementing classroom management. Lock & Key does not seek to replace any classroom management program schools are implementing. Instead, Lock & Key is designed to increase the effectiveness of any classroom management program by providing the performance art and science behind the implementation of classroom management strategies and behavior interventions.

  Although implementing great classroom management systems, programs, strategies, and interventions, many teachers continue to struggle with persistent acting out behaviors from many students in their classes. On the other hand, there are those teachers that are able to effectively implement the same classroom management systems, programs, strategies, and interventions with the same students. Why, given the same approach to classroom management with the same students, are some teachers effective and not others? This is because the performance art and science behind implementing classroom management is missing for those teachers experiencing difficulty with classroom management. The results of these missing keys are an increase in office discipline referrals for behaviors in the classrooms, which inevitably increases the number of students referred to tiers 2 and 3 of the Response to Intervention (RTI) and behavior referral process. The 5 evidence-based keys for the performance art and science for implementing classroom management are: Self-Control, Teach-To’s, Refocus, Classroom Ecology and Arrangement, and Unconditional Positive Regard.

Seasonal Journey to Purpose & Success

True understanding is knowing that no experience or season goes wasted. There is a purpose for everyone through every experience and season they encounter. Seasonal Journey educates, equips, encourages, and empowers people to be resilient and renew their minds as they journey through the experiences and seasons of their past and present. This is the key to unlock the hidden and greatest blessings in discovering the purpose and success for their future.

Seasonal Journey is about self-exploration and self-discovery through every experience. People’s Seasonal Journeys position them for achieving their self-actualization (one's greatest potential). Achieving self-actualization involves one’s progressive and continual development and growth spiritually, social and emotionally, relationally, educationally, and professionally in identifying and sharpening their skills, talents, and gifts towards their purpose. Seasonal Journey is an ongoing process as it takes on new meanings during different stages of life.

To take authority of one's own purpose and be successful, people have to take their strongest areas of development and growth gained through their Seasonal Journey and be innovative. Innovative success encompasses operating at self-actualization, seeing opportunities within their strengths others do not see, creating ways to add value to others using their strengths learned and sharpened through their Seasonal Journey, and loving what they do.