Our 2024 experts
Chanelle R. Walker
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BIO: Chanelle is known as the Teacher Wellness Guru, inspires educators across the country to live a life of wellness, purpose and greatness. Chanelle’s passion to inspire educators to be well and stay connected to their passion began long before the Covid-19 pandemic drew attention to teacher burnout. Chanelle, who has 20 years of experience as an educator, 10 of which were as a middle school ELA teacher, brought her advocacy for teacher wellness and burnout prevention to the TEDx stage in 2019 in a talk titled, “The Elephant in the Classroom”, which now has over a quarter of a million views. Since then, Chanelle has inspired and taught thousands of educators from New York to as far as Hawaii on topics such as growth mindset, burnout prevention, mindfulness and motivation.
Chanelle, who is an author, course developer, part-time professor and national speaker, is on a mission to inspire educators through professional growth opportunities that give participants L.I.F.E. - That’s Learning, Inspiration, Fun and Empowerment. With hope, courage, expertise and a ton of tenacity, Chanelle is committed to being a change agent that will help shift the culture in schools so that there will be a focus on education and wellness for all. |
KEYNOTE: SEL for You and Me: Prioritizing Educator Social and Emotional Wellness Too!
MORNING WORKSHOP: A Growth Mindset for You and Me: The Educator Mindset Needed for SEL to be Impactful
AFTERNOON SESSION: This is Your Brain on Stress: Understanding the Impact of Stress on Social and Emotional Wellness and Strategies to Reverse the Harm
MORNING WORKSHOP: A Growth Mindset for You and Me: The Educator Mindset Needed for SEL to be Impactful
AFTERNOON SESSION: This is Your Brain on Stress: Understanding the Impact of Stress on Social and Emotional Wellness and Strategies to Reverse the Harm
Damon West
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BIO: At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury. He turned to hardcore drugs to cope with disappointments of life. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign and eventually trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.
After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences today. The Coffee Bean message has inspired thousands. Damon’s clients include hundreds of companies, such as Walmart, State Farm, Wendy’s, Stryker, and sports teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Timberwolves, Clemson, Alabama and Georgia. The U.S. Army has even incorporated the #BeACoffeeBean mindset into their resilience training. Damon’s story has been featured both nationally and globally. |
AFTERNOON KEYNOTE: Be a Coffee Bean: The Damon West Story In this intimate and personal presentation, Damon shares his cautionary tale and message of hope in a brutally honest presentation. Damon takes his audience on an emotional journey from childhood sexual abuse, adolescent addiction and living with ADHD, playing Division 1 football, working in the United States Congress and ultimately working for one of the biggest Wall Street banks, UBS, before being introduced to meth. His nightmare life of meth-addicted crime and receiving the maximum punishment (Life) is vividly described. The survival stories on the life-sentence building inside a Texas maximum security prison and the lessons he learned while incarcerated, which ultimately delivered him into recovery, are spell-binding and riveting. Additionally, Damon will end with a Call To Action, to be like the coffee bean from his story. At the conclusion of the event, Damon will field questions from the audience on any and all topics he discussed.
Erin Asher
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BIO: Erin is an English teacher at Freeburg Community High School, where she has taught since 2007. Previously she worked as an instructor at SIUE for the English department, the Developmental Writing Program and the Writing Center. Erin is also a yoga instructor, completing her Yoga Teacher Training in 2018. She has a BA in Journalism and English and an MA in Literature. In addition to her love of all things English, she is passionate about mindfulness, yoga, and education.
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AFTERNOON WORKSHOP: Fight the Burnout: Simple SEL Tools to Recharge, Renew, and Revive - This presentation will discuss ways to invest in your own well-being, as well as ways to bring SEL into your classroom. Learn tactics to make you feel good all summer so you can come back better in August and approach the 2024-2025 school year with a fresh mindset and some fresh ideas to try any time throughout the year. You’ll feel better and your students will reap the benefits. And you can start these things TODAY.
Dr. Brandi Kelly
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BIO: Dr. Brandi Kelly has been in the field of education for over 20 years. She is the Superintendent at Mt. Olive CUSD #5 in Mt. Olive, IL. Dr. Kelly has served, over a 10 year period, as a Principal. Prior to going into administration, Dr. Kelly was a school social worker/counselor for Effingham Unit #40 in Effingham, IL. Dr. Kelly's goal is to build teacher and student capacity by providing tools and strategies that empower and inspire others toward greatness! As a lifelong learner, Dr. Kelly believes that everyone can learn and has the potential for greatness. Relationships are incredibly important to the learning process. It is necessary for educators to invest time in students to build relationships in an effort to maximize their influence and impact. Education is a powerful tool for empowering others to realize their full potential!
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AFTERNOON WORKSHOP: Hope is a Strategy - Hope without action is a wish, but hope with action is a strategy. In this session, Dr. Kelly will outline the principles for Leading with HOPE. She has developed a system of self efficacy that will help you thrive in your leadership roles in life.
Dr. Ethan Lynn
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BIO: My work is fueled by my passion and identity as a teacher. I began teaching adult ESL classes ten years ago using my Spanish language abilities to help newcomers to the country. That evolved into overseeing the entire reading curriculum at a university intensive English program and eventually into being a researcher focused on improving reading outcomes for ESL students. Whether it's in or out of the formal classroom, I am passionate about sharing the gift of literacy.
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MORNING WORKSHOP: Science of Reading & Dyslexia - In this session, we will explore the basics of the science of reading. Specifically, we will cover different models and frameworks that help us understand reading, practices not aligned with the science of reading, and ways to ensure your instruction is SEL-informed and based on best practices.
AFTERNOON WORKSHOP: Application of the Science of Reading - In this session, we will focus on how to apply the science of reading into the mindful classroom. Specifically, we will cover phonemic awareness, dictation practice, sight word instruction, and decodable books.
AFTERNOON WORKSHOP: Application of the Science of Reading - In this session, we will focus on how to apply the science of reading into the mindful classroom. Specifically, we will cover phonemic awareness, dictation practice, sight word instruction, and decodable books.
Dawne Turner
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BIO: Dawne Turner currently serves in the role of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Specialist in
the East St. Louis School District located in East St. Louis, IL. In her role, she assists with the design of PK-12 SEL curriculum and programming for the district and supports educators and scholars with the implementation of lessons and application of skills that pertain to SEL competency. As a veteran educator and life long learner, Dawne intentionally places herself in the stretch zone as a means for growth. She actively and regularly engages in plans to reimagine schools and education. At the forefront of her “reimagining schools'' efforts are tools for healing and wellness. Dawne strongly believes that emphasis on both affective development and cognitive development in schools are essential to the success of healthy, whole children. |
MORNING WORKSHOP: Adult SEL - Tips and strategies for adult educators to fill their own cups and be well.
Jamie Wasser
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BIO: Jamie B. Wasser-Goforth is an educator with 25+ years of experience. She is a graduate of S.W.I.C. and S.I.U.E.. Earning degrees in Speech Communication, English Language Arts, and Psychology.
She has worked with students ranging from Pre-K -12th grade. Her emphasis and passion has always been with at-risk youth and trauma sensitive style programs (At-Risk Program, Mission Schools, and Safe Schools). Jamie discovered Mindfulness and Meditation in 2018 at the Directions Conference. Discovering her true calling and passion, Jamie took Foundation Courses at Mindful Schools and then trained in a year long cohort with Engaged Mindfulness Institute. Her emphasis is trauma sensitivity and graduated with CMT-P 300+ Facilitator Certification in June 2023. Jamie continues to work with youth, but is also the owner and operator of All About MMEE (Mindfulness, Meditation, Education, Exploration) LLC. Jamie swears by mIndfulness and states, “It has made me a better wife, mom, educator, friend, and all around human being. Mental wellness and self-care must be a priority for those in the educational system.” |
MORNING WORKSHOP: The Mindfulness Toolbox: An Educator’s Guide from A to Z - Mindfulness and Self-care have been terms in the education field for years, but do you know the keys to mindfulness? How are you mindful each day? Would you like to wake up joyful and excited to go to work? Imagine having your whole school feel supported and cared for throughout the day. Then attend this 85 minute workshop to learn the tips, techniques, and simple tools to make each day a calm and present day; not only in the workplace, but in your personal life as well. 26 simple words from A to Z can change your outlook, behaviors, and overall living. Learn what tools you need in your toolbox, how to use the breath, and FREE hands-on demonstrations presented to make your life mindful.
Dr. Tracee Wells
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BIO: Dr. Tracee Wells is a 2023-2024 Teach Plus Illinois Affinity Group Facilitator and Learning Loss Instructional Support Specialist at East St. Louis School District 189. She serves as a thought leader and valued member of the District’s Guiding Coalition for PLCs, and supports teachers and administrators with classroom management, engaging instructional strategies, coaching feedback, and professional practice. She was named Division I Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year (2008), received an ISBE Team Award for Excellence (2019), and was awarded an ISBE Administrator’s Award for Meritorious Service (2023). She earned a BA in English with teacher licensure and an MA in Education in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation from Tennessee State University. Tracee earned an EdD in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University in 2022.
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AFTERNOON WORKSHOP: BIPOC Affinity Group: Addressing the Teacher Pipeline - Facilitated space for BIPOC educators to come together and discuss the educator shortage.
