Workshop will explore issues in motivating adolescents

On Monday, June 20, teachers, counselors, school administrators, and student support personnel will come together to learn how to help middle and high school students perform to the best of their abilities. The workshop, “Motivating Adolescents: Overcoming Ambivalence and Stimulating Resilience,” will be held at the Olympia Resort and Conference Center in Oconomowoc.

Presenter for the workshop is Hardin Coleman, professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology. With 20 years of experience in education and counseling, focused on children at risk and adolescents, Coleman has worked with teachers, social workers, counselors and many others to help them understand how the environment in which the students live contributes to issues that adolescents bring to the classroom.

This interactive workshop will include lecture and opportunities to work with Coleman and other educators. At the end of the day, Coleman will facilitate the process of putting the framework of motivation into practice in the classroom. Participants should come prepared to work on sample case studies and address situations they face in their classrooms.

“Motivating Adolescents” is co-sponsored by the UW–Madison School of Education’s Department of Counseling Psychology and the Office of Education Outreach. All workshop participants will earn 0.7 continuing education units.

The workshop, “Motivating Adolescents,” is one four workshops, one conference and two academic courses that comprise the Certificate of Completion in Psychosocial Factors in Student Achievement offered by the Office of Education Outreach. Participants learn about the non-cognitive factors that affect the academic performance of today’s young people and contribute to the achievement gap. Issues studied include class, gender, race, family academic skills, academic ability and self-concept. Learning to work with these issues in the school setting is a vital component of the certificate.

For more information on the workshop, contact Sue Schroeder at (608) 263-5140, sueschroeder@education.wisc.edu, or visit www.education.wisc.edu/outreach.