Master Classes

Pre-registration is required for all Annual Conference Master Classes, and there is an extra fee to attend.

This schedule may be updated and is subject to change. All times listed are Central Time.


Hopes and Fears: Working with Today’s Independent School Parents

Thursday, February 29, 11:00 AM–12:30 PM CT
Cost (pre-registration required): Early-bird rates are $125 for members and $170 for non-members; Standard rates are $150 for members and $195 for non-members

Presenters: Rob Evans (right) and Michael Thompson, psychologists, authors, and longtime school consultants

Michael Thompson and Rob EvansLong before COVID-19 struck, independent schools had grown increasingly concerned about their relationships with parents. Parents were becoming more transactional toward the school, more anxious about their children’s success, and more demanding and critical. The tumultuous last few years have accelerated all these trends, putting ever more pressure on teachers and administrators. Drawing on their recent book Hopes and Fears: Working with Today’s Independent Schools, Rob Evans and Michael Thompson present practical ways to reduce and resolve difficult situations and to cope with even the most challenging parents.

Evans and Thompson are both psychologists, former teachers, former child and family therapists, and longtime school consultants. Between them they’ve worked in more than 2,000 schools, including more than 700 independent schools. Thompson has authored nine other books, including Raising Cain, and Evans has written three others, including Seven Secrets of the Savvy School Leader.
 

Workplace Bullying in Schools: What It Means, What to Do, and How to Protect Yourself

Alexandra RobbinsFriday, March 1, 1:30–2:45 PM PM CT
Cost (pre-registration required): Early-bird rates are $125 for members and $170 for non-members; Standard rates are $150 for members and $195 for non-members

Presenter: Alexandra Robbins

Join our safe-space discussion (nametags faced down) about workplace bullying and clique experiences in schools. Learn what qualifies as workplace bullying, what you can do about it, and steps you can take to protect yourself and your job.