School Staff Development
Murray’s motivational keynote can be the highlight of your staff development day or conference! Honored with Teacher Of The Year and Outstanding Educator awards, Murray resonates with an audience of educators. As a World Champion athlete, he will craft and deliver a focused and engaging message for your faculty and staff and just like his teaching, it will be interactive, inspirational and fun!
Murray’s presentations are hilarious, filled with stories and images only educators can appreciate. Your colleagues will return to their classrooms with specific, actionable skills for passionate teaching in times of change, while maintaining balance in their lives.
“What a wonderful presentation! I have had nothing but RAVES about your presentation from our staff. Keith called me from East Pennsboro School District, and he has had such a positive reaction, he feels his school year will be off to one of the best starts ever. At lunch yesterday, I was approached by two MALE teachers who are COACHES. Both told me your presentation was the BEST they ever attended. Wow…you were AWESOME.”
Murray’s signature topics are fresh and in the moment and connect teaching performance to style, adaptability and life balance. Murray often blends elements from each of these topics into a keynote if desired and often does one as a keynote and another as a breakout.
AT OUR BEST EVERY DAY
Engaging Our Students With Passion And Style
An outstanding educator is unique…. That wonderful blend of intellect, experience and style! But, high stakes testing, teacher accountability and student engagement are challenging the best of us. Teaching with focus and intensity, yet keeping our lives in balance is a subject that fascinates everyone and Murray delivers it with a medley of science, humor and inspiration. As he weaves your goals through his keynote, he will hit these key points…
• The 10/90 RULE to keep classes and faculty meetings focused
• Why pressure changes persona and persona affects teaching style
• How the physiology of food, fitness & fun offsets pressure and fatigue
• What you focus on expands, so focus on the outcome you want for your students
“The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.”
“You can tell a lot about a person by what they take two at a time… pills or stairs!”
THE TROUBLE WITH THE FUTURE IS, IT’S NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE!
Keeping Our Focus On Students In Changing Times
In a world of change, educators like stability and consistency. Teachers work rhythmically…following nearly the same schedule every day, even going to the bathroom! With high-stakes testing, a tough economy and transitioning baby boomers, our teachers need to be adaptable, resilient and hard working. Murray presents a small dose of sympathy then drives home the point that optimism, adaptability and proactive mindset are critical for faculty and will filter down to students. Your teachers will go back to their classrooms with the inspiration to adapt, innovate and challenge their change resistant colleagues. Change pushes people out of their comfort zone and Murray gives a skilled push with these key points…
• Using the “Lava Lamp Philosophy” of continuous change in our schools
• Know when to go to the “B.A.R.” while teaching
• Implementing the “RICHTER SCALE OF STRESS” for faculty meetings
• Using a Switching skill for changing change-resistant colleagues
• Avoiding “Pyschosclerosis”
“You can tell your susceptibility to Pyschosclerosis by the amount of pain you feel when you come in contact with a new idea!”
“The illiterate of the future are not those who cannot read or write, but those cannot learn, unlearn and relearn!”
TOUGH TIMES, TOUGH TEAMS
These are tough times and successful schools need tough teams… colleagues who pull together, work hard, stay positive and are resilient. Murray is tough on slackers, empathetic with hard workers and funny with everyone.
This isn’t the time for a walk through the theoretical wonderland. Teachers need practical, real world skills for being optimistic and staying focused on student performance. This tough presentation inspires and energizes while providing four actionable skills for…
• Turning problems to solutions with the 10/90 RULE
• Preventing “G.G.” in the faculty room
• Communicating a tough message in a positive framework
• Keeping your focus when things don’t turn out as planned with
“When you are going through Hell… keep going!”
“Tenacity is easier when you have no choice!”
“I have been overwhelmed with comments from colleagues about your timely remarks, your terrific sense of humor and your extraordinary organization and presentation skills. Everyone was inspired and struck by your ability to weave our strategic plan components into your remarks. You are largely responsible for helping our organization get off to a flying start this year!”
Murray has created personalized keynote presentations for hundreds of school districts from Maine to California, Alaska to Florida, Nova Scotia to Alberta and everywhere in between! He has presented staff development presentations for large city school districts, affluent suburban districts and small rural schools – all personalized for the special challenges each faces.
“Thanks so much for such wonderful presentations at our All Staff Meeting. Your presentations addressed the vision and future of our organization better than any presentation by keynote speakers I have ever heard. You really did a great job customizing your message to our needs and our situation.”
