


What is your "P-Factor" and why does it matter? It may be the answer to the quest for continuous improvement. We want students to do well. But what if the 6-point lesson plan isn't working any longer? Kids' brains have changed. We need a reboot; a cocktail of PLAY/MOTIVATION/ENRICHMENT may do the trick. Introducing: The “P-Factor,” one’s ability to use play and enrichment to reframe thinking. Research in neuroscience suggests that "Extravagant Enrichment” can buffer students' and teachers’ brains from excess cortisol and uptake dopamine. Join 8-time ESEA speaker Dr. Linda for 1) A review of research on how inflammation and elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels impact all brains; 2) A 10 item assessment to measure Creativity and P-Factor, and 3) A toolbox of strategies to infuse P-Factor into the classroom. In the midst of the largest teacher shortage in the past century, we must provide real answers for teachers who are struggling to maintain continuous improvement.

Dr. Linda Karges-Bone is a "Teachers' Teacher" who brings research and practice together with anecdotes from 40 years in the field. Her vision for Title 1 sites is that all children have access to passionate, creative teachers who not only understand the neuro-biology of students’ brains, but their own capacities for both IQ and EQ. Through university affiliation, extensive television, radio, and now social media platforms, Dr. Bone mixes a unique cocktail of research, practical strategies, real world Title I stories, and unfailing humor. Her books, blogs, and workshops give teachers information and assurance, fueling their brains with new ideas and fresh excitement about the work. In one of her most popular articles, Dr. B notes that “teachers do brain surgery from the inside out”. But to operate ( figuratively) at that level, one must maintain a meta-cognitive state. The constant assault of micro-stressors impedes teachers work and damages their own brains and bodies in the effort. Helping teachers to recognize their P-Factor to fuel continuous improvement is her goal for ESEA 2025 in Austin, TX.