Moving From Control to Connection: 5 Steps to Build Authentic Relationships With Your Students.

My career in education began in 1974 after graduating with a BS from the University of Oregon and I entered the U of O College of Education Resident Teacher Program where I earned my Masters. I enjoyed 20 wonderful years in the classroom teaching grades 2nd through 6th During this time I received my Administrators License and from 1994 to 2004, I served as a k-5 principal at three different Eugene 4-J Elementary Schools. After retiring, I mentored and coached new and aspiring administrators in Eugene 4-J, and from 2007 to 2014 I taught undergraduate students as an Adjunct Professor of Education Studies at the U of O. In 2008 I began working with Education Northwest as a Leadership Coach. This led to becoming the Network Coaching Coordinator for 15 rural/remote districts. Through this work, I gained a nuanced understanding of the unique needs of non-urban communities. In 2015, I created the Oregon Rural Schools Network to support rural school leadership to create the conditions for student success.

Alexa serves the Inflexion team as a Project Manager. She has a decade of experience in the dynamic worlds of communication and education and she is on a mission to spark brilliance in professionals through her thoughtfully designed workshops. Before joining the Inflexion team, Alexa served as a high school Special Educator in the New York City Department of Education and OHDELA Ohio State’s virtual high school after earning her Master of Science in Education from Long Island University, Brooklyn. She is a multi-hyphenate professional who is a published poet and writer with features in i-D Magazine’s Up + Rising Issue and Gumbo Magazine.

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