Keynotes & Workshops

Tapping Into Your Best – When Your Best is Needed

How do we stay positive when things are getting tough? Dr. Bird will take a look at how to become reenergized even when we feel overwhelmed. Change produces tension. Tension can bring out the worst in us. Dr. Bird has spent 20 years studying positive psychology and the effects of tension and stress in our culture. Dr. Bird uses humor and reflection to examine three essential lessons for obtaining success (Based on Dr. Bird’s book). He will offer strategies for building our passion, reducing our stress, and increasing effective skills for today’s challenges. The presentation will cover: How are we treating each other? Civility- Essential skills for building civility and how to eliminate practices that don’t work. Conscience – Differences between those who care and those who don’t, and how we can build conscience in others? Collaboration- What skills do effective collaborators have that miserable people don’t?

The 5 Mental Skills of Resilience

In today’s world of high demands, cyberstress, and incivility, it’s difficult to maintain our sanity. Dr. Bird will take a humorous and insightful look at the 5 mental skills that enhance effective living and allow us to build powerful shock absorbers. The presentation will ask reflective questions pertaining to contentment, growth, personal control, compassion, and optimism. Using stories, examples, and strategies, Dr. Birchak will give participants the opportunity to build these personal skills and acquire the personal power that every individual needs. He will offer strategies for building our passion, reducing our stress, and increasing effective skills for ourselves and the people we work with.

The Happiness Code: 5 Active Reflections of Really, Really, Really Happy People

Has our culture forgotten how to be happy? In today’s world of high demands, cyberstress, and incivility, it’s difficult to maintain our sanity. How do we stay positive when things are getting tough? Dr. Bird will take a look at how to become reenergized even when we feel overwhelmed. Change produces tension. Tension can bring out the worst in us. Dr. Bird has spent 20 years studying positive psychology and the effects of tension in our culture. Dr. Bird has examined the research on those people who are perpetually happy… and why others seem to be born with the misery gene. How can we free ourselves from other’s judgment, improve our self worth, increase our gratefulness… and most importantly, bring more love to all our relationships. Dr. Bird talks about the links between Counseling Psychology, Positive Psychology, and ancient Philosophy to connect with actual skills for increasing happiness in their own lives. In this day and age of hostility and tension, we could all use a little more serenity.

The 5 Golden Rules for Staying Connected to Children

In an age of disconnect – what works and what doesn’t work? Is it possible to grow stronger connections in a world that often pulls us in different directions? Dr. Bird takes a humorous and compassionate look at how we can use The Five Golden Rules to effectively use specific skills and strategies that enable adults to – 1. Practice the Behaviors We Want to See in Children 2. Become a Guide Not a Dictator. 3. Move From Problems to Solutions. 4. Be a Scientist Not a Victimist. 5. Make the Most to Be What You Want to Be. The presentation will allow participants to examine strategies that build character and allow us to manage even the most difficult situations. Dr. Bird provides real-life examples, research, insights, and strategies for causing change in our environment.

The 5 Keys To Connecting Mindfulness To Character Education

The social maturity and emotional development of our youth have never had greater challenges than now. Recent research in Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, and Educational Psychology are leading us to discoveries that are changing the face of education. Well-being and positive psychology are no longer being seen as fluff, frivolous, or pointless. Mindfulness is now recognized as an essential pathway to the character education values we are trying to develop in children. Virtues such as patience, gratefulness, compassion, empathy, and positive self-worth are all attainable through character education curriculum that includes positive emotional skill building techniques.

In today’s high stress world, what can we do to build happiness and resilience in ourselves and the children we work with? How do we maintain positive self-worth when we are pushed to the limit?

When it comes to bullying, relationships, and character, Dr. Bird helps students to understand how they need to answer two important questions in their lives: Do I have a Choice? And, Can I Think for Myself? If students can embrace their choices and their ability to be independent of other’s judgments, then they can make a difference in other’s lives. They can use their power to change themselves, their schools, and their future. Dr. Bird uses humor, stories, and examples of students who have changed their lives with simple choices.   Dr. Bird also introduces the “Bully Rap.”

Documents for lesson:

• Bully Wrap
• Pre and Post Assembly Worksheet

In today’s world of high demands, cyberstress, and incivility, it’s difficult to maintain our sanity. Dr. Bird will take a humorous and insightful look at the 5 mental skills that enhance effective living and allow us to build powerful shock absorbers. The presentation will ask reflective questions pertaining to contentment, growth, personal control, compassion, and optimism. Using stories, examples, and strategies, Dr. Birchak will give participants the opportunity to build these personal skills and acquire the personal power that every individual needs. He will offer strategies for building our passion, reducing our stress, and increasing effective skills for ourselves and the people we work with.

Dr. Bird examines each of previous 2 assemblies and builds on the principles by looking at the 4 skills of positive school leaders. The skills emphasize the ability to deal with Change, Courage, Commitment, and Optimism. Dr. Bird also specifically looks at the strengths and struggles of Bullies, Bullied, and Bystanders.

• Pre and Post Assembly Question Worksheet