Impossible to I’m Possible: 2012 IAAE Spring Conference

This year’s annual conference will be held April 12-13, 2012, at the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn and Conference Center. The theme of the conference is “Impossibe to I’m Possible.” The IAAE is please to partner this year with the Iowa Residential Educators in presenting our conference. In order to provide current and meaningful information to both groups, this year’s conference will include a keynote and breakout sessions that directly relate to issues of behavior, as well as topics related to at-risk youth.

Our Thursday keynoter will be Larry Bell.

Larry is a 25-year veteran educator who spent 15 years in the classroom. Larry taught at Garfield High School, a school with over 3,000 students speaking 36 different languages. He was recognized for innovative classroom strategies that allowed his so called “Tough Kids” as well as his “Gifted and Talented” to excel!

He has provided numerous workshops and keynote addresses to teachers across the country. A Citadel graduate, Larry is now a full time consultant who owns his own company.

His presentation, entitled, “The Power of a Teacher Through High Expectations” will focus on these main points:

• Research that shows the incredible power of high expectations.
• Strategies for creating a classroom culture.
• Strategies that motivate your most unmotivated students.
• Eight personal techniques that transcend all "barriers."

The Friday keynoter will be Dr. Christopher Okiishi. Dr. Okiishi attended Iowa State University, graduating with a degree in psychology and Spanish. He then went to the University of Iowa, receiving an MD and completing a residency in Psychiatry and a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Currently, he divides his time between several Community Mental Health Centers in Southeastern Iowa and with the Child Health Specialty Clinics of the University of Iowa Health Care Department of Pediatrics. He has won numerous awards and fellowships for his excellence in the field of psychiatry.

Dr. Okiishi will be addressing frequently diagnosed mental illnesses in students and the implications of those diagnoses on educational practices. He will also talk about the perception that mental illness in kids is increasing, and how we can try to help kids combat it. Tentatively, Dr. Okiishi will also present break-out sessions on medications--how they work and what to watch for, and an in-depth discussion on Aspergers.


Look for information and registration materials to be posted here and on the IAAE website soon, and in your mailboxes in the coming months. Click here for a printable flyer to share!