Makenzie Alexander

How does teamwork between teachers, students, and parents help create a stronger, more positive classroom environment?

This paper looks at how teamwork between teachers, students, and parents helps build a stronger and more positive classroom environment. I chose this topic because I believe that learning becomes way more meaningful when everyone works together. When students support each other, teachers show a lot of collaboration, and parents stay involved, children feel more encouraged and connected. This topic matters to me because I want to create a classroom where everyone feels valued, included, and part of a community. As a future teacher, I want to understand how to build and maintain these relationships so that teamwork can truly help students grow and succeed.

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

10 AM – Noon

Goodrich 204

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Bella Black & Ashlyn Tai

The Power of Brain Breaks in the Classroom

Student participation and behavior in classrooms has been and continues to be a hot topic in the education world today. Finding ways to increase both participation and desirable behaviors has been heavily researched, and brain breaks have been found to make a positive impact in classrooms. In this research project, we aimed to identify the effectiveness of brain breaks in elementary classrooms and if so, how they can be successfully implemented. The research question being explored is “Are brain breaks an effective tool for promoting participation and increasing desired behavior in elementary students?” From this question, we hoped to pinpoint if, how, and why they are a useful tool in the classroom. As society continues to change so do student needs, and our goal by researching brain breaks is to educate teachers on how they can best support students, one classroom at a time.

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Grayson Bolanos

Beyond Words: The Power of Gesture in the Classroom

This project attempts to synthesize some of the research on gesturing and classroom learning to examine how gesturing can shape teaching effectiveness and student learning. Reviewing research on how gestures support thinking and communication, how tone of voice influences motivation and relational closeness, and how teachers’ nonverbal behaviors contribute to student engagement and achievement. Together, the presentation will attempt to demonstrate how effective communication in education relies on the alignment of verbal and nonverbal cues, underscoring the need for teachers to intentionally develop expressive, supportive, and contextually appropriate nonverbal skills.

COMM 430, Nonverbal Communication

Doyle Srader

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Kayla Coalwell

Effective Strategies to Help Defiant or Non-compliant Students in my Elementary Classroom

Non-compliant or defiant behaviors can hinder learning and create a stressful environment. My research question is “What are effective strategies to help non-compliant or defiant students in my elementary classroom?” My focus was on how I can limit these behaviors and encourage better behaviors instead. Strategies like behavior specific praise, consistent and clear rules and expectations, and knowing the reasons behind the behavior were some of my most prominent findings. Research indicates that fear of failure, a desire for autonomy, and a need for purpose and belonging are some of the most common reasons behind non-compliant or defiant behaviors. I also discovered some tools that parents can implement at home to create a consistent environment across both school and home life.

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Benjamin Genthner

To what extent does participation in physical education and regular exercise influence academic performance and classroom behavior among secondary school students?

This study explores to what extent participation in physical education and regular exercise influence academic performance and classroom behavior among secondary school students. Research is consistently on a positive trend regarding student emotional well-being as well as higher performative cognitive levels while also improving physical fitness. The impact of regular exercise between sports, regular exercise, and physical educational classes goes beyond one class periods as teachers in following classes can also see the impact of this research question as well as various other influences.

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Grace Gielish & Ava Gore

How Does Teacher Attire Impact Learning and Behavioral Outcomes?

The research question for this poster presentation is, “How does teacher attire impact learning and behavioral outcomes”. Using existing research, we explore how over the last decade, teacher attire has changed drastically, yet the impacts have been often overlooked. Recent studies have shown that the way teachers dress can make positive or negative impacts on student behavior, and the perception from parents/guardians, which also impacts the way the students treat the teacher. This project shows the effect on students’ behavior, and provides solutions for teachers on the best way to present themselves for students’, parents’ and the teacher’s success. 

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Creeann Jarman

Strategies for Secondary Instruction with ELL Students

During my time as a student teacher in a middle school classroom, I have learned that the English Language Learning students in the room are often not represented in the whole class and do not engage with the instruction as they cannot understand it. From then on, I wanted to find ways that these students could be addressed that allowed them to participate in class and engage with the content. My research question is, what strategies can a secondary teacher use to ensure that ELL students are engaged and represented in class even if they cannot understand the instruction? The results of my research brought about a few strategies that address this issue, with an emphasis on classroom and school culture; which is believed to be the most influential factor in determining whether or not ELL students will succeed.

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Jon Kleespies

Seeing is Believing: Understanding Beyond Speech

Communication between parents and children is crucial for a child’s emotional and social development. Sometimes, what is said does not match what is expressed, creating mixed messages between children and parents. Children are highly attuned to nonverbal cues and often rely on them to understand intentions, feelings, and guidance more accurately than words alone. Paying attention to these cues helps parents respond more effectively and supports stronger, more trusting relationships with their children.

COMM 430, Nonverbal Communication

Doyle Srader

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Dulce Ramirez-Ramos

Understanding and Addressing Barriers to ELL Parent-School Involvement 

This presentation examines barriers preventing English Language Learner families from engaging in K-5 schools, including language barriers, inflexible work schedules, and cultural differences. This presentation explores how elementary schools can increase involvement among families of English language learners to support students’ academic and language development. Research-based interventions such as bilingual parent coordinators, translated communications, flexible event scheduling, and trauma-informed approaches that have proven effective in increasing ELL parent engagement and student success will be explored.

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Emma Reineke

Staying on Task: What Works for Students with ADHD in the Classroom

This poster presentation explores the question, “Which classroom strategies best help high school students with ADHD stay focused during independent work?” I reviewed several studies, including meta-analyses, quasi-experimental designs, and single-case research, to understand which approaches actually make a difference. The findings show that behavioral strategies, instructional supports, and self-management techniques consistently improve focus and academic performance. Approaches like reinforcement systems, classwide peer tutoring, and self-monitoring led to noticeable gains in attention and engagement. Overall, this research highlights practical, evidence-based strategies teachers can use to support students with ADHD and create classroom environments where they can stay on task and succeed.

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Jada Richwine

Classroom strategies that are most effective for supporting students who struggle with attention and impulsivity, regardless of ADHD diagnosis.

Effective Classroom Strategies for Students Struggling With Attention and Impulsivity

This poster presentation explores which classroom strategies are most effective for supporting students who struggle with attention and impulsivity, regardless of an ADHD diagnosis. My findings come from peer-reviewed research as well as firsthand experiences in a third-grade classroom at Spring Creek Elementary. Through this project, we found that students benefit most from strategies that are proactive, consistent, and responsive to individual needs. Techniques such as structured routines, clear expectations, predictable transitions, and positive behavior supports were shown to increase engagement and reduce impulsive behaviors. Additionally, instructional practices like chunking tasks, using movement-based learning, and incorporating visual cues helped students sustain attention and remain on task.

One key learning point from this research is that no single strategy works for every child but instead, effectiveness depends on the classroom environment, the student’s regulation skills, and how intentionally the teacher implements the support. Understanding these differences is essential as future educators, because creating a learning environment where all students can succeed especially those with attention and impulse-control challenges, is central to our role.”

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Cadence Smith

Managing Fatigue in High School Classrooms

High school classrooms have a major problem; students can’t seem to stay awake long enough to participate in classroom activities. This causes a decrease in high school student academic performance. My research question aimed to answer the following question: “How can a secondary education teacher manage the effects of fatigue to improve the performance of high school students?” Studies on fatigue in secondary school settings show that there are three ways to help improve student academic performance, sleep and memory encoding. These three ways include sleep education, later school start times and stretching rituals before class.

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Haleigh Wambolt

Incentives in an Elementary Classroom

How are incentives/rewards effective in shaping student behavior in an elementary classroom? My research question examined how students react to positive reinforcement/praise better than negative reinforcement or punishment. Going off of my own observation, taking away something like recess from all students because of one students negative behavior usually does not have a huge impact on redirecting student behavior, if anything it may make it worse. As an educator there are a lot of things to take into consideration when trying to shape behavior in the classroom for example, if the student is on a 504 or IEP and may need accommodations. Based on the research, having a token economy really improves behavior in the classroom and students become more motivated. Whether the incentive is visual, tangible, or verbal, students become more self motivated and it builds a healthy relationship between the student and the teacher. Based on the findings, using certain incentives that are student-focused is very effective and will be a strategy I use in my classroom.

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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Charlotte Weiskind

How does the use of music during transitions impact student behavior?

In this poster presentation, I researched how the use of music during transitions in school and the classroom can effect student behavior. My question I asked was “How does the use of music during transitions impact student behavior?”. I gathered information online and observed student behavior in my field placement to get more information on this topic, and see real-life outcomes. In the classroom I have seen teachers use different tactics to get students to transition either to other subjects or to other places in the buildings. One of these tactics is using music to help with smoother transitions. Using music to support transitions helps students focus, be prepared without verbal explanation, and have a chance to self-regulate before moving on to something new.

EDUC 321, Classroom Relations and Management

Brian Kaelin

Goodrich 204

10 AM – Noon

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