“Differentiate to Elevate, Assess for Success”The 2nd Educational Conference at Thomas Jefferson Institute’s Santa Monica campus brought together more than 300 teachers from TAE, ITJ Zona Esmeralda and Santa Monica.The goal? To spark the exchange of high-impact teaching practices and build strong collaborative networks among education professionals. The central theme, “Differentiate to Elevate, Assess for Success,” put the spotlight on adapting teaching strategies to meet each student’s needs and using effective assessment to track real progress.Halaken’s opening address set the tone. He called for urgent attention to neurodivergence in education and challenged everyone to put openness to new ways of learning and teaching at the heart of academic work—ways that include every student, no matter their cognitive differences.One of the highlights? Teachers stepped up as workshop facilitators. Through a series of workshops, they shared practical tools and innovative strategies for continuous improvement. This open approach encouraged more creative, effective teaching and supported professional growth—raising the bar for everyone.Across 30 workshops, teachers explored topics like Theatre, Psychomotor Skills, Gamification, Inclusion and Digital Fabrication. They updated their knowledge and left ready to apply it in the new 2023-2024 school year—a year that’s sure to be filled with amazing, inclusive, high-level learning.In short, this event gave educators a valuable platform to collaborate, learn and drive academic excellence and inclusion together.
