2026 ROE8 Summer Institute

Students who shut down, avoid challenges, or rely heavily on adults are often labeled as unmotivated, but research tells a different story. This session explores learned helplessness and how it shows up in today’s classrooms. Educators will learn how character-based education can restore student agency, perseverance, and engagement without blaming students or lowering expectations. Participants will leave with practical language shifts and classroom strategies that help students move from disengagement to confidence and ownership of learning.  

Participants will engage in hands-on activities, such as orthographic mapping with manipulatives, writing ideas, and other multi-sensory activities to strengthen literacy. 

This session will highlight how one school has implemented school-wide breakout kits to create engaging experiences that promote teamwork, problem solving, and positive school culture. The presenter will share real examples of breakout activities used with students and explain how these events were organized, facilitated, and connected to relationship building across the school. Participants will gain practical ideas for implementing breakout challenges in their own buildings to increase student engagement, encourage collaboration, and create memorable shared experiences that strengthen school community.