Ramping Up Relevance: Creating Buy-In that Promotes Attention, Persistence, and Independence (pK-12)

Ramping Up Relevance: Creating Buy-In that Promotes Attention, Persistence, and Independence (pK-12)

"When are we ever going to use this?" Every educator has heard it, and every educator knows the quiet shift that happens right after: eyes glaze over, effort drops, and independence evaporates. When students don't see why learning matters to their lives, getting them to pay attention, let alone persevere through hard tasks, feels like an uphill battle.  Relevance isn't a gimmick or a fun side activity; it is the brain's fundamental gateway to focus, effort, and long-term memory. Drawing on key insights from educational research, motivation theory, and cognitive psychology, this practical session unpacks why relevance is the single strongest lever for student buy-in, and how to build it into your daily instruction without rewriting your entire curriculum.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Explain the connection between relevance and student attention, motivation, effort, and long-term memory.
• Identify key principles from educational research, motivation theory, and cognitive psychology that support the role of relevance in learning.
• Recognize opportunities to make learning more personally meaningful and relevant to students.
• Apply practical strategies for increasing student buy-in, engagement, and perseverance during challenging learning tasks.
• Integrate relevance into daily instruction and mediation without significantly changing existing curriculum or learning goals.

About Your Speaker

Dr. Bryan Harris, Ed. D.

Bryan Harris, Ed.D. has been an educator for over 30 years. He has served as a classroom teacher, an elementary school principal, a district level director, an independent trainer and consultant. Now working full time as an associate professor of education, he has trained over 20,000 educators in powerful and effective strategies that increase student engagement and achievement. He is known for his engaging trainings and presentations that demonstrate relevant and practical strategies. He is the author of 8 books including the
popular series of books titled Battling Boredom. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Master of Educational Leadership degree from Northern Arizona University. In 2013, he earned a doctorate (EdD) from Bethel University in Minnesota after studying factors impacting new teacher retention. He also holds a certification in brain-based learning from Jensen Learning Corporation.