School of Education
Speakers Series
Hosted Virtually Via Zoom
Learn More About Each Webinar Below
Teacher Well-being and Self-Care (Part 1) & Student-Centered Approaches (Part 2)
Carol Ruiz, CEO and Facilitator at Carol Ruiz – Speak Life using Nonviolent Communication principles. “The objective, specifically, is to give students the concrete skills to value and reflect upon their experience and to adopt an individual practice of internal shifting, which is inherently a place of personal freedom and creativity.
About the Speaker:
Teacher Well-being and Self-Care (Part 1)
Date: January 18, 2025
Time: 8:30am -10am PST
Topic: Part 1 is aimed at teacher well-being and self-care could be described as “Stepping into authenticity to find the genius of YOU in your teaching career: self-connection, -trust, and -care for creativity, stability and solutions
Discover concrete skills to:
– Value and reflect on your experiences
– Adopt an individual practice of internal shifting
– Unlock personal freedom and creativity
Student-Centered Approaches (Part 2)
Date: February 15, 2025
Time: 8:30am – 10am PST
Topic: PART 2 shifts to student-centered approaches, building on the NVC framework. It introduces a teacher’s mindset for guiding students through social/emotional challenges by reframing problems as opportunities for growth. Teachers will learn to help students embrace difficulties, fostering authenticity and creativity, while providing tools to respond from a place of self-knowledge and community.
(Title of Webinar)
Date: March 15th, 2025
Topic: EdTech Innovator and Educational Consultant, on the intersection and possibilities of AI and SEL practices.
About the Speaker:
Cate Tolnai is a dynamic educational leader, marketing strategist, and passionate advocate for equitable, tech-driven learning. With over two decades of experience in digital learning, AI literacy, and professional development, she has led transformative initiatives across K-12 and higher education. As Adjunct Faculty at Foothill College, she designs and teaches cutting-edge courses and state certificate programs in digital literacy, instructional design, and emerging technologies, shaping the next generation of educational leaders. A published author and frequent national speaker, Cate also specializes in microcredentials and competency-based learning. Her work focuses on integrating emerging technologies into classroom practice while fostering inclusion and innovation. Cate holds advanced certifications in educational technology, AI integration, and marketing strategy, making her a sought-after speaker on the future of education and tech-driven learning.
(Title of Webinar)
Date: March 15th, 2025
Topic: EdTech Innovator and Educational Consultant, on the intersection and possibilities of AI and SEL practices.
About the Speaker:
Cate Tolnai is a dynamic educational leader, marketing strategist, and passionate advocate for equitable, tech-driven learning. With over two decades of experience in digital learning, AI literacy, and professional development, she has led transformative initiatives across K-12 and higher education. As Adjunct Faculty at Foothill College, she designs and teaches cutting-edge courses and state certificate programs in digital literacy, instructional design, and emerging technologies, shaping the next generation of educational leaders. A published author and frequent national speaker, Cate also specializes in microcredentials and competency-based learning. Her work focuses on integrating emerging technologies into classroom practice while fostering inclusion and innovation. Cate holds advanced certifications in educational technology, AI integration, and marketing strategy, making her a sought-after speaker on the future of education and tech-driven learning.
(Title of Webinar)
Date: April 19th, 2025
Topic:
About the Speakers:
Susan Charles
Susan Charles Ed.D. has over 30 years experience as a teacher, counselor, and administrator in K-12 education and over 15 years in higher education. Originally from the island of Dominica in the West Indies, where she began teaching, she has lived in the Bay Area for over 45 years. In 2009, she became the Director of Educational Leadership programs at Santa Clara University and presently directs three Masters’ Programs; Administrative Services Program, and M.A./Education and Curriculum, at Notre Dame de Namur University, in Belmont, California. Susan has also written the program for the M.A./Diversity Equity & Inclusion Leadership, which began in January 2024. An offshoot of this program will be a Certificate in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. She also works with schools in India, China, the Bay Area, and has worked in the Caribbean and Kenya. Susan is a trainer and consultant for Six Seconds, an organization that trains professionals in social emotional learning. She sits on many boards. Susan enjoys spending time with her family, grandchildren and friends, gardening, and cooking.
Her Noble Goal is to teach and influence educators to make a difference in the lives of children!
Anabel Jensen
With over 30 years of pioneering work in emotional intelligence education, Dr. Anabel Jensen is an inspiring and caring speaker who helps people find the best in themselves and each other. Anabel says people pay attention to less than 30% of what you say, but 70% of what you do, so she models the lessons she teaches. Anabel was the principal of Nueva School when Daniel Goleman came and wrote about the model emotional intelligence program there; under her guidance the school also won two Federal Blue Ribbon Awards for Excellence in Education. She’s been involved in the founding of several schools in the bay area, and currently serves on two education boards: one of a remarkable lab school (Synapse) educating future change makers and the other a charter school serving diverse populations (Connect Community School).: Synapse. Dr. Jensen has co-authored five books on teaching EQ, written numerous articles, and trained over 15,000 educators and leaders around the globe. She has taught the principles of emotional intelligence, both nationally and internationally. In addition to her leadership at Six Seconds, she is a Professor in Education at Notre Dame de Namur University. Her background includes the teaching and supervising of instruction from preschool to the university level. Anabel received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. She likes to share her noble goal: to use my voice to teach accountability and compassion so that ethical behavior floods the earth.
(Title of Webinar)
Date: May 17th, 2025
Topic: Staff/Teacher Educator Consultant for both (a) Center for Reaching & Teaching the Whole Child (CRTWC), which also includes their “Anchor Competencies Framework: A paradigm shift in teacher preparation: Equipping teachers and teacher educators with a social, emotional, and cultural lens” and (b) Acknowledge Alliance “Resilience & Social Emotional Learning. Acknowledge Alliance builds school connectedness and positive relationships between students and educators.
About the Speaker:
Rachel Bacosa is a passionate and dedicated educational leader with over 20 years of experience working in schools across the entire educational spectrum, from Pre-K to university. She has served as a teacher, district coach, university supervisor, professional development trainer and educational consultant. Her innovative and relational approach has transformed the training of teacher candidates and the support provided to teachers, empowering them to thrive in their workplaces. Rachel emphasizes the importance of knowing story work, developing a social, emotional, and culturally sustaining perspective while grounding practices in resilience.
Her work is deeply rooted in CASEL’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies, the CRTWC SEC Anchor Competency Framework, and the mission of Acknowledge Alliance, which focuses on building school connectedness and positive relationships between students and educators. Rachel is the Project Coordinator and Professional Development Lead for Center for Reaching and Teaching the Whole Child (CRTWC), and she is also a Faculty and Teacher Candidate Supervisor for the SJSU Teacher Education Department. Additionally, she works as a Resilience Consultant with Acknowledge Alliance.
Above all, Rachel is a devoted mother of two, a wife to her husband of 25 years, and she enjoys spending time in nature, creating with various art mediums, and cherishing quality moments with family and friends.