GED TO PhD! The Story Behind the Data!

Every broken story deserves a reset. Behind every graduation rate, discipline referral, attendance record, and test score are students whose experiences shape their reality. In this powerful and inspiring session, Dr. Craig J. Boykin shares his journey from earning a GED to obtaining a Ph.D., demonstrating how resilience, relationships, mentorship, and opportunity can change the trajectory of a life. Dr. Boykin faced significant challenges, such as dropping out, mother on drugs, absent father, and being a SPED student. Participants will explore how educators can move beyond the numbers to understand the stories behind student performance. Through personal narrative, research, and practical strategies, attendees will learn how to build meaningful relationships, foster student belonging, and create conditions that empower students especially those considered at-risk. While some may argue that teachers should concentrate solely on academic subjects, the truth is that effective classroom management is impossible if students are preoccupied with the weight of trauma and poverty. Dr. Boykin’s trademark slogan, 'GED to PHD,' serves as a concrete paradigm that educators should never give up on any student. 

In this session learn how to support your Students Without Losing Yourself in the Process. Educators are often expected to be counselors, mentors, motivators, and caregivers all while managing their own personal and professional challenges. As student needs continue to grow, many educators find themselves asking a difficult question: "How do I help my students when I'm struggling myself?" This engaging and reflective workshop explores the intersection of educator wellness and student success. Participants will examine the impact of burnout, compassion fatigue, trauma, and stress on teaching effectiveness while learning practical strategies for maintaining their own well-being. Through research, real-life experiences, and actionable tools, attendees will discover how healthy educators create healthier learning environments. Dr. Boykin’s trademark slogan, 'GED to PHD,' serves as a concrete paradigm that educators should never give up on any student or themselves.  

Across the nation, educators are carrying unprecedented levels of stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and emotional exhaustion. At the same time, students are arriving in their classrooms carrying trauma, anxiety, hopelessness, and unmet social-emotional needs. In this heartfelt and practical workshop, educators will learn how to safely and effectively navigate a “crash out” in the classroom. We encourage educators to prioritize safety, communication, and de-escalation while promoting educational equity. Participants will develop a clear crisis plan that helps set behavioral expectations, fosters positive interactions, and encourages a sense of belonging. This plan also highlights the importance of understanding students' individual needs, triggers, and potential reactions to stressful situations, often rooted in generational trauma. Dr. Boykin was once a crash out who repeated the 3rd & 5th grades, dropped out of high school, endured a mother abusing drugs, had an absent father, and was later shot by a gang member. Dr. Boykin’s trademark slogan, 'GED to PHD,' serves as a concrete paradigm that educators should never give up on any student. 

Navigating a crisis can be extremely intimidating for many educators. This session is designed to prepare school personnel at any level for the inevitable crash out that may occur within schools, reflecting the three most common phases of a crisis: pre-crash out planning, crash out response, and post-crash out activities. It’s important that teachers understand that a student in a crisis situation may have little to no control over their behaviors, and the precursors to a crisis do not always occur in the classroom. Still, it is critical that teachers recognize what a student is experiencing during a crisis and what specific steps they can take to de-escalate the situation.

Trauma is no longer the exception in our classrooms—it has become the new normal. Educators are increasingly working with students who are impacted by adverse childhood experiences, community violence, family instability, mental health challenges, poverty, grief, and chronic stress. These experiences often manifest as disengagement, defiance, absenteeism, anxiety, or academic struggles. Knowing and understanding your students emotionally yields tremendous relational dividends, which is crucial for effective classroom management.  This powerful and practical workshop equips educators with the knowledge and tools needed to recognize trauma's impact on learning, behavior, and relationships. Participants will explore trauma-informed practices that help create safe, supportive, and resilient learning environments while maintaining high expectations for student success. Through research, real-world examples, and actionable strategies, attendees will learn how to shift from asking, "What's wrong with this student?" to "What happened to this student?" Dr. Boykin’s trademark slogan, 'GED to PHD,' serves as a concrete paradigm that educators should never give up on any student. 

The objective of this session is to present the current understanding of how people’s minds, brains, bodies, and social organizations respond to traumatic experiences. We will also explore how different populations, ethnic groups, and cultures may deal with traumatic experiences differently, and address how the legacy of trauma, systematic discrimination, isolation, blame, and social inequality can profoundly affect the capacity to cope and recover from trauma. The study of trauma has probably been the single most fertile area in helping to develop a deeper understanding of the relationship among the emotional, cognitive, social, and biological forces that shape human development.

In today's classrooms, conflict is inevitable—but escalation is not. One of the most powerful yet underutilized tools for resolving conflict is validation. Validation is not agreement; it is the ability to acknowledge another person's thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a way that promotes understanding, dignity, and connection. This interactive workshop explores how validation can be used to de-escalate tense situations, reduce resistance, improve communication, and strengthen relationships with students, colleagues, parents, and community members. Participants will learn practical techniques for responding to emotional situations in ways that preserve respect, build trust, and create opportunities for productive problem-solving. Dr. Boykin’s trademark slogan, 'GED to PHD,' serves as a concrete paradigm that educators should never give up on any student. 

Black males often navigate educational systems that fail to fully recognize their strengths, experiences, and potential. This interactive workshop explores five essential pillars that serve as an "Educator's Mount Rushmore" for creating impactful relationships with Black male students: Relationships, Respect, Cultural Awareness, High Expectations, and Equity in the Classroom. Drawing from research, practical experience, and real-world success stories, participants will learn how intentional relationship-building and culturally responsive practices can increase student engagement, improve academic outcomes, reduce disciplinary issues, and foster a stronger sense of belonging. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies that can be implemented immediately in classrooms, schools, and mentoring programs. Black males often navigate educational systems that fail to fully recognize their strengths, experiences, and potential. Dr. Boykin's trademark slogan, 'GED to PHD,' serves as a concrete paradigm that emphasizes educational equity—reminding educators to never give up on any student.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the five foundational pillars necessary for building effective relationships with Black male students. 
2. Examine how relationships and trust influence student engagement, behavior, attendance, and academic achievement. 
3. Apply culturally responsive teaching practices that honor students' identities, experiences, and strengths. 
4. Implement strategies that communicate high expectations while providing meaningful support and accountability. 
5. Recognize barriers to equity and develop classroom practices that create inclusive and affirming learning environments. 
6. Develop an action plan for strengthening connections with Black male students through mentoring, advocacy, and intentional relationship-building. 

• Practical tools for building trust and rapport 
• Research-based strategies for increasing student success 
• Methods for creating culturally affirming classrooms 
• Approaches for balancing support with high expectations 
• A framework for promoting equity and belonging among Black male students