"Tara Brown, a leading speaker and author, uses current brain research to show how educators can improve their students' success by being "Dopamine Dispensers" to cancel out the stress hormone that prevents our students from acquiring new knowledge or accessing previously learned knowledge. I've carried home with me the whole concept about how stress floods the brain with cortisol which then inhibits new information from being learned or accessing previously learned information. Being a "Dopamine Dispenser" with positive social interactions and laughter can truly make a difference in a student's academic success. Finally, she stressed that HOPE literally changes brain chemistry."   - Beth Hufnagel

"Her belief in the need to integrate character education at the early childhood level mirrors what our district believes and is currently working toward. I would like to try her "thinking routines" in my classroom in the fall. As a kindergarten teacher, I know how much impact helping children to "See, Think and Wonder" and posting their ideas and responses benefits their long term learning."   - Cheryl Ladd