CJ's most important endeavors, however, are to be the most loving husband his wife Jen could ever dream of and the most supportive dad Brody and Marley could ever want or need. He also endeavors to retain the coveted title of best friend to his dog, Bentley Chewbacca Sam Elliott Reynolds. In his spare time, CJ enjoys gardening in his very cozy back yard and woodworking in his equally tiny shed. When he has the opportunity, he also enjoys drumming and surfing (but not at the same time). CJ's favorite place is the beach.

CJ's work and effort are aimed at creating pathways and pipelines for all educators to become the teachers they're called to be. Along the way, he also works to provide an authentic glimpse into the lives of urban male high school students. His bare-bones teaching philosophy is simple: In the classroom relationships are king, and education is only ever about the students.

Teach Your Class Off (Keynote/ Workshop)

Don’t wait to be the teacher you’ve always dreamed of becoming! In this session, we will cover some of the most difficult topics educators attempt to navigate and how they can take their classrooms from surviving to thriving. From creating student engagement to building strong student/teacher relationships, classroom management, time management, and more. New and veteran teachers will learn practical skills that they can implement immediately to help them teach their class off.

Teach Like a DJ (Keynote/ Workshop)

How do we engage students when each year our classes have different needs and learning styles? Like any good DJ it’s about being able to read a room and knowing your crowd. Anything can be taught once you have a captivated audience. In this session, we will discuss how to gain an understanding of how our students learn best and how to create wildly engaging lessons that will make your students want to come to class and become part of their own learning.  

How to Build Enduring Student Relationships (Keynote/ Workshop)

Knowing how to build positive student relationships is the key to any successful classroom. Strong relationships help minimize classroom management issues and create a positive school culture. In this session, we will work through how to get to know your students and their learning styles so they can have the most successful year possible in your classroom.  

Real-World Social-Emotional Support for Students and Teachers (Keynote/ Workshop)

Learning about how you can implement social and emotional support for your students can be a far cry from implementing it in your classroom. In this session, we will work through best practices that teachers and their teams can immediately put into place in their classrooms to help their students and colleagues through trying emotional times. 

Classroom Management (Keynote/ Workshop)

Strong classroom management provides students with a structured safe environment to learn and grow. In this session, we will discuss how teachers can figure out what classroom management styles and strategies are best for them and their students. Teachers will leave being able to immediately implement a number of tried and true strategies in their classrooms to help students have a successful year.  

Preventing Teacher Burnout (Keynote/ Workshop)

There are times in every teacher’s career in which they feel burned out. Finding ways to re-energize your classroom, your lessons, and yourself are essential to having a successful year in the classroom. In this session, educators will learn strategies to help bounce back from burnout and to have the best year ever in their classrooms.