Sandra Horan

About Sandra Horan

Sandy Horan is a Special Education Teacher and co-teacher at a high school in the northern suburbs of Chicago, where she has taught for 25 years. During her tenure, she has served in many roles, to include Special Education Teacher, Executive Function Teacher and Coach, Vocational Coordinator, Transition Coordinator, Co-Teacher in English and Social Studies, and has presented to many parent groups in the areas of executive function, transition, and independent living. Prior to her current high school teaching position, she served as a special education teacher and case manager for students grades k-12, a Head Start Director, and a Behavior Analyst, all while living in both North and South Dakota. Sandy earned her Bachelor of Science in Special Education from Moorhead (Minnesota) State University and a Master of Arts in Teaching and Leadership from Saint Xavier University.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons and their families. She loves playing with her four grandchildren! She enjoys being active in the outdoors and working out, as well as reading - she loves being a life-long learner.

Rethinking Student Thinking to Improve Student Learning

Educators today are tasked with improving student learning. This course equips educators in K-12 classrooms to do so. Participants in this course will examine many methodologies of different brain researched-based frameworks to help educators improve student learning and educate parents on their child’s learning strengths and weaknesses. Participants will gain knowledge of how the brain works and how educators can use brain-based strategies to improve memory and retrieval of information. The course will center around the research of Dr. Judy Willis, Dr. Eric Jensen, and others on understanding brain processes that can help educators rethink how they engage students in their own learning. Additional topics include developing lesson plans and activities with brain-based research in mind, critical thinking methodologies, teaching students to self-reflect on their own learning process and how they learn, looking at how social and emotional learning impacts learning, the impact learning styles have on thinking strategies, developing assessments built around brain-based learning principles, and connecting parents/home to brain-based learning to aid in their child’s cognitive development at home.

Course #: GMS23511
Dates: 06/26/23 - 07/23/23
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