Executive Functioning – Strategies for the Classroom (Elementary)

Do you want your classroom to run smoothly and your instructional time to be more effective? Do you want your students to become independent with managing their time, space, material, and information? This 1-day workshop will provide an overview of executive functioning, including the practical application of skills, strategies, and tools that promote executive functioning growth for elementary and secondary students. 

Time will be allotted to develop, practice and apply some of these concepts during the session to see how the skills can be applied to your individual classroom. Participants should bring materials that they currently use/will use with students for the application portions of the seminar in order to see how the skills apply to their own curriculum (and classroom materials/resouces).

Details

Audience: Elementary and Secondary Teachers, Administrators, Literacy Coaches
Length: One Day Workshop 
Presenter/s: Billy Swift and Lisa Benjamin
Date: Tuesday 6/10/25
Time: 8:30am-3:30pm

Outcomes

• Define, understand, and effectively apply executive functioning principles in the classroom
• Create an effective classroom environment that models positive executive functioning traits
• Generate meaningful activities that integrate content and study skills
• Understand and use various methodologies to build and support executive functioning skills

Topics

• Executive functioning overview
• Executive functioning in the classroom
• Current research
• Application 
• Scope and sequence of executive functioning skills 
• Individualized unit design
• Explore additional resources

Presenter Billy Swift

Billy Swift has been at Chartwell since 2013, has worked in special education since 2008, is the director of student support at Chartwell School, and associate director of Chartwell Teaching Institute. In his role, Billy oversees the SEAD curriculum, PBIS, related services, response to behavior, interventions, restorative practices, and is a resource for students, families, and faculty. His roles in education have included working as a reading specialist, expressive language teacher, and advocate for students with learning and attention differences. He is versed in various Orton-Gillingham based approaches including Wilson, PAF, and Lindamood-Bell.

Billy has led many workshops or presentations on various topics such as Dyslexia, ADHD, Social-Emotional Development, Executive Functioning, Classroom Management, and Neurodiversity. He has presented for or been a guest speaker for the International Dyslexia Association, AIM Youth Mental Health, and EdRev, to name a few. Billy holds an MFA from Lesley University and a Master of Science in Education from Simmons College.

Presenter Lisa Benjamin

Lisa Benjamin is an occupational therapist at Chartwell School. She holds a Masters in occupational therapy from San Jose State University and a bachelors in Exercise Science from Fresno State and has a dual elementary education and mild/moderate special education credential. Lisa has worked at Chartwell for 5 years as the lead occupational therapist, and previously worked in a pediatric outpatient setting.

Prior to Chartwell, Lisa was a Resource Specialist and case manager for 5 years in a middle school in Sanger, CA. In addition to overseeing executive functioning at Chartwell, being an instructional coach, and providing individualized OT services to small groups of students (1st-12th grade), she provides instructional workshops to teachers and families that focus on sensory processing, classroom accommodations, executive functioning, social emotional learning, driver readiness, and fine and visual motor skills.