Whitaker Makes Positive Impression on Sedalia 200 Staff

Education leadership author and speaker Todd Whitaker provided a message on the power of positive interactions to Sedalia 200 faculty members Tuesday afternoon in the Heckart Performing Arts Center at Smith-Cotton High School.

In discussing “What Great Teachers Do Differently,” Whitaker, who also is an instructor in the Principal Preparation Program at the University of Missouri-Columbia, stressed the value of treating all students with respect and dignity every day no matter the circumstances.

He encouraged those in attendance to always project "positivity" and to “treat all people as if they are good.”

Whitaker used healthy doses of humor and inspiration as he led an interactive lesson on “the leadership tree” and addressed ways to confidently handle constant complainers in the classroom and in the workplace.

He said teachers and coaches should never yell, argue or use sarcasm with students as they seek to “raise the praise and minimize the criticize.”

In the photo:Todd Whitaker, an education leadership author and speaker, discusses how he uses Twitter as a professional development and idea source during his address Tuesday afternoon in the Heckart Performing Arts Center at Smith-Cotton High School.