048 - Benefits of the skills with youth and in schools

Beyond The Class: From Knowledge To Action

How have the communication skills made an impact with youth? Why is it important to listen with empathy, especially to our children? Join Adam J. Salgat and Sarah Weisbarth as they talk with two life long educators, Teresa Vineyard of St. Louis, Missouri, and Julie Zumach of Port Washington, Wisconsin about how these skills have made an impact in their careers and personal lives. Their stories and statistics reiterate the importance of listening and trying to understand the behavior of our kids.To read a little more about both of our guests, check out their bios below - Teresa Vineyard is a veteran public school educator. She worked within a large school district outside of St. Louis for 31 years. Teresa served many different roles during those 31 years. She was a 4th grade teacher, a middle school counselor, District Coordinator for Early Childhood Special Education, District Coordinator for Career and Technical Education, and a school psychologist. Following her retirement, she joined the team at the state level and worked for the Missouri Department of Education, specifically in the College and Career Readiness Department. Finally, she worked with teacher candidates at Lindenwood University and taught Educational Psychology, Psychology of the Exceptional Child, and Introduction to Teacher Education. Teresa took the three-day Communication Skills Training in 2016 and quickly realized how meaningful the concepts were to both education and at home. She most enjoys practicing empathy, reflective listening, and crafting effective confrontative messages.Julie Zumach is a teacher, facilitator, mentor, and leader. The majority of her career in education was spent teaching 5th graders in northern Wisconsin for 33 years. During this time, she earned her Master’s degree in education and national board certification, mentored aspiring National Board candidates, created staff development learning opportunities, participated in history consortiums, and was a leader in her small-town church. For the past three years, she has been the Chapter Leader of Our Community Listens - Wisconsin. Julie now enjoys the privilege of working with adults by facilitating communication skills training and inspiring them to become more reflective listeners. A life-long learner, Julie brings her passion for knowledge, as well as her love of working with people, to inspire growth and change to improve the fabric of society through better communication skills. Julie married her high school sweetheart, Todd, and they have been happily married 37 years. Together they raised two beautiful daughters who gave them wonderful sons-in-law. The newest addition to the family is the first grandchild, Anderson Jack, who just turned six-months-old. He is an absolute joy and the light of the family’s life!https://www.ourcommunitylistens.org/