Keynotes

Tonya Ward Singer knocked it out of the park! She delivered a flawless keynote address that was both engaging and inspiring and really set the tone for our conference. Her message resonated with teachers and outlined actionable steps that can quickly lead to increased achievement for ELs, and all students. In post-conference evaluations, attendees gushed about Tonya’s keynote and workshop and asked that we arrange for her to return for future events.

Rob Greenhaw

Missouri Migrant and English Language Learning (MELL) Instructional Consultant

Tonya Ward Singer is our best keynote speaker we have had at our state EL Conference in the past 8 years we have held it! Her presentation was practical, engaging and incredibly useful for the educators who attended the session. Tonya not only provides an environment where English Learners thrive, she also provides those same conditions so that educators can thrive! Thank you, Tonya Ward Singer for an absolutely amazing day of learning with you!

Tami Hicks

Director of Professional Learning, Wabash Valley Education Center

Tonya’s keynote was one of the most engaging and motivating keynotes I have seen in 20+ years of working in education. Tonya’s delivery was clear; her timing, impeccable; her content, compelling and logically presented; and her use of humor (trickiest of all), perfect. She balanced personal experience with broader, data-driven conclusions, and moved seamlessly between challenging and motivating her audience, leaving us with a sense of purpose-driven commitment to take risks and grow beyond our current limitations. Her talk reminded me of some of my favorite TED Talks: I was engaged from Tonya’s opening remarks to her concluding comments, and found myself thinking about her key points long after the talk was over.

Betsy Lancefield Lane

Educator and Editor, MA, Education and Social Sciences, Stanford

Tonya had a room full of educators redefining failure. We danced, discussed and reflected on our instructional practices as a result of her messages. How do you inspire hundreds of educators to be courageous teacher learners? Attend a Tonya Ward Singer keynote, that’s how.

Connie Hamilton, Ed.S.

K-12 Curriculum Director, Saranac Community Schools, Saranac, MI

Tonya’s inspirational message draws from her vast experiences in schools and through travel. She is passionate about helping teachers realize greatness in all students so that we can learn together for student success!

Kirstin McGinnis

Teacher, Berywin District 100

Want to motivate a crowd to live and learn courageously? From national conferences to charity events, Tonya is a go-to speaker to engage and inspire. Contact Tonya for a customized keynote to enliven your event.


Tonya Ward Singer’s keynote on Courageous Learning left me inspired to act with purpose, and dared me to help my students (and myself) redefine failure and embrace learning opportunities. She taught me how to merengue by reminding me that I already know how to walk, and that amazed me. I left with a vision of the beauty there can be when we see possibility for ALL learners, including ourselves.

Leah O’Donnell

Literacy Coach, Berwin South District, Berwin, Illinois

Tonya brought her story-telling approach to the theme of Courageous Learning and motivated our teachers with a desire to find innovative approaches for use in their classrooms.

D. William Dodds

Executive Director, Illinois ASCD

 

Tonya’s keynote on Courageous Learning left our group energized and motivated. Her style is a combination of research, humor and story-telling. It was a fantastic way to kick off our 35th Annual Kindergarten Conference.

Ryan Nevius

Assistant Director, IL ASCD

Tonya deftly combines her experience as a mother with her background in child development and education. She engages audiences with ease and just the right amount of humor while still being informative. Tonya does an excellent job capturing people’s attention and focusing on the points that matter most.

Collette Michaud

CEO and Founder, Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, CA