The Science of Defiance: Why Students Shut Down and How to Motivate Them

Name: The Science of Defiance: Why Students Shut Down and How to Motivate Them
Start: 2026-09-08T19:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-09-08T20:00:00-04:00

September 8, 2026 • 7:00 PM
Online (Zoom/Link) | $36/person

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Event Description:

Why Students Shut Down and How to Motivate Them

You know the student who pulls away the moment the work feels difficult. Before they even begin, they put their head down, distract the class, or insist they do not care. It can be frustrating to watch a capable student struggle without knowing how to reach them.

Join clinical neuropsychologist and former special education teacher Jerome Schultz, PhD, for practical strategies to help struggling students rebuild confidence, motivation, and an “I can do this” attitude.

This event is intended for educators and school professionals of children in grades K–12.

The Science of Defiance: Why Students Shut Down and How to Motivate Them

Tuesday, September 8, 2026
7:00–9:00 p.m. EDT
Live on Zoom

You’ll learn how to:

See the stress that may be driving shutdown, avoidance, and disruptive behavior.

Shift the mindset by helping students recognize and manage negative beliefs about learning.

Build motivation with field-tested strategies that strengthen students’ confidence, competence, and sense of control.

Produced by The Wellness Institute, a division of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI).

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text the new three-digit, 24-hour hotline of the US Government and National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 to be connected to a trained suicide crisis counselor.

Speaker Bio

Jerome Schultz, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry. A former special education teacher, he has spent more than 40 years helping children and young adults with learning disabilities, ADHD, and other learning needs. He is a consultant to schools throughout the United States and internationally and the author of Nowhere to Hide: Why Kids with ADHD and LD Hate School and What We Can Do About It.