Brian Pickering, M. Ed
Brian is a passionate educator who has worked in Education for nearly 30 years as a teacher, coach, athletic director, administrator, and author. Flexible schedules was a solution that came about following a simple student request that couldn't be answered. This student was requesting to see a teacher during her advisory period. She was a high achieving student, but when she needed some extra help during the school day, there was no time for her to get it in the schedule that his school had used for decades. She couldn't get to school any earlier, and her afterschool hours were filled with extracurricular activities. As a staff at ConVal in 2010, we began to think more about how they were serving their students. Why couldn't students see the teachers they needed to during the school day? This was the origin of flexible schedules. While using the Enriching Students scheduling software, Brian and his school began to have students going where they needed to go and they later grew the flexible block into something more amazing than they ever originally imagined it to be. The results of flex time included increased student performance, improved attendance, an enhanced positive school culture, and school data showing significant decreases in discipline. His staff had created a school where students wanted to attend. This exciting idea of flexible schedules has rippled and now is in nearly 200 schools across the country.
Brian has been recognized on multiple occasions in his educational career for his hard work and dedication to student success.
Some of these awards included:
- 2016 N.H Principal of the Year
- former N.H. High School Basketball Coach of the Year
- former N.H. Athletic Director of the Year
- former N.H. Special Education Athletic Director of the Year
Publications:
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published in the November issue of "Principal Leadership" Magazine with an article entitled "How Flexible Blocks Enhance Personalized Learning."
Presentations:
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Keynote speaker at the 2017 Student Enrichment Summit.
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Keynote speaker at the 2016 Inspiring Conversations in Education Conference.
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Presented at the 2016 Student Enrichment Summit.
Read some of his work now:
Nathan Bisson, M. Ed
Nathan is a NH certified teacher and school counselor who is currently practicing as a high school counselor in Langdon, NH. He has had the great opportunity of experiencing flex time in three separate schools through graduate school positions and in his current position. While previously working at Walpole Middle School in Walpole, NH, Nate was able to help their school transition into an original flex time model. Throughout his time as a school counselor, he has been working to enhance the practices of school counseling through using flex time in creative and effective manners in alignment with the ASCA model.
Some of his recent accomplishments are as follows:
Publications:
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Publication in the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges’ (COPLAC) Metamorphosis research journal.
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Publication in the New Hampshire School Counselors Association newsletter.
Presentations:
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Presented at the 2015 Student Success Summit.
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Presented at the Inspiring Conversations in Education Conference (2015, 2016, & 2017)
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Presented at the 2015 Academic Excellence Conference.
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Presented at the 2015 Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges Annual Meeting
Learn how to solve the "time problem" in education with the use of flex time. Pickering Educational Services will work with you to enhance your school's culture, RTI practices, enrichment opportunities, and overall student success.
Flex Time
Enriching Students - Why Create a Flex Block?
Enriching Students - How to Create a Flex Block?
The Solution for the Time Problem in Education
Learn how to solve the time problem in middle and high school level schools using flex time. Flex time can help to enhance your school's culture, RTI practices, enrichment opportunities, and overall student success. Flex time allows schools to create interventions, enrichments, extensions, and provide extra help sessions to students in a manner that meets the needs of your specific school community. Schools using flex time have reported different data points that flex time has provided. Some of these data points include increased student performance, improved attendance, enhance school cultures, and has shown significant decreases in discipline. Students and teachers love flex time for its many benefits.
Flex Time 101 Online Course
Learn more about solving the time problem in education at the secondary level!
Enroll and complete this two hour online course on the topic of flex time and learn how you can successfully implement the flex time model into you school's schedule in a manner that fits your school community. You will take away a suggested steps to success for implementation list and well as a two hour professional development certificate upon enrollment in the course.
Flex Time 101 Plus
Included in this personalized option is one full day with Brian Pickering. The consultant attends your school, presents The Solution for the Time Problem in Education to your staff and works with a team to build your flexible schedule. Additionally, the consultant will assist with creation of enrichments, extensions, intervention, and extra help options to implement in your school.
Extended Start Up Support
Rest easy with Brian Pickering in-house for the launch of your flexible scheduling model. He will be available for multiple days to help ensure a smooth transition. Your school and flex time team will receive help preparing and implementing the program effectively. Brian will provide support to your team in addressing any initial challenges you may encounter.
Keynote Speaker Presentation
Start your conference or school year off right with a presentation from the 2016 NH Principal of the Year, Brian Pickering! His innovative idea of flexible time in 2010 and use of the scheduling software company Enriching Students has taken off around the nation. Let his inspiring keynote presentation motivate everyone in attendance to want more for their students!
