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Biographical Information

Suzi D'Annolfo has invested her professional life working with children, young adults and adults in the capacity of a teacher, coach, school leader, mentor and oollege professor. "Looking through the eyes of the learner" has consistently grounded her work in cognitive processing and translating that into practical application to benefit the learner as well as facilitating the learner. She has developed a protocol, Building Blocks for Student Engagement (BBSE) that has been implemented and researched in a variety of environments. After 38 years in public education (West Hartford, Farmington, Litchfield [where she was principal and named a Milken Educator], Newington, and creating an interdistrict magnet school (CREC), Suzi retired and now teaches full time at the University of Hartford helping to train the next generation of teachers. She is Coordinator of School Partnerships and a member of the Institute for Translational Research

Personal Message

Helping teachers understand the importance of knowing how children and adolescent's brains learn has become a passion in Suzi D'Annolfo's work. After 38 years in public education, she is now teaching full time at the University of Hartford to train the next generation of teachers. Her work with cognitive processing, learner engagement, the information processing model and understanding the primacy-recency effect in teaching and learning has been enthusiastically received for its adaptability to practical application. Developing the protocol, Building Blocks for Student Engagement (BBSE) has been implemented in rural, suburban and urban settings with great success. In addition, Dr. D'Annolfo has developed a Comprehensive Template for Effective Teaching to be used in Planning, Observing and Reflecting. The Connecticut Association of Schools is publishing it in March 2012 in their state Bulletin. The template is a synthesis of best practices, alignment to teaching standards, and being a reflective practitioner.