subject experts

Amanda Boyer is a process coordinator in the Carl Junction School District, where she supports special education services and compliance across multiple grade levels. With over 18 years of experience working with students with disabilities from birth to age 21, she has held a wide range of roles—including special education teacher, early childhood director, early interventionist, and behavior specialist.

Throughout her career, Dr. Boyer has focused on building strong partnerships between general and special education teams to ensure that all students have access to high-quality instruction. She draws inspiration from the collaborative approaches outlined in Yes We Can! and continues to advocate for inclusive, team-driven practices.

She is an active member of both the Missouri Council of Special Educators and her local Leaders and Administrators in Special Education (LASE) network. Her presentation experience includes local and statewide conferences on topics such as early childhood special education, compliance and best practices, and fostering effective collaboration within professional learning communities.

 Dr. Boyer earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Missouri Southern State College, a master’s degree in special education from Missouri State University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Southwest Baptist University.

Talmage Clubbs is an education consultant with 30 years of experience in law enforcement, juvenile justice, and education. He specializes in creating positive school climate and culture, trauma-informed initiatives, suicide prevention, school counseling program evaluation, mental health awareness, substance misuse prevention, social-emotional learning, character education, and assisting districts in developing a portrait of a graduate.

His work is rooted in firsthand experience, having witnessed the impact of trauma, mental health struggles, and substance use on youth. Talmage provides a wide array of strategies to help educators support students facing these challenges while also working to prevent them. He delivers professional development for educators and direct student programs focused on substance misuse education, mental health awareness, and suicide prevention.

His student presentations range from brief sessions to full-day, in-depth presentations and multi-day workshops. Additionally, he collaborates with school teams to analyze data and identify specific needs, ensuring tailored and effective interventions. Recognizing the challenges schools face, Talmage helps educators build a true understanding of trauma-informed practices, develop responses to mental health crises, and implement systems to increase student attendance and engagement. He also addresses teacher burnout caused by secondary trauma, equipping educators with sustainable strategies to support both students and themselves.

Whether guiding districts in best practices or helping them develop custom programs, his goal is to create lasting, positive change in school communities.

Renee and Laura have 67 years of combined elementary experience; 57 as classroom teachers and 10 as instructional coaches. They taught collaboratively for five years. Both were Gold Star Teacher of the Year award winners. They co-own Real-Time PD and are the creators of the TpT site "Golden Goats and a Kid".

They both have extensive training in the following areas: Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies, Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP), Smart Step Literacy Lab, Adaptive Schools, Behavior Intervention Support Team (BIST), PLC at Work, High Reliability Schools, Model of Instruction with Marzano Resources, iReady, Building Thinking Classrooms, Framework for Understanding Poverty. Laura has additional training in Davis Learning Strategies for Dyslexia, National coaching certificate for Comprehensive Literacy Model (CLM) and LETRS. Renee has additional training Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and has served as a trainer for Everyday Mathematics and enVision Mathematics. They are team presenters which adds a unique dynamic to their coaching and presentations. With Renee and Laura you get two for one!

Karina Cole is a high school English teacher with a strong background in instructional leadership. Before returning to the classroom, she served as a Director of Curriculum, where she supported teaching and learning across all grade levels. With 19 years of experience in education—as a teacher, instructional coach, and curriculum leader—Karina has helped multiple schools earn recognition as Model PLC at Work® sites.

Holli Sears is a classroom teacher with over 15 years of experience in education, including roles as an instructional coach and curriculum designer. Her work spans classroom instruction, schoolwide coaching, and systems-level planning, with a consistent focus on making learning rigorous, authentic, and purposeful for all students.

Holli has led professional learning on a wide range of topics, including inquiry-based science instruction, project-based learning (PBL), data-driven teaching, and instructional design. She has helped schools implement NGSS-aligned science units, co-developed PBL experiences across content areas, and built digital hubs and planning tools to support teacher teams and leadership alike.

Known for her practical, teacher-centered approach, Holli blends strong instructional frameworks (like Marzano’s) with creative tools—such as metaphors, models, and hands-on reflection protocols—to help educators design engaging learning experiences and track student growth. She’s also supported Title I schools in aligning resources and instructional priorities, and has helped lead schoolwide initiatives in professional learning, curriculum onboarding, and authentic learning systems.