ACTE's National Work-Based Learning Conference 2026

About Me
My name is Lauriejo H. Stillhart, I’m a Business Teacher at Salem Hills High School, an entrepreneur, an author, and an aspiring public speaker. I’m passionate about helping students see the connections between education and real life, and I bring that same energy to my work, inspiring fellow educators.
I hold a Master’s in Education, a Bachelor’s in Personal Financial Planning, and a Sales Certificate, and I’m currently pursuing certification in Data Analytics. My classroom is where real-world application, emotional intelligence, and technology come together to create motivation-relevant learning experiences for students.
Outside of the classroom, I’m a single mom to an 8-year-old boy, and I spend much of my time boxing and coaching in the gym, caring for three dogs and training wild horses—yes, BLM mustangs. These experiences shape how I teach—I know how to focus on the “Big rocks” in my own life to achieve balance and share that knowledge with other educators. I know the power of looking at challenges and misfortunes as opportunities and love to help my students shift their focus into a creator mindset in and outside of my Entrepreneurship classes. 
At the heart of everything I do, my goal is to empower both students and teachers to make time for what matters most: to reclaim time and to see learning and teaching experiences as a pathway to building a future that is both meaningful and achievable.
For this reason, I would like to propose leading two different sessions/presentations. 
Proposal #1: Focusing on Big Rocks: Using AI and Technology to Reclaim Time, Drive Relevance, and Inspire Students
Teaching often feels like a balancing act—meeting state testing requirements, creating engaging lessons, and keeping students motivated—all while managing never-ending prep work. In this session, I will show how I focus on the “big rocks” of teaching by leveraging AI tools to streamline the tasks that take up time, so I can concentrate on what matters most: helping students connect education to careers and elevate their life AFTER the classroom.
Using tools like Brisk Teaching, I’ll demonstrate how I quickly generate slide decks, study guides, and test banks that align with state standards and real-world examples. I’ll share how I reorganize and adapt question banks to deepen student learning and then use GetMarked to convert them instantly into Gimkit games and Canvas quizzes in the blink of an eye. I’ll also walk through how I transform YouTube videos into ready-made quizzes and rubrics in minutes—making assessments more dynamic and student-friendly.
But the real power of this approach isn’t just saving time—it’s what that time makes possible. By freeing myself from repetitive prep work, I’m able to guide students in building real businesses, analyzing job postings, and exercises to help them view problems as opportunities for innovation. I tie every lesson into one of two categories: preparing for careers or creating businesses. This makes learning relevant and helps students see how not only their CTE classes but also their core subjects like Math and English matter.
When students understand the why behind their work, they become more motivated, engaged, and excited to participate. That energy carries forward into increased class enrollment, helping programs like mine thrive while reducing the stress that often comes with recruiting students. This approach on teaching helps relieve student “Test Stress” and helps them approach tests and life after school with true confidence and even excitement. 

Proposal #2:Validation, Emotional Reciprocity, and the Empowered ClassroomIn this session, I get real about the emotional side of teaching—the part we often ignore but feel every day. I’ll share my journey with self-validation, teacher burnout (especially while teaching so many preps as a CTE teacher), how I learned that acknowledging emotions (both good and bad) isn’t a weakness but a superpower for both me and my students, and how to do so in a tactful and meaningful way.
I’ll talk about the Law of Emotional Reciprocity, a term I’ve only heard a few times in my life, but something I teach and hold true to, and how it affects motivation in the classroom. I’ll introduce the shift from Karpman’s Drama Triangle (victim, persecutor, rescuer) to The Empowerment Dynamic (creator, challenger, coach) and how that ties in with educators. I’ll be honest about the struggles teachers face: pressure from parents and politics, the expectation to self-sacrifice your time and sanity to help students who do not care, the pressure to always “stay positive,” and the challenge of balancing personal life with a career where student needs never stop.
What I’ve discovered is that by validating my own emotions and teaching students to do the same, I build stronger boundaries, create healthier classrooms, and help students step into their role as creators of their own futures. Learning how to do this as educators is essential for success in the classroom, building REAL relationships with other educators, and becoming a true support for each other.