About me
DARLENE VON BEHREN She has spent over 30 years in public education as a teacher and administrator in both USA and Canada. As an experienced teacher, she has taught at all education levels; elementary- multiage, middle, and high school curriculum for at-risk youth and adult education. Her administration experience includes alternate education, adult education, K-12, and, most recently, an assistant superintendent in Illinois's largest K-8 school district. Her interest in professional development is to facilitate creative, meaningful change by focusing on individual leadership strategies by understanding individuals’ internal conflicts and biases -then to develop authentic choices.
Darlene facilitates various groups in leadership development using the latest research in the neuroscience of the brain, intercultural communications, and conflict. Her groundbreaking doctoral dissertation demonstrated the profound impact of intercultural training on new teachers developing their individual intercultural competence. This study is on the impact of intercultural training on new teachers is the first experimental design study using the Intercultural Development Inventory in public education. This study was instrumental in redesigning recruitment and interviewing strategies for retaining and recruiting minority staff, the mentoring program, and education leadership.
Darlene is also a senior facilitator for Personal Leadership Seminars and provides workshops on the Neuroscience of Inclusion. She believes in forging positive relationships and encourages community and international partnerships through authentic accepting, and adaptive communications. She believes individually and together,—we are the change factor.
