Ken Derby

Background

About Ken Derby

I believe in meaningful relationships formed with emotional intelligence. Positive relationships require: • Collaboration, which triggers intellectual stimulation. • Face-to-face communication, which leads to innovative solutions. • Mindfulness, which enables decision-making free from negative emotions. • Mutual respect, which values trust and individuality. Cultivating meaningful relationships during my career enabled me to: • Co-Found Colobela LLC, which provides the following services: Private Schools Reviews (By Educators, For Educators) · Baked Goods · Yoga and Meditation Instruction · Life Coaching • Create and develop a unique educational program (while guiding and collaborating with a team), for NYSeed.org, a green startup in New York City. • Represent the US State Department and work closely with government officials in Turkmenistan to improve literacy for children. • Become an award-winning, bestselling children’s book author. • Speak and deliver workshops to audiences around the world, focusing on learning and literacy. • Implement an online teaching and learning platform for the COVID-19 crisis. • Lead, mentor, and coach fellow educators about inquiry learning, thus having a positive impact on student achievement. • Assist with daily school related operations and the pastoral care of students. • Experience diversity, equity, and inclusion within heterogeneous communities while living, working, and traveling abroad. • Empower students to develop into 21st-century citizens through inquiry and the use of educational technology. • Lead school-related committees and initiatives, including technology integration, strategic planning, and curriculum development. I work with people to generate and answer “Why?” questions. I assist them in pinpointing their ambitions by challenging them to produce and answer “What if?” questions. I offer support as they work to attain goals by having people brainstorm and answer “How?” questions, which leads to solutions and improves relationships. As a qualified cognitive coach, I establish real connections that enable flow, which creates work environments that are enjoyable, uplifting, inspirational, and rewarding.