About Terry Schmitz

Terry Schmitz is the founder and owner of The Conover Company. Terry has been involved in the development of assessments for both education and corporations for over 30 years. He has developed hundreds of job-specific assessment systems that link to skill building systems.

Why SEL is Essential in a Post-Pandemic World

The pandemic has changed the way we view social-emotional learning (SEL), with educators recognizing its importance more than ever. SEL is a process used to help students develop the skills they need to manage their emotions, build relationships, make responsible decisions and solve problems. With increasing evidence showing how [...]

By |2022-12-12T11:55:38-06:00December 12th, 2022|Education, SEL, Soft Skills|Comments Off on Why SEL is Essential in a Post-Pandemic World

3 Applied Math Skills for Special Education

Many students with special needs struggle with math. This is often due to a combination of difficulty understanding concepts, processing information, and/or retaining information. As a result, these students may require specialized instruction and accommodations in order to succeed in math class. There are a variety of applied [...]

By |2022-12-05T08:29:53-06:00December 4th, 2022|Education, Life Skills, SPED|Comments Off on 3 Applied Math Skills for Special Education

5 Tips for Motivation

Staying motivated at work can sometimes be a challenge, but with the right mindset and tactics, it is possible to stay engaged and productive in your job. Here are five tips to help you stay motivated: 1. Associate with positive, motivating people The first step to be motivated is [...]

By |2022-11-14T08:54:51-06:00November 8th, 2022|Emotional Intelligence, Life Skills, SEL, Soft Skills|Comments Off on 5 Tips for Motivation

November: National Career Development Month

Since 1967, the National Career Development Association has promoted November as National Career Development Month. The goal of this month is to improve career development at all stages. As a result, November the perfect time for students, and even those already employed, to explore careers and focus on their [...]

By |2022-11-01T12:44:39-05:00November 1st, 2022|Career Assessment, Life Skills|Comments Off on November: National Career Development Month

Soft Skills Are Essential for Successful Distance Learning, Especially for Vulnerable Students

For over 40 years Conover has developed research-based SEL/soft skills assessments and skill building systems.  We often have success stories from program administrators who run transition and work experience programs.  These individuals are on the front lines helping their participants succeed in life and the workplace. These administrators understand [...]

By |2021-03-29T15:45:38-05:00March 29th, 2021|Education, SEL, Soft Skills|Comments Off on Soft Skills Are Essential for Successful Distance Learning, Especially for Vulnerable Students

What Makes Conover Online Different in the Distance Learning World

The decisions you make now in setting up your environment and infrastructure will determine the future success (or failure) of your distance learning program for your staff and students. Last spring (when COVID-19 caught us all by surprise), it was acceptable for staff to fill in the gaps by [...]

By |2020-09-17T09:41:33-05:00September 16th, 2020|Education|Comments Off on What Makes Conover Online Different in the Distance Learning World

Study: Boosting Soft Skills Is Better Than Raising Test Scores

A recent study was just released by Northwestern University’s Kirabo Jackson on the effect of soft skills vs test scores. This study demonstrates that schools that build social-emotional qualities are getting better short-term and long-term results for students than schools that only focus on improving test scores. https://hechingerreport.org/early-research-focuses-on-schools-that-develop-students-social-emotional-qualities/ This study [...]

By |2020-03-09T08:54:07-05:00March 9th, 2020|SEL, Soft Skills|Comments Off on Study: Boosting Soft Skills Is Better Than Raising Test Scores

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Soft Skills

Definition of Emotional Intelligence As the workplace adjusts to fewer people doing more work, new sets of skills are needed. Often there is no one around to supervise and direct the actions of others. Each worker must be able to work well with others, to direct their own work, and [...]

By |2020-01-06T09:18:57-06:00January 6th, 2020|SEL, Soft Skills|Comments Off on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Soft Skills

The Connection Between Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Goal Setting and Soft Skills

There has been much attention placed on social emotional learning (SEL) in the last few years. SEL is critical to the success of every person in our society. No doubt about it, improving SEL skills will result in more emotionally connected youth and adults. But is that enough to instill [...]

By |2020-01-06T08:08:29-06:00October 1st, 2019|Goal Setting and Achievement, SEL, Soft Skills|Comments Off on The Connection Between Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Goal Setting and Soft Skills
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