Accolades
Reviews by attendees of teacher workshops and keynotes
Educational consulting expert Kim Hughes is sought after as a keynote speaker and teacher workshop facilitator, recently speaking to an audience of more than 10,000 educators at the Opening Session Keynote at the NAEYC Annual Conference.
She has delivered more than 350 keynotes and workshops to pre-K and elementary educator audiences throughout North America, consistently receiving participation satisfaction scores of 4.8 or higher on a 5-point scale.
Read on to see what participants in her sessions have written...
- Reviews from the NYSAEYC annual conference (two featured presentations)
"Best workshop presentation I have experienced to date at this conference. Thank you—I hope that you come back next year."
"Kim Hughes was an excellent presenter. Well informed and down to earth with her audience. Great ideas. Thanks!"
“Loved the real life story experiences. Proves that she has been there. Both funny and passionate! Loved her!"
"Kim is a great presenter! Dynamic-Relevant! We should all have her zest for teaching!"
"I could listen to Kim Hughes all weekend. Fabulous and empowering for all of us who really care about children and who they become."
"Kim's workshops were by far the most beneficial, thought provoking and emotionally charged of my 2 ½ days here. Thank you for renewing my spirit and faith in myself to do what is best for the kids!"
"Vibrant—you feel the soul (made me cry) confirm that passion is a good thing."
"Amazing! Wonderful! Spectacular!"
"Kim continues to be fantastic, energetic, enthusiastic, caring, full of meaningful information. She just gets better and better each time I hear her! Thank you!"
"Best workshops I've been to at this conference. I'll never forget!"
"I had no idea what to expect as I had never heard Kim speak, but other conference attendees told me she was a 'must hear.' She truly exceeded all expectations and was incredibly amazing! I laughed, I cried and I became a better teacher due to my time spent with her. Bring her back!"
NYSAEYC is the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children
- Review from Childcare Network full-day Saturday session
"You did it again! Such a powerful training. It was funny because I had brought my work to do that day and I had planned to go to the lobby to get that work done. However, I could not get up because I did not want to miss anything. Your trainings are so powerful, you have a real gift of teaching. God is surely using you!
I just want to say thank you! The teachers have emailed and called me telling me all about their excitement. The most exciting thing for me are the conversations about how some of the directors and teachers are trying it with their own children. So powerful! You are an inspiration to me." -
Terri DeHart-Burris, District 4 Manager, Childcare Network
- Reviews from Hillsborough County training
"Thanks so much for a great training!"
"Awesome teacher workshop today! The PreK folks are ready to breathe and start on a Conscious Discipline path (baby steps of course!). THANKS!"
“SO much wonderful information! I wish there was a DVD of the session as I would watch it over and over. Just loved it!"
"Your teacher training workshop was GREAT! Can’t wait to use the ideas in my classroom!!"
"Amazing teacher workshop! Lots of great information."
"Really great …SO INFORMATIVE!! Went to summer institute with Dr. Bailey and loved it but REALLY loved it delivered with a teacher’s perspective and seeing the ideas tweaked for teaching students with special needs!"
"Best teacher workshop I have ever attended!"
"Awesome day! Very beneficial!"
"WOW! Lots of good ideas for preventing challenging behavior and connecting with kids!"
"Great teacher workshop—it held my attention the whole 6 hours. This workshop had things I could use immediately in my classroom learning environment. Kim was exciting and was a great motivator."
"Kim has lots of great energy… the time flew by and I wished for more! Come back!"
"Thank you! I am excited about starting the new school year with these active learning strategies and ideas."
"This teacher workshop was absolutely awesome. It was interesting and informative. Kim was enthusiastic and gave us lots of examples and visuals. It would be great if she came to all of our schools in Hillsborough County (FL) and could give teacher training workshops to all of our teachers as they would benefit from her gifts and knowledge just like we did. Thank you for everything!"
"Great stuff—very validating! I learned a lot of good stuff! Kim Hughes was very engaging and informative and I appreciated the fact that she taught us from her experiences with teaching students with special needs!"
"Kim has wonderful stories, energy, and ideas!"
"This teacher workshop was wonderful! Kim was fantastic. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!"
"Thank you for giving me a new perspective on classroom management tips for managing challenging behavior."
"Thank you for a creative, informative and totally useful teacher workshop! Cannot wait to start using what I have learned with others!"
"It was great to have a teacher who understands Pre-K students and one who could give real life strategies to deal with misbehavior in a classroom environment. Kim does not lecture but brings information to life with stories, examples, pictures and videos so we can understand the content better."
"Motivating presenter; great teacher workshop!"
"Informative AND entertaining… I really enjoyed it!"
"This was a fantastic teacher workshop. Kim did an awesome job as a presenter!"
"Kim is a fantastic presenter! I have been inspired. Thank you for helping me start a fabulous new school year for me and my children!"
"Kim was excellent—very funny and enthusiastic! Great teacher workshop! Loved the 'I Love You Rituals' best of all!"
"Kim is a fantastic trainer and facilitator and she is very inspiring. She made me stop and take another look at myself and children and I’m now motivated to breath and work/live Conscious Discipline one day at a time."
"Love that Kim had experience in our field. She was a vivacious presenter who talked to our hearts as an educator of young people. She kept us focused and attention driven!"
"Thank you for the great day; I'm so excited to start the new school year and implement Conscious Discipline in my classroom environment."
Hillsborough County is located in Tampa, FL
- Reviews from Cumberland County Pre-K daylong training
"Loved Kim's positive energy and techniques."
"Excellent job! This will be very helpful when dealing with children with challenging behaviors. We would love to see her again!"
"I've been teaching for a good while, but learned many new strategies and ideas to take back to my classroom."
Cumberland County is located in Fayetteville, NC
- Reviews from Conscious Discpline® Training
"Interesting workshop that offers a TON of information to use daily not only with children, but our staff and families of the children we serve. GREAT JOB!!!!"
"The day flew by – never have I been so engaged in learning. I loved this workshop!"
"I am 62 years old and this is THE BEST training I have attended in my career!!"
"Very informative session. I’m excited about using Conscious Discipline skills in both my school setting and in my life!"
"Thank you! I learned a lot and look forward to learning more."
"Probably one of the best training I have ever been to."
"Wonderful presenter! Very knowledgeable and really seems to enjoy what she does! Very positive person!!"
"Fabulous – wish I would have had this information years ago!!"
"This workshop was AWESOME!!!!!"
"Great workshop!!"
"I totally enjoyed this workshop session!"
Child care directors, district managers, and regional managers
- Reviews from 'Consciously Connecting: A Gift to Ourselves and Others' Retreat
"This retreat has changed me as a person… Thanks a million!"
"Far exceeded my expectations!"
"It was awesome! I thank you for the opportunity to learn and grow!"
"This retreat was really wonderful. Kim and the other facilitators really worked together as a team and modeled Conscious Discipline for us. Thank you for this life-changing experience!"
"You did an amazing job!"
"A great experience that opened my mind to how to establish genuine connections with the children and families I serve."
"I loved this experience – I walk away with an indescribable feeling of connection, caring and love for myself, others and the work I do!"
"What can I say … Absolutely beyond AMAZING!!!!!!"
"This workshop was AWESOME!!!!!"
"Very positive, relaxing and inspiring!!"
"Truthfully … I LOVED IT!!!!!!! Thank you for all of your hard work. Is next year’s scheduled yet?"
"Wonderful! I am filled with fantastic ideas … my toolbox is filled!"
"Loved it! WOW!! A very powerful experience for everyonel!"
"You did it … it was a dream come true! Way to go!!"
From a June 2012 retreat on the NC coast near Emerald Isle
- Reviews from Kindergarten Conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada
"You did it again! Such a powerful training. It was funny because I had brought my work to do that day and I had planned to go to the lobby to get that work done. However, I could not get up because I did not want to miss anything. Your trainings are so powerful, you have a real gift of teaching. God is surely using you!
I just want to say thank you! The teachers have emailed and called me telling me all about their excitement. The most exciting thing for me are the conversations about how some of the directors and teachers are trying it with their own children. So powerful! You are an inspiration to me." -
Terri DeHart-Burris, District 4 Manager, Childcare Network
"Thank you so much for the enthusiastic presentations at the Missouri Kindergarten Conference. I just loved your ideas in The First Six Weeks of School and I have taught for 23 years! Way to go!"
"I just returned home from the Kindergarten Conference at Tan-Tar-A and fully enjoyed sitting in each and every one of your workshops. Thank you again for being an AWESOME presenter! You truly made my trip to the conference worthwhile! I cannot wait to get started on many of the suggestions you shared with us! Thanks again SO MUCH!!"
"I am still reeling from your beyond incredible presentations shared with kindergarten and prekindergarten teachers here in Toronto. Your passion for teaching and understanding of not only young children, but what is developmentally appropriate, was refreshing. Your strategies for embedding learning standards in playfully yet meaningful ways via active learning techniques were greatly appreciated! I cannot wait to tell our Ontario Minister of Education all about you so we can bring you back to Canada!! Canadians love Kim Hughes!!"
"I just love … Love … LOVE all of your ideas!!! What a gift you are!"
"I attended a few of your sessions at the Minnesota Kindergarten Conference. Let me first say “thank you so much for coming and sharing all of your wonderful ideas”. For a young teacher this was amazing training and I walked away with so many new skills!! Teachers need teachers like you!! Thanks for inspiring me! "
"Finally a presenter who gets it – you CAN teach kindergarten kids and allow them to enjoy learning! Kim is a breath of fresh air that puts kids FIRST. Loved your energy and your ideas shared here in Texas!"
"I attended several of your workshops last week in Dallas. I loved you so much that I skipped out on other sessions I was supposed to attend to learn more from you. Thank you for your inspiration and wisdom shared with all of us! I have tried several of your techniques already and my students immediately responded so positively!!! You are excellent – Thank you for the best conference I have ever attended!!"
"I cannot tell you how appreciative I am of your time and talents! Your workshops were so valuable! A sign of great professional development is when your mind is buzzing with new ideas and possibilities … and that is how I am feeling! Come back SOON! We love you in Tennessee!"
"I attended your session on Center-Based Learning and Play. Ironically I attended your session as an administrator feeling the pressure of the new Common Core Standards. I worried that active learning was no longer the key to meeting the needs of young children. After attending your outstanding session I realized that we are doing the right thing by our students. Thanks for putting “play” back into perspective for me. I appreciate your time and many talents!"
"I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation - thanks so much. I am using many strategies from your thoughts/ideas and am finding that I am obtaining awesome results with the challenging kids in my class. It feels so awesome to be getting through to these children, making connections and really letting these kids know that we care and want to help them feel safe and happy while they learn important life-long skills. AMAZING stuff!! Wisconsin was so lucky to have you for our Kindergarten Conference this year!"
- Review from full-day training of child care providers and preK-12 teachers
We all really enjoyed your seminar; it was very fun and informative!
Sandy Jennings, Assistant Director, Chapel CYSS, Fort Drum (NY) Army Base
- Review of a kindergarten conference workshop
Thank you for being an important part of a great conference! I enjoyed your presentations and am appreciative of the practical ideas you shared and your emphasis on making the kindergarten experience relational and fun!
Anne Swift, Teacher, Nashville, TN
- Review of conference keynote
Thank you again for the wonderful presentation you did for us. We appreciated so much the way you worked with us on planning, the time you took to plan and revise the keynote to meet our needs, and then the presentation was just terrific—clear, lively, convincing, interactive!
Jessie Wenning, Director of Kindergarten Grants, Cambridge (MA) Public Schools
- Review of professional development conference session
'Thank you' is inadequate to express how much we appreciated your leadership in the Conscious Connections session last week at our professional development conference.... but I wanted to be sure to say 'thank you' for the gift you gave to our future teachers. Several of the students were talking about your session during our student teacher banquet last night. You had an impact on them. Thanks again, for your willingness to share!
Jan Hargrove, Director of Teaching Fellows, Meredith College (the largest private women's college in the Southeast)
- Review of Conscious Discipline teacher workshop
Conscious Discipline® is one of the most valuable trainings that I have been to in years. It is about empowering people to help others become their personal best by building them up—not tearing them down. Kim Hughes is such an engaging and dynamic presenter that one may sit for more than an hour and feel as if just a few minutes have passed. Kim's Conscious Discipline training is definitely worth the time!
Amy Bryan, Teach-Up Cohort II, Third Grade Teacher, Lynn Road Elementary
- Presentation review by Conscious Discipline creator
Kim, I wish I had some great words to share with you to offer improvement with your presenting, but I don't. You are gifted and talented in this area. … You alternated between activity and information often throughout the workshop so your participants were actively engaged. It was so apparent how enormously invested your audience was in the workshop from their excitement as they shared. You lived Conscious Discipline® in your presentation. Your perception of children and conflict is consistent and unwavering.
Becky Bailey, PhD, founder of Loving Guidance™ Inc. and internationally renowned child education expert
- More evaluations from various presentations and sessions
"I cannot believe I am saying this but I enjoyed this workshop SO much that it was worth giving up my Saturday because I took away so much more than I ever expected to…"
"I have had Conscious Discipline® trainings before and believe me Kim Hughes is the BEST at breaking down how to use this framework in our everyday lives."
"Well organized and informative workshop. Mrs. Hughes was very interesting AND enthusiastic. She was able to hold our attention without making the presentation boring. Great job!!"
"Loved this workshop as it was very informative and FUN!! I worried that with this day-long session would find it hard to stay focused, but the time flew by as Ms. Kim did an excellent job of keeping us engaged in learning!"
"I love the amount of emotion and care Kim brings in exploring and explaining each idea she shares!"
"Kim always does a terrific job! Come back SOON!"
"Kim Hughes is such an awesome person. She gives positive guidance and suggestions when she presents her material. Way to go, Kim!"
"Workshop was extremely informative, exciting and educational! Thank you very much!"
"Excellent!!!!!!!!! They don’t get any better than this!"
"Our instructor, Kim Hughes, was great! She was motivated, interesting, knowledgeable and FUN!"
"Great speaker – she knew her stuff!"
"Thank you!! I learned so much!"
"Workshop was filled with helpful strategies, ideas and take aways! Loved it!"
"I love her energy only to be topped by her incredible knowledge about little kids! Can you say WOW??!! I am…"
"Kim brings energy, enthusiasm and humor to her presentations and that is how I like it!"
"Kim did a great job teaching this class. It was very upbeat! Loved the materials and props she shared to bring the topics to life."
"I’ve heard great things about Kim but seeing IS believing! Wow! Loved her and how she shares information! Cannot wait to learn from her again!!"
"I learned so much in the time I spent with Kim. Thank you!"
"Mrs. Hughes did a great job. I loved it!"
"Excellent trainer – I cannot believe the workshop was 5 hours long!! I was a great use of my time!!"
"Kim Hughes was GREAT!"
"Kim is very hands-on and explains things in everyday language so everyone can “get it”! Great workshop!"
"This training was awesome. Ms. Kim is one instructor that I would love to learn from again! Go, Ms. Kim!!"
"Words cannot convey how great Kim Hughes is … "
"Unbelievable!! So easy and fun to listen to. Kim gives great details and content. Thanks for the information!"
"Best workshop and presenter EVER!!"
"I have been working in child care for over 15 years and this was the BEST workshop I have ever been in. Keep up the good work, Mrs. Kim Hughes!"
"Thanks for teaching what you are passionate about. Great information!"
"Kim, I love your energy!"
"Mrs. Hughes’ class is very interesting and fun!"
"Kim is awesome. Even after working an 8-hour day she keeps it interesting enough to stay awake and love learning!"
"Ms. Kim does a great job and I bet anything from her would be excellent!"
Invite Kim Hughes to your conference or school 
