Executive Director

• Oct 2019 - Present

Our mission is to develop and research cutting-edge mindfulness interventions for children with learning difficulties. To this organization, I bring my expertise including reading disabilities, mindfulness, use of heart rate variability/coherence as an objective measure of mindfulness, attention, knowledge of neuroscientific methods and literature, and the ability to manage teams in coordinated research efforts. Our mission is to develop and research cutting-edge mindfulness interventions for children with learning difficulties. To this organization, I bring my expertise including reading disabilities, mindfulness, use of heart rate variability/coherence as an objective measure of mindfulness, attention, knowledge of neuroscientific methods and literature, and the ability to manage teams in coordinated research efforts.

Stress Management Expert for Kids

• Jun 2014 - Present

My approach to coaching kids is unique because I teach kids mindfulness and other calming techniques to help them feel more confident in school and do better on their homework. My years as an educator and my research on what motivates children to try their best at school has given me highly engaging, fun, therapeutic techniques that will help your child dissolve their anxiety so they can be more engaged with their schoolwork. I'd be happy to give you a free consult on what your child needs. Just message me your phone number and I'll give you a call. Click on the link below to see if your child is a good fit for my program. Or go to my website: drjuliakeller.com Show less

Research Affiliate

• Aug 2019 - Mar 2021

Grant writer for 2019 and 2020 grant submission to the Institute of Education Sciences. Funding Level: $1.9 million. Improving Reading Comprehension Through the Development of Self-Regulation in Fourth and Fifth Grade Students with Specific Reading Comprehension Deficits. Funding Source: IES Special Education Research Grant, Topic: Cognition and Student Learning, Goal: Development and Innovation. Duration: 7/21-6//24. PI: Dr. Julia Keller, PI, 50% effort, Years 1-3; co-PI: Dr. Donna Caccamise, 100% effort, 2 months/year, Years 1-3; co-PI: Dr. Peter Foltz, 10% effort, calendar year, Years 1-3. Project description/goals: This project will develop and refine an intervention designed to improve reading comprehension for children with S-RCD through explicit instruction in metacognitive strategies in a content-area context. Despite teachers’ best efforts, students’ ability to focus on tasks and process information is frequently impaired by distraction and negative emotions. The intervention, called inMind, will adapt a previously-developed online intervention (eBRAVO; Fostering Reading Comprehension and Knowledge-Building in Middle-School Students) for 4th & 5th graders and integrate mindfulness and biofeedback, well-established techniques for developing self-regulation, to train emotion regulation in students so they can better monitor and repair their comprehension with specific comprehension strategies. Instructional materials will be developed along with accompanying professional development for teachers. Show less

Assistant Professor Educational Psychology

• Aug 2016 - May 2018

I taught courses in Cognitive Development (graduate, online), Child Development (undergraduate, online and hybrid), Early Intervention (undergraduate, online), Early Childhood Inclusion Strategies (undergraduate, online), Educational Psychology (undergraduate, in-person), Advanced Educational Psychology (graduate, online), and Educating Students with Disabilities (undergraduate, in-person).

Researcher

• Aug 2016 - May 2018

I designed and implemented the protocol for a study entitled, "Mindfulness as Reflective Knowing: What is the Effect of Mental Training on the Development of Response Inhibition, Emotion Awareness, and Language in Early Childhood." Mindfulness training may help develop later stages of reflective knowing, the ability to self-reflect. Mindfulness means reflecting on present foci of attention (thoughts, sensations, emotions) clearly and objectively. Increased reflection results in a state of sustained attention that facilitates self-regulation by increasing top-down processes (emotion regulation, impulse control) and decreasing bottom-up influences (anxiety, stress). Reflective knowing develops throughout childhood, later stages (knowing that you know, or basic metacognition) emerging around 4-5 years and becoming more systematic and consolidated during middle childhood. 22 kindergartners were randomly assigned to mindfulness treatment or control and assessed on response inhibition, emotional awareness, and language. Results indicated that training increased reflectiveness, especially in girls. Emotion awareness interview results demonstrated that, after training, of eight participants that could not name their feelings, seven were control students and one was from the treatment group. Show less

Teaching Assistant Psychology

• Aug 2010 - May 2016

Student Researcher

• Aug 2010 - May 2016

I wrote and implemented the protocol for 3 studies on mindfulness interventions in educational settings. In the first study, "Mindfulness in Education," I recruited 112 students in grades 1-4, trained and supervised 10 Research Assistants in data collection, and provided ongoing coaching of mindfulness lessons to 4 teachers. Results indicated that mindfulness training improved attention and working memory. In a second study, "Mindfulness Training and the Development of Attention, Working Memory, and Emotion Regulation in Children," I recruited 28 4th graders and two teachers, and trained 16 Research Assistants in data collection at 5 timepoints, We found that some students were receptive to mindfulness while others were resistant. Children receptive to mindfulness treatment exhibited traits of openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and conformity to teachers' expectations. Resistant children exhibited traits of boredom, sensation seeking, animosity, and conformity to peer pressure. In a third study, "Mindfulness and Dyslexia: Can Mental Training Ameliorate the Symptoms of Dyslexia," I recruited 20 children with a Specific Learning Disability and designed and administered a 5-week intervention that integrated mindfulness training and literacy instruction. Results showed that training may have increased reflectiveness during decoding and lowered anxiety. "Short-term Mental Training and Its Effects on Creativity," 73 participants were randomly assigned to either mindfulness training or a control condition (a memory exercise), and completed a test of divergent thinking (Alternative Uses Task) before and after mental training. Even though 74% of our sample had little-to-no experience with meditation and participated in our study for course credit rather than because they were interested in mindfulness, they were able to enter into a meditative state that significantly increased their state of coherence. Show less

Instructor of Record Cognitive Psychology

• Aug 2014 - Dec 2014

I was a teaching assistant in the following courses: General Psychology, Brain & Behavior, Psychology of Learning & Memory, Cognitive Psychology, and Psychology Research Techniques.

Special Education Teacher

• Aug 2005 - May 2009

Special Education Teacher

• Aug 2003 - May 2005

Literacy Coach

• Aug 2001 - May 2003

Title One Teacher/Special Education Teacher

• Aug 1999 - May 2001

Special Education Teacher

• Aug 1995 - May 1999

First Grade Teacher

• Aug 1994 - May 1995

Special Education Teacher

• Aug 1992 - May 1993