The Hocus
Focus Project
The activities are motivational, promote positive self-expression, and reinforce many key skills needed for student success.
The Hocus Focus™ Project serves as the educational cornerstone of Spencer’s residency. This initiative offers comprehensive opportunities, including interactive classroom experiences tailored to special education students, professional development training for educators, and presentations for undergraduate and graduate students in fields such as education, special education, rehabilitation sciences, medicine, and social work. Participants may also gain access to the Hocus Focus Supplemental Curriculum and Analytics software, enhancing the program’s educational impact.
“Hocus Focus (HF) has been a transformative asset for the social-emotional development of our students at Kurt-Tucholsky-Oberschule. According to reliable evaluations (DTORF-R), students show remarkable progress, achieving developmental gains equivalent to 3 to 5 years. This advancement allows them to reach a stage comparable to their peers, fostering meaningful growth. The HF approach also provides an excellent framework for fostering strong relationships between students and teachers while maintaining the appropriate professional boundaries. Kevin, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with Hocus Focus and collaborate with you. It is always a pleasure and a truly rewarding experience.”
Bernd Günther | National Trainer in Entwicklungstherapie/Entwicklungspädagogik (ETEP) | Berlin, Germany
Explore these opportunities:
- Interactive Classroom Experiences
- Professional Development
- University Presentations
“Kevin Spencer’s work profoundly impacts lives, bringing positive change with every interaction. His passion is authentic, and his expertise is unparalleled. Educators left his workshop feeling deeply inspired, equipped with innovative materials and practical skills to implement in their classrooms. Students departed with newfound confidence and joy, reflecting the transformative nature of his programs. Kevin’s work is a powerful reminder of the importance of inclusion and the value of every individual. We eagerly look forward to collaborating with him again!”
Lynae Sanford | Executive Director | Lutcher Theater (TX)
Dr. Kevin Spencer has been referred to as the ‘Kid Whisperer’ due to his exceptional ability to connect with children, particularly those facing challenges, such as autism, behavioral difficulties, learning disabilities, or emotional struggles. He employs a compassionate, empathetic, and highly effective approach to understanding and guiding kids. This nickname reflects his skill in identifying the root causes of a child's behavior and helping them develop strategies to thrive. His methods emphasize creating trust, fostering positive relationships, and using evidence-based techniques that resonate with children, making him a standout figure in his field.
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Engage. Learn. Interact.
INTERACTIVE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCES
Spencer offers engaging 45-minute interactive sessions for special education classrooms (including alternative, behavior, and emotional impairments), catering to upper elementary, middle, and lower secondary levels. Multiple classroom visits can be scheduled within a single school day, with the ability to extend to multiple days for broader reach.
Each session begins with a captivating magic performance, followed by hands-on activities where students learn simple magic tricks. These activities are carefully designed to enhance cognitive, motor, communication, and social skills while fostering creativity. Sessions can also be tailored to align with academic content, seamlessly integrating into the classroom curriculum.
These dynamic experiences are highly engaging and motivating, providing students with meaningful opportunities to actively participate in activities that support their personal growth and learning objectives.
Professional Development
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS
Spencer provides a range of Professional Development training programs designed for general and special educators, addressing critical areas in education through research-based strategies and practical applications. Key programs include:
Teach Like A MAGICIAN
This training introduces educators to the MAGICIAN framework, where each letter represents a research-based practice essential for fostering an environment conducive to learning. Through interactive sessions, participants explore practical strategies that can be immediately implemented in the classroom to enhance engagement and instructional effectiveness.
Understanding and Supporting Students: Addressing Behavior, Trauma, and Resilience in the Classroom
Educators play a pivotal role in identifying and addressing the effects of trauma on students. This training emphasizes the urgent need for creating trauma-sensitive classrooms and equips participants with evidence-based, arts-integrated strategies to support students effectively. The session focuses on actionable interventions that teachers can incorporate into their daily practice to promote a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
Educator Resilience, Stress, and Burnout
With nearly 50% of new teachers leaving the profession within five years and 44% of K-12 educators frequently experiencing burnout, this session addresses the growing teacher burnout crisis. Participants will explore strategies for managing stress, building resilience, and prioritizing self-care to sustain their well-being and effectiveness in the classroom, ultimately benefiting both educators and their students.
“Our time with Dr. Spencer at the Lutcher Theater was simply magical. Kevin blends the art of illusion with evidence-based teaching strategies, making education engaging, inclusive, and inspiring. Kevin's work beautifully demonstrates the transformative power of the arts in education, and his programs are nothing short of magical. We cannot wait to bring him back to work with more teachers and students in our area.”
Adam Conrad | Box Office/House Manager/Education | Lutcher Theater (TX)
Presenting at University
UNIVERSITY PRESENTATIONS
Spencer is an experienced educator whose presentations are based on sound principles of learning and best practices. He is always engaging, structured, organized, content-rich yet simultaneously entertaining, motivational, and very much “hands on” for his audiences.
Explore these opportunities:
- Education & Special Education
- Medicine
- Rehabilitation Sciences
- Social Work
“From the moment we all entered the classroom we were met by a dynamic presenter! Dr. Kevin Spencer curated a truly magical experience for students and professors alike. We were not only mesmerized by Dr. Spencer's instructions on how to perform and teach magic tricks to our future clients, but he shared how using magic can teach, model, and inspire clients to make changes in all aspects of their lives. His fun and energetic style of communication kept participants engaged and excited to learn. It was truly one of the most unique and fun ways to work with clients of all populations and teach them relational and life skills in a way that inspires creativity and laughter. We all had a blast!”
Patrick Borel, MSW, LCSW & Lisa Jellison, LCSW | California State University – Chico (CA)
“Dr. Spencer has been a guest lecturer in a college course I teach for pre-service educators, where he introduces my students to the innovative use of magic as a tool to engage learners, both with and without disabilities. His presentations are consistently captivating, sparking creativity and encouraging my students to think outside the box when designing their lessons. Time and again, he leaves them feeling inspired, energized, and eager to incorporate magic into their teaching practices.”
Melissa A. Sreckovic, PhD | Director, Honors Program | Associate Professor of Education University of Michigan-Flint
Hocus Focus Analytics
HOCUS FOCUS SUPPLEMENTAL CURRICULUM & ANALYTICS
Hocus Focus™ Supplemental Curriculum incorporates simple magic tricks into the learning process to support students with disabilities develop a variety of skills. It combines education and imagination to aid in the improvement of planning, sequencing, organizing tasks and movements, fine motor skills, gross motor function/coordination, concentration, memory skills, communication, social behaviors, and so much more!
Measuring Student Outcomes Through the Arts
In today’s education landscape, where standardized assessments often dictate funding and program decisions, it’s crucial to recognize the arts as a powerful instructional method that enhances learning across disciplines. The Hocus Focus™ Analytics Scale was developed and validated to provide educators with a compelling tool to demonstrate the value of investing in multidisciplinary, arts-integrated curricula, supporting improved outcomes for diverse learners.
Hocus Focus Analytics is an innovative, web-based application that provides visual evidence of student learning through arts-based activities. This state-of-the-art tool enables educators to easily upload data and generate clear, visual representations of student progress across five key areas: cognition, motor skills, communication, social skills, and creative thinking. This evidence supports the effectiveness of arts-integrated learning in fostering holistic student development.
Contact us for more information on the curriculum and the assessment instrument.
“Measuring student outcomes, especially those with special education needs, through an arts-based assessment instrument provides invaluable insights into students' unique abilities and progress. Hocus Focus Analytics captures aspects of learning which traditional assessments often overlook. By focusing on strengths rather than limitations, HFA fosters inclusivity and empowers educators to tailor strategies that truly resonate with each learner. This holistic approach ensures a deeper understanding of student growth and supports meaningful, individualized education plans”
Nathaniel Spencer Hall, Ph.D. | Department of Educational Research and Evaluation
