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Concurrent Sessions At -a -Glance
K-5th Grade
Description: The art of digital storytelling holds tremendous potential to capture the imagination of today's learners, regardless of age or preferred learning style. In the session, we will explore proven methods for collaborative digital story design, demonstrating strategies for inspiring even reluctant writers to create meaningful and memorable stories brought to life.
Description: Students at every level need explicit, ongoing instruction that builds their comprehension skills. This type of standards-driven teaching is intended to equip students with the ability to analyze and understand all types of texts. In this session, you’ll learn to layer skills to develop readers who can track and summarize key details, visualize and question author craft, and connect and synthesize bigger ideas.
• Understand the six core comprehension strategies and their sub-skills that readers must employ.
• Build a scaffold of whole-class mini-lessons to deepen comprehension skills.
• Learn how to blend explicit instruction and close-reading experiences into your yearlong curriculum.
Description:In this session, participants will demonstrate how to develop literacy workstations which will promote differentiation while recognizing the sensitive needs of developing emergent learners. The session will model a strength-based, and play-based approach to joyful, engaged learning.
Description: Because reading is natural for many learners, including their teachers, most people don’t need to know the process involved in learning to read. Thus, few know how to explain it. This makes it extremely difficult to help beginning and struggling readers understand what they need to do to find reading success.
This presentation simplifies the challenge of teaching reading into simple and powerful skills that clarify how to read, including: the Five Phonetic Skills, Two Decoding Skills, and the 44 Sounds of the Alphabet. With the right tools and strategies, you can make learning to read a simple, enjoyable experience for your students.
Description: While educators have historically taught reading using paper, today’s students are encountering more and more digital media on tests. We need to acknowledge that these two mediums are different and require varied instruction. This session will identify skills to support students on standardized reading assessments, everyday classroom reading, and the real-world reading they will do on screens for years to come.
• Acknowledge the paper-based reading strategies that don’t transfer to digital reading scenarios.
• Combat the comprehension breakdown associated with reading digital text.
• Overcome online distractions and push beyond surface skimming.
Description:In this session, participants will demonstrate how to use high quality children’s literature as a springboard to promoting mathematical thinking.
Description:Level-up the engagement of your learners from compliant participants to taking charge of their own learning! These engagement strategies will have students showing what they know and asking for more! You will learn how to take the typical classroom structures and level-up your students to active learners.
Description:Discover the most effective reading intervention strategies for struggling students. Acquire a toolkit for scaffolding instruction for all students, and learn how to design a customized intervention plan for your classroom, school, or district. The speaker will model strategies and shows you how to adapt them to your reading program. Bring your biggest reading obstacle sand challenges and gain research-based solutions to ensure literacy for all.
Description: This session will offer reinforcement strategies that connect literacy with Social and Emotional Learning to promote student voice within the classroom. As teachers and schools look for the best ways to teach the social-emotional skills that children need to thrive in school and beyond, one of the best places to search is within the literacy curriculum. It is crucial to address students' social and emotional learning by making them feel connected and safe. In addition to feeling connected to the school culture, students must feel that what is being taught has meaning and relevance to their lives.
Description: Vocabulary development plays a critical role in young children’s learning to read and, as a result, their overall success in school. This session will provide you with strategies for building your students' vocabulary.
Description: This session provides participants with an understanding of dialects and language variations that affect student’s ability to write, speak and read standard English.
Participants will:
• Decide what key vocabulary, concept words or other academic words are needed to talk, read, or write about the topic of the lesson.
• Consider the language functions related to the topic of the lesson
• Identify grammar or language structures common to the content area.
Description: In this interactive workshop, participants will participate and focus on reading fluency. Reading fluency is imperative for reading comprehension success. In order to do this, reading fluency can be improved with participation in readers’ theater according to student interest and developmental ability
Description: This session features author Ashley Wilda sharing their work and knowledge for enhancing middle and secondary level students’ mental health literacy through literature. Ashley will share specific titles, considerations for educators, and suggestions for utilizing literature as a starting point in normalizing mental health focuses in middle and secondary level classrooms.
Description: In this session, educators will take an in-depth look at how to reach reluctant learners. Today's classroom presents challenges to locking in learners like never before. It also offers the opportunities and resources to reach higher levels of achievement than any other time in history. It's vital that educators navigate the waters of student motivation and find ways to engage even the most reluctant learners. We will look at the four keys to unlocking student motivation.
Description: Our Differentiating Instruction work session is designed to empower teachers to vary instruction and student activities based on learning styles and individual learning pathways. This session is relevant for all content areas grades K-12. Lesson planning, instructional delivery and student activities will be the primary focal points of this session.
Participants will:
• Understand what defines differentiation and recognize their role and responsibilities in a differentiated learning community.
• Learn how to provide motivating experiences by differentiating instruction while managing instructional time in a way that meets the standards.
• Possess a repertoire of strategies for differentiating instruction
Description: Students at every level need explicit, ongoing instruction that builds their comprehension skills. This type of standards-driven teaching is intended to equip students with the ability to analyze and understand all types of texts. In this session, you’ll learn to layer skills to develop readers who can track and summarize key details, visualize and question author craft, and connect and synthesize bigger ideas.
Participants will:
• Understand the six core comprehension strategies and their sub-skills that readers must employ.
• Build a scaffold of whole-class mini-lessons to deepen comprehension skills.
• Learn how to blend explicit instruction and close-reading experiences into your yearlong curriculum
Description: In this interactive session, participants will leave with a more in-depth understanding on how the teacher-student relationship impacts student achievement. They will walk away with practical and real-world strategies that can be used to foster community within the classroom that can be easily integrated. Also, they will leave with strategies that foster inclusivity and allow the implementation of equitable practices to address diverse student populations.
Description: When families are the stakeholders in student’s education, there is a positive impact on a student's success. Parent involvement helps extend teaching outside the classroom and creates a more positive experience for children to thrive. In this session we will discuss the parent-child relationship that can significantly strengthen the academic performance of students.
Description: In this session, you will learn about classroom management and how it is designed to provide teachers with real world strategies and techniques to effectively manage their classroom and create a positive learning environment. The workshop focuses on a wide range of topics including behavior management, parental communication, relationships with colleagues, and accepting feedback. During the presentation, teachers learn effective strategies for preventing and addressing behavioral issues in the classroom. They learn how to establish clear and consistent rules and consequences based on their personalities as well as the students, and how to go about their everyday life with their colleagues. The presentation also provides teachers with techniques for communicating with parents and building positive relationships with them and their students
Description:The ability to successfully read, understand, and respond to complex text is central; and yet, in almost every classroom, teachers confront the challenge of students who cannot read grade-level text on their own. For decades, we have responded to this challenge by giving struggling readers easier texts, essentially meeting individual needs by changing the text rather than by changing instruction. Even when these students make reasonable gains, many never progress to reading grade-level texts, and as a result, never have the opportunity to read and learn from the complex texts demanded by national standards. This session will show teachers how to advance students' literacy ability through specific interventions that work for struggling and fragile readers.
Description: One of the major shifts reflected in today’s standards has been the integration of more complex vocabulary. These more challenging words used within directions, questions, and prompts require that classroom instruction focus on more than just the content and concepts of each subject. Teachers must also decode the sophisticated discourse that appears in the after-reading tasks.
• Teach students to understand the expectations of the task.
• Identify functional words to be taught among the grade levels.
• Identify ways to incorporate this more sophisticated teacher talk into daily classroom routines.
This session will expand participants’ understanding of vocabulary development and the instructional techniques that are effective in helping students in grades six through eight expand their meaning vocabularies. Participants will learn how to assess students’ vocabulary knowledge and select words from a text that are most useful for instruction, including those with high-frequency Greek and Latin word parts. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to explore online resources for vocabulary development and assess their own current vocabulary teaching strategies. Packed with practical tips and resources, this session will appeal to educators who are interested in learning new ways to extend their students’ knowledge of words.
Description: Response to Intervention (RtI) involves regularly assessing proficiency in a skill, determining which students are behind, providing help in small groups for those students below benchmark, assessing regularly to monitor progress, and intensifying instruction for students whose progress is insufficient. The idea of RtI sounds relatively simple, yet many schools across this country are discovering that implementing RTI is far from simple.
This session will examine the components of an effective RtI program, examine challenges to developing effective programs, and explore steps to ensuring success for all students.
Description: How do you make sure the number one hits keep coming? Now more than ever, there is no one-size-fits-all plan to accelerate student learning. Student achievement takes intentional, purposeful, and meaningful data collection, analysis, and progress monitoring to ensure all students are progressing toward mastery. Learn powerful strategies and techniques to make effective daily instructional decisions that target student growth. Now that’s the type of data we love to use!
Description: In an all-out effort to care for students, educators at every level have put others' safety ahead of their own. For many of us, our response is part of the reason we became educators. However, the long-term danger is a concern; too often, leaders circumvent self-care and imagine difficult circumstances as an aberration, instead of a time for reflection and change.
The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly a rupture in time, creating exhaustion, fear, depression, and anxiety. But we believe that, even in difficult times, leaders can pivot from deficit to asset, from despair to hope, from collateral damage to promising innovations. This session will provide school leaders with the tools and interventions to sustain positive self-care to reduce job burn-out.
Description: In this breakout session, educators will receive tools for responding to students who need trauma support. Student trauma may take many different forms, and regardless of whether it results from a single incident or repeated exposure, knowledge and perspective affect how a person feels, thinks, and acts. The educator's role in the classroom is paramount in establishing and maintaining healthy environments for students to learn and grow. The first step for students exposed to traumatic experiences is ensuring that classrooms feel safe for them. Educators can work toward building supportive relationships and academic gains only after a student feels safe.
Description: In this session, Dr. Haynes will describe how to establish a school culture that values all students by integrating social and emotional learning and teaching that is sensitive to cultural differences. It is evident that major changes at the political and financial levels are necessary in order to achieve equity in education. However, there are many things that can be done right away in classrooms and schools to provide learning environments where different student learners have the chance to partake in activities that foster social, emotional, cultural, civic, and academic competence. Administrators may create classroom practices that incorporate the cultures and lived experiences of all kids and adults through the integration of SEL, working with stakeholders at the school and community levels. These methods may result in the development of inclusive schools.
Description: It was difficult for educators to self-care pre-pandemic. However, during the pandemic the level of intensity was taken to a new level with educators being over-tasked, under-resourced, and not prioritizing self-care. Returning to face-to-face in the fall educators are excepted to work with students affected by the trauma of the pandemic- both health and racial. Education is emotional labor- this session will offer some ways for trauma-informed educators to cope, care for themselves, and prevent burnout.
Description: During the pandemic many of our learners lost one loves. When a loved one passes away suddenly, the people left behind often experience traumatic grief. In order to deal with this intense kind of grief, addressing the social emotional needs of our students can be a helpful and healthy way to process painful emotions. In the session the participants will identify ways to address the emotional regulation, reduction of trauma symptoms and recognize learning skills to cope and manage trauma of students in the classroom.
Description: Whole School Implementation is a task for a team of key stakeholders in a school who are charged with the execution of Restorative Discipline (RD) practice for the campus. These stakeholders must begin by building a healthy community for themselves to ensure accountability, fidelity, and support for one another. The team ideally reflects diversity in responsibilities at all levels, gender, race/ethnicity, and belief systems to address the complexity of implementation.
This session focuses on school community building practices that holistically steer the school’s implementation through the exchange of critical ideas and strategies. The paradigm shift includes moving from a punitive to a relational model; recognizing the opportunities to interdependently practice RD within diverse settings, grade levels, and variable community contexts; understanding the change process from rigid rules to human relationships for school personnel and the whole school campus climate; and understanding the level of fit between Restorative Discipline/Restorative Practices and existing behavior management systems.
Description: Our unconscious social biases form involuntarily from our experiences. For example, as we are repeatedly exposed to actual incidences or media portrayals of minority men and women, those associations become automated in our long-term memory. These biases are reinforced on a daily basis without us knowing, or thinking consciously about it. Stereotypes reflect what we see and hear every day, not what we consciously believe about what we see and hear. It is possible for us to hold unconscious stereotypes that we consciously oppose.
Because we are, by definition, unaware of our automatic, unconscious beliefs and attitudes, we believe we are acting in accordance with our conscious intentions, when in fact our unconscious is in the driver’s seat. It is possible for us to treat others unfairly even when we believe it is wrong to do so. Cognitive neuroscience research has taught us that most decisions we make, especially regarding people, are “alarmingly contaminated” by our biases. Our assessments of others are never as objective as we believe them to be.
This session will provide educators with the tools to be able to address cultural bias in the workforce among teachers and its implication in teaching children. Participants will reflect on their own bias and build on trust and commitment to provide all children with a quality education. This training will also provide activities that “show” rather than “tell” how we as educators can address cultural awareness and reduce bias to ensure all kids receive a quality education no matter the race, gender, mental and physical ability.
Description: The prolonged school lockdowns that, starting in early spring of 2020, dismantled children’s routines, including normal school days, also blocked their access to the basic supports that schools provide—including organized recreation, and, of course, the face-to-face contact with teachers and friends that is fundamental to child development. It thus should be no surprise that the pandemic has not only led to reduced student performance, on average, but also stretched to the limit children’s social and emotional wellbeing. This engaging hands on session will offer strategic methods educators and stakeholders can use to reinvent, revise and rethink strategies to address the social emotion and academic needs of all learners.
Description: Strong writing requires logical organization. While it’s tempting to achieve this with formulas and recipes, such tools typically produce repetitive and robotic writing. The secret lies in providing students with scaffolded support through writing frames. Well-executed frames produce unique and individual writing that also contains logical organization.
• Expect more than an introduction, body, and conclusion; teach how to organize ideas in the middle.
• Identify common frames and how to adapt them for various topics or genres.
• Model how to flesh out ideas and connect them within a frame.
Description: Fall in love with Reading using the combined strategy of Reciprocal Teaching and the methodology of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model (GRR). Teachers will learn how the four components of this strategy work with students at all reading levels while incorporating role play, held thinking, and the power of the four steps of the GRR in teaching this strategy to mastery. Once students understand how to attack a text using the four approaches of prediction, clarification, questioning, and summarizing, their love of reading can soar. We will discuss the importance of anchor charts, connotation, and lifelines as well. Students can make gains in readability levels in as little as 4 to 6 months using the reciprocal teaching method with fidelity and the power of play. What better what to Empower, Emerge and Elevate all students to reach new reading heights.
Description: Beyond Basics honors the teachers who shape and inspire students, tending to their academic and spiritual growth on their educational journey. As school partners, we provide extra support to meet the specific literacy needs of K-12 students who fall into the “literacy gap,” reading below grade level. In an engaging multimedia presentation that helps educators make professional connections, Beyond Basics CEO Pamela Good and team will describe the partnership developed with teachers and schools over 20 years to help struggling readers in elementary, middle, and high school. This partnership has led to a holistic intensive literacy intervention that benefits the whole child while raising literacy levels. We will share information about our program and services, including: • an individualized diagnostic assessment to reveal literacy gaps • daily, hourlong intensive tutoring embedded within the school day • integrated arts activities that build vocabulary and comprehension, building bridges to the outside world Intensive structured literacy intervention has an immediate, positive effect on students. Attendees will come away with a great understanding of our tools and strategies, which complement teacher expertise and help students achieve better educational outcomes.
Description: Poverty and trauma are all too common in America’s schools. What's rare is an opportunity for educators to sit and absorb first-hand from a former at-risk student who dropped out, endured a mother abusing drugs, absent father, and learning disability. In this engaging session participants will unlearn perceived fallacies about students from poverty. One thing more important than what you teach is who you teach. Knowing and understanding your students emotionally can yield tremendous relational dividends. Trauma occurring in the early years can have a substantial impact on an adolescent's social-emotional development, academic performance, and behavior. This session will provide necessary knowledge to become a trauma-responsive educator and empower students healing from trauma. 50% of any interaction with a student is you. Students cannot learn effectively when they are burdened by the effects of trauma and poverty. Craig’s trademark slogan, GED to PHD is a concrete paradigm that educators should never give up on any student.
Description: Participants will take apart phonological awareness, giving teachers a beginning points within the four levels of phonological awareness. This will allow teachers to screen their students so they can begin to teach them to read or view where to start their interventions. Visuals will be utilized on the levels and sub levels for understanding. In building phonological awareness, you are using the building blocks for a student to learn to decode and then become a life-long reader.
Description: In this session, participants will review the updates to the Dyslexia Handbook including HB 3928 and the impact to identifying, evaluating and providing services for students with Dyslexia.
Description: Let's explore how The RevLearning Suite has changed the "reading game" by leveraging AI and speech recognition to revolutionize reading education. Our adaptive and prescriptive book delivery system is designed to elevate reading fluency and comprehension among students. Through cutting-edge technology, we'll demonstrate how this system tailors book selections to each student's proficiency level and learning pace. By harnessing data-driven insights, educators can identify individual strengths and challenges, ensuring that students engage with precisely the right materials at the right time, ultimately fostering a lifelong love for reading while achieving significant gains in fluency and comprehension.
Description: Many schools have heard of a house system and are intrigued by them. However, jumping on this bandwagon may feel like another thing that takes a lot of effort but won't bring the results you are looking for. Join us as we walk you through our pilot year, the changes we have seen, and a snapshot of where we are now. The opportunity to change the culture of your building for students, staff, families, and the community at large.
Description: In this session, teachers and staff will explore the impact of reading difficulties and disabilities on a student's mental health and will learn key strategies to meet the needs of students. Through a collaborative approach, teachers will be empowered to provide appropriate support to struggling students.
Description: Don't waste your time teaching TOO much! You can use this vertical alignment tool to find out exactly how to spend your time and what's expected of you. 3rd through 5th grade Reading teachers will benefit by learning how to break down their TEK through the grade levels so they know what they are supposed to be teaching and not just using random resources they find. When they know what is expected of them, they can plan their time more effectively.
Description: Learn how a high poverty district has energized the community to support literacy achievement for all students. You will walk away with models of successful literacy initiatives that you can replicate in your own school district, tips on garnering parent involvement in reaching literacy goals, and suggestions for funding initiatives.
Description: The presenters will model, utilizing Roald Dahl’s short story “The Hitch-Hiker,” multiple language and literacy acquisition strategies, including: (a) pre-teaching potentially challenging vocabulary with visual supports, (b) providing students with opportunities for structured reading and speaking, and (c) engaging students with thematically rich literature.
Description: There has been studies regarding African American males and special
education but none relating to self-esteem. The information presented could aid administrators and teachers in developing and implementing teacher’s awareness and differential learning styles that will ultimately promote and increase the academic success of African-African males. This information could also encourage parents/caretakers to take an active role in their child’s education.
Description: Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to engage in collaboration with other educators and advocates to share challenges our girls are facing and learn strategies to best support our girls through these challenges. At the completion of this session educators will be prepared to develop learning environments that ensure the physical, emotional, and intellectual safety of our girls.
Description: Intervention and tutorial services can be provided by 3rd party vendors. This relationship is complex, dynamic, and sensitive. Learn how to create and implement an intervention program that leads to student success, improved data, happy teachers, and a long term support network.
Description: In this fast-paced session the two presenters will "duel" with some of their favorite FREE online resources that can be used in classrooms tomorrow. We will share the highlights of each tool and uses in the classroom. Participants will leave with a list of resources they can dive further into.
Description: Avoiding Burnout as an Educator - Educators will be taught methods to decrease stress and procrastination and increase satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment to garner good mental health and student success.
Campus Leadership: L.E.A.P. (Leading Effectively and Phenomenally) - Educators will be provided with strategies to enhance their leadership skills on campus while also honing their skills to become an effective leader at a school-based site or in district leadership roles.
Leveling U.P. (Unlimited Potential) - Educators will be shown the benefits of maintaining healthy mental and physical health and their alignment to success in all aspects of their lives that impact their ability to be an effective and balanced educ
Description: It is no secret that there is a labor shortage in our healthcare market and that many in our communities’ struggle to find high-wage careers in a fulfilling industry. Still, it’s access to the training for these careers that will be transformational.
Attracting, hiring, and retaining well-trained employees is crucial as we deliver on our promise to be a destination of excellence for healthcare in our communities. This session is intended to assess the healthcare career landscape in Texas and create opportunities for students in our growing industry. We would like to share our FREE resources, including a healthcare labor market navigator, a healthcare community of practice, and professional development for healthcare teachers.
Description: By the end of this session, educators will have gained valuable insights into the concept of grit and its significance in educational settings. Armed with evidence-based strategies and practical resources, participants will be well-equipped to cultivate grit in their classrooms, empowering students to overcome challenges, persevere in the face of adversity, and ultimately achieve their full potential. They will have identified triggers that cause them to struggle personally and professionally making them better equipped to make education a lifelong profession.
Description: In a world increasingly driven by digital innovation, our literacy instruction must evolve. This interactive session illuminates the groundbreaking advantages of integrating AI into literacy lesson planning. Dive deep into the trifecta of efficiency, precision, and personalization that A.I. offers. Participants will engage hands-on with ChatGPT, experiencing firsthand the revolutionary potential of A.I. tools. Witness the future of education where teachers harness technology to save hours, pinpoint student needs, and deliver tailored instruction, all while maintaining the human touch. Be part of the evolution; be part of the solution.
Leadership Strand
Middle School
Middle School
Description: This interactive workshop is designed for English teachers seeking effective techniques to enhance narrative, informational, and opinion/argument writing in grades 3-8. We will focus on harnessing the power of mentor texts to inspire, guide, and support students in crafting compelling and well-structured pieces across these three genres.
Description: While educators have historically taught reading using paper, today’s students are encountering more and more digital media on tests. We need to acknowledge that these two mediums are different and require varied instruction. This session will identify skills to support students on standardized reading assessments, everyday classroom reading, and the real-world reading they will do on screens for years to come.
• Acknowledge the paper-based reading strategies that don’t transfer to digital reading scenarios.
• Combat the comprehension breakdown associated with reading digital text.
• Overcome online distractions and push beyond surface skimming.
Description: Students at every level need explicit, ongoing instruction that builds their comprehension skills. This type of standards-driven teaching is intended to equip students with the ability to analyze and understand all types of texts. In this session, you’ll learn to layer skills to develop readers who can track and summarize key details, visualize and question author craft, and connect and synthesize bigger ideas.
Participants will:
• Understand the six core comprehension strategies and their sub-skills that readers must employ.
• Build a scaffold of whole-class mini-lessons to deepen comprehension skills.
• Learn how to blend explicit instruction and close-reading experiences into your yearlong curriculum
Description: Students at every level need explicit, ongoing instruction that builds their comprehension skills. This type of standards-driven teaching is intended to equip students with the ability to analyze and understand all types of texts. In this session, you’ll learn to layer skills to develop readers who can track and summarize key details, visualize and question author craft, and connect and synthesize bigger ideas.
• Understand the six core comprehension strategies and their sub-skills that readers must employ.
• Build a scaffold of whole-class mini-lessons to deepen comprehension skills.
• Learn how to blend explicit instruction and close-reading experiences into your yearlong curriculum.
Description: Fall in love with Reading using the combined strategy of Reciprocal Teaching and the methodology of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model (GRR). Teachers will learn how the four components of this strategy work with students at all reading levels while incorporating role play, held thinking, and the power of the four steps of the GRR in teaching this strategy to mastery. Once students understand how to attack a text using the four approaches of prediction, clarification, questioning, and summarizing, their love of reading can soar. We will discuss the importance of anchor charts, connotation, and lifelines as well. Students can make gains in readability levels in as little as 4 to 6 months using the reciprocal teaching method with fidelity and the power of play. What better what to Empower, Emerge and Elevate all students to reach new reading heights.
Description: Beyond Basics honors the teachers who shape and inspire students, tending to their academic and spiritual growth on their educational journey. As school partners, we provide extra support to meet the specific literacy needs of K-12 students who fall into the “literacy gap,” reading below grade level. In an engaging multimedia presentation that helps educators make professional connections, Beyond Basics CEO Pamela Good and team will describe the partnership developed with teachers and schools over 20 years to help struggling readers in elementary, middle, and high school. This partnership has led to a holistic intensive literacy intervention that benefits the whole child while raising literacy levels. We will share information about our program and services, including: • an individualized diagnostic assessment to reveal literacy gaps • daily, hourlong intensive tutoring embedded within the school day • integrated arts activities that build vocabulary and comprehension, building bridges to the outside world Intensive structured literacy intervention has an immediate, positive effect on students. Attendees will come away with a great understanding of our tools and strategies, which complement teacher expertise and help students achieve better educational outcomes.
Description: Poverty and trauma are all too common in America’s schools. What's rare is an opportunity for educators to sit and absorb first-hand from a former at-risk student who dropped out, endured a mother abusing drugs, absent father, and learning disability. In this engaging session participants will unlearn perceived fallacies about students from poverty. One thing more important than what you teach is who you teach. Knowing and understanding your students emotionally can yield tremendous relational dividends. Trauma occurring in the early years can have a substantial impact on an adolescent's social-emotional development, academic performance, and behavior. This session will provide necessary knowledge to become a trauma-responsive educator and empower students healing from trauma. 50% of any interaction with a student is you. Students cannot learn effectively when they are burdened by the effects of trauma and poverty. Craig’s trademark slogan, GED to PHD is a concrete paradigm that educators should never give up on any student.
Description: Strong writing requires logical organization. While it’s tempting to achieve this with formulas and recipes, such tools typically produce repetitive and robotic writing. The secret lies in providing students with scaffolded support through writing frames. Well-executed frames produce unique and individual writing that also contains logical organization.
• Expect more than an introduction, body, and conclusion; teach how to organize ideas in the middle.
• Identify common frames and how to adapt them for various topics or genres.
• Model how to flesh out ideas and connect them within a frame.
Description: In an all-out effort to care for students, educators at every level have put others' safety ahead of their own. For many of us, our response is part of the reason we became educators. However, the long-term danger is a concern; too often, leaders circumvent self-care and imagine difficult circumstances as an aberration, instead of a time for reflection and change.
The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly a rupture in time, creating exhaustion, fear, depression, and anxiety. But we believe that, even in difficult times, leaders can pivot from deficit to asset, from despair to hope, from collateral damage to promising innovations. This session will provide school leaders with the tools and interventions to sustain positive self-care to reduce job burn-out.
Description:The ability to successfully read, understand, and respond to complex text is central; and yet, in almost every classroom, teachers confront the challenge of students who cannot read grade-level text on their own. For decades, we have responded to this challenge by giving struggling readers easier texts, essentially meeting individual needs by changing the text rather than by changing instruction. Even when these students make reasonable gains, many never progress to reading grade-level texts, and as a result, never have the opportunity to read and learn from the complex texts demanded by national standards. This session will show teachers how to advance students' literacy ability through specific interventions that work for struggling and fragile readers.
Description: One of the major shifts reflected in today’s standards has been the integration of more complex vocabulary. These more challenging words used within directions, questions, and prompts require that classroom instruction focus on more than just the content and concepts of each subject. Teachers must also decode the sophisticated discourse that appears in the after-reading tasks.
• Teach students to understand the expectations of the task.
• Identify functional words to be taught among the grade levels.
• Identify ways to incorporate this more sophisticated teacher talk into daily classroom routines.
This session will expand participants’ understanding of vocabulary development and the instructional techniques that are effective in helping students in grades six through eight expand their meaning vocabularies. Participants will learn how to assess students’ vocabulary knowledge and select words from a text that are most useful for instruction, including those with high-frequency Greek and Latin word parts. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to explore online resources for vocabulary development and assess their own current vocabulary teaching strategies. Packed with practical tips and resources, this session will appeal to educators who are interested in learning new ways to extend their students’ knowledge of words
Description: Response to Intervention (RtI) involves regularly assessing proficiency in a skill, determining which students are behind, providing help in small groups for those students below benchmark, assessing regularly to monitor progress, and intensifying instruction for students whose progress is insufficient. The idea of RtI sounds relatively simple, yet many schools across this country are discovering that implementing RTI is far from simple.
This session will examine the components of an effective RtI program, examine challenges to developing effective programs, and explore steps to ensuring success for all students.
Description: In this breakout session, educators will receive tools for responding to students who need trauma support. Student trauma may take many different forms, and regardless of whether it results from a single incident or repeated exposure, knowledge and perspective affect how a person feels, thinks, and acts. The educator's role in the classroom is paramount in establishing and maintaining healthy environments for students to learn and grow. The first step for students exposed to traumatic experiences is ensuring that classrooms feel safe for them. Educators can work toward building supportive relationships and academic gains only after a student feels safe.
Description: In this session, Dr. Haynes will describe how to establish a school culture that values all students by integrating social and emotional learning and teaching that is sensitive to cultural differences. It is evident that major changes at the political and financial levels are necessary in order to achieve equity in education. However, there are many things that can be done right away in classrooms and schools to provide learning environments where different student learners have the chance to partake in activities that foster social, emotional, cultural, civic, and academic competence. Administrators may create classroom practices that incorporate the cultures and lived experiences of all kids and adults through the integration of SEL, working with stakeholders at the school and community levels. These methods may result in the development of inclusive schools.
Description: It was difficult for educators to self-care pre-pandemic. However, during the pandemic the level of intensity was taken to a new level with educators being over-tasked, under-resourced, and not prioritizing self-care. Returning to face-to-face in the fall educators are excepted to work with students affected by the trauma of the pandemic- both health and racial. Education is emotional labor- this session will offer some ways for trauma-informed educators to cope, care for themselves, and prevent burnout.
Description: During the pandemic many of our learners lost one loves. When a loved one passes away suddenly, the people left behind often experience traumatic grief. In order to deal with this intense kind of grief, addressing the social emotional needs of our students can be a helpful and healthy way to process painful emotions. In the session the participants will identify ways to address the emotional regulation, reduction of trauma symptoms and recognize learning skills to cope and manage trauma of students in the classroom.
Description: Whole School Implementation is a task for a team of key stakeholders in a school who are charged with the execution of Restorative Discipline (RD) practice for the campus. These stakeholders must begin by building a healthy community for themselves to ensure accountability, fidelity, and support for one another. The team ideally reflects diversity in responsibilities at all levels, gender, race/ethnicity, and belief systems to address the complexity of implementation.
This session focuses on school community building practices that holistically steer the school’s implementation through the exchange of critical ideas and strategies. The paradigm shift includes moving from a punitive to a relational model; recognizing the opportunities to interdependently practice RD within diverse settings, grade levels, and variable community contexts; understanding the change process from rigid rules to human relationships for school personnel and the whole school campus climate; and understanding the level of fit between Restorative Discipline/Restorative Practices and existing behavior management systems.
Description: Our unconscious social biases form involuntarily from our experiences. For example, as we are repeatedly exposed to actual incidences or media portrayals of minority men and women, those associations become automated in our long-term memory. These biases are reinforced on a daily basis without us knowing, or thinking consciously about it. Stereotypes reflect what we see and hear every day, not what we consciously believe about what we see and hear. It is possible for us to hold unconscious stereotypes that we consciously oppose.
Because we are, by definition, unaware of our automatic, unconscious beliefs and attitudes, we believe we are acting in accordance with our conscious intentions, when in fact our unconscious is in the driver’s seat. It is possible for us to treat others unfairly even when we believe it is wrong to do so. Cognitive neuroscience research has taught us that most decisions we make, especially regarding people, are “alarmingly contaminated” by our biases. Our assessments of others are never as objective as we believe them to be.
This session will provide educators with the tools to be able to address cultural bias in the workforce among teachers and its implication in teaching children. Participants will reflect on their own bias and build on trust and commitment to provide all children with a quality education. This training will also provide activities that “show” rather than “tell” how we as educators can address cultural awareness and reduce bias to ensure all kids receive a quality education no matter the race, gender, mental and physical ability.
Description: The prolonged school lockdowns that, starting in early spring of 2020, dismantled children’s routines, including normal school days, also blocked their access to the basic supports that schools provide—including organized recreation, and, of course, the face-to-face contact with teachers and friends that is fundamental to child development. It thus should be no surprise that the pandemic has not only led to reduced student performance, on average, but also stretched to the limit children’s social and emotional wellbeing. This engaging hands on session will offer strategic methods educators and stakeholders can use to reinvent, revise and rethink strategies to address the social emotion and academic needs of all learners.
Description:The art of digital storytelling holds tremendous potential to capture the imagination of today's learners, regardless of age or preferred learning style. In the session, we will explore proven methods for collaborative digital story design,demonstrating strategies for inspiring even reluctant writers to create meaningful and memorable stories brought to life,
Description: In this session, teachers and staff will explore the impact of reading difficulties and disabilities on a student's mental health and will learn key strategies to meet the needs of students. Through a collaborative approach, teachers will be empowered to provide appropriate support to struggling students.
Description: Don't waste your time teaching TOO much! You can use this vertical alignment tool to find out exactly how to spend your time and what's expected of you. 3rd through 5th grade Reading teachers will benefit by learning how to break down their TEK through the grade levels so they know what they are supposed to be teaching and not just using random resources they find. When they know what is expected of them, they can plan their time more effectively.
Description: Learn how a high poverty district has energized the community to support literacy achievement for all students. You will walk away with models of successful literacy initiatives that you can replicate in your own school district, tips on garnering parent involvement in reaching literacy goals, and suggestions for funding initiatives.
Description: The presenters will model, utilizing Roald Dahl’s short story “The Hitch-Hiker,” multiple language and literacy acquisition strategies, including: (a) pre-teaching potentially challenging vocabulary with visual supports, (b) providing students with opportunities for structured reading and speaking, and (c) engaging students with thematically rich literature.
Description: Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to engage in collaboration with other educators and advocates to share challenges our girls are facing and learn strategies to best support our girls through these challenges. At the completion of this session educators will be prepared to develop learning environments that ensure the physical, emotional, and intellectual safety of our girls.
Description: In this fast-paced session the two presenters will "duel" with some of their favorite FREE online resources that can be used in classrooms tomorrow. We will share the highlights of each tool and uses in the classroom. Participants will leave with a list of resources they can dive further into.
Description: Avoiding Burnout as an Educator - Educators will be taught methods to decrease stress and procrastination and increase satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment to garner good mental health and student success.
Campus Leadership: L.E.A.P. (Leading Effectively and Phenomenally) - Educators will be provided with strategies to enhance their leadership skills on campus while also honing their skills to become an effective leader at a school-based site or in district leadership roles.
Leveling U.P. (Unlimited Potential) - Educators will be shown the benefits of maintaining healthy mental and physical health and their alignment to success in all aspects of their lives that impact their ability to be an effective and balanced educ
Description: It is no secret that there is a labor shortage in our healthcare market and that many in our communities’ struggle to find high-wage careers in a fulfilling industry. Still, it’s access to the training for these careers that will be transformational.
Attracting, hiring, and retaining well-trained employees is crucial as we deliver on our promise to be a destination of excellence for healthcare in our communities. This session is intended to assess the healthcare career landscape in Texas and create opportunities for students in our growing industry. We would like to share our FREE resources, including a healthcare labor market navigator, a healthcare community of practice, and professional development for healthcare teachers.
Description: By the end of this session, educators will have gained valuable insights into the concept of grit and its significance in educational settings. Armed with evidence-based strategies and practical resources, participants will be well-equipped to cultivate grit in their classrooms, empowering students to overcome challenges, persevere in the face of adversity, and ultimately achieve their full potential. They will have identified triggers that cause them to struggle personally and professionally making them better equipped to make education a lifelong profession.
Highschool
Benefit 1
Description: How can secondary teachers build a classroom of engaged, thoughtful readers and writers? This workshop will share best practices for creating a reading and writing workshop for older students. Participants will explore how to build a classroom community with culturally responsive teaching that utilizes literacy collaborative to engage students in meaningful reading.
Description: Fall in love with Reading using the combined strategy of Reciprocal Teaching and the methodology of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model (GRR). Teachers will learn how the four components of this strategy work with students at all reading levels while incorporating role play, held thinking, and the power of the four steps of the GRR in teaching this strategy to mastery. Once students understand how to attack a text using the four approaches of prediction, clarification, questioning, and summarizing, their love of reading can soar. We will discuss the importance of anchor charts, connotation, and lifelines as well. Students can make gains in readability levels in as little as 4 to 6 months using the reciprocal teaching method with fidelity and the power of play. What better what to Empower, Emerge and Elevate all students to reach new reading heights.
Description: Beyond Basics honors the teachers who shape and inspire students, tending to their academic and spiritual growth on their educational journey. As school partners, we provide extra support to meet the specific literacy needs of K-12 students who fall into the “literacy gap,” reading below grade level. In an engaging multimedia presentation that helps educators make professional connections, Beyond Basics CEO Pamela Good and team will describe the partnership developed with teachers and schools over 20 years to help struggling readers in elementary, middle, and high school. This partnership has led to a holistic intensive literacy intervention that benefits the whole child while raising literacy levels. We will share information about our program and services, including: • an individualized diagnostic assessment to reveal literacy gaps • daily, hourlong intensive tutoring embedded within the school day • integrated arts activities that build vocabulary and comprehension, building bridges to the outside world Intensive structured literacy intervention has an immediate, positive effect on students. Attendees will come away with a great understanding of our tools and strategies, which complement teacher expertise and help students achieve better educational outcomes.
Description: Poverty and trauma are all too common in America’s schools. What's rare is an opportunity for educators to sit and absorb first-hand from a former at-risk student who dropped out, endured a mother abusing drugs, absent father, and learning disability. In this engaging session participants will unlearn perceived fallacies about students from poverty. One thing more important than what you teach is who you teach. Knowing and understanding your students emotionally can yield tremendous relational dividends. Trauma occurring in the early years can have a substantial impact on an adolescent's social-emotional development, academic performance, and behavior. This session will provide necessary knowledge to become a trauma-responsive educator and empower students healing from trauma. 50% of any interaction with a student is you. Students cannot learn effectively when they are burdened by the effects of trauma and poverty. Craig’s trademark slogan, GED to PHD is a concrete paradigm that educators should never give up on any student.
Description: Strong writing requires logical organization. While it’s tempting to achieve this with formulas and recipes, such tools typically produce repetitive and robotic writing. The secret lies in providing students with scaffolded support through writing frames. Well-executed frames produce unique and individual writing that also contains logical organization.
• Expect more than an introduction, body, and conclusion; teach how to organize ideas in the middle.
• Identify common frames and how to adapt them for various topics or genres.
• Model how to flesh out ideas and connect them within a frame.
Description: Students at every level need explicit, ongoing instruction that builds their comprehension skills. This type of standards-driven teaching is intended to equip students with the ability to analyze and understand all types of texts. In this session, you’ll learn to layer skills to develop readers who can track and summarize key details, visualize and question author craft, and connect and synthesize bigger ideas.
• Understand the six core comprehension strategies and their sub-skills that readers must employ.
• Build a scaffold of whole-class mini-lessons to deepen comprehension skills.
• Learn how to blend explicit instruction and close-reading experiences into your yearlong curriculum.
Description: Students at every level need explicit, ongoing instruction that builds their comprehension skills. This type of standards-driven teaching is intended to equip students with the ability to analyze and understand all types of texts. In this session, you’ll learn to layer skills to develop readers who can track and summarize key details, visualize and question author craft, and connect and synthesize bigger ideas.
Participants will:
• Understand the six core comprehension strategies and their sub-skills that readers must employ.
• Build a scaffold of whole-class mini-lessons to deepen comprehension skills.
• Learn how to blend explicit instruction and close-reading experiences into your yearlong curriculum
Description: The ability to successfully read, understand, and respond to complex text is central; and yet, in almost every classroom, teachers confront the challenge of students who cannot read grade-level text on their own. For decades, we have responded to this challenge by giving struggling readers easier texts, essentially meeting individual needs by changing the text rather than by changing instruction. Even when these students make reasonable gains, many never progress to reading grade-level texts, and as a result, never have the opportunity to read and learn from the complex texts demanded by national standards.
This session will show teachers how to advance students' literacy ability through specific interventions that work for struggling and fragile readers.
Description: One of the major shifts reflected in today’s standards has been the integration of more complex vocabulary. These more challenging words used within directions, questions, and prompts require that classroom instruction focus on more than just the content and concepts of each subject. Teachers must also decode the sophisticated discourse that appears in the after-reading tasks.
• Teach students to understand the expectations of the task.
• Identify functional words to be taught among the grade levels.
• Identify ways to incorporate this more sophisticated teacher talk into daily classroom routines.
This session will expand participants’ understanding of vocabulary development and the instructional techniques that are effective in helping students in grades six through eight expand their meaning vocabularies. Participants will learn how to assess students’ vocabulary knowledge and select words from a text that are most useful for instruction, including those with high-frequency Greek and Latin word parts. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to explore online resources for vocabulary development and assess their own current vocabulary teaching strategies. Packed with practical tips and resources, this session will appeal to educators who are interested in learning new ways to extend their students’ knowledge of words.
Description: Response to Intervention (RtI) involves regularly assessing proficiency in a skill, determining which students are behind, providing help in small groups for those students below benchmark, assessing regularly to monitor progress, and intensifying instruction for students whose progress is insufficient. The idea of RtI sounds relatively simple, yet many schools across this country are discovering that implementing RTI is far from simple.
This session will examine the components of an effective RtI program, examine challenges to developing effective programs, and explore steps to ensuring success for all students.
Description: In an all-out effort to care for students, educators at every level have put others' safety ahead of their own. For many of us, our response is part of the reason we became educators. However, the long-term danger is a concern; too often, leaders circumvent self-care and imagine difficult circumstances as an aberration, instead of a time for reflection and change.
The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly a rupture in time, creating exhaustion, fear, depression, and anxiety. But we believe that, even in difficult times, leaders can pivot from deficit to asset, from despair to hope, from collateral damage to promising innovations. This session will provide school leaders with the tools and interventions to sustain positive self-care to reduce job burn-out.
Description: In this breakout session, educators will receive tools for responding to students who need trauma support. Student trauma may take many different forms, and regardless of whether it results from a single incident or repeated exposure, knowledge and perspective affect how a person feels, thinks, and acts. The educator's role in the classroom is paramount in establishing and maintaining healthy environments for students to learn and grow. The first step for students exposed to traumatic experiences is ensuring that classrooms feel safe for them. Educators can work toward building supportive relationships and academic gains only after a student feels safe.
Description: In this session, Dr. Haynes will describe how to establish a school culture that values all students by integrating social and emotional learning and teaching that is sensitive to cultural differences. It is evident that major changes at the political and financial levels are necessary in order to achieve equity in education. However, there are many things that can be done right away in classrooms and schools to provide learning environments where different student learners have the chance to partake in activities that foster social, emotional, cultural, civic, and academic competence. Administrators may create classroom practices that incorporate the cultures and lived experiences of all kids and adults through the integration of SEL, working with stakeholders at the school and community levels. These methods may result in the development of inclusive schools.
Description: It was difficult for educators to self-care pre-pandemic. However, during the pandemic the level of intensity was taken to a new level with educators being over-tasked, under-resourced, and not prioritizing self-care. Returning to face-to-face in the fall educators are excepted to work with students affected by the trauma of the pandemic- both health and racial. Education is emotional labor- this session will offer some ways for trauma-informed educators to cope, care for themselves, and prevent burnout.
Description: During the pandemic many of our learners lost one loves. When a loved one passes away suddenly, the people left behind often experience traumatic grief. In order to deal with this intense kind of grief, addressing the social emotional needs of our students can be a helpful and healthy way to process painful emotions. In the session the participants will identify ways to address the emotional regulation, reduction of trauma symptoms and recognize learning skills to cope and manage trauma of students in the classroom.
Description: Whole School Implementation is a task for a team of key stakeholders in a school who are charged with the execution of Restorative Discipline (RD) practice for the campus. These stakeholders must begin by building a healthy community for themselves to ensure accountability, fidelity, and support for one another. The team ideally reflects diversity in responsibilities at all levels, gender, race/ethnicity, and belief systems to address the complexity of implementation.
This session focuses on school community building practices that holistically steer the school’s implementation through the exchange of critical ideas and strategies. The paradigm shift includes moving from a punitive to a relational model; recognizing the opportunities to interdependently practice RD within diverse settings, grade levels, and variable community contexts; understanding the change process from rigid rules to human relationships for school personnel and the whole school campus climate; and understanding the level of fit between Restorative Discipline/Restorative Practices and existing behavior management systems.
Session Description: Our unconscious social biases form involuntarily from our experiences. For example, as we are repeatedly exposed to actual incidences or media portrayals of minority men and women, those associations become automated in our long-term memory. These biases are reinforced on a daily basis without us knowing, or thinking consciously about it. Stereotypes reflect what we see and hear every day, not what we consciously believe about what we see and hear. It is possible for us to hold unconscious stereotypes that we consciously oppose.
Because we are, by definition, unaware of our automatic, unconscious beliefs and attitudes, we believe we are acting in accordance with our conscious intentions, when in fact our unconscious is in the driver’s seat. It is possible for us to treat others unfairly even when we believe it is wrong to do so. Cognitive neuroscience research has taught us that most decisions we make, especially regarding people, are “alarmingly contaminated” by our biases. Our assessments of others are never as objective as we believe them to be.
This session will provide educators with the tools to be able to address cultural bias in the workforce among teachers and its implication in teaching children. Participants will reflect on their own bias and build on trust and commitment to provide all children with a quality education. This training will also provide activities that “show” rather than “tell” how we as educators can address cultural awareness and reduce bias to ensure all kids receive a quality education no matter the race, gender, mental and physical ability.
Description: The prolonged school lockdowns that, starting in early spring of 2020, dismantled children’s routines, including normal school days, also blocked their access to the basic supports that schools provide—including organized recreation, and, of course, the face-to-face contact with teachers and friends that is fundamental to child development. It thus should be no surprise that the pandemic has not only led to reduced student performance, on average, but also stretched to the limit children’s social and emotional wellbeing. This engaging hands on session will offer strategic methods educators and stakeholders can use to reinvent, revise and rethink strategies to address the social emotion and academic needs of all learners.
Description: In this session, teachers and staff will explore the impact of reading difficulties and disabilities on a student's mental health and will learn key strategies to meet the needs of students. Through a collaborative approach, teachers will be empowered to provide appropriate support to struggling students.
Description: Don't waste your time teaching TOO much! You can use this vertical alignment tool to find out exactly how to spend your time and what's expected of you. 3rd through 5th grade Reading teachers will benefit by learning how to break down their TEK through the grade levels so they know what they are supposed to be teaching and not just using random resources they find. When they know what is expected of them, they can plan their time more effectively.
Description: Learn how a high poverty district has energized the community to support literacy achievement for all students. You will walk away with models of successful literacy initiatives that you can replicate in your own school district, tips on garnering parent involvement in reaching literacy goals, and suggestions for funding initiatives.
Description: The presenters will model, utilizing Roald Dahl’s short story “The Hitch-Hiker,” multiple language and literacy acquisition strategies, including: (a) pre-teaching potentially challenging vocabulary with visual supports, (b) providing students with opportunities for structured reading and speaking, and (c) engaging students with thematically rich literature.
Description: There has been studies regarding African American males and special
education but none relating to self-esteem. The information presented could aid administrators and teachers in developing and implementing teacher’s awareness and differential learning styles that will ultimately promote and increase the academic success of African-African males. This information could also encourage parents/caretakers to take an active role in their child’s education.
Description: Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to engage in collaboration with other educators and advocates to share challenges our girls are facing and learn strategies to best support our girls through these challenges. At the completion of this session educators will be prepared to develop learning environments that ensure the physical, emotional, and intellectual safety of our girls.
Description: In an engaging multimedia presentation that helps educators make professional connections, Beyond Basics CEO Pamela Good and team will describe the partnership developed with teachers and schools over 20 years to help struggling readers in elementary, middle, and high school. This partnership has led to a holistic intensive literacy intervention that benefits the whole child while raising literacy levels.
We will share information about our program and services, including:
• an individualized diagnostic assessment to reveal literacy gaps
• daily, hourlong intensive tutoring embedded within the school day
• integrated arts activities that build vocabulary and comprehension, building bridges to the outside world
Description: Learn 5 steps to helping your students read, understand and respond to nonfiction text. Learn the science behind responding to reading. In addition, you will walk away with a clear plan for teaching students how to respond to nonfiction text. Workbook to take notes and write key learnings.
Description: After attending the session, participants will walk away with research-based strategies firmly rooted in the principles of the science of reading. These practical approaches will emphasize actionable steps to provide robust support for both students and educators as they navigate growing literacy initiatives.
Title: Description: Participants will learn effective ways to collaborate with key support personnel and work together to identify tier 2 and 3 students and staff who may benefit from additional support. With the information received, they can take away simple but effective targeted interventions to help all individuals reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Description: The art of digital storytelling holds tremendous potential to capture the imagination of today's learners, regardless of age or preferred learning style. In the session, we will explore proven methods for collaborative digital story design, demonstrating strategies for inspiring even reluctant writers to create meaningful and memorable stories brought to life.
Description: In this fast-paced session the two presenters will "duel" with some of their favorite FREE online resources that can be used in classrooms tomorrow. We will share the highlights of each tool and uses in the classroom. Participants will leave with a list of resources they can dive further into.
Description: Avoiding Burnout as an Educator - Educators will be taught methods to decrease stress and procrastination and increase satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment to garner good mental health and student success.
Campus Leadership: L.E.A.P. (Leading Effectively and Phenomenally) - Educators will be provided with strategies to enhance their leadership skills on campus while also honing their skills to become an effective leader at a school-based site or in district leadership roles.
Leveling U.P. (Unlimited Potential) - Educators will be shown the benefits of maintaining healthy mental and physical health and their alignment to success in all aspects of their lives that impact their ability to be an effective and balanced educ
Description: It is no secret that there is a labor shortage in our healthcare market and that many in our communities’ struggle to find high-wage careers in a fulfilling industry. Still, it’s access to the training for these careers that will be transformational.
Attracting, hiring, and retaining well-trained employees is crucial as we deliver on our promise to be a destination of excellence for healthcare in our communities. This session is intended to assess the healthcare career landscape in Texas and create opportunities for students in our growing industry. We would like to share our FREE resources, including a healthcare labor market navigator, a healthcare community of practice, and professional development for healthcare teachers.
Description: By the end of this session, educators will have gained valuable insights into the concept of grit and its significance in educational settings. Armed with evidence-based strategies and practical resources, participants will be well-equipped to cultivate grit in their classrooms, empowering students to overcome challenges, persevere in the face of adversity, and ultimately achieve their full potential. They will have identified triggers that cause them to struggle personally and professionally making them better equipped to make education a lifelong profession.
Description: The presenters will model, utilizing Roald Dahl’s short story “The Hitch-Hiker,” multiple language and literacy acquisition strategies, including: (a) pre-teaching potentially challenging vocabulary with visual supports, (b) providing students with opportunities for structured reading and speaking, and (c) engaging students with thematically rich literature.
Description: Many schools have heard of a house system and are intrigued by them. However, jumping on this bandwagon may feel like another thing that takes a lot of effort but won't bring the results you are looking for. Join us as we walk you through our pilot year, the changes we have seen, and a snapshot of where we are now. The opportunity to change the culture of your building for students, staff, families, and the community at large.
Description: Fall in love with Reading using the combined strategy of Reciprocal Teaching and the methodology of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model (GRR). Teachers will learn how the four components of this strategy work with students at all reading levels while incorporating role play, held thinking, and the power of the four steps of the GRR in teaching this strategy to mastery. Once students understand how to attack a text using the four approaches of prediction, clarification, questioning, and summarizing, their love of reading can soar. We will discuss the importance of anchor charts, connotation, and lifelines as well. Students can make gains in readability levels in as little as 4 to 6 months using the reciprocal teaching method with fidelity and the power of play. What better what to Empower, Emerge and Elevate all students to reach new reading heights.
Description: In a world increasingly driven by digital innovation, our literacy instruction must evolve. This interactive session illuminates the groundbreaking advantages of integrating AI into literacy lesson planning. Dive deep into the trifecta of efficiency, precision, and personalization that A.I. offers. Participants will engage hands-on with ChatGPT, experiencing firsthand the revolutionary potential of A.I. tools. Witness the future of education where teachers harness technology to save hours, pinpoint student needs, and deliver tailored instruction, all while maintaining the human touch. Be part of the evolution; be part of the solution.
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