Thinking, listening, talking: three of the main tenets of learning, no matter the content nor discipline. Structured conversations, called discussion protocols, make the difference in collaborative classrooms. However, many of our students just don’t know how - we haven’t explicitly taught them! Come and discover processes which could work for you right off the bat as you start the school year.
Educational consultant for the School Reform Initiative as well as former Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Accountability for City Schools of Decatur, GA.Education: PhD; Elementary EducationED.S; K-12 Educational LeadershipM.Ed; Elementary Education
Wednesday July 23, 2025 8:30am - 10:00am CDT BNHS AC-1122775 Bobcat Blvd, Trophy Club, TX 76262, USA
Let’s make magic happen with Padlet! Unlock new possibilities for student creativity while maintaining control over features, layouts, and settings that fit your classroom needs. In this session, we’ll explore how to provide choice, leverage a variety of tools, and integrate Padlet’s latest features, including Sandbox and text-to-image. Discover ways to customize content, enhance engagement, and make learning more interactive—no matter your grade level or subject area. We can’t wait to see you there!
New- Teachers maximize your time with quick and easy planning resources that will allow you to use your student data and provide small group instruction in a “SNAP”
New- Teachers maximize your time with quick and easy planning resources that will allow you to use your student data and provide small group instruction in a “SNAP”
Join us on a fun-filled adventure through the magical world of number tracks and number lines! This interactive session is designed for Kindergarten through 2nd grade teachers who are ready to level up their students' math skills and help them become number line masters. We'll journey through hands-on games, creative activities, and exciting challenges that encourage students to visualize, count, add, subtract, and skip count with ease. This session will provide you with practical strategies and playful ideas to take back to your classroom. Get ready to equip your young learners with the number line superpowers they need to conquer math challenges and have a blast while doing it!
In this session, Kindergarten teachers will get to dig into BOY data sets and learn how to make instructional decisions for their students right out of the gates once they have their own BOY data!
ChatGPT is more than just a search engine—it's a dynamic tool that can enhance lesson planning, differentiate instruction, and support student learning in powerful ways. In this session, teachers will explore strategies for using AI effectively, moving beyond simple searches to leveraging ChatGPT for content creation, feedback, and critical thinking activities. Walk away with practical applications and time-saving techniques to make AI work for you in the classroom!
Every reader is on a unique journey, and our job is to be the ultimate navigation system. Beyond small group instruction, we'll explore versatile applications of leveled texts across multiple instructional contexts ensuring these powerful resources maximize learning for every student. Leave this session ready to leverage the texts in your guided reading
Ready to level up your Edugence skills—together? With students now testing online, it’s game time for you and your teammates to conquer the platform! In this co-op session, we’ll show you how to assign assessments like a pro, activate the lockdown browser or unassigned absent students for secure play, and understand online proctoring. You'll also pick up quick fixes and insider tips to defeat common lockdown triggers and troubleshoot challenges like a true team. Join forces, share strategies, and walk away ready to win the Edugence game.
Back by popular demand! Teachers will experience some of the top young adult and middle grade authors and titles in contemporary literature. By reading and experiencing these stories, teachers will be able to reach a variety of student interests and walk away with strategies for curriculum and instructional implementation. If you participated in previous years, you will have the opportunity to select titles from a brand new list of titles!
We will be sharing resources and showing how we use them in class to utilize every minute of instruction time in fun and engaging ways. This is a math session - for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. We plan to share resources that we love that supplement the math curriculum, and are TEKS-based. We will show HOW we use them, discuss when and best practices, tried and true ways to use our instruction time, even those wonky minutes in a day that teachers can't always anticipate. Basically - this is a session to share our tried and true, favorite, effective ways to teach math to support mastery and growth goals. Perfect for a new teacher, or a new-to-math teacher for 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grade. Examples of resources and routines we will share: - math facts - flashcards, student led mastery, routines of whole class chants and call backs - 5 Minute Math (Aaron Daffern) - how to incorporate directly and indirectly - Math daily - simple and streamlined - start the routine DAY 1! - websites that directly align with the TEKS and provide easy to use resources for students and teachers - Incorporating hands-on activities that are cross-curricular - water colors for area and perimeter, play dough for fractions and skip counting, using Science and Social Studies content material to create and analyze data - graphs and charts - Task Cards and Exit Tickets - TEKS aligned - Games to play when you have 3 minutes - like 'Guess My Number'
Chrome Extensions, Keyboard Shortcuts, and Hacks, OH MY! We are SO excited to share our FAVORITE THINGS with you! This is a session you will not want to miss! Whether you are Admin, Office Staff, Teachers, or someone who uses a computer daily, this session is. for. you. Come learn about all the ways to make your life easier with all these magical tricks. We promise, you will not be disappointed!
Join us for an exciting adventure where we’ll use number lines to level up student fluency! In this fun and interactive session, 3rd through 5th grade teachers will explore how to use the number line as a powerful tool to help students model addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, rounding, and problem-solving with whole numbers and decimals. Think of it as your trusty map to navigate the world of math! Together, we’ll defeat math challenges, work through hands-on activities, and connect to curriculum resources. By the end of the session, you'll be a number line pro ready to conquer your next math quest!
Looking for strategies to get your students thinking, struggling productively, and truly processing their learning? This session will dive into practical ways to use Lead4Ward resources to create meaningful learning experiences that increase student success. You’ll leave with ready-to-use strategies that encourage deeper engagement, critical thinking, and student ownership of learning. Come ready to collaborate, reflect, and transform your instruction!
Join us as we explore creative ways to gauge student comprehension in the classroom. Discover interactive techniques that provide valuable insights into student learning in real-time, empowering teachers to make timely instructional decisions and address misconceptions effectively.
In this session, classroom elementary teachers will learn how to maximize their Tier 2 time when working with students who have gaps in math. Teachers will learn to create intervention plans, create flexible groups within their class or grade level, match the plan to resources, and create student goal setting folders.
In this session, 1st grade teachers will get to dig into BOY data sets and learn how to make instructional decisions for their students right out of the gates once they have their own BOY data!
No power tools required, but we will help you equip yourself with cross-curricular tools and strategies to serve any student in any class without being a content expert. Open to all Special Ed and Gen Ed teachers who provide CC support.
Wanna level up you're reading and writing strategies for all learners? This session explores innovative reading and writing strategies designed to engage diverse learning styles and needs across all content areas. Participants will discover practical techniques to support all learners through differentiated instruction, with a focus on research-backed approaches that foster comprehension, creativity, and critical thinking for all students.
Grab your teammates and get ready to squad up with Edugence reports! In this session, you’ll work together to decode the data that powers strong whole-class and small-group instruction. We’ll guide you through error analysis reports, the SE Analysis for STAAR prep, and key tools like the Teacher Dashboard and SE Performance Roster to help you form targeted small groups. You’ll also learn how to use quintile reports to find students on the verge of a breakthrough and track whole-class trends like a data boss. It's a team effort—and your next instructional win is just a few clicks away!
In this session, classroom elementary teachers will learn how to maximize their Tier 2 time when working with students who have gaps in reading. Teachers will learn to create intervention plans, create flexible groups within their class or grade level, match the plan to resources, and create student goal setting folders.
Uncover effective strategies for structuring essays, ensuring clear and cohesive arguments. Additionally, we'll explore techniques for elaboration, teaching students to deepen their analysis and provide insightful commentary. By the end of this session, you'll be equipped with practical tools to guide your students toward more analytical and well-structured literary responses
Perhaps you have caught yourself nodding your head as someone is talking about differentiation. Later you determine you’re not even sure if the two of you share the same definition of differentiation! In this session, we will use a clear, practical definition of differentiation to assess various lesson plans and consider our own next steps with differentiating for our students.
Educational consultant for the School Reform Initiative as well as former Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Accountability for City Schools of Decatur, GA.Education: PhD; Elementary EducationED.S; K-12 Educational LeadershipM.Ed; Elementary Education
Wednesday July 23, 2025 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT BNHS AC-1122775 Bobcat Blvd, Trophy Club, TX 76262, USA
In this session, we will explore effective strategies and practical approaches to foster verbal thinking skills in our youngest learners. We will delve into the foundational elements of verbal reasoning and provide insights into how educators can foster and develop these skills in the most manageable way. This session will be geared toward K-2 teachers.
Explore the power of VOICE with us! While the idea of voice notes may sound simple, Mote offers big wins for all educators. Experience how Mote not only saves time, but also helps build relationships by personalizing learning and feedback. Mote can be integrated within all Google Apps and opens doors for ESL learners, younger learners, & anyone with oral accommodations. For students, Mote allows for creativity and personal voice.
In this hands-on session, we’ll experience Mote firsthand, preview examples of Mote usage throughout NISD, explore ready-made templates, and share ideas. We’ll learn how to share voice notes via link, embed code, and QR code. We’ll also provide time for you to create experiences for your learners using Mote.
Get ready to level up your teaching game with Digital Breakouts! Uncover how Digital Breakouts empower students to take control of their learning journey, working at their own pace, collaborating with classmates, and assessing their progress as they conquer challenges and unlock clues. In this interactive session, you'll unlock the secrets to boosting student engagement, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. We will showcase how to take curriculum and design breakout questions for students. We'll explore how to design engaging Digital Breakouts using ChatGPT, Canva, and Google Forms, while discovering strategies to craft challenges that foster collaboration, creativity, and perseverance.
Join us for an in-depth session on the creation and effective use of 3D learning targets and their impact on student success. During this session, you will explore the research supporting this practice, collaborate with colleagues, and engage in practical strategies for implementation.
Get ideas for planning engaging and interactive lessons that get kids up and moving through simulations. We will look at unique ways for students to apply their knowledge in fun ways that requires critical thinking. These extension ideas are not multi-day projects, but 1 day activities that give students the opportunities to teach other students and learn in multiple ways.
Ready to level up your math teaching? In this session, we’ll explore dynamic, game-changing strategies designed to engage students in the wonder of mathematics through active exploration and deep thinking. Using three powerful frameworks—3 Act Tasks, Numberless Word Problems, and "Which One Doesn’t Belong?"—we’ll show you how to turn problem solving into interactive challenges that build curiosity, creativity, and conceptual understanding. Like leveling up in your favorite game, each approach is a new skill that transforms how students experience math.
Maximize the impact of your K-2 small group instruction by using pre-test and post-test data to make informed instructional decisions aligned with the TEKS. In this session, educators will explore how to analyze student data to create dynamic small groups, tailor instruction to individual needs, and track progress effectively. Participants will learn practical strategies for differentiating instruction, incorporating engaging activities, and ensuring student success through data-driven decision-making. Walk away with a winning game plan for timely small group instruction that moves all students forward as we enter the first quarter of learning!
In this session, we will explore structures of writing workshop and tools you can use to launch the year to make your writing workshop functional and impactful!
New- Don’t allow progress monitoring to get you twisted. In the session, you will learn quick and easy ways to collect formative data that moves students.
Take the stress out of reading conferences and turn them into powerful moments of growth! In this hands-on session, you’ll discover how to plan with purpose, ask the right questions, track progress easily, and give feedback that truly moves readers forward. Walk away with practical strategies to boost student engagement and confidence—so every conference leads to real results!
Every reader is on a unique journey, and our job is to be the ultimate navigation system. Beyond small group instruction, we'll explore versatile applications of leveled texts across multiple instructional contexts ensuring these powerful resources maximize learning for every student. Leave this session ready to leverage the texts in your guided reading
Back by popular demand! This session offers several choices of professional books to guide and improve our craft as teachers. We will engage in analysis and applications of the texts through meaningful discussion and collaboration. We have five brand new book choices for this year, and we can’t wait to dig into the ideas these texts have to offer!
Looking to transform your writing instruction into something more meaningful, targeted, and student-centered? This interactive session will explore how micro-conferences can be used to build student agency, improve writing, and track individual progress over time. As a high school English teacher, I’ve developed a system of brief, skill-focused writing conferences that allow me to provide timely, actionable feedback and set personalized goals with each student. Participants will learn how to structure micro-conferences for maximum impact, create efficient systems for documentation, and use student data to inform instruction and celebrate growth. During the session you will: see real classroom examples of micro-conferencing in action, practice scripting a microconference, learn how to track student progress using a simple digital tool, develop your own digital template, and collaborate with peers. Walk away with templates, strategies and inspiration to make writing feedback more meaningful and manageable - for you and your students.
Do you want to ignite your student's thinking before your lessons even begin? What about student engagement and teamwork during a break or transition time? Come learn and play some games that incorporate the 4C's - creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication! With these games student engagement will increase, and their brains will be ready to learn!
I am a 23 year experienced teacher having taught grades K-5. I have been, both, departmentalized (ELA/SS) and self-contained, and have served as a Dyslexia Specialist. I am currently a Gifted and Talented Specialist at Hughes Elementary.
Wednesday July 23, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT BNHS AC-2012775 Bobcat Blvd, Trophy Club, TX 76262, USA
This session is designed to support educators in k-5 who have completed the required 30 hours of gifted education training. It will focus on practical, classroom-ready strategies to differentiate instruction, foster creativity and critical thinking, and provide appropriate challenges for gifted students. Participants will explore innovative lesson ideas, tools for enrichment and acceleration, and ways to create a supportive learning environment that nurtures the unique needs of gifted learners across content areas.
Caitlin Andrews is a GT Specialist in Northwest ISD with over 14 years of experience in providing gifted services in both self-contained and pull-out classrooms. She is advocate for twice-exceptional students, a passion that has only grown since her own son was identified as dyslexic... Read More →
Lindsey Hart is a GT Specialist in Northwest ISD with over 16 years of experience in providing gifted services in both classroom and pull-out settings. She advocates tirelessly for twice-exceptional students, and works closely with teachers and other specialists to develop curriculum... Read More →
Wednesday July 23, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT BNHS AC-2102775 Bobcat Blvd, Trophy Club, TX 76262, USA
Work Smarter, Not Harder: AI Tools That Save You Time! What if AI could handle the busywork so you can focus on what truly matters—your students? The right AI tools can help you create standards-aligned content, provide instant feedback, and keep students engaged with minimal effort.
In this session, we’ll explore time-saving AI tools like Brisk, Curipod, Class Companion, Diffit, and MagicSchool—designed to get you 80% of the way there so you can fine-tune and make it your own. Whether it’s generating interactive lessons, simplifying differentiation, or streamlining assessment, these tools are here to lighten your load and maximize impact.
Join us for a hands-on dive into AI-powered teaching and walk away with strategies you can use tomorrow!
You may have used a discussion protocol or two in a meeting at school with adults. Many of these discussion structures can be modified to be used with students of all ages. We will engage in several processes so you can feel what it would be like for the students you teach.
Educational consultant for the School Reform Initiative as well as former Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Accountability for City Schools of Decatur, GA.Education: PhD; Elementary EducationED.S; K-12 Educational LeadershipM.Ed; Elementary Education
Wednesday July 23, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT BNHS AC-1122775 Bobcat Blvd, Trophy Club, TX 76262, USA
Come to learn the who, what, when, where, why and how of modifying curriculum. This session will be beneficial for both General and Special Educators at the Elementary Level.
Imagine book clubs where students aren't just reading, but truly engaging with texts, with each other, and with ideas that transform their understanding. In this interactive session, we'll dive deep into the art of fostering rich, meaningful conversations that go beyond surface-level comprehension.
In this session, we will dive into utilizing conversations to build comprehension. You will walk away with a better understanding of how to leverage this skill in your classroom.
Before learners can write like mathematicians, they need to talk like mathematicians! This interactive session will explore the critical role of oral rehearsal in developing strong mathematical writing skills. Using the TEKS as a guide, participants will learn how to scaffold math discussions, use sentence stems to support verbal explanations, and transition students from speaking their math thinking to writing it down. Discover strategies for incorporating math journals, problem explanations, and reasoning activities that help students confidently express their ideas. Walk away with engaging tools to build a classroom where students talk, reason, and write like true mathematicians!
Argument Driven Inquiry is a seven stage lab experience that plays an important role in helping students use disciplinary ideas along with their own idea to figure something out about the world around them. Experience how to guide students through the process as they use different disciplinary practices and lieracy skills to collaborate and move their thinking forward.
Embark on a transformative journey through the boundless skies of accessibility and accommodations using technology. We soar through Canvas, Kami, Chromebook Profiles, Built-in Chromebook tools, Mote and more! You'll discover a treasure trove of tools designed to elevate learning for all. Together, we'll equip you with the knowledge and tools to navigate the limitless skies of accessibility and accommodations, ensuring every learner's needs are met. Let's chart a course towards a more inclusive future in education!
Anchor charts are powerful tools that make thinking visible and help students retain key concepts. In this hands-on session, teachers will explore best practices for creating effective anchor charts and then have dedicated time to design charts they can immediately use in their classrooms. Walk away with ready-to-use resources that support student learning and engagement!
