This space is for teachers in years 1-5 of their career (including preservice teachers). We'll do some active reading, writing, and talking about early career triumphs and struggles and how to sustain ourselves in this profession. This will be a brave space where vulnerability and authenticity are valued. We will place an emphasis on work/life balance and culturally responsive practices in the English classroom. This session will be adaptive to attendee needs, so feel free to come with personal concerns or areas where you need extra support. NOTE: In order to maintain the integrity of this session, this is not a space for teacher educators, mentors, or veteran educators.
Secondary students thrive when their identities are recognized, their skills honed in intellectual pursuits, their concerns honored with the chance to critically solve problems in their community, and their joy is centered in the classroom. Join a literacy professor, an English Language Arts /ELL educator, and Reading/SPED teacher in this interactive session as they share the insights, strategies, lessons, and assessments inspired by a year-long study of Gholdy Muhammed’s Unearthing Joy. Engaging strategies, authentic assessments, and on-line resources wll be shared with partipants.
Four years ago, our team, partnered with our special education team, confronted our brutal reality that our outcomes in reading as measured by ISASP testing did not align with our mission statement: All students will learn at high levels. About 25% of our students in grades 3-11 were not yet proficient in ELA. We were all doing really good work, but something had to change if our mission statement was going to be something more than a poster on the wall. Join us to learn about our intense, systemic changes, especially what we’ve done at the high school that have led to more than 90% of our 9-11 students being proficient readers…and we’re still not done.
Participants in this session will learn how to effectively collaborate with community organizations on impactful service learning projects that enhance student learning. Regardless of which texts students study, there are ample opportunities to take their learning beyond the classroom, bring what they read to life, and make a difference in their wider communities. Exploring high school students' experiences learning about the Syrian Civil War through literature and assisting with a home makeover for a refugee family in their community will provide both inspiration and a template for similar service projects.
Why do we still teach writing when Snapchat's AI will just write it for us? This session focuses on equipping students with pre-writing strategies that support them throughout a unit, reducing the temptation to rely solely on AI-generated essays. By building a robust student toolbox of effective pre-writing techniques, writing teachers can empower students to develop critical thinking, creativity, and writing skills.
