Learning is the skill underneath every other skill. When we get better at learning, we get better at adapting to change, solving problems, and growing in our work. The good news is that learning is itself a skill — one we can get better at. This keynote breaks down what the research says about how learning actually works, and the key building blocks that help individuals and teams keep improving.
Trevor Ragan is the founder of The Learner Lab - an educational website designed to unpack and share the science of learning and development.
He spends his time with thought leaders and researchers from the worlds of psychology and developmental science, consumes their research, c... Read More →
Thursday May 28, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT Cafetorium
This session equips teachers with practical, ready-to-implement strategies for integrating the LEAD framework into daily classroom practice to increase student engagement and strengthen meaningful implementation.
When reading and writing feel overwhelming, many students respond by shutting down or avoiding the task. In this session, we explore how brain-based regulation strategies and foundational literacy supports can help struggling readers and writers re-engage in learning. Participants will leave with practical classroom strategies—such as movement, flexible seating, and emotional regulation tools—that reduce overwhelm and increase student confidence.
In this session, you will explore powerful strategies for helping learners at all levels develop high-level, curiosity-driven questions that promote deeper understanding and critical thinking. Together, we'll uncover ways to build a classroom culture where students feel confident, motivated, and excited to generate their own meaningful questions. You'll leave with ready-to-use techniques, engaging activities, and a renewed sense of inspiration to spark curiosity and elevate inquiry in your classroom!
I have been teaching for 19 years. I am currently a 7th grade science teacher at AMS and just completed my 8th year there. Building relationship with my school community is very important to me.
7th Grade Science - Aledo ISD I am finishing year 12 in Education. 5 years were at the Elementary level teaching Science, Social Studies, and Math. This year I finished my 7th year in Middle School Science. My passion is encouraging students to use their strengths to find success in the classroom and int... Read More →
Get an introduction to Amplify Desmos Math, our newly adopted K–5 math curriculum. In this hands-on session, teachers will explore the digital teacher platform while becoming familiar with the structure and key components of the program. Participants will have time to interact with the teacher materials, examine lesson resources, and navigate the tools that support planning and instruction. By the end of the session, teachers will feel more confident locating resources, understanding how lessons are organized, and beginning to envision how the curriculum will support student learning in their classrooms.
Teachers will implement a consistent five-minute daily fluency routine, followed by targeted word work that reinforces grade-appropriate phonics and syllabication skills—supporting automaticity, accuracy, and deeper meaning-making. This work lays the foundation to build higher level vocabulary knowledge that cultivates fluent and fearless readers.
Tiffany Stokes is a 4th grade Reading/Language Arts and Social Studies teacher at Vandagriff Elementary in Aledo, Texas. This year, she was honored to receive the 2023 Marvas Collins AISD Teacher of the Year. She is a graduate of the University of North Texas who loves being a teacher... Read More →
The way leaders think and act shapes how their people learn and perform. This session covers three simple tools you can use to build a stronger learning environment for the people you lead.
Trevor Ragan is the founder of The Learner Lab - an educational website designed to unpack and share the science of learning and development.
He spends his time with thought leaders and researchers from the worlds of psychology and developmental science, consumes their research, c... Read More →
Thursday May 28, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT Cafetorium
Keeping students motivated can feel tougher than ever—but it doesn’t have to be!
In this session, we’ll explore fun, practical ways to boost engagement by giving students more voice and choice through creative, cross-curricular extensions that connect learning to the real world. We’ll also share simple strategies to build authentic opportunities for student ownership—especially when it comes to tracking personal growth and owning their data.
Get ready for ideas you can use right away to spark curiosity, creativity, and commitment!
Join us to explore how meaningful feedback can transform student writing! In this session, we’ll dive into teacher-led conferences, peer-to-peer feedback, and using Magic School to provide structured, actionable comments. Participants will learn strategies for building a culture of accountable talk, guiding students to give and receive “glows and grows,” and supporting all learners, including gifted and ESL students, through targeted, growth-focused feedback. Walk away with practical tools to make writing conferences engaging, efficient, and truly impactful.
This informational professional learning session is designed to support staff who are interested in transitioning into specialized student support roles such as Speech-Language Pathology, Diagnostician, School Psychology, and related fields. Facilitators will share their personal journey into their current role, offer a realistic “day in the life” perspective, and highlight key skills and mindsets needed for success. Participants will also receive practical information about local and regional preparation programs, certification pathways, and resources that provide an accessible track for growing into these roles from within our district.
Limited Capacityfull Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.
In this session, we will explore practical tips and shortcuts for using your Chromebook to complete everyday tasks efficiently. Participants will also learn key differences between Windows and ChromeOS, including navigation, file management, and common tools, to help make the transition smoother and more confident.
Master the complete setup and management of Student Rooms. Explore best practices for structuring rooms to boost student outcomes and scale AI implementation across your classrooms.
Professional Development and Community Specialist, MagicSchool AI
Allen Schagene is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, and has taught in both private and public schools in Houston, Texas. He is a lifelong learner dedicated to helping educators, caregivers, and students develop meaningful AI literacy skills. With twelve years of experience as... Read More →
Limited Capacityfull Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.
Create It, Teach It: Join us as we explore and create lessons utilizing Canva to enhance student engagement and achievement. A portion of this session will be focused on a Canva "Make and Take" to better prepare you for the upcoming school year.
Small Moves Big Gains, by Nancy Motley, Seidlitz Senior Educational Consultant, focuses on how small, everyday teacher habits can increase student talk, deepen thinking, and improve learning. This session highlights simple, high-impact strategies that make classrooms more interactive, language-rich, and student-centered — without adding extra work. You’ll leave with practical ideas you can use right away to help students talk more, think more, and achieve more.
Hi Bearcats!I'm excited to be starting my 24th year in public education and my 14th year as an ESL Specialist. It’s a true privilege to support the Emerging Bilingual families and staff of Aledo ISD!I began my teaching career in College Station ISD, working with 5th and 6th grade... Read More →
In this professional learning session, educators will explore how the L.E.A.D. framework can be used intentionally to support students and teachers in meaningful, practical ways. Participants will reflect on real classroom and campus scenarios, share strategies, and walk away with actionable ideas for building a culture rooted in learning, empathy, accountability, and dedication.
Students are more likely to engage, regulate, and learn when they feel safe, seen, and connected. This session explores the importance of building strong relationships with students before placing academic or behavioral demands. Participants will learn how connection serves as the foundation for regulation and positive behavior, and why correction without connection often leads to resistance, escalation, or shutdown.
Through real-world classroom examples, this presentation will highlight practical strategies for establishing trust, using co-regulation, and responding to challenging behavior with empathy and consistency. Educators will leave with tools they can immediately apply to reduce power struggles, support emotional regulation, and create environments where students are ready to learn.
This session will focus on helping Physical Education teachers strengthen their yearly planning through backward design. Participants will explore the question: Should PE teachers use unit plans, or is there a more effective way to structure instruction throughout the year? Participants are encouraged to bring a couple of their favorite lessons to share with the group. These lessons will be used during a collaborative portion of the session where teachers can exchange ideas and learn new activities that can be immediately implemented in their gyms or classrooms.
I'm married and have two amazing little kiddos that are both in Aledo ISD, plus we have a dog and a cat (can't leave out the animals). I graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Education Health and Safety. I have been in the teaching profession... Read More →
Move beyond standard benchmarks to foster a culture of high achievement in Aledo ISD. Grounded in the TEKS and a commitment to 'Growing Greatness,' this session explores how to set ambitious literacy goals that challenge every learner. We will dive into mastering the art of differentiation to meet diverse needs and discuss how elevating student expectations can unlock the full potential of our youngest Bearcats.
In this engaging, movement-based session, participants will experience several classroom-ready folk dances that help students internalize musical concepts such as beat, tempo, phrase, and form. Through active participation, we’ll explore how structured movement reinforces rhythmic literacy, strengthens ensemble awareness, and supports expressive music-making.
Beyond musical skills, folk dancing fosters collaboration, community, and joyful risk-taking—creating a classroom culture where every student belongs. Attendees will leave with practical strategies, adaptable dances, and clear connections to standards that can be implemented immediately in their own music classrooms.
In this interactive workshop, teachers will learn two research-based questioning routines that help students ask better questions, make meaningful connections, and think more deeply about content. By using protagonists, participants will explore the Question Pencil Routine—a framework that helps students generate intentional questions across eight question stems—and the Hexagonal Questioning Routine—a collaborative strategy that makes conceptual connections visible and builds higher-order thinking skills. Through hands-on practice, teachers will discover how to implement these routines in their classrooms, scaffold for diverse learners (including English language learners), and use these strategies to guide student inquiry and learning. Perfect for teachers seeking to move beyond surface-level questions and foster genuine curiosity and engagement!
What does a strong math block look like with our new Amplify curriculum? In this practical, hands-on session, teachers will experience the structure of an Amplify math lesson by participating in a model math block. As we move through each component, we’ll unpack the purpose of each part of the lesson and explore how it fits into your daily instructional time. By the end of the session, teachers will have a clear understanding of the different elements of Amplify and feel confident organizing their own math block to make the most of the curriculum.
What does a strong math block look like with our new Amplify curriculum? In this practical, hands-on session, teachers will experience the structure of an Amplify math lesson by participating in a model math block. As we move through each component, we’ll unpack the purpose of each part of the lesson and explore how it fits into your daily instructional time. By the end of the session, teachers will have a clear understanding of the different elements of Amplify and feel confident organizing their own math block to make the most of the curriculum.
Get an introduction to Stemscopes Math, our newly adopted curriculum for grades 6 through Algebra I. In this session, teachers will explore the digital platform and gain an overview of how the curriculum is organized to support instruction. Participants will be guided through key features of the site, including where to locate lessons, resources, and instructional supports for planning and implementation. By the end of the session, teachers will have a clearer understanding of the structure of the curriculum and feel more confident navigating the platform as they begin preparing to use Stemscopes in their classrooms.
Poetry can feel intimidating — abstract, confusing, even inaccessible. But what if it’s actually the most efficient way to teach rigorous comprehension? In this hands-on session, we’ll demystify poetry and model simple, repeatable protocols that help readers unpack meaning, analyze craft, and support claims with evidence. Because poems can be brief, students can go deeper — and those thinking skills transfer seamlessly to novels, primary sources, and beyond. Even if you just need a moment surrounded by beautiful words and well-crafted lines, this session is for you.
Staci Hammer coordinates the reading language arts curriculum for Aledo ISD. Her passions include developing teacher expertise and empowering students to identify as readers, writers, listeners, speakers, and thinkers.
Teachers will learn fresh ideas about science notebooking, including differentiation strategies, vocabulary supports, and ways to increase rigor and relevance.
Liz has been in education for 15 years and holds a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership with a specialization in GT. She is passionate about STEM, differentiation, and creating meaningful, hands-on experiences for students.
The way leaders think and act shapes how their people learn and perform. This session covers three simple tools you can use to build a stronger learning environment for the people you lead.
Trevor Ragan is the founder of The Learner Lab - an educational website designed to unpack and share the science of learning and development.
He spends his time with thought leaders and researchers from the worlds of psychology and developmental science, consumes their research, c... Read More →
Thursday May 28, 2026 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT Cafetorium
This session introduces practical theatre-based strategies that increase cognitive engagement, academic language development, and depth of understanding across content areas. Through structured approaches such as perspective reading, hot seating, tableaux, and guided discourse, teachers will learn how to strengthen literacy, student voice, and standards-driven rigor while supporting multilingual learners and diverse levels of readiness.
Limited Capacityfull Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.
In this session, educators will gain practical tools and strategies to effectively support K-12 students with active-neuro minds (ADHD) in the school setting. Participants will explore the unique ways these learners process information, regulate emotions, and engage with their environment. The session will focus on understanding how the ADHD brain works, identifying common challenges faced by these students, and implementing proactive supports to foster academic and social success.
Educators will leave equipped with evidence-based strategies for classroom management, flexible instruction, and physical movement integration to help these students thrive. Join us to discover how engaging both the mind and body can transform learning experiences for students with active-neuro minds.
I am a Special Education Resource and Co-Teacher with over 12 years of experience supporting students across inclusive classroom settings. I specialize in working with learners with ADHD, Autism, Specific Learning Disabilities, and behavioral challenges. As both a teacher with ADHD... Read More →
I am have been a occupational therapist for 12 years with my primary focus of practice with a pediatric population. Where I have provided occupational therapy services in a pediatric hospital setting, home health setting, and school-based setting. I have served as a school based occupational... Read More →
Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) is a holistic, attachment-based, and trauma-informed intervention designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. Developed by Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross at he Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KPICD) at Texas Christian University,
Discover how MagicSchool reclaims hours of your week through powerful time-saving features like Class Writing Feedback, Quizzes, and Teacher Tools. Learn real-world strategies to eliminate after-school grading and streamline lesson planning so you can focus on what matters most—connecting with students.
Professional Development and Community Specialist, MagicSchool AI
Allen Schagene is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, and has taught in both private and public schools in Houston, Texas. He is a lifelong learner dedicated to helping educators, caregivers, and students develop meaningful AI literacy skills. With twelve years of experience as... Read More →
What happens when students discuss ideas without speaking? Powerful thinking. In this session, teachers will experience a Chalk Talk from the student perspective and learn how this simple strategy can transform classroom discussions. We’ll explore how silent written conversations can build participation, deepen thinking, and naturally lead to stronger questions and richer dialogue. Participants will leave with ready-to-use prompts, facilitation tips, and strategies to help students move from quick answers to thoughtful, higher-level responses.
Go behind the scenes of a special education classroom to explore the exact policies, schedules, and daily routines that turn a teacher-para relationship into a powerhouse team. Learn how to align your duties and plans to create a seamless environment where both staff and students thrive.
In this interactive session, we’ll share how we cultivate independent, confident leaders in elementary classrooms through purposeful structures, debate, student voice, and our Junior Teacher Cohort model. You’ll leave with actionable ideas to create meaningful leadership opportunities in your own classroom!
I have been in the classroom, both as a general education and inclusion teacher, for the past 19 years. I love bringing learning to life through engaging lessons that keep the kids guessing as to what is coming next.
Limited Capacityfull Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.
Creating meaningful collaboration in the classroom requires more than simply placing students in groups—it requires intentionally building a learning environment where students feel safe sharing ideas, taking risks, and thinking beyond traditional approaches. This professional development session will focus on practical strategies teachers can use to foster a classroom culture that encourages collaboration, creativity, and student ownership of learning. The session will also address adaptations of familiar collaborative structures to incorporate technology, accommodate large class sizes, and enhance rigorous and creative thinking.
Calling all primary teachers! Join us for a fun, hands-on professional learning session designed to spark creativity and empower your teaching practice. This Make & Take workshop is all about Differentiation, Extensions, and Choice Boards—and you’ll leave with ready-to-use tools that meet the diverse needs of your students from day one! Whether you're looking to challenge high-flyers, support your little learners, or offer more student voice and choice, this session is packed with practical ideas, customizable templates, and engaging activities you can take straight back to your classroom. Be ready to collaborate with colleagues as you differentiate, extend, and ignite learning together—see you there!
This professional development session will focus on practical strategies for creating a differentiated classroom that meets the diverse needs of all learners. Participants will explore ways to adjust content, process, product and environment based on the student.
In this session, I’ll share how I introduce and develop ukulele skills in the elementary music classroom through intentional preparation and joyful music-making. Beginning with rich preparatory experiences—steady beat, chord readiness, singing games, and movement—students build the musical and technical foundation they need before ever picking up the instrument. I’ll demonstrate how I scaffold instruction over time, moving from exploratory play and single-chord accompaniments to confidently strumming along with age-appropriate pop songs. Participants will also see how I create space for student creativity, allowing children to compose, improvise, and arrange using the skills they’ve developed. This session highlights a process that builds independence, musicality, and genuine excitement for making music together.
Join us for an inspiring panel discussion featuring our 2025-2026 Campus Teachers of the Year, recognized for their outstanding classroom practices and student impact. Moderated by Dr. Crissey, this session will highlight effective teaching strategies, innovative instructional techniques, and practical tips that drive student success. Whether you're a new teacher or a seasoned educator, you'll leave with actionable ideas and renewed enthusiasm for your craft.
Liz has been in education for 15 years and holds a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership with a specialization in GT. She is passionate about STEM, differentiation, and creating meaningful, hands-on experiences for students.
Explore how mCLASS and Boost Learning support instruction within Amplify Desmos Math for K–2 students. This session will provide an overview of how these tools connect to the curriculum and support student learning, progress monitoring, and targeted practice. Participants will learn about key features of each platform and how they can be used to strengthen early numeracy development. Teachers will also have time to explore the platforms themselves to become more familiar with the tools and resources available to support their students.
Get an introduction to McGraw Hill, our newly adopted curriculum for grades Geometry, PAP Geometry, Algebra II and Pre-cal. In this session, teachers will explore the digital platform and gain an overview of how the curriculum is organized to support instruction. Participants will be guided through key features of the site, including where to locate lessons, resources, and instructional supports for planning and implementation. By the end of the session, teachers will have a clearer understanding of the structure of the curriculum and feel more confident navigating the platform as they begin preparing to use McGraw Hill in their classrooms.
This session focuses on using student mistakes as learning opportunities. Teachers will explore how error analysis reveals student thinking and supports instruction that builds deeper mathematical understanding.
Communicating with parents is HARD. Like a game of telephone, information can be interpreted and shared differently, leading to unintentional confusion or frustration for staff, students, and families. In this interactive session, participants will role-play several parent communication scenarios that inevitably arise each year. Together, we’ll practice navigating difficult conversations with families: How do you broach sensitive topics? How do you maintain a positive working relationship while addressing concerns? Participants will leave with practical strategies for deciding when to send a Remind message, when to email, and when it’s best to pick up the phone and call. Shared resources will include sample scenarios and phone scripts to support productive, respectful conversations with the people who love our students the most.
This professional learning session introduces Marilyn Perle’s “5 Questions for Any Text” as a simple, powerful framework for helping students read more deeply and think critically about what they encounter. Participants will explore how the five questions guide students to analyze purpose, audience, message, and perspective across any type of text. Educators will leave with ready-to-use prompts that support stronger comprehension, discussion, and media literacy across content areas.
Staci Hammer coordinates the reading language arts curriculum for Aledo ISD. Her passions include developing teacher expertise and empowering students to identify as readers, writers, listeners, speakers, and thinkers.
Hi everyone! I’m Katelyn Smith, and I’m the 6-12 RLA Instructional Specialist. While AHS has been my home for several years, I’ve really enjoyed finding a new home at both AMS and MMS and getting to know those campuses this year. Although RLA is my primary focus and where my... Read More →
Go beyond the basics in this hands-on workshop for teachers implementing an alternative curriculum. Learn to leverage data, customize lessons, and strategically use all available curriculum tools and supplemental resources.
This session will provide a practical introduction to the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP), an assessment tool used to evaluate language, learning and social skills in early learners with autism and related developmental delays. Participants will learn how to administer, score and interpret the VB-MAPP and how to use assessment results to guide appropriate goal writing.
In this session, teachers will learn how to implement visual supports for their students to increase independence, student engagement and success in the general and special education classrooms.
In this professional learning session, teachers will explore how to use MagicSchool to support and extend students’ critical writing in mathematics. Participants will learn strategies for guiding students through structured math responses, deepening reasoning, and strengthening justification of answers using tools that scaffold thinking without reducing rigor. The session will include practical examples, ready-to-use prompts, and opportunities to design activities that align with grade-level standards while increasing student ownership of mathematical communication. Teachers will leave with actionable strategies to enhance both problem-solving and written explanation in their classrooms.
Create personalized chatbots tailored to your curriculum in minutes—no coding required. Learn to add guardrails, deploy safely with students, and provide differentiated support that increases engagement while keeping learning focused and secure.
Professional Development and Community Specialist, MagicSchool AI
Allen Schagene is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, and has taught in both private and public schools in Houston, Texas. He is a lifelong learner dedicated to helping educators, caregivers, and students develop meaningful AI literacy skills. With twelve years of experience as... Read More →
