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.
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.
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.
What happens when Aledo ISD’s LEAD statement meets the relationship-driven practices of Capturing Kids’ Hearts? Powerful classrooms where leadership, connection, and purpose thrive. In this session, educators will examine the alignment between the LEAD statement and the EXCEL model and discover practical strategies for embedding both into everyday classroom practice. Participants will leave with clear connections and actionable ideas to help students grow as learners and leaders.
Maggie Lozano is a passionate literacy leader committed to strengthening foundational reading and writing instruction in classrooms. She partners with teachers to use data-driven practices to identify student needs, design targeted interventions, and close literacy gaps. In addition... Read More →
Back by popular demand, this engaging session explores the art of building positive relationships in your secondary classroom. Fostering connections in the classroom is not only essential for academic success, but also contributes to a supportive and collaborative learning environment. Whether you are a seasoned teacher, or just starting out, this session offers practical tips to cultivate a thriving classroom.
Purpose: Help teachers understand gifted learners beyond test scores—how they think, feel, and experience school—and what teachers can do immediately in response. Outcomes Teachers will: • Understand common social-emotional and cognitive traits of gifted learners • Reframe “challenging” behaviors • Identify small shifts that make a big difference
Limited Capacityfull Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.
Want small groups that actually work? In this session, I’ll share the systems and routines I use to run successful literacy rotations in a 1st grade classroom. We’ll break down how to structure “Must Do/May Do” stations, build student independence, and make the most of guided reading time at the teacher table — all while keeping the rest of the class productively engaged!
Create and utilize google sheets for progress monitoring, analyzing assessment results, and motivating students. Walk away with templates that you can incorporate on day one of next year! An added bonus in this session includes discussion connecting trackers and higher ratings on rubrics for the CT Continuum and T-TESS.
