Creating a Strengths-Based Environment

Gina Bell-Moore and Janice Rogers Jones, EducationPlus

Learn how to dismantle deficit thinking and create a strengths-based environment.

Role-play scenarios.

Reflect on current practices and create an action plan to make changes in your environment.

Equitable Grading Practices

Tim Besse, Francis Howell School District

Learn the purpose of grades and the how to start implementing more equitable grading practices in our classrooms.

Define the purpose for grades and engage in tough conversations about your own practices and how to begin to make changes.

Apply new practices in your own classrooms this year.

Equitable Math Instruction: Building Thinking Classrooms

Abby Smith, EducationPlus

Learn about the 14 research-based practices Peter Liljedahl found created equitable thinking classrooms. 

Engage in math problems and experience the 14 practices for creating equitable thinking classrooms. 

Apply many of the 14 practices in your mathematics classrooms.

Gender Expression and Gender Identity

Shane Williamson, Webster Groves School District

Explore the role gender identity and gender expression plays in creating a welcoming classroom for our LGBTQIA+ students, families and staff.

Learn about gender identity and expression and the impact it has on school culture.

Apply techniques to use in the classroom and daily life along with support material.

The How of Equity in Math through Mathematical Discussions

Kristen Taylor, Equity Matters Consulting

Learn how discourse encourages understanding and reasoning through productive talk creating more equitable math classrooms. 

Investigate and experience the how and why of productive talk structures like incorporating deep-thinking questions and conversation structures. 

Explore how the experience feels different from ‘regular’ learning activities as a learner.  

Apply verbal sense-making and productive talk with any math curriculum resulting in students having a fuller understanding leading to higher academic success.  

Innovative Bilingual Educational Instructional Strategies

Geri Ross, Ritenour School District

Learn how to develop and implement a bilingual program in a classroom or district including practical instructional strategies for EL students that can be immediately implemented into the classroom. 

Participate in a simulated immersion classroom environment to learn strategies for making language comprehensible for students. 

Practice your new instructional strategies that are informed by the science of language acquisition to better support your language learners in both English immersion and bilingual environments. 

Leading Social Change through Literacy

Sheldon McAfee, St. Louis University

Explore how to teach our children the value of diversity and prepare for a more equitable future for our society.

Apply an equitable lens, examine actions and practice to ensure you are an equity champion.

Gain strategies to be a change agent.

Motivating and Engaging Diverse Learners

Kacey Booth, Wentzville School District

Learn the specific needs of linguistically, culturally and socioeconomically diverse students, as well as how to strengthen relationships and increase intrinsic motivation. 

Collaborate with other educators to share best practices. 

Apply pragmatic, everyday strategies to your own teaching practices. 

Serving Educational Equity: A Five Course Framework

Sonya Murray, EducationPlus

Explore strategies to help students thrive and not just survive in school using a whole child approach to learning acceleration analogous to five-course meal planning for equity and excellence.

Discover how leaders can use the Science of Learning Development (SoLD) Principles for whole child development.

Apply the actionable strategies with students and school teams.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Lisa Thompson, EducationPlus

Learn how using High Impact Teaching Strategies will help offset the impact of implicit bias that we carry into the classroom.

Engage in small group discussions and activities to help deepen understanding around the concepts.

Apply new learning by analyzing video and engage in scenarios.