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Innovate. Lead. Excel. 26-27
Welcome to the Innovate. Lead. Excel. Conference at Texarkana ISD! We are glad to welcome all of our Tigers back to for an amazing year of learning and growing. 
Type: Innovate clear filter
Thursday, August 6
 

8:30am CDT

Challenge Accepted: Leveling Up Your Classroom Management
Thursday August 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Challenge Accepted: Leveling Up Your Classroom ManagementWhat if classroom management wasn’t about control—but about design?
In Challenge Accepted: Leveling Up Your Classroom Management, educators will explore a game-inspired, world-building approach to classroom culture that increases student engagement, accountability, and ownership of learning. Instead of relying on reactive discipline systems, this session reframes the teacher’s role as a designer and facilitator—creating a classroom environment where students want to participate, contribute, and succeed.
Drawing from principles of classroom management, relationship-building, differentiated instruction, and student agency, this session demonstrates how intentional structure, clear systems, and meaningful roles can transform classrooms from compliance-based spaces into immersive learning experiences. Participants will learn how to establish predictable routines, foster strong rapport, and design lessons that empower students to take responsibility for their learning—much like players progressing through levels in a game.
Through practical examples and immediately applicable strategies, attendees will leave with tools to:
  • Build strong classroom culture without power struggles
  • Increase student buy-in through choice, voice, and ownership
  • Create lesson structures that reduce confusion and boost engagement
  • Implement classroom roles and systems that promote responsibility
  • Differentiate instruction while maintaining high expectations for all learners
This session is ideal for educators seeking a fresh, creative, and effective approach to classroom management—one that balances structure with autonomy and rigor with joy. No prior experience with gaming or gamification is required. The focus is not on games themselves, but on how great systems motivate people to show up, persist, and grow.
Participants will leave ready to say: Challenge Accepted.
Speakers
JH

Jordan High

Teacher/Coach, Texarkana ISD
Texas High School English/Esports
Thursday August 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
CTE 1 Room 137

8:30am CDT

Google Sites in the Classroom
Thursday August 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Teach students how to develpp a website while converting your existing reasearch project into a website instead of a boring paper!
Speakers
JA

Jan A. Berrios

Teacher, Texarkana ISD
THS
Thursday August 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
THS Room 212

8:30am CDT

Legal Requirements and Updates for Special Education
Thursday August 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
We will review timeline requirements, Legal Updates, MDRs, PLAAFPs and Goals.  We will review our current Corrective Active Plan so everyone is aware of where we are as a district.  
Speakers
MG

Mindy Gennings

Director of Special Populations, Texarkana ISD
Instructional Services
Thursday August 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
THS Room 214

8:30am CDT

Samsung Interactive Display Training-New Classroom Tech
Thursday August 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
Training over the new Samsung Interactive Displays being installed throughout the district in classrooms. Learn about features and instructional use.

(This is not for Wake Village Interactive Displays)
Speakers
SS

Shay Shakes

Education Technology Consultant, Samsung Electronics America
Shay Shakes is an Education Technology Consultant at Samsung Electronics America, where she empowers educators and administrators to leverage technology to enhance student outcomes. With over a decade of diverse experience in education, she has served as a campus instructional coach... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am CDT
CTE 1 Room 134

9:45am CDT

From Struggling Writers to Confident Communicators: Data-Driven ELA Writing Strategies That Work
Thursday August 6, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
Students in grades 3–8 often struggle to transform reading comprehension into clear, organized, evidence-based writing. This highly interactive session equips educators with research-aligned, classroom-ready writing strategies that accelerate growth while strengthening student confidence and ownership.


Participants will experience an interactive blended-learning writing model that includes live instructional stations, targeted scaffolds, and data-driven progress monitoring designed to move students from minimal responses to proficient multi-paragraph and extended constructed writing.


Teachers will leave with ready-to-implement tools, rubrics, graphic organizers, and station structures they can use immediately to improve writing outcomes in grades 3–8.


Speakers
avatar for Dr. Kimberly Lumzy

Dr. Kimberly Lumzy

Blended Learning Coach, Texarkana ISD
I’m Dr. Kim Lumzy, an educator, mentor, speaker, and instructional leader with nearly two decades of experience serving students, teachers, and school communities. I hold a Doctorate in Educational Administration (P–12) from the University of Southern Mississippi. I have dedicated... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
CTE 1 Room 133

9:45am CDT

Homebound Service 101
Thursday August 6, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
We will address all aspects of Homebound Services. We will walk through the processes and requirements it takes to initiate and serve a student on homebound.
Speakers
BC

Belinda Carpenter

Homebound Teacher - Special Education, Texarkana ISD
Homebound Services
AJ

Amy J. Doss-Harrison

OPTIONS - Principal and Homebound Supervisor, Texarkana ISD
Homebound Services for TISD
avatar for Abbi James

Abbi James

Homebound Teacher, Texarkana ISD
Homebound Services
JS

Julie Steitler

Homebound Teacher, Texarkana ISD
Homebound Services
Thursday August 6, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
THS Room 113

9:45am CDT

RetroReport to Engage Students
Thursday August 6, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
This professional development session will focus on using RetroReport videos (A free resource) as an instructional tool for middle school and high school teachers in English, Social Studies, or Science classrooms to increase student engagement, strengthen historical thinking skills, and support standards-based instruction. Teachers will learn how to integrate short, high-interest RetroReport videos into existing lessons to provide historical context, connect past events to present-day issues, and promote inquiry-based learning. Teachers will also learn about the free resources such as lesson plans and activities that are provided. Using the short videos for a writing prompt will also be modeled to help build skills in writing. 
Speakers
ED

Erika Delk Fumey

Teacher-Social Studies, Texarkana ISD
Texas High School
Thursday August 6, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
THS Room 114

9:45am CDT

Samsung Interactive Display Training-New Classroom Tech
Thursday August 6, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
Training over the new Samsung Interactive Displays being installed throughout the district in classrooms. Learn about features and instructional use.

(This is not for Wake Village Interactive Displays)
Speakers
SS

Shay Shakes

Education Technology Consultant, Samsung Electronics America
Shay Shakes is an Education Technology Consultant at Samsung Electronics America, where she empowers educators and administrators to leverage technology to enhance student outcomes. With over a decade of diverse experience in education, she has served as a campus instructional coach... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
CTE 1 Room 134

11:00am CDT

Beyond Slides and Notes.
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
This session will provide instructors with new ways to present content and engage students. The goal is to shift the thinking and learning from the teacher to the students.
Speakers
ED

Erika Delk Fumey

Teacher-Social Studies, Texarkana ISD
Texas High School
TG

Treina Griffin

Teacher-Social Studies, Texarkana ISD
Teacher -Social Studies
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
THS Room 110

11:00am CDT

Energy - Fossil Fuels vs Nuclear in Texas
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
This workshop gives an overview of an Energy Excursions workshop at The University of Texas Petroleum Engineering. Learn about their online high school curriculum for earth systems science, environmental science, chemistry, and CTE.  Also, will share lessons learned from attending a TXU Fairfield lignite coal plant from 1999 and 2026 TRMA workshop over uranium in Corpus Christi. 
Speakers
avatar for Nathan Upchurch

Nathan Upchurch

science teacher, Texarkana ISD
THS / Science
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
THS Room 115

11:00am CDT

How to Talk Data With Your Students
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
This session will focus on practical, student-centered strategies for using individual data trackers and conducting meaningful data talks. Participants will see how to guide students in understanding where they currently are, where they need to go, and how to stay motivated throughout the process. A live demonstration of effective data conversations will highlight ways to build student confidence at all performance levels, including those below, at, or above STAAR expectations. These tools and routines not only empower students to take ownership of their learning, but also support campuses in meeting growth targets for 4–8 STAAR, specifically Domain 2 within the accountability system.
Speakers
JS

Jennifer Stacy

CTE Coordinator, Texarkana ISD
Parks Elementary School
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
THS Room 112

11:00am CDT

It Takes a Village: Understanding Child Abuse, Its Impact on Learning and Mental Health, and Bringing Awareness of the ACEs Study
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
It Takes a Village: Understanding Child Abuse, Its Impact on Learning and Mental Health, and Bringing Awareness of the ACEs Study explores how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) affect brain development, behavior, academic performance, and long-term health. Grounded in research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente, this session explains the ACEs Study and its implications for educators.
Participants will learn how trauma impacts learning, how to recognize possible warning signs in students, and how trauma-informed practices and strong relationships can serve as protective factors. Through research and personal insight, this session empowers educators to create safe, supportive environments where students can succeed despite adversity.
Speakers
avatar for Cathryn Diaz

Cathryn Diaz

Teacher, Texarkana ISD
Texas High School/Math
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
THS Room 214

11:00am CDT

Samsung Interactive Display Training-New Classroom Tech
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Training over the new Samsung Interactive Displays being installed throughout the district in classrooms. Learn about features and instructional use.

(This is not for Wake Village Interactive Displays)
Speakers
SS

Shay Shakes

Education Technology Consultant, Samsung Electronics America
Shay Shakes is an Education Technology Consultant at Samsung Electronics America, where she empowers educators and administrators to leverage technology to enhance student outcomes. With over a decade of diverse experience in education, she has served as a campus instructional coach... Read More →
Thursday August 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
CTE 1 Room 134

1:30pm CDT

Beyond the Wallpaper: Bulletin Boards vs. Instructional Boards Is your classroom décor working as hard as you are?
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Not all classroom walls are created equal! In this session, we’ll dive into the critical difference between static "bulletin boards" and dynamic "instructional boards." Learn how to stop treating your walls as wallpaper and start using them as silent co-teachers that actively build vocabulary, reinforce core content, and reduce cognitive load.
We will focus specifically on creating language-rich environments that provide essential scaffolds for emergent bilinguals moving beyond simple displays to purposeful tools that engage every learner.
Speakers
LO

Lucia Ochoa

Coordinator - Bilingual Curriculum & Instruction, Texarkana ISD
Instructional Service
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
THS Room 210

1:30pm CDT

Using Core Vocabulary Boards in the Classroom
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Experience ways to incorporate core vocabulary boards in to the classroom setting.
Speakers
JS

Jo Sarah Harrell

Speech Pathologist, Texarkana ISD
Special Education/Speech Therapy
avatar for Katy Lingle

Katy Lingle

Speech Pathologist, Texarkana ISD
Special Education/Speech Therapy
Thursday August 6, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
THS Room 213

2:45pm CDT

iCEV - Tips and Tricks
Thursday August 6, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
The iCEV platform will be covered with the intent of demonstrating how it can be used more effectively by teachers, including:  lesson plans, customized testing, student usage reports, certifications, year at glance, and student modifications.   
Speakers
KC

Kelley Clements

Curriculum Consultant
CTE
Thursday August 6, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
CTE 1 Room 135
 
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