Innovate. Lead. Excel. 26-27

This hands-on session is designed to help elementary teachers confidently implement Science Lab Material Kits with efficiency and purpose while using simple, effective systems. Participants will learn how to access printable lab resources, navigate kit components, and use McGraw Hill videos for setup support. The session also covers practical organization strategies—such as sorting consumables and reusable items, creating ready-to-go lab tubs, and suggestions for effortless weekly prep—along with grade-level lab models to show clear, manageable implementation in the classroom.

Now, more than ever, students of ALL ages need so much more than just what the curriculum provides.  Students need teachers to SHOW UP in so many ways.  This session will provide teachers with visuals of what a child's day looks like when no one notices them or cares VS. the difference when the adults "show up" in various ways. We will remind educators about the importance of ENTHUSIASM and ENCOURAGING kids.  This goes for every grade level, especially High School!  Students learn from people they like and those who believe in them.  Being excited about teaching and showing the kids LOVE is the key to classroom management!  We will share strategies and things that teachers can do to make their students feel love and feel seen.  


We will explore:

• The difference between compliance-based classroom management and relationship-based classroom culture
• Why enthusiasm is not optional—it is instructional strategy
• The neuroscience behind belonging and its connection to learning
• The role of encouragement in shaping student identity and resilience
• Practical, immediately implementable strategies to ensure students feel noticed, valued, and supported

Special emphasis will be placed on middle and high school settings, where students often appear independent but still deeply need connection and affirmation.


Students learn from educators they trust. They work harder for teachers who believe in them. When teachers demonstrate authentic enthusiasm and communicate high expectations with warmth, classroom management becomes proactive rather than reactive.


My High School students who want to be future teachers and I just went to the State TAFE conference.  TAFE stands for Texas Association of Future Educators.  We got to listen to and meet Aric Bostick and he really got us all fired up for teaching.  I have two students who brainstormed all the way back from Dallas about doing Professional Development for teachers at TISD.  I think this would be the perfect opportunity for them to share what they have learned and remind teachers about what really matters to our students....straight out of the mouths of babes!  

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.

Emergent bilingual students bring powerful linguistic resources to the classroom. In this session, teachers will explore how to intentionally leverage connections between Spanish and English to strengthen vocabulary development, comprehension, and biliteracy. Participants will learn practical strategies for teaching cognates, highlighting word patterns, using morphology across languages, and facilitating language bridges that help students transfer knowledge from one language to another.