Schedule
November 4
A Panel Conversation with Missouri State Teachers of the Year
Audience: K-12
Join recent teachers of the year as they discuss what teachers across the state are facing and how they are coping with this very unusual year.
The Zen Classroom: Providing SEL Services
Audience: K-12
Social emotional skills are so important. The COVID-19 pandemic really brought home the need for improved social emotional skills. Join me in learning how to create your own Zen classroom. The Zen classroom is simply an environment that promotes social, emotional, behavioral, and even academic growth. This environment can be created virtually, in person, or using a hybrid. The time to stop teaching these skills is not during a time when every person needs to be building these skills. In fact, now is the time to embrace SEL and learn how to tie in these skills in other academic areas. Topics covered include visualization, exercise, yoga, meditation, tying in art/music to help teach SEL skills, and many more. During the session, you will be shown how I have set up a Google Classroom and shown a short video I have recorded.
PSRS. Providing a Strong, Stable, and Secure Retirement
Audience: K-12
Since 1946, PSRS has been providing its members with a reliable retirement while at the same time making a positive impact on Missouri’s economy. During this presentation, we will provide an update on the status of the System and an overview of the benefits the System offers members.
Digital Citizenship: Cyber Manners Matter
Audience: K-12
This session will educate attendees of the problem’s students can encounter while using the internet. Staying safe while being online is important. Learn how to protect personal information, detect a scam, and recognize and prevent cyber-bullying. Digital Citizenship resources will be shared that are appropriate for in-person or remote learning. Come learn the measures teachers can take to educate students for a positive cyber learning experience.
Communication to Form a Collaborative and Unified Front with Regular Ed and Special Ed Educators
Audience: 9-12
We know that to build a strong foundation for each Special Education student we serve, communication is paramount. This session will cover ways to keep communication strong between regular education teachers and special education teachers in regard to IEPs, REDs, behaviors, and more. Join me and have your questions ready to discuss how we can empower, engage, and equip our high school students together!
Connecting the Dots (Part 1)
Audience: K-5; 6-8
Education is about equipping students with skills that can prepare them for society and enhance their understanding of the world in today’s classroom; many content areas are segregated when they naturally align. The presenter will walk participants through the process of creating solid units for reading, writing, and social studies. Participants will be provided with virtual examples of language arts standards integrated into units through historical fiction, relevant nonfiction texts, and simulations. Participants will have access to a toolkit that will include links to a list of great resources to use to teach American history and related social studies content. This session will be a blended learning approach in that information will be shared about the power of integration to meet the constant demands of literacy needs and blend in history lessons. Participants will be provided with examples and tools that will enable them to implement an integrated learning plan into their own practice.
MSTA Governmental Advocacy: Learn about MSTA's Grass Roots Association as the Assembly of Delegates Celebrates 100 Years
Audience: K-12
MSTA members are the voice that pushes the mission “to advocate for and empower public educators so they can teach.” This year, the Assembly of Delegates turns 100, celebrating one of Missouri’s oldest and strongest grass roots associations with a long list of legislative accomplishments and continue to push public education forward in Missouri. Learn how MSTA members drive the direction of the Association through MSTA Adopted Resolutions and how the annual Assembly of Delegates allows MSTA members to amplify their voices and support Missouri’s students, education employees and communities.
From Burnt Out to Lit Up
Audience: K-12
Learn tips and strategies to build soul care habits into an already packed schedule and how to implement those same strategies into your classroom for social emotional learning for students.
Using and Creating Digital Breakout EDU Activities
Audience: 6-8; 9-12
Participants will learn how to use and create their own digital BreakoutEDU activities to promote content understanding, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity in the classroom. Using a variety of free tech tools, teachers can design these engaging and meaningful activities to preview or review content, while encouraging their students to “fail-forward” until they achieve success.
Connecting the Dots (Part 2)
Audience: K-5; 6-8
Education is about equipping students with skills that can prepare them for society and enhance their understanding of the world in today’s classroom; many content areas are segregated when they naturally align. The presenter will walk participants through the process of creating solid units for reading, writing, and social studies. Participants will be provided with virtual examples of language arts standards integrated into units through historical fiction, relevant nonfiction texts, and simulations. Participants will have access to a toolkit that will include links to a list of great resources to use to teach American history and related social studies content. This session will be a blended learning approach in that information will be shared about the power of integration to meet the constant demands of literacy needs and blend in history lessons. Participants will be provided with examples and tools that will enable them to implement an integrated learning plan into their own practice.
Going the Distance with Virtual Learning
Audience: 6-8; 9-12
In this presentation, participants will learn how to keep students engaged, whether they are in the classroom or behind a screen at home! All of the tips and tricks provided in this presentation can easily be transformed into a lesson that can be used in a traditional classroom setting, as well! Keeping students engaged can be a daunting task, especially with learners of all types and constant distractions surrounding us. Throw in virtual learning, that task becomes even more difficult! However, virtual learning can be a blast for both the students and the teachers! As an ELA teacher of eight years in a brick and mortar classroom, and a virtual teacher for a year, I have a basket of tricks I am ready to share!
When Educators Prioritize Themselves, Everyone Wins
Audience: K-12
Although self-care is different for everyone, Doc helps educators fill their toolboxes with the things that matter most: something that makes you smile, something to remind you of what you are made of, something to help you unwind, and something to help you cope in challenging times. Educator outcomes: 1) Educators will learn to give themselves permission to make themselves a priority. 2) Educators will learn to fill up their cups in order to successfully share with students and colleagues.
Dr. Adolph Brown, III
Servant Leader | Author | Humorist | Master Teacher | Clinical Psychologist | Social Justice Advocate
November 5
Got Number Sense
Audience: K-5
Do your students struggle with number sense? Join me during this session as we explore ways to help students build a strong base-ten understanding and use that understanding to develop number sense. Without a firm foundation in number sense and base-ten understanding, students will struggle with mathematics throughout their educational careers. We will engage in counting collections, choral counting, counting circles, and other routines and discuss how those routines help students build number sense.
Managing Challenging Behaviors in the Regular Classroom Environment
Audience: K-12
1 in every 4 students have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event. Oftentimes, these traumatic experiences emerge as challenging behaviors frustrating teachers and detracting teachers from teaching. Traditionally, we have utilized rewards and consequences. Sometimes shame and humiliation are invoked and when we are at our wit’s end, we suspend or expel. With today’s students these antiquated practices no longer work. So, what should we do when students misbehave, disrupt the learning, and refuse to stop acting out? Join Dr. Joe Sartorius to understand the impact trauma has on our students and focus on restorative practices to help students be accountable for their own actions and ready to succeed both inside the classroom and beyond.
Best Chrome Extensions for Students and Teachers
Audience: 6-8; 9-12
Through this session, teachers will identify and utilize a variety of Chrome extensions as well as the websites to which they are associated to enhance learning and increase student engagement. (Chrome extensions work on laptops, desktops, and Chromebooks, but not on most tablets or smartphones).
The Art Connection
Audience: K-12
“A picture is worth a thousand words.” We are using visual images in everything from literature to history, from science to math. We’re using classic and modern art to spark interest, teach comprehension, and inspire writing and conversation. From beginning to end, this session is chockablock with ideas to add color and creativity to your classroom. Take notes, because these simple ideas are easily included in your classroom next week!
Place-Based Learning and Authentic Assessment: Time Flies When Your Students Are Having Fun
Audience: 6-8; 9-12
How can teachers make the standards more meaningful to their students? 2020 Missouri Teacher of the Year Melissa Grandel will share an introduction of place-based learning. Melissa will detail the positive effects of encouraging students to have ownership in their learning while allowing them to explore real-world outcomes as assessment, as she outlines the value of place and community within instruction
The ABCs of SEL; Easy as 1,2,3!
Audience: K-12
Social Emotional Learning or SEL has been at the forefront of many recent conversations. This session will provide a basic understanding of how to create an environment that meets the social, emotional, and academic needs of students. Participants will learn the ABCs of a positive learning environment as well as the three signature practices of a lesson that promotes social emotional learning for all, whether in a physical classroom or a virtual one. These are all small changes to your current instruction that will make a big difference!
TinkerToys for the 21st Century Learner - Exploring 3D Printing
Audience: K-5; 6-8
Get an experience of an online 3D Printing Program even your grandma can do! We will be exploring Tinkercad and how math can be taught through this problem-solving program. Teaching 21st Century Learners how to use these types of programs will directly provide creativity, challenges, collaboration, and precision in the classroom. You’ll walk away with a project of your own ready to 3D Print.
Who Is Doing the Talking?
Audience: 3-8 Math Teachers
Dive into the Mathematical Language Routines (MLRs) to understand how to help your math students engage in purposeful discussion during math class. The MLRs were built for use with English Language Learners, however, it has been found they help all students participate in discussions. During this session, we will touch on all 8 of the MLRs but focus on Stronger and Clearer Each Time, Information Gap, and Co-Crafting Questions. Participants will engage in the focus MLRs using math content from 3rd-8th grade.
Increasing Student Engagement
Audience: 6-8; 9-12
This session will present strategies for increasing student engagement in the content area classrooms. Focus will be on ELA instruction and content-area reading and comprehension; however, strategies presented will be applicable to any classroom. Attendees will leave with a collection of strategies for increasing student involvement in the learning process. Virtual learning strategies will also be presented to support teachers in developing engaging lessons that hold students accountable for learning.
Using Real Stuff
Audience: K-12
Teach comprehension skills (and more) using objects, primary documents, and historical places in your classroom. In this session, you will receive paper organizers and ideas to help your students evaluate real historical documents, artifacts. recipes, and places to understand their place in context. Whether you teach history or want to enhance your reading instruction with real stuff, this session will get your gears turning with the possibilities.
When Educators Prioritize Themselves, Everyone Wins
Audience: K-12
Although self-care is different for everyone, Doc helps educators fill their toolboxes with the things that matter most: something that makes you smile, something to remind you of what you are made of, something to help you unwind, and something to help you cope in challenging times. Educator outcomes: 1) Educators will learn to give themselves permission to make themselves a priority. 2) Educators will learn to fill up their cups in order to successfully share with students and colleagues.