It’s time for students to share what they have read. Suzy will model strategies that are hands-on and collaborative…but bring the structure students need. Student autonomy, authentic learning, and independent thinking all await with these techniques. Participants will leave with a selection of techniques to be deployed for a variety of texts.
Suzy Pepper Rollins is a passionate educator with a mission of creating academic success for ALL learners. She is the author of Teaching in the Fast Lane, Learning in the Fast Lane, and Teaching Vulnerable Learners. Her BRAND-NEW workbook, The Opening Minutes, is packed with... Read More →
Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:30am CDT Room 201
I am a certified English teacher who enjoys learning & sharing about literacy, leadership, assessment, curriculum design, instructional technology, & school improvement. (say it Mc-GOY)
Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:30am CDT Room 102
Putting purpose—author’s purpose—into reading comprehension and ECR writing!
In this session, participants will gain a new understanding of how to creatively instruct and prioritize one of the most frequently assessed TEKS—Author’s Purpose and Craft—which is so much more than just P.I.E. Learn how to use this RLA concept to equip students with tools to think more deeply as they read and write more effectively while confidently tackling the ECR.
Everything we read is a mentor text! See how to seamlessly connect powerful reading instructional strategies with writing response, author’s craft, and grammar lessons in ways that are engaging, meaningful, and productive. We’ll model three reading strategies (including one for pre-teaching vocabulary); imitate amazing texts; and practice inferencing, summarizing, and responding – using students’ own writing! What does this mean? STAAR is a walk in the park. And reading and writing are fun again.
Award-winning High School English teacher and author (and former college All-American basketball player and successful coach) provides humorous, inspirational, and practical keynotes, staff development trainings, and Instructional and Leadership coaching for educators, including... Read More →
Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:30am CDT Room 104
Deanna served as a classroom teacher for 24 years in the San Antonio and North Austin area. Her passion for literacy and second language learners have driven her career. She is now serving the education community by helping schools procure high quality materials for their libraries... Read More →
Get ready to level up your students’ ECR writing with strategies that actually make writing fun instead of frustrating. In this hands-on session, you’ll learn insider techniques for helping students paraphrase and explain ideas in their own words with confidence. Discover easy, effective ways to conference with students using sticky notes to target improvements and boost their writing along with reading comprehension. Walk away with ready-to-use activities and practical tips you can implement immediately in any language arts classroom.
Educational Consultant with a masters degree in Elementary Education, experience teaching grades K-6, coaching RLA teachers, and writing curriculum for 17 years in 3 different countries, with the past 9 years being in Texas public schools. I have worked on numerous TEA & Pearson educator... Read More →
Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:30am CDT Room 203
I taught English and Social Studies for 7 years in Nebraska, China, and Chicago and recently finished my master's in Learning Design and Technology at Stanford. At Stanford, my work focused on the intersection of writing instruction, formative assessment, and peer feedback. I now... Read More →
Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:30am CDT Room 103
