VASCD2024

This session is designed to equip early career educators with proactive strategies in creating a safe, student-centered classroom. The focus will be on building a positive community, establishing routines, and developing effective classroom management to empower educators to create an environment where all students feel welcome.

It's the end of the first month of school....the butterflies are wearing off....how do you re-engage your students to take agency of their love for learning? In this session, participants will be actively engaged as we deliver a bouquet of interactive learning strategies you can use to reignite the will and the thrill in your classroom!

Prepare to embark on an educational adventure like no other! Inspired by Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms and Skip Tyler’s innovative work, we’ll transform your math lessons from a land of rote memorization into a realm of lively, inquisitive minds. Say goodbye to "non-thinking" student behaviors and discover how to spark collaboration and articulate thinking in your classroom. It’s time to turn your students into engaged, thoughtful learners and make your teaching experience truly exhilarating!

With the evolving educational landscape, educators must embrace a comprehensive instructional approach that prepares students to think critically and solve contextual problems. This practice advocates for a triangular approach to science and math instruction, integrating hands-on learning, science literacy, and the data cycle as three interconnected pillars that can transform student learning perspectives. By merging these three components, teachers can create a rich, dynamic classroom environment that strengthens content knowledge and nurtures critical thinking, collaboration, and analytical skills essential for success in the 21st century. This approach represents an intentional shift toward more effective, engaging, and future-ready science and math education.

Discover ways that you can create transformative math learning experiences for elementary students by giving them ways to visualize math, use multimodal learning, and then empower our students to interact with their classmates' math thinking. See how technology tools like Desmos, Wixie, and Flashcard Factory can help you tech up your math instructi

Discover and explore our middle school civil discourse toolkit for educators, designed to prepare students as citizens and within communication-driven careers. The skills and strategies within the session will support you in developing students’ communication to be clear and persuasive, while also empathic and responsive. Learn to empower them to amplify their voices through active listening, embracing diverse perspectives, and sparking dynamic, respectful dialogue. Join us in fostering a culture of civility—where each student finds their voice and shapes conversation.

This session explores the intersection of brain science and feedback conversations, empowering educational leaders and coaches to cultivate a culture where feedback is comfortable and impactful. Participants will learn practical frameworks for delivering constructive feedback that promotes teacher growth. By the session's end, attendees will possess the knowledge and tools to build trust, integrate feedback practices seamlessly into the fabric of their school or district culture, fostering continuous improvement and collaboration.