Early Career Teaching Institute: Full Schedule

Welcome to ECTI 2026! You will be able to register for individual workshop sessions on Monday during our intention setting session.

12:00pm CDT

Lunch & Check-in

Monday July 27, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

Monday July 27, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Break

12:30pm CDT

Welcome & Intention Setting

Monday July 27, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

Monday July 27, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Intention Setting & Reflection

2:30pm CDT

Could You Be More Dramatic?: Integrating Creative Dramatics into Curriculum

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

This field trip is designed to provide instructors with a basic understanding of, and appreciation for, the use of Drama as a tool for teaching and learning within education and social settings. Drama in Education focuses on enhancing a kinesthetic awareness of the humanities and sciences through critical exploration, analytical discussion, and active Creative Dramatic...
See More →

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Field Trip

2:30pm CDT

De-Stress and Reset with UW Rec Well

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT

Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center, Serenity Studio (second floor)

Join the wellbeing team for an interactive workshop highlighting how to find balance, mindfulness, and gratitude within the busy seasons of life. This workshop will feature personal reflection, watercolor, and community building activities.GUIDELINES: Participants can feel free to wear casual attire and whatever footwear they are most comfortable in. There will be some light movement...
See More →

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT
Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center, Serenity Studio (second floor) 1976 Observatory Dr, Madison, WI 53706

Field Trip

2:30pm CDT

Get in Touch with Nature at Allen Centennial Garden

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT

Allen Centennial Garden

We'll include three stations: Nature Journaling - We'll take the group through a series of prompts that teach basic scientific inquiry skills and practice plant ID. These prompts are intended to help learn the difference between jumping to conclusions and seeing what you see without trying to immediately explain it. In example, we often point to a brown leaf. This is an observation, while it is...
See More →

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT
Allen Centennial Garden 620 Babcock Dr, Madison, WI 53706, USA

Field Trip

2:30pm CDT

Lake Learning Lab: Hands-on Introduction to Limnology at Hasler Lab and Lake Mendota

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT

Center for Limnology

Our field trip will include two hands-on activity components. First, participants will get a tour of Lake Mendota and use limnology equipment on board. Second, they will use equipment and microscopes at our lab to collect and examine zooplankton and macroinvertebrates. We will provide a wide variety of experiential lessons for studying lakes and aquatic environments that teachers can bring back to...
See More →

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT
Center for Limnology 680 N Park St, Madison, WI 53706

Field Trip

2:30pm CDT

Ring Making and Signet Symbolism - in Art Department Mosse Humanities

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT

Mosse Humanities Building, Room 7511

Participants will explore the fundamentals of jewelry and metalsmithing through the creation of a simple textured ring band. In this hands-on workshop, educators will learn basic metalworking techniques including measuring, forming, shaping, texturing, soldering, and finishing a wearable ring using non-ferrous metals such as copper or brass. The workshop is designed to introduce participants to...
See More →

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT
Mosse Humanities Building, Room 7511 455 N. Park St.

Field Trip

2:30pm CDT

The Wonders of Physics in Chamberlin Hall

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT

Chamberlin Hall, Ingersoll Wonders of Physics Museum

The UW–Madison Physics Department Outreach Team puts the “phun” in physics! Our goal is to share our love of physics with all students and inspire the next generation of scientists. We are committed to supporting teachers by offering many opportunities for students to experience physics and learn about the world all around them. This field trip will highlight the shows, tours, and workshops...
See More →

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT
Chamberlin Hall, Ingersoll Wonders of Physics Museum 1150 University Ave, Madison, WI 53706

Field Trip

2:30pm CDT

Virtual Environments Research Lab Tour

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT

Discovery Building

We will host a tour of our virtual environments research lab at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery. Field trip attendees will be able to experience different forms of virtual reality and augmented reality technology, ranging from head mounted display technology, to our 6-sided CAVE display system. Content will range from educational polar science experiences set in Antarctica, to being shrunk...
See More →

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT
Discovery Building 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715

Field Trip

2:30pm CDT

Wisconsin Energy Institute: Agrivoltaics - Solar and Farming

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT

Wisconsin Energy Institute

The focus of the field trip would be highlighting the renewable energy research on campus including the new Kegonsa Research Campus Solar Array. Teachers would participate in the Agrivoltaics field trip that we run for visiting school groups. This begins with a mapping activity that leads to a discussion about land use and how we make decisions about our resources. Then we introduce the basics of...
See More →

Monday July 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT
Wisconsin Energy Institute 1552 University Ave.

Field Trip

8:00am CDT

Breakfast & Intention Setting

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Intention Setting & Reflection

8:45am CDT

Building a Community of Oracy

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1263

We’ve all had those moments where we wonder how to get our students talking more deeply without adding "one more thing" to our plates. This professional development session was all about finding those "hidden" opportunities for productive talk right within the routines you already have in place. Instead of seeing morning meetings or lesson transitions as mere housekeeping, we practiced viewing...
See More →

Presenters

Stacy Kay

Instructional Coach, Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

Stacy Kay is a dedicated and accomplished educator with 18 years of experience in the field of education, specializing in upper elementary and middle school instruction. She has supported diverse student populations in developing academic language and achieving success in her roles... Read More →

Amanda Montoya

Instructional Coach, Middleton Cross Plains Area School District

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1263

CT ONLY Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Community Building, Discussion & Oracy, Student Collaboration

8:45am CDT

Adventures in PD: Exploring National & International Professional Learning Opportunities for PK-12 Teachers

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280

Join us in learning about an exciting range of summer and academic year PD and teaching opportunities designed for PK-12 classroom teachers in local, national, and international settings. We'll take look at program descriptions, timelines, application processes and deadlines, and funding supports, and will map out action steps. Tips, advice, and inspiring stories will be shared.In this session,...
See More →

Presenters

Mary Klehr

Special Projects, UW-Madison Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center

Mariah Pol

Teaching Faculty & Secondary Social Studies Program Coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Abby Watson

Principal, Lincoln Elementary -MMSD

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Professional Practice Professional Learning

8:45am CDT

Beyond the Language Barrier: Using Mixed-Reality Simulations to Prepare Teachers of Multilingual Learners

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1221

Step into the future of teacher preparation! This presentation describes the challenges of teaching science to multilingual learners and proposes innovative technology to create safe environments where future and new teachers are able to practice new skills. Using science education as a context, pre-service and novice teachers in the study engaged in a structured, two-cycle research process...
See More →

Presenters

Mariana Castro

Director of the Multilingual Research Center, WCER

Mariana Castro serves as the current Deputy Director and the Interim Director of Business Services at WCER. She brings over 30 years of experience in education to her research and development work. Her extensive service to the field of education includes curriculum and instruction... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1221 Computer Sciences and Statistics, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Learner Populations Teacher Preparation, Multilingual Learners
Professional Practice Professional Learning

8:45am CDT

Constructing Age-Accessible Learning about Mass Violence Though Students Perspectives

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard

LEARN FROM INCREDIBLE STUDENTS! This session, co-led with student presenters, will support educators in teaching difficult histories of mass violence and/or genocide in ways that are accessible for their students. Participants will explore this new concept and students' understandings of it to consider how their own values, contexts, students, and assumptions shape their own ideas. Then, by...
See More →

Presenters

Dr. Irene Ann Resenly

Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education, Purdue Univerity

If you interested in the slides from todays presentation or have any questions, please feel free to reach out!

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Student-Centered Pedagogy, Assessment & Data
Curriculum & Content Areas Social Studies
Professional Practice Reflective Practice

8:45am CDT

Cultivating Care and Compassion

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

Learn to cultivate care and compassion in yourself and your students through the exploration of current research, ideas and practices that create proactive, prosocial communities that nurture children’s abilities to thrive Learn about an experiential course on human flourishing, related research and adaptation strategies from UW-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds as well as connected...
See More →

Presenters

Jami Hoekstra Collins

Early Learning Engagement Specialist, PBS Wisconsin

Jami Hoekstra Collins is an Early Learning Engagement Specialist with PBS Wisconsin Education. In her role, Jami facilitates professional learning opportunities for educators around the state of Wisconsin that are integrated with PBS learning media and resources. Prior to her work with PBS Wisconsin Ed... Read More →

Teri Pipe

Professor of Practice, Center for Healthy Minds and School of Nursing, UW-Madision

Mindfulness, Compassion, Flourishing, Leadership, Healthcare

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Workshop

Curriculum & Content Areas Social Emotional Learning, Mindfulness & Wellbeing

8:45am CDT

Cultivating Emotional Resilience for Teachers

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1260

This workshop uses Elena Aguilar's book Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators (2018) as a springboard to reflect and build practices to sustain educators in the profession. In this workshop, participants will reflect on the emotional components of teaching and the affordances and limitations of their current habits and practices. This reflection will include grappling with the...
See More →

Presenters

Kerry Kretchmar

Assistant Teaching Professor, UW-Madison

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1260 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Professional Practice Educator Emotional Resilience

8:45am CDT

Free Money No Whammies: Finding (grant) money for your school project is easier than you think!

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1170

As a teacher, one often wonders where they can get more resources or finance for special projects or programs for their content area. Believe it or not there are many revenue streams that go untapped for teacher professionals to receive grant funding for your program. This presentation will get you to consider ways to seek more finance/resources for your content area without having to do much...
See More →

Presenters

Michael L. Norris

Teaching Faculty IV, Director of Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE), University of Wisconsin Madison - Kinesiology

I am interested in facilitating effective instruction in Education specifically Physical Education, Adapted Physical Education, and Health Education. My goal as an education professional is to support, promote, and guide students in their work.

Cindy Kuhrasch

Distinguished Teaching Faculty IV, Kinesiology, UW-Madison

I love the idea of creating inclusive learning communities and using experiential education as the basis for learning.

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1170

Workshop

Professional Practice Funding & Grants

8:45am CDT

Mindful Math Pedagogy

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Room 2329

Learning math can carry heavy risks for students. Math creates anxiety in students and there are often assumptions about who is “good” at math and who is “bad”. A committed math teacher takes into account these fears when offering learning opportunities to help students grow in their math understanding. Creating a rich classroom for learning math is not about lowering the...
See More →

Presenters

Tuyet Nguyen

Mindfulness Program Coordinator & 8th Math/Science Teacher, Madison Metropolitan School District

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Room 2329 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Curriculum & Content Areas Math, Mindfulness & Wellbeing

8:45am CDT

Roots of Curiosity and Imagination: Integrating Science, Stories, and Art

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1145

This session is designed for elementary classroom teachers and elementary art teachers interested in interdisciplinary learning and the engagement of the imagination -- both tapping into their own imaginations as educators while developing curriculum that sparks their students' curiosity and imagination. We’ll explore the intersections of science, art, and literacy in this hands-on workshop...
See More →

Presenters

Mary Hoefferle, PhD

Teaching Faculty, Art Education, UW-Madison

I've taught art to people of all ages in community and school-based settings for 26 years, and I am a lifelong maker-of-things. I've been in my role at UW-Madison as a Teaching Faculty member for 10 years and serve as a one-stop-shop for art education majors, serving as their academic... Read More →

Meri Lau

Art teacher -retired, MMSD

I have taught art for 38 years in the public schools in Milwaukee and Madison with three additional years in Montessori Schools. My passion is to create art experiences with wonder and playfulness that will endure throughout the student's lifetime that will include the arts.The highlight... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1145

Workshop

Learner Populations Elementary Education
Pedagogy & Learning Design Arts-Based Learning & Arts-Integration, Inquiry & Curiosity
Curriculum & Content Areas Arts

10:30am CDT

Accessing Arts and Arts-Integrated Education in MMSD and Beyond

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1260

In this workshop, individuals from UW-Madison’s PLACE Office, MMSD, and Any Given Child share information about arts opportunities, funding, and advocating for the arts within your district. Including online resources, the artist-in-residency program, residencies taught by outside teaching artists, small arts grants, and free opportunities to participate in Summer Camps for the arts, there are...
See More →

Presenters

Amanda Farrar

Outreach Program Associate Director, Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE)

Amanda Farrar is an Outreach Program Associate Director in the Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE) office at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education. She collaborates with faculty to develop programs that bring research and practice into communities... Read More →

Dan Davidson

MMSD EE Strategist

Dawry Ruiz

Stephanie Richardson

UW Madison

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1260 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Arts-Based Learning & Arts-Integration

10:30am CDT

Becoming a Cooperating Teacher 101

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1170

Calling all ECTI participants who are curious about stepping into the role of Cooperating Teacher (CT)! We are excited to offer this introductory workshop for those wanting to learn more about what it means to add “teacher educator” to your professional identity. We will dialogue around topics related to being a CT, including the responsibilities of mentorship and logistics of the role. We...
See More →

Presenters

Evan Moss

Manager of Outreach and Partnerships, UW-Madison, Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center

Mary Klehr

Special Projects, UW-Madison Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1170 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Learner Populations Teacher Preparation
Professional Practice Coaching & Mentoring

10:30am CDT

Discover, Discuss, Design: Integrating New Children's Literature into Your Curriculum and Classroom

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Cooperative Children's Book Center

📚 Book Giveaway! 📚🥤🧊 Cool Refreshments 🧊🥤Walk over to the CCBC (225 N. Mills, 4th floor) for this session and...Pick out a FREE book to take with you! 🎉THEN STAY TO...📖 Learn about great new books🔎 Enjoy cool refreshments while learning how to search for books that meet your unique classroom needs🥳 Tinker with ways to incorporate new...
See More →

Presenters

Kerry Kretchmar

Assistant Teaching Professor, UW-Madison

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

Director, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt is the Director of the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC), a library of the School of Education at UW-Madison.

Valerie Hammer

PhD student, UW-Madison

Madeline Freimuth

Librarian, CCBC

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Cooperative Children's Book Center 225 N. Mills Street, 4th Floor

Workshop

Curriculum & Content Areas Literacy

10:30am CDT

From Classroom Community to the Community Becoming Your Classroom: Experiential Learning & PBL

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard

In this workshop, we will make connections between popularized and powerful educational philosophies/models like community building, social/emotional learning, experiential learning, and project based learning. Participants will have an opportunity to participate in a number of community building exercises and explore how these in class experiences can prepare students for dynamic learning...
See More →

Presenters

Brian Counselman

Teacher and Project Based Learning Coordinator, Malcolm Shabazz City High School (MMSD)

Brian Counselman is teacher and project based learning (PBL) coordinator at Malcolm Shabazz City High School. Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education biology, broadfield science, and English as a second language (ESL) from UW - Madison, as well as a master’s in... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Experiential & Project Based Learning, Community Building
Curriculum & Content Areas Social Emotional Learning

10:30am CDT

Loupe-y With Wonder- Nurturing Curiosity and Joy in Nature

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 2329

In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to ignite their own sense of wonder by taking a closer look at a favorite text "The Sense of Wonder" by naturalist Rachel Carson. We will connect the text to our own nature explorations with early childhood students. We will introduce you to a tool called a loupe and follow the Private Eye Protocol of look, write, draw and theorize. You will...
See More →

Presenters

Bridget Christenson

Teaching Faculty, C&I, UW Madison

I love my job working with preservice teachers and their mentor teachers. Being in classrooms with Littles brings me so much joy. They are naturally curious and oh so wonderful. When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time in nature. Hiking in the mountains is one of my favorite... Read More →

Mary Eilleen Hayes

Teacher, Madison Metropolitan School District

Love my job, love vacation, love my family and friends, love learning, love lounging, love lots of things. Talk to me about anything except teaching, it's still vacation time, people......!

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 2329 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Learner Populations Early Childhood
Pedagogy & Learning Design Inquiry & Curiosity

10:30am CDT

Low Stakes Writing for Good Classroom Vibes

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280

“How long does it have to be?”“Is this graded?”“Can we have the rubric first?”What if we created classroom communities where students instead asked “when do we get to write”? Join us for this interactive session and engage in a variety of low-stakes writing activities you can turn around and use to bring summer vibes to your classroom all year long. Whether you want to add fun...
See More →

Presenters

Mark Dziedzic

Director, Greater Madison Writing Project

Mark Dziedzic is the director of the Greater Madison Writing Project, University of Wisconsin–Madison’s affiliate of the National Writing Project. He has been facilitating professional learning and teacher action research with pre-K-12 educators from across Wisconsin with the... Read More →

Bryn Orum

Greater Madison Writing Project, University of Wisconsin-Madison

I am a director of the Greater Madison Writing Project at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. I am interested in educational equity; supporting youth advocacy and activism; argument writing and civil discourse; and place-based, project-based, and democratic education.

Kate Vieira

Professor, C&I

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Arts-Based Learning & Arts-Integration
Curriculum & Content Areas Literacy

10:30am CDT

Strategies for Introducing Cutting Edge Practices in Fatigued and Tradition Bound Programs

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1145

Many early career educators enter the field energized by current research, modern pedagogy, and a desire to create meaningful learning environments—only to encounter schools where program leaders feel exhausted, discouraged, or deeply attached to long standing practices. This interactive workshop equips teachers with practical tools to navigate those realities with confidence, clarity, and...
See More →

Presenters

Cindy Kuhrasch

Distinguished Teaching Faculty IV, Kinesiology, UW-Madison

I love the idea of creating inclusive learning communities and using experiential education as the basis for learning.

Michael L. Norris

Teaching Faculty IV, Director of Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE), University of Wisconsin Madison - Kinesiology

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1145

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Student-Centered Pedagogy
Curriculum & Content Areas Physical & Outdoor Education
Professional Practice Staff Collaboration

10:30am CDT

Translation is not a strategy: Serving ML Newcomers from Less-Common Linguistic Backgrounds

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

In a time of increasing numbers of multilingual learners and decreasing amounts of funding and resources to serve those students, teachers are often faced with choosing supports and scaffolds to meet the needs of their English Learner (EL) populations. For many teachers, translated materials, curriculum, and assignments are some of the most common and easily implementable supports, especially for...
See More →

Presenters

Kaycee Rogers

CLASS Program Coordinator, CESA 2

Lisa Velarde

Teaching Faculty II, UW-Madison

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Workshop

Learner Populations Multilingual Learners

12:00pm CDT

Invitation Only - Lunchtime Feedback Session for Former Participants of Teachers as Policy Agents Workshops

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1170

This OPTIONAL 30-minute session is by invitation only for teachers that participated in the Teachers as Policy Agents workshops during their time at UW-Madison. Since 2018, members of WCER's Clinical Program have worked with UW's teacher candidates to facilitate teacher-driven conversations about education policy. We'd love to reflect with you on any impact the workshops may have had on your...
See More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1170

Focus Group

12:00pm CDT

Lunch

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Break

1:15pm CDT

Analyzing Student Learning in Coaching/Mentoring Conversations

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1221

How can we use data to support coaching/mentoring conversations and plan for differentiation in the classroom? We'll focus on building a culture of collaboration, collective efficacy, reflective practice, and teacher ownership of student learning through utilizing data to inform coaching/mentoring practices. We will dive into formative assessments and analyzing student learning to inform next...
See More →

Presenters

Lisa Hennessey

Teaching Faculty and Secondary Math Program Coordinator, UW-Madison

Pro-active | Communicator | Organized | Coach | Problem-solverDetermined lifelong learner and educator. Dedicated to leading team and individual growth and development, centering equity. Warm demander in all relationships.My purpose is to ensure that all students are seen and valued... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1221 Computer Sciences and Statistics, Madison, WI 53715, USA

CT ONLY Workshop

Learner Populations Teacher Preparation
Pedagogy & Learning Design Assessment & Data
Professional Practice Coaching & Mentoring

1:15pm CDT

American Revolution, Local Stories: Teaching with PBS

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1260

If the American Revolution defines our national identity, why does our teaching about it feel concentrated in a handful of places on the East Coast? This session examines that tension by arguing that local history is not an add on to Revolutionary era instruction but a way to deepen it. Using a variety of free resources, we will demonstrate how different perspectives, including regional, local,...
See More →

Presenters

Nick Ostrem

Education Engagement Specialist, PBS Wisconsin

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1260 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Curriculum & Content Areas Social Studies, Media & Digital Storytelling

1:15pm CDT

From “Help!” to “I’ve Got This”: Collaborative Protocols to Navigate Real Problems of Practice

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard

New educators quickly realize that teaching is complex and that many instructional challenges are difficult to solve alone. This interactive session introduces practical, structured protocols that transform collegial conversations into purposeful problem-solving opportunities grounded in reflection, equity, and empathy. Participants will leave with ready-to-use strategies for refining problems of...
See More →

Presenters

Alice Udvari-Solner

Professor Emeritus, UW-Madison

Amy Krauthamer-Maloney

Instructional Coach & SBC, Huegel Elementary

Graduate of UW Madison with a BS in Special Education & MA in Curriculum and Instruction. Currently works in the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) as an Instructional Coach at Huegel Elementary. 30+ years working as a special educator, general educator, and now an instructional... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Professional Practice Staff Collaboration, Professional Learning, Reflective Practice

1:15pm CDT

Introduction to Creative Coding

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1170

In 2025, WI DPI released new Computer Science Standards, with a stated goal that “All students are introduced to fundamental CS ideas starting in elementary school, with opportunities to explore problem solving, computational thinking, and ethical technology use through integrated and interdisciplinary learning.” Participants will be introduced to some introductory computer science concepts...
See More →

Presenters

Peter Kirschmann

Instructor and K12 Outreach Lead, UW-Madison Department of Computer Sciences

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1170 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Arts-Based Learning & Arts-Integration
Curriculum & Content Areas Computer Science/Coding, Media & Digital Storytelling

1:15pm CDT

Practical Strategies for Teaching Multilingual and Multicultural Students

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280

In today’s classrooms, many of our students navigate more than one language and culture. Students come with diverse language experiences and different degrees of cultural connection, and those realities influence how they see themselves and interact in the classroom. In this interactive workshop, teachers of any subject who work with multilingual and multicultural students will explore...
See More →

Presenters

Diego Román

Kiley Specht

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Learner Populations Multilingual Learners
Pedagogy & Learning Design Inclusive Teaching

1:15pm CDT

Selecting Words From Text: Providing Research-based Vocabulary Instruction

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 2329

Vocabulary is one of the strongest predictors of reading comprehension and a critical instructional area to support a wide range of learners, including students with disabilities and multilingual learners. Vocabulary development plays a key role in building background knowledge and supporting students’ growth in content-specific instruction. Given the breadth of vocabulary across subject...
See More →

Presenters

Lauren Zepp

Assistant Professor, Special Education, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Lauren Zepp (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses on special education, reading and writing interventions for students with disabilities, and reading... Read More →

Beverly Trezek

Associate Professor, RPSE, UW-Madison

Beverly Trezek is an Associate Professor and the Tashia F. Morgridge Distinguished Chair in Reading in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Trezek’s research focuses on teacher preparation in reading as well... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 2329 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Curriculum & Content Areas Literacy

1:15pm CDT

Teejop Tales and Trails

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

Many of the roads and pathways of the Teejop (Four Lakes) region are built upon the trails of the Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk) people. Before European settlers arrived, the beauty and bounty of the lands and waters were loved and respected by the indigenous people. Janice Rice, Hoocąk elder, will share values, teachings, kinship, land ethics, and relationships that frame a Ho-Chunk world view. The...
See More →

Presenters

Janice M. Rice

Janice Rice is an enrolled member of Ho-Chunk Nation and is an educator, emerita librarian, environmentalist, and indigenous dancer. I would enjoy talking with fellow educators and emerging educators about ways to reach young people and share ideas about the lands and waters of the... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Indigenous Education

1:15pm CDT

The Power of Play: Building Inclusive Classroom Communities Through Games

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1263

In the modern classroom, academic success is deeply intertwined with a student's sense of belonging. This session,The Power of Play: Building Inclusive Classroom Communities Through Games, explores how the intentional use of games can serve as a primary engine for community building, moving beyond simple "icebreakers" into sustained social-emotional development.The focus of this workshop is...
See More →

Presenters

Kyle Curran

Hi my name is Kyle Curran (h/h/h). I am a 7th grade Social Studies Teacher at Toki Middle School. You can come talk to me about teaching, outdoor activities, sports, all things nerdy.

Omar Morales

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1263

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Play-Based Learning, Inclusive Teaching, Student Collaboration
Curriculum & Content Areas Social Emotional Learning

1:15pm CDT

Thinking Routines in Your Classroom

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1145

A thinking routine is a set of questions or a brief sequence of steps used to scaffold and support student thinking. Researchers have developed a variety of thinking routines that are applicable across disciplines, topics, and age groups, and can be used at multiple points throughout a learning experience or unit of study. This workshop will briefly introduce the concept of thinking routines,...
See More →

Presenters

Peter Wardrip

Associate Professor, School District/ Higher Education

Peter is Associate Professor of STEAM Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on the design of maker-based learning, professional communities and research practice partnerships. Peter enjoys playing soccer, euchre and drinking hot cocoa with his fam... Read More →

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1145

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Inquiry & Curiosity
Professional Practice Professional Learning

3:00pm CDT

Full Group Reflection

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:00pm - 3:15pm CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:00pm - 3:15pm CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Intention Setting & Reflection

3:15pm CDT

Group Photo

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:15pm - 3:30pm CDT

Discovery Building: Atrium

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:15pm - 3:30pm CDT
Discovery Building: Atrium

Intention Setting & Reflection

3:30pm CDT

Early Career Networking

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:30pm - 3:50pm CDT

Discovery Building: Atrium

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:30pm - 3:50pm CDT
Discovery Building: Atrium

Intention Setting & Reflection

4:00pm CDT

Keynote: 2025 National Teacher of the Year

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

Tuesday July 28, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Keynote / Plenary

5:00pm CDT

Reception

Tuesday July 28, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Atrium

Tuesday July 28, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Atrium

Reception

8:00am CDT

Breakfast & Intention Setting

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Intention Setting & Reflection

8:45am CDT

"They're Waiting for Us To"...: Finding Joy in Madness

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Room 2329

Teaching is an act of grief as much as it is an act of love — and nobody warned us about that. The children who challenge us most have often spent years learning that educators ultimately give up and move on. These students push, resist, wound us in small ways and large ones, not because they don't care, but because they are terrified of what comes next. And in our most exhausted moments, when...
See More →

Presenters

Sarada Hanumadass Weber

New Educator Mentor, MMSD

This year marks my 28th year as a public educator, the first 24 as a high school English teacher, and the last four mentoring first-year teachers in the Madison Metropolitan School District. My deepest interest is supporting teachers in building communities of care that hold high... Read More →

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Room 2329 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Professional Practice Reflective Practice, Educator Emotional Resilience

8:45am CDT

Empowering learners through the art of student-centered pedagogy

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard

Join veteran elementary educator, Kara Lawson, in exploring the art of designing a classroom community of empowered learners. As we examine ways to ensure that all students see themselves as capable readers, writers, and mathematicians, we’ll investigate a variety of instructional strategies for each of these content areas and try them out together. We’ll dialogue about practical ways to...
See More →

Presenters

Kara Lawson

3rd Grade Teacher & Early Educator Mentor, MMSD

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Student-Centered Pedagogy

8:45am CDT

Ho-Chunk Indigenous Arts & Sciences curriculum: Deepening Our Cultural Knowledge

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

Ho-Chunk Indigenous Arts and Sciences (IAS) is a long-standing Tribal–university partnership to develop and provide culturally sustaining environmental science education for youth, educators, and community. This session will share an overview of the Ho-Chunk lesson plans that we developed in the intersections of Ho-Chunk Ways of Knowing and language and culture. This session is targeted...
See More →

Presenters

Michelle Cloud

Mattea Twinn

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Arts-Based Learning & Arts-Integration, Indigenous Education
Curriculum & Content Areas Science, Arts

8:45am CDT

Imagining Authentic Writing in All Classrooms

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1263

What is the role of writing? Few things we can imagine are as controversial and bridging, broad and specific, constricting and freeing as writing. In practice, writing is in everything we do, but it is becoming less of a focus and harnessed skill among youth. This is not to say that youth do not write - they do - but the variety, skill, scope, purpose, and joy of writing tend to wander aimlessly...
See More →

Presenters

Lisa Velarde

Teaching Faculty II, UW-Madison

Danny Miller

Teaching Faculty II, UW-Madison

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1263

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Arts-Based Learning & Arts-Integration
Curriculum & Content Areas Literacy
Professional Practice Staff Collaboration, Professional Learning

8:45am CDT

Living the Questions: The Essential Role of Inquiry in Strengthening Educational Practice

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280

On a daily basis, in our schools, we exist in a space of contradictions. On the one hand, a world of precision and certainty: scopes and sequences, lesson plans, learning targets, SMART goals, benchmarks, outcomes, educator effectiveness measures. On the other hand, a dynamic world of the human community with ever-changing conditions and a high need to be flexible, adaptive, and...
See More →

Presenters

erica Kruger

School Counselor & Mindfulness in MMSD Coordinator, Madison Metropolitan School District

erica Kruger (she, her) has been orbiting in educational spaces for the past 25 years - learning, unlearning, re-learning, dreaming, and discovering something new every day. Since becoming a school counselor in 2004, erica has worked at both the middle and high school levels... Read More →

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Inquiry & Curiosity
Professional Practice Professional Learning, Reflective Practice

8:45am CDT

Preventing Bias-Based Bullying: Small Actions, Big Impact

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1145

This workshop provides practical strategies that help educators respond to hurtful language with confidence while building a culture of respect and belonging. Through classroom scenarios, reflection, and discussion, educators will leave with tools they can use immediately to prevent harm, address incidents effectively, and support all students.In this session, you will:Understand the impact of...
See More →

Presenters

John Peschl

Equity Teacher Leader, Madison Metropolitan School District

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1145

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Inclusive Teaching
Curriculum & Content Areas Social Emotional Learning

8:45am CDT

Scaffolding up language for Multilingual Learners in High School Content Classrooms

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1170

This session will support secondary content teachers in providing high quality supports for their multilingual learners levels 1-4. While this workshop will address multiple domains of language (reading, writing, listening, speaking) a greater emphasis will be on scaffolds that support peer-to-peer interactions in the content areas of Math, Science, Social Studies and English. Teachers will...
See More →

Presenters

Daria Borokhim

Instructor and Field Supervisor, Curriculum and Instruction, UW-Madison

Daria Borokhim has been a Bilingual Resource Teacher for 15 years, primarily co-teaching math and science classes. In 2023 she received the Wisconsin Association for Bilingual Education Educator of the Year award for her work at Middleton High School. Currently she is an instructor... Read More →

Rachel Gilbertson

Rachel has been teaching for 15 years. Originally from Madison, WI, she trained as a Spanish and ESL teacher but made the jump to full time bilingual resource teacher early in her career. She currently is the instructional leader for the Multilingual Department at Middleton High... Read More →

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1170 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Learner Populations Multilingual Learners, Secondary Education
Pedagogy & Learning Design Discussion & Oracy, Student Collaboration

8:45am CDT

Using Reading and Writing Instruction to Foster Theory of Mind Development

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1260

In this session, participants will be introduced to the concept of Theory of Mind (ToM) and its influence on reading, writing, and social-emotional skills. The development of ToM begins in the preschool years and continues as students understand the thoughts and feelings of others, use words to describe emotions (e.g., happy, angry) and explain mental states (e.g., think, know), and comprehend...
See More →

Presenters

Beverly Trezek

Associate Professor, RPSE, UW-Madison

Lauren Zepp

Assistant Professor, Special Education, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:45am - 10:15am CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1260 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Curriculum & Content Areas Literacy

10:30am CDT

“This Is Painful”: Staying Committed to Justice-Oriented Teaching When It Feels Difficult

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280

Early career teachers are often encouraged to implement student-centered, inquiry-based, and justice-oriented teaching practices. However, when these approaches are first introduced, they can feel uncomfortable, messy, and even unsuccessful. Students may resist, discussions may fall flat, and teachers may feel pressure to return to more familiar routines—especially within the constraints of...
See More →

Presenters

Mariah Pol

Teaching Faculty & Secondary Social Studies Program Coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Professional Practice Reflective Practice, Educator Emotional Resilience, Social Justice

10:30am CDT

ABCs of Building Authentic & Caring Learning Communities

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 2329

New teachers often hear “build relationships,” but translating that into daily practice can feel fuzzy—especially with large classes, tight time, and high variability in student needs. This hands on session operationalizes community building through the ABCs: A—Activities, B—Behaviors, and C—(Post Activity) Conversation. Participants will experience and then deconstruct fast, low prep...
See More →

Presenters

Cindy Kuhrasch

Distinguished Teaching Faculty IV, Kinesiology, UW-Madison

I love the idea of creating inclusive learning communities and using experiential education as the basis for learning.

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 2329 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Community Building
Curriculum & Content Areas Social Emotional Learning

10:30am CDT

Building Data Science in Wisconsin

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1170

Data Science is a developing field and incorporating this content area is being taken up by educators across the country, primarily though not exclusively with math educators. This is an interdisciplinary field that is emerging in the state of Wisconsin. Come experience a data science lesson, learn about how teachers are learning to teach data science, and think about how you might 1)...
See More →

Presenters

Lisa Hennessey

Teaching Faculty and Secondary Math Program Coordinator, UW-Madison

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1170 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Learner Populations Middle School, Secondary Education
Curriculum & Content Areas Math

10:30am CDT

Cultivating a Curious Classroom

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1260

Participants will learn about research on the significance of being curious educators as well as inspiring curiosity among our students and staff. We will also discuss practical ways to bring curiosity to life in our school communities.In this session, you will:Understand the significance of curiosity in our educational communities.Consider ways to inspire curiosity among students, staff, and...
See More →

Presenters

Hilary Nguyen

Instructional Coach, Sauk Trail Elementary School

Duy Nguyen

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1260 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Inquiry & Curiosity
Professional Practice Reflective Practice

10:30am CDT

Current & Cultural: Infusing Contemporary Issues and Indigenous Voices in Your Learning Space

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard

Teaching and learning about First Nations communities in our state isn’t just good for Native learners, it is good for all learners, but when we think about what and how we teach, we often look to the past and to materials that may not resonate with learners' experiences today. In this session we’ll explore the importance of unpacking current issues Native communities in Wisconsin and beyond...
See More →

Presenters

Mia Forslund

Education Engagement Specialist, PBS Wisconsin Education

Mia Forslund is an Education Engagement Specialist with PBS Wisconsin Education. In her role, she collaborates with team members, partner organizations, and educators to develop and share educational media resources for Wisconsin educators and learners. She grew up in Wisconsin and... Read More →

Jami Hoekstra Collins

Early Learning Engagement Specialist, PBS Wisconsin

Ron Jetty

Indigenous Education Coordinator, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Ron Jetty (Spirit Lake Dakota / Turtle Mountain Chippewa) is the Indigenous Education Coordinator in the Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center. He provides expertise and collegial support across the School of Education’s educator preparation programs as they infuse teaching... Read More →

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Indigenous Education
Curriculum & Content Areas Media & Digital Storytelling
Professional Practice Reflective Practice

10:30am CDT

From Policy to Practice: Leading Gender-Inclusive Classrooms and School Communities

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1145

This interactive workshop supports early-career educators in identifying and implementing gender-inclusive classroom and school-based practices. Drawing on research about LGBTQ+ student well-being, school climate, and organizational leadership, participants will examine how policies and everyday practices, from enrollment forms to classroom instruction, can reinforce or disrupt gender binaries and...
See More →

Presenters

Benjamin Lebovitz

Doctoral Candidate, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1145

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Inclusive Teaching
Professional Practice Policy & Advocacy

10:30am CDT

Prioritizing Growth: Your students' and your own

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1263

Growth motivates better than compliance. We will look at how to use standards to: assess growth, involve students in their own progress monitoring, use formative assessments to drive instruction, engage planning teams in student-centered planning, and use coaching supports to continuously improve practice.In this session, you will:Understand the importance of using student learning to drive...
See More →

Presenters

Kathleen Doherty

Lecturer (Retired MMSD New Educator Mentor & Instructional Coach), UW-Madison LaFollette School of Public Affairs

I've been involved in K-12 education for more than 30 years, 25 with MMSD. I've worked in a range of positions: a middle and high school social studies teacher; curriculum, technology & learning consultant; new educator mentor; and instructional coach. I believe strongly in the power... Read More →

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1263

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Student-Centered Pedagogy, Assessment & Data
Professional Practice Staff Collaboration, Reflective Practice

10:30am CDT

Supporting youth and families in an era of increased immigration enforcement: What community organizers want educators to know

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

This workshop supports early career educators with navigating their role in supporting the emotional and physical safety of culturally- and linguistically-minoritized youth and families during a period of intensified immigration enforcement and heightened uncertainty. The session centers the expertise of community organizers and school‑based advocates who work closely with impacted community...
See More →

Presenters

Adeline De Angelis

Teaching Faculty, UW Curriculum & Instruction

Lisa Velarde

Teaching Faculty II, UW-Madison

Leticia Hockenberry

Cindy Diaz

Karen Romo

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Workshop

Professional Practice Policy & Advocacy, Family & Community Engagement

12:00pm CDT

Lunch

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Atrium

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Atrium

Break

12:00pm CDT

Year-3 Focus Group #1

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1170

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1170

Focus Group

12:00pm CDT

Year-3 Focus Group #2

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1260

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1260 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Focus Group

12:00pm CDT

Early Career Teacher Interviews

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT

Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280

Interviews are by invitation only.

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Interviews

1:15pm CDT

"Wholeness is no trifling matter": On racism, restructuring, and resistance

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280

This presentation will explore the role of race and racism in producing discipline disparities across educational contexts, paying particular attention to how exclusionary discipline practices disproportionately impact Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other historically marginalized students. Drawing on scholarship from educational policy, critical race theory, and organizational leadership, the...
See More →

Presenters

Kevin Lawrence Henry

Assistant Professor, ELPA

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Orchard View - Room 3280 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Professional Practice Policy & Advocacy, Social Justice

1:15pm CDT

Adventures in Outdoor Ed

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard

Come join this experienced elementary teacher who does powerful outdoor education with her students each week from September through June. With years of experience to draw from, she will share stories, advice, curriculum ideas, and examples of how to do this work in addition to and integrated into regular academic/curriculum responsibilities, what the challenges are, and how to get school...
See More →

Presenters

Josie Guiney Igielski

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Steenbock's On Orchard 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Curriculum & Content Areas Physical & Outdoor Education

1:15pm CDT

Empowering Youth Voice through Media Production

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1263

Are your students the next Ken Burns? Or future journalists? Let’s practice our video production skills without the need for expensive equipment. Using phones or tablets, educators and students can produce short, high quality documentaries that align with your curriculum. This hands-on session will cover free resources and tips on incorporating media projects in your classroom.In this session,...
See More →

Presenters

Nick Ostrem

Education Engagement Specialist, PBS Wisconsin

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1263

Workshop

Curriculum & Content Areas Media & Digital Storytelling

1:15pm CDT

Healing, Connecting, and Dreaming through Poetry

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum

With its rhythms, imagery, and grounding in sensed and felt experience, poetry can provide tools for re-connecting with our own complex humanity, our aspirations for our work, and the people around us. Building on work others are doing to support reflection, a sense of being heard, and connection to others for healthcare workers (The Good Listening Project), and on our own prior work with poetry,...
See More →

Presenters

Chundou Her

Nicole Louie

Leema Berland

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: H.F. DeLuca Forum 330 N. Orchard St Madison, WI 53715

Workshop

Professional Practice Educator Emotional Resilience, Reflective Practice

1:15pm CDT

Navigating Educator Effectiveness: Professional Development through Teacher Evaluations

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1170

Research shows that teacher evaluation is professional responsibility that often causes stress, confusion, and leads to cognitive dissonances between teaching philosophies and practice (Potter, 2024; Robinson, 2019). This session will explore common criteria and methods of teacher evaluation frameworks to build greater understanding of how educators are assessed for effectiveness (Stronge, 2014;...
See More →

Presenters

Evan Metcalf

Graduate Student- Mead Witter School of Music, UW-Madison

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1170 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Assessment & Data
Professional Practice Reflective Practice

1:15pm CDT

Reading for Belonging: Disability Representations in Young Adult Literature

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1221

Young Adult (YA) literature is a powerful tool for shaping adolescents’ perspectives on identity, community, and difference. In this interactive session, participants will explore a variety of texts designed to engage adolescent readers and featuring disabled and/or neurodivergent characters. The session will underscore how YA texts can be used to support students’ understanding of disability...
See More →

Presenters

Lauren Zepp

Assistant Professor, Special Education, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Courtney Wilt

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Computer Sciences and Statistics: Room 1221 Computer Sciences and Statistics, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Inclusive Teaching
Curriculum & Content Areas Literacy

1:15pm CDT

Strategies for Active & Collaborative Learning

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1145

Active learning involves putting students at the center of instruction, providing opportunities to solve, explore, experiment, try, create, and invent. Collaborative learning is inherently active as it requires interaction to problem solve, practice skills, or produce work together in organized ways. This session provides experience in practical, adaptable strategies that can be implemented across...
See More →

Presenters

Alice Udvari-Solner

Professor Emeritus, UW-Madison

Amy Krauthamer-Maloney

Instructional Coach & SBC, Huegel Elementary

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 1145

Workshop

Pedagogy & Learning Design Student Collaboration

1:15pm CDT

The Do’s and Don'ts of family communication: A District Interpreter's guide to communicating with linguistically diverse families

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 2329

Caregiver communication is key to student success. When caregivers feel seen, heard, and known by their child’s teacher, their child benefits. But what happens when caregivers don’t share your language? Drawing on 10+ years of experience serving as a bridge between schools and families, a district translator and interpreter shares the do’s and dont’s of communicating with...
See More →

Presenters

Jose Velarde Aguilar

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Discovery Building: Room 2329 330 N Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715, USA

Workshop

Learner Populations Multilingual Learners
Professional Practice Family & Community Engagement

1:15pm CDT

The Power of our Names

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT

Discovery Building: Room 1260

Although names play a critical role in early literacy and language learning, the names of children who are linguistically and/or racially minoritized are often changed or mispronounced in schools. In this workshop, we'll explore how an inquiry into names and naming practices through reading, writing, art, and talk can strengthen children's community and belonging in early childhood and elementary...
See More →

Presenters