At the heart of education is a simple truth: students thrive when they feel seen, valued, and connected. Yet in today’s climate, pressures of performance, compliance, and unfairness too often overshadow this truth. Teaching with Dignity invites us back to what matters most: creating conditions where every learner’s humanity is honored. In this keynote, John Krownapple shares insights from his new book, stories from the field, and a vision for how dignity-centered teaching can transform classrooms and communities. The keynote inspires educators to imagine what becomes possible when belonging is not an afterthought but the root of how we teach, lead, and learn.
This interactive session introduces classroom-based action research as a teacher-led way to improve one's practice and supporting student success. Participants are guided through a practical process to develop an inquiry focus, generate a high-leverage action research question, and outline data collection and action steps. This process is ideal for those interested in the action research component of the CSD differentiated supervision model.
This session explores how cultural inclusivity strengthens student belonging in music classes and provides lesson examples with assessments that encourage student belonging in the classroom. Participants will research and create a list of repertoire by historically-marginalized and diverse composers that is appropriate for their ensembles. Please bring a laptop to research repertoire!
From work to school to socializing, many people rely heavily on technology in their daily lives. It may no longer feel like we have the option to unplug, yet it’s important to consider how to use technology in a way that enhances our mental health and well-being. This workshop reviews how to better understand this modern dilemma and explores strategies to find more balance and avoid technology burnout.
This session is designed for grades 3-8 teachers. Participants will engage in an interactive workshop on enhancing verbal reasoning skills to support deeper reading comprehension and critical thinking among students. Participants will explore how verbal reasoning- the ability to understand, analyze, and manipulate language- plays a central role in reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and written expression. Participants will experience practical tools for integrating verbal reasoning explicit instruction into existing literacy routines and content-area instruction.
This session focuses on the Student Hub within the reporting warehouse, where users can explore a comprehensive data portfolio for every student. Participants will learn to create custom charts and graphs to visualize various data points, including benchmark assessment results and historical district data. You will also learn how to build and manage "data walls" for specific students, and be able to apply them to other students in your class.
In this session, you'll learn how to maximize your MakeMusic subscription with expert best practices and time-saving tips! Using your responses to the Prior Knowledge Survey, we'll tailor the session to your specific interests and experience level and explore the tools available to enhance your students' learning experience. By the end of the session, you'll be well on your way to seeing better student practice and performance all while saving time in your day-to-day!
The number one mitigating factor to combat the negative impact of adversity is positive relationships. This session will explore how to balance nurture and structure in a healthy and positive relationship with a student, and how to provide them voice with strategies such as Collaborative Problem Solving.
Teachers will get a hands-on introduction to Securly Classroom—a tool designed to help educators manage student devices, reduce distractions, and keep students focused during instruction. Participants will leave with practical skills they can use immediately in their classrooms.
In this presentation, educators will learn about the evaluation and re-evaluation process. This includes sections of both documents, what to expect from an evaluation/re-evaluation, when referring for an evaluation or re-evaluation might be warranted, and expectations of educator contributions to evaluations. There will be time allotted for questions and scenarios.
This session will share practical, classroom-tested ways to use AI tools (such as MagicSchool) to support student engagement, writing, revision, and studying/review while maintaining clear expectations for academic integrity and student thinking. Participants will explore adaptable strategies, see real classroom examples, and leave with at least one practical AI-supported tool or approach they can apply to support learning in their own classroom. Please bring a laptop or device for hands-on participation. An upcoming lesson, assignment, or unit idea is optional but recommended for immediate application of session strategies.
In this session, you will learn to utilize the Reporting Dashboard to select specific data sets and create personalized dashboards to analyze the students in your upcoming classes. You will also gain the ability to access and review historical data from previous years, allowing you to see how your former students performed on state assessments like the PSSA or Keystone exams. The session covers both basic and advanced dashboard tasks, including the use of custom filters to identify growth trends and patterns within your class.
Talking to others in person can be uncomfortable, and many have more difficulties as technology has decreased our opportunities to practice these skills. This workshop will help you become a more effective and assertive communicator. We discuss common barriers to effective communication and then provide strategies to communicate more effectively verbally and non-verbally. Finally, we end with ways to calm and ground yourself before having a difficult conversation.
Are you looking for ways to reduce screen time, build community and weave student connection into your content and classroom? Join us for an interactive session that will focus on getting students off their laptops and engaging with one another face-to-face. Teachers will participate in and learn 4-5 low-tech, high-engagement cooperative learning activities that can be easily adapted to their own curriculum.
This session is designed for grades 3-8 teachers. Participants will engage in an interactive workshop on enhancing verbal reasoning skills to support deeper reading comprehension and critical thinking among students. Participants will explore how verbal reasoning- the ability to understand, analyze, and manipulate language- plays a central role in reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and written expression. Participants will experience practical tools for integrating verbal reasoning explicit instruction into existing literacy routines and content-area instruction.
In this session, you'll learn how to maximize your MakeMusic subscription with expert best practices and time-saving tips! Using your responses to the Prior Knowledge Survey, we'll tailor the session to your specific interests and experience level and explore the tools available to enhance your students' learning experience. By the end of the session, you'll be well on your way to seeing better student practice and performance all while saving time in your day-to-day!
Stress can impact us both personally and professionally, yet these challenges can also create opportunities. Developing or strengthening resiliency can be invaluable in helping chart the path forward. Practicing resiliency can also help adjust your mindset so you can find a new perspective to successfully move ahead. This session discusses strategies to build resiliency so participants can protect themselves against high stress levels, making stress more manageable and allowing them to determine the best next steps.
Because bias is universal, bias-based incidents involving hateful imagery, language and actions, including the use of hurtful jokes, slurs and stereotypes, can and will happen in our schools. It is not a matter of if a bias incident will occur, but when. Preparation matters. The best time to consider how to respond to a bias incident is before such incidents occur, rather than only after an incident has happened. This session will help participants use ADL’s incident response resources and general anti-bias learning principles to build their capacity to anticipate, recognize, and respond to bias incidents in their classrooms and schools. By challenging biased language and behaviors as well as educating students about the impact bias incidents can have on all members of the school community, educators and school administrators can be role models and partners with students in creating school environments where all students can learn and thrive.
Teachers will get a hands-on introduction to Securly Classroom—a tool designed to help educators manage student devices, reduce distractions, and keep students focused during instruction. Participants will leave with practical skills they can use immediately in their classrooms.
This session will focus on the common link between special education and increased levels of stress. We will explore some of the ways that special education students have an increased likelihood of exposure to trauma, as well as the ways in which that can be exacerbated and mitigated within the school setting.
In this presentation, educators will learn about the evaluation and re-evaluation process. This includes sections of both documents, what to expect from an evaluation/re-evaluation, when referring for an evaluation or re-evaluation might be warranted, and expectations of educator contributions to evaluations. There will be time allotted for questions and scenarios.
In this session, you will learn to utilize the Reporting Dashboard to select specific data sets and create personalized dashboards to analyze the students in your upcoming classes. You will also gain the ability to access and review historical data from previous years, allowing you to see how your former students performed on state assessments like the PSSA or Keystone exams. The session covers both basic and advanced dashboard tasks, including the use of custom filters to identify growth trends and patterns within your class.
In this workshop, educators will deepen their understanding of practical strategies to strengthen verbal reasoning for all learners across all content areas. Participants will leave with resources/tools/routines to effectively integrate into their daily instruction. These tools will allow teachers to provide targeted instruction to help students deepen their comprehension of simple and complex texts, while improving their verbal reasoning skills by analyzing down to the sentence level to better meet the overall learning goal. Please bring a laptop or Chormebook.
Talking to others in person can be uncomfortable, and many have more difficulties as technology has decreased our opportunities to practice these skills. This workshop will help you become a more effective and assertive communicator. We discuss common barriers to effective communication and then provide strategies to communicate more effectively verbally and non-verbally. Finally, we end with ways to calm and ground yourself before having a difficult conversation.
For new teachers—or those who need a refresher on the IEP process: Are you unsure what information to include in your IEP input? Do you know what data should be used to make informed decisions about student placement? Are you familiar with the interventions that should be implemented and documented before recommending a student to CARE? What accommodations and modifications have been tried to support the student in their current placement? Do you need more ideas for interventions? Do you understand the different placement options available for ELA and Math instruction? Are you aware of resources to help guide you with the IEP process? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, this session is for you! Join us to strengthen your understanding of the IEP process, intervention strategies, placement considerations, and best practices for supporting students with diverse learning needs. This training will help ensure that decisions are data-driven, collaborative, and focused on student success while ensuring the least restrictive environment and a positive educational experience for all. Please bring a computer to view online resources.
This session is designed for grades 3-8 teachers. Participants will engage in an interactive workshop on enhancing verbal reasoning skills to support deeper reading comprehension and critical thinking among students. Participants will explore how verbal reasoning- the ability to understand, analyze, and manipulate language- plays a central role in reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and written expression. Participants will experience practical tools for integrating verbal reasoning explicit instruction into existing literacy routines and content-area instruction.
Teachers will get a hands-on introduction to Securly Classroom—a tool designed to help educators manage student devices, reduce distractions, and keep students focused during instruction. Participants will leave with practical skills they can use immediately in their classrooms.
This presentation is designed for educators setting up or newly working as a teacher or support staff within an autistic support classroom. The presentation focuses primarily on how to support the sensory needs and communication needs of students in the autistic support classroom, regardless of where they are developmentally.
In this interactive workshop, teachers will have the opportunity to hear about legal updates and trends in special education in the last several years. This includes updated guidance on trends in litigation, changes to state mandates, and the intersection between best practices and legal requirements. There will be an opportunity to share scenarios and common issues throughout the presentation.
In this training, participants will learn more about how to better support and affirm LGBTQIA+ and more specifically, transgender and gender diverse youth. Attendees will have time for small group activity and large group discussion to help further process and create strategies for changes within individual and community wide engagement and practice.
This session will focus on how school climate and student mental health directly influence academic outcomes including engagement, attendance, and achievement. Participants will discuss proactive systems of support, high impact practices, and inclusive frameworks that can reduce behavioral barriers and increase educational access.
The term “burnout” is used often in our profession. But do we know what it means? For instance, why can we seem to not remember things anymore, or experience word finding difficulties? K-12 participants will learn why teaching is particularly susceptible to burnout, what is happening in their brain when burnout occurs, and be able to identify and implement steps to take within their classrooms to tackle it on a day to day basis. Participants will leave feeling seen and empowered to take steps toward a more positive teaching experience, no nap required. Please bring a laptop and/or notebook for note taking if desired.
Challenging all forms of identity-based bias can be an effective intervention to ensure that antisemitic language, behaviors, and incidents are responsibly addressed. However, the current climate of antisemitism in the U.S. has brought increased attention to the need for specific education about Jewish identity and antisemitism. In recent years, antisemitic incidents in our schools, and the normalization of antisemitic attitudes, stereotypes and “othering,” has contributed to a climate in which many Jewish students, educators and Jewish families, feel marginalized, unsafe, and unwelcome. Because of Colonial School District’s years-long engagement with ADL’s No Place for Hate program and ADL’s particular expertise in antisemitism research and education, session participants will leave with a deeper understanding of who Jewish people are, what antisemitism is, and the impact of antisemitism on Jewish students and their family members. This session will strengthen educators capacity to understand impact and respond effectively to antisemitism and all forms of identity-based bias.
This interactive session engages educators in reflective practices while exploring key concepts that support culturally inclusive learning environments. Participants will examine power dynamics, the distinction between brave and safe spaces, the Cultural Proficiency Continuum, culturally responsive teaching, restorative practices, and the role of culture bearers in education. Please bring a writing implement, and an openness to thoughtful self-reflection.
This session is designed for experienced IXL users who are ready to deepen implementation and increase student impact. Participants will explore advanced platform features, data-driven instructional strategies, and ways to personalize learning at a higher level. The session will also highlight best practices for increasing student engagement, supporting intervention and enrichment, and using analytics to inform instructional decisions. Attendees will leave with practical ideas to refine and elevate their current IXL usage.
The National Constitution Center offers a free 30-minute virtual learning experience called Civic Stories geared toward elementary and middle school students. This program helps students develop a deeper understanding of history and consider the ways in which artifacts humanize history through the individuals, communities, and cultures they represent. In this professional learning session, teachers will have the opportunity to engage with the past through artifacts and the stories they tell as the NCC models what the program would look like in their classrooms and explore ways to build storytelling into their curriculum.
In this workshop, educators will deepen their understanding of practical strategies to strengthen verbal reasoning for all learners across all content areas. Participants will leave with resources/tools/routines to effectively integrate into their daily instruction. These tools will allow teachers to provide targeted instruction to help students deepen their comprehension of simple and complex texts, while improving their verbal reasoning skills by analyzing down to the sentence level to better meet the overall learning goal. Please bring a laptop or Chormebook.
Auditory processing challenges are co-morbid with many of the common conditions we see in the classroom including ADHD, ASD, and anxiety. This presentation is designed to review the neurobiology of auditory processing, discuss signs a student may have auditory processing challenges, and determine ways we can support students with auditory processing challenges in our classrooms.
For new teachers—or those who need a refresher on the IEP process: Are you unsure what information to include in your IEP input? Do you know what data should be used to make informed decisions about student placement? Are you familiar with the interventions that should be implemented and documented before recommending a student to CARE? What accommodations and modifications have been tried to support the student in their current placement? Do you need more ideas for interventions? Do you understand the different placement options available for ELA and Math instruction? Are you aware of resources to help guide you with the IEP process? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, this session is for you! Join us to strengthen your understanding of the IEP process, intervention strategies, placement considerations, and best practices for supporting students with diverse learning needs. This training will help ensure that decisions are data-driven, collaborative, and focused on student success while ensuring the least restrictive environment and a positive educational experience for all. Please bring a computer to view online resources.
This session is designed for grades 3-8 teachers. Participants will engage in an interactive workshop on enhancing verbal reasoning skills to support deeper reading comprehension and critical thinking among students. Participants will explore how verbal reasoning- the ability to understand, analyze, and manipulate language- plays a central role in reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and written expression. Participants will experience practical tools for integrating verbal reasoning explicit instruction into existing literacy routines and content-area instruction.
This session compares four music assessment practices and establishes which is most effective as determined by high school student results and student reflection. Participants will explore affirmations, mistake logs, mindfulness-based positive intentional learning, and student choice boards. Then they will create one or more of the assessments, which can be adapted for any subject or grade-level. Please bring a laptop to design assessments!
Teachers will get a hands-on introduction to Securly Classroom—a tool designed to help educators manage student devices, reduce distractions, and keep students focused during instruction. Participants will leave with practical skills they can use immediately in their classrooms.
In this training, participants will learn more about how to better support and affirm LGBTQIA+ and more specifically, transgender and gender diverse youth. Attendees will have time for small group activity and large group discussion to help further process and create strategies for changes within individual and community wide engagement and practice.
This session will focus on how school climate and student mental health directly influence academic outcomes including engagement, attendance, and achievement. Participants will discuss proactive systems of support, high impact practices, and inclusive frameworks that can reduce behavioral barriers and increase educational access.
This comprehensive session covers the entire lifecycle of online testing within the LinkIt platform, from initial assignment to robust reporting. Participants will walk through the four-step process of assigning tests: selecting the assessment, choosing students, setting preferences (such as text-to-speech accommodations), and assigning. You will also explore how to monitor live test-taking to track student progress, use the interactive rubric for manual grading of constructed responses, and utilize the reporting platform to review benchmarking and local assessment data once submissions are complete.
Teachers will respond to guiding questions focused on key standards in Grades 5–7, with particular attention to the progression of fractions, ratios, and proportional reasoning. Through collaborative skill tracing, participants will analyze prerequisite skills and identify common gaps affecting student learning that support targeted remediation and meaningful enrichment opportunities. Teachers will work together to strengthen alignment and ensure instructional consistency across the middle grades.
This interactive session introduces classroom-based action research as a teacher-led way to improve one's practice and supporting student success. Participants are guided through a practical process to develop an inquiry focus, generate a high-leverage action research question, and outline data collection and action steps. This process is ideal for those interested in the action research component of the CSD differentiated supervision model.
Uses drum circles to create genuine belonging in a classroom, and model mindfulness practice activities. This is an interactive session in which participants will engage in a drum circle and collaborative discussions, and experience an inclusive space. No prior musical experience is needed. Bring your authentic self!
This session focuses on using IXL Science to strengthen inquiry, vocabulary development, and standards-aligned instruction across grade levels. Educators will explore how to integrate science skills into daily instruction, support student understanding with targeted practice, and use diagnostic insights to identify learning gaps. The session will also highlight strategies for increasing engagement through interactive, content-rich experiences. Participants will leave with ready-to-use ideas for making science learning more effective and accessible with IXL. This session is appropriate for science teachers in grades 4, 5, 8, and 9-12 (Biology).
Are you looking for ways to reduce screen time, build community and weave student connection into your content and classroom? Join us for an interactive session that will focus on getting students off their laptops and engaging with one another face-to-face. Teachers will participate in and learn 4-5 low-tech, high-engagement cooperative learning activities that can be easily adapted to their own curriculum.
This session is designed for grades 3-8 teachers. Participants will engage in an interactive workshop on enhancing verbal reasoning skills to support deeper reading comprehension and critical thinking among students. Participants will explore how verbal reasoning- the ability to understand, analyze, and manipulate language- plays a central role in reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and written expression. Participants will experience practical tools for integrating verbal reasoning explicit instruction into existing literacy routines and content-area instruction.
This session focuses on the Student Hub within the reporting warehouse, where users can explore a comprehensive data portfolio for every student. Participants will learn to create custom charts and graphs to visualize various data points, including benchmark assessment results and historical district data. You will also learn how to build and manage "data walls" for specific students, and be able to apply them to other students in your class.
For special education teachers, regular education teachers, related services staff and administrators, hearing phrases like "due process" and "witness prep" can be scary and daunting. The Due Process Survival Guide will demystify the process and provide an overview of what educators can expect if called and how to best set themselves up for success.
