This session introduces teachers of all content areas to a three-phase critical reading framework designed to help all students, including struggling readers, engage with rigorous, complex texts. Participants will explore how to scaffold instruction across the Activate (planning and pre-reading), Engage (vocabulary and interaction), and Extend (application and analysis) phases. Through research-based practices and collaborative discussion, teachers will examine strategies for supporting students as they interact with complex texts and develop deeper comprehension skills.
Christina is a strategic instructional leader with extensive experience in classroom instruction, curriculum design, professional development, and instructional coaching. Now in her 30th year in public education, Christina spent 17 years as an English teacher at Carmel High School... Read More →
Argumentative writing is among the most complex — and most assessed — skills students face. This session helps teachers make the critical distinctions between persuasion and argumentation clear, guiding students to acknowledge multiple viewpoints, align positions with evidence, and support claims with well-elaborated proof. Teachers will leave with classroom-ready tools that raise rigor and prepare students for standardized writing demands.
Courtney grew up in London, Ontario where powerful experiences in her own schooling led to her passion for teaching and education.
That passion took her to Grace College in Indiana where she secured a BA in Elementary Education and landed her first teaching job at a nearby middle school. Courtney later returned to Grace as an Adjunct Professor of Education after earning her Master’s Degree from Olivet Nazarene... Read More →
This session helps secondary educators design and implement effective collaboration strategies that deepen student learning. Participants will explore the distinction between authentic collaboration and traditional group work, examining how purposeful structures promote shared responsibility, academic dialogue, and critical thinking. Educators will learn practical strategies for preparing, managing, and assessing collaborative learning experiences—including how to establish clear expectations, assign meaningful roles, and build accountability systems.
Christina is a strategic instructional leader with extensive experience in classroom instruction, curriculum design, professional development, and instructional coaching. Now in her 30th year in public education, Christina spent 17 years as an English teacher at Carmel High School... Read More →
Strengthen literacy without abandoning content. This session helps 6–12 content-area teachers embed discipline-specific reading and writing instruction into math, science, and social studies — using the texts and materials they already have, aligned to Indiana’s Academic Standards.
As a literacy consultant with Smekens Education, Didi Harris partners with educators to strengthen reading and writing instruction through practical, evidence-based strategies. Drawing on her experience as a classroom teacher, interventionist, and reading specialist, she helps teachers... Read More →
Learn how to effectively use the Indiana Department of Education’s instructional frameworks, item specifications, and performance level descriptors (PLDs) to guide instructional planning, classroom instruction, and assessment. This session will focus on understanding assessment expectations and using state resources to support rigorous, aligned instruction. Teachers will also have dedicated work time to apply these tools directly to their own planning and classroom practice.
Christina is a strategic instructional leader with extensive experience in classroom instruction, curriculum design, professional development, and instructional coaching. Now in her 30th year in public education, Christina spent 17 years as an English teacher at Carmel High School... Read More →
This session introduces teachers of all content areas to a three-phase critical reading framework designed to help all students, including struggling readers, engage with rigorous, complex texts. Participants will explore how to scaffold instruction across the Activate (planning and pre-reading), Engage (vocabulary and interaction), and Extend (application and analysis) phases. Through research-based practices and collaborative discussion, teachers will examine strategies for supporting students as they interact with complex texts and develop deeper comprehension skills.
Christina is a strategic instructional leader with extensive experience in classroom instruction, curriculum design, professional development, and instructional coaching. Now in her 30th year in public education, Christina spent 17 years as an English teacher at Carmel High School... Read More →
This session focuses on using Checks for Understanding (CFUs) as intentional, planned opportunities to gather evidence of student thinking during instruction—not just at the end. Teachers will examine various CFU strategies to determine their effectiveness and learn to interpret student responses in real time making immediate instructional adjustments through four key moves: clarifying, scaffolding, reteaching differently, or extending learning. Through hands-on "if-then" planning, participants will design CFUs for upcoming lessons and prepare responsive next steps based on whether students fully understand, partially understand, or do not yet understand the content. This session emphasizes actionable, in-the-moment teaching decisions that ensure all students reach the learning target.
Christina is a strategic instructional leader with extensive experience in classroom instruction, curriculum design, professional development, and instructional coaching. Now in her 30th year in public education, Christina spent 17 years as an English teacher at Carmel High School... Read More →
In this hands-on planning session, educators will explore how to leverage key Indiana Department of Education resources — Instructional Frameworks, Item Specifications, and Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) — to strengthen classroom instruction. Participants will learn how these tools work together to inform lesson planning, guide assessment alignment, and support student growth toward mastery. Walk away with practical strategies you can apply in your classroom right away.
Christina is a strategic instructional leader with extensive experience in classroom instruction, curriculum design, professional development, and instructional coaching. Now in her 30th year in public education, Christina spent 17 years as an English teacher at Carmel High School... Read More →
