Day 1

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Registration 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

8:00 - 8:30

Welcome

WSRA President
2025 WSRA Conference Chair

8:30 - 9:30

Keynote Address

Colleen Cruz

Everyone knows everyone makes mistakes. Nowhere is that adage more repeated than in schools. But less is understood about how the types of mistakes and the reasons we make them can give us insights into teaching and learning. In this talk, Colleen will begin by exploring the robust body of research about mistakes that most directly connects to school. She will then guide participants toward considering our own mistake habits as well as how we can tap this knowledge to move beyond growth mindset and on to creating mistake welcoming cultures. Participants can expect to laugh, engage in some self-reflection, and to leave with mistake-focused knowledge and strategies to help energize their learning communities.

9:45 - 11:00

Breakout Session A

ACT 20 Literacy Legislation, Policy, and the Untold Story

Expert Panel Discussion with Dr. Elena Aydarova, Dr. Andy Johnson, Colleen Cruz, Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Kaye, Lori Menning (Wisconsin Bilingual Association), and Kathryn Champeau
ACT 20, referred to as sweeping legislation to improve 4th-grade reading achievement on state and national standardized tests, was quickly passed in July 2023. This legislation was based on limited views of a few without engaging the diverse perspectives of and hard conversations with Wisconsin’s stakeholders to answer this basic question: Why do the 4th-grade literacy scores look as they do? No system analysis was conducted by the legislature or Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction to identify root causes before passing this comprehensive legislation. The language of ACT 20 shifts many literacy decisions from the DPI and local levels to the state legislature and outlaws certain teaching practices. Similar and sometimes identical legislation have been introduced and passed in other states with the same goal but with different student populations and resources.
Navigating and complying with this law raises many questions that require answers. Learn why these issues are problematic and listen to this panel’s dialogic conversation addressing these real issues related to ACT 20 that will help attendees ponder these questions to consider next steps:1. Who profits from ACT 20 and what can be learned from similar initiatives in other states?2. How does the seduction of the word “science” contribute to ACT 20, future legislation, and similarly proposed literacy legislation in other states?3. Schools and classrooms operate within a political environment that continues to seek quick fixes rather than investing in the sustained work necessary to advance quality outcomes reliably to scale. How can and why should this be addressed?4. Schools and classrooms are complex social systems and a simplified focus on a few parts, for example, ACT 20’s specified curriculum with a focus on phonics, does not assure quality results. How and why does this need to be addressed in a world of dwindling resources and a teacher shortage?5. Instructional coaching depicted in ACT 20 for those receiving grant monies is a deceptively simple title that requires a complex solution system. Does ACT 20 support complex systems? If not, what is missing that should have been included?6. How does ACT 20 impact the Wisconsin teaching profession?7. How might ACT 20 increase inequities for Wisconsin students in the years ahead?

Bring Magic into Your Writing Curriculum by Teaching Fantasy Writing, Grades 4-8

~Carl Anderson

Fantasy is the genre that students most want to write, yet rarely get the opportunity to do so in school. In this lively and practical session that’s based on his new book, Teaching Fantasy Writing: Lessons that Inspire Student Engagement and Creativity, Carl Anderson will explain how to teach this high-engagement genre that will accelerate students’ growth as writers, help them meet writing standards, and develop their creativity skills. Carl will discuss wonderful fantasy mentor texts, and where to find them. And he’ll detail lessons that will help students create intricate fantasy worlds, and write well-crafted, beautiful fantasy stories set in them. You’ll leave the session equipped to go on an exciting new journey with your students!

Camilla (The Tail-Wagging Tutor)

~Jennifer Brandt & Camilla

If you love dogs and books, this session's for you! Camilla, a certified therapy dog, inspired this author’s first children’s book about Camilla's adventures as an elementary school reading dog. Attendees will meet Camilla and learn about how she was trained to be a reading dog, the research-supported benefits of children reading to dogs, and how to begin a reading dog program at their school or local library. Jennifer will also share her journey to publication.

Integrating Poetry into Your Busy Classroom

~Georgia Heard

Georgia Heard has inspired thousands of teachers to learn the power of infusing poetry into the everyday life of their classrooms. In this session, sharing material from her brand new edition of Awakening the Heart, she offers updated strategies, lessons, and lots of practical tips for getting started with poetry routines and inspiration in your classroom.

The Science of Writing

~Dr. Young-Suk Kim

Writing is an essential skill for learning, reading, and daily life. This session offers a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles of writing development and instruction based on research and evidence. We will explore the cognitive processes involved in writing, the key skills that contribute to writing development, and research-supported instructional strategies to foster essential writing skills in students from diverse backgrounds.

Narrative Unlimited - Digital Storytelling and Your Curriculum

~ Brett Pierce

Teaching students to communicate meaningfully inside of the digital ecosystem is paramount. In this session, we will briefly explore the essence of the digital storytelling form and then focus on narrative structure. Well over seventy years of television and the Internet have yielded myriad narrative forms that can be applied in the classroom. We are talking game shows, reality competitions, sitcoms, DIY and Unboxing Videos. Digital Storytelling in the classroom is an invitation to students to utilize their intimate knowledge of television, podcasting, and social media formats to explore curricular content. Specifically, we will focus on four formats: the PSA/commercial, the vlog, the podcast, and the radio drama.

SLP and Reading Interventionist: A Powerful Partnership

~Theresa Smith, MS, CCC-SLP

A successful partnership between a speech-language pathologist and a reading interventionist benefits students in fluency, language, speech sound production, and voice. Exploring the etiology of why students may present with certain challenges in reading through the scope of speech and language offers an opportunity to combine reading intervention with strategies utilized to improve the quality of student communication during speech sessions. My purpose is to provide a foundational background of how speech-language pathology can improve students' reading skills by providing an awareness of how these challenges may affect reading success and strategies to improve reading fluency and comprehension.

Plan Your Best Lessons Ever: EMPOWER Your Teaching with Guided Inquiry, Working towards Equity, Diversity and Social Justice

~Dr. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm

This workshop introduces the mental model of EMPOWER for planning and implementing transformational teaching. These 7 must-make moves (Envision, Map, Prime, Orient, Walkthrough, Extend/Explore, Reflect) mirror the underlying architecture of all guided inquiry and cognitive apprenticeship approaches, and capture the most recent insights about teaching from across the learning sciences in the areas of engagement, optimal experience, capacity building, deliberate practice, development of expertise, and working to support SEL. EMPOWER promotes engagement, joy, deep reading and understanding, and makes differentiation and equity (getting every learner what they need when they need it) achievable for teachers and learners.

Using Early Literacy as a Vehicle to Meeting Ambitious and Achievable Goals for Students with Significant Needs

~Nicole Aldworth, Janet Budney

Join us for this interactive session to ground our beliefs of students with significant needs as capable and competent learners. We will utilize learning progressions and age-anchored tools to connect students' current skill levels to age expected standards. Critical early literacy experiences to engage all of our preschool students in joyful learning will be discussed.

The Multicultural Read Aloud Project
~Amy D. Davis, Ph.D

The Multicultural Read Aloud Project is one where undergraduate preservice teachers enrolled in a CLD/ELL instructional methods course participated as part of a course assignment. Participants selected a children’s picture book with a culturally diverse theme and planned and implemented a read aloud that incorporated vocabulary selection and instruction, higher-order thinking questions, and a student response structure that included both writing and speaking. After practicing with their peers during class time, participants implemented their read aloud with students and completed an 11-question survey. The preliminary findings for the 2022-23 academic school year are outlined in this paper.

The Importance of Regulation During Explicit Reading Instruction and Strategies to Get There
~Donna Fabian

For students of any age to be successful and learn, they need to be regulated. Dr. Bruce Perry explains regulation as being in balance. Regulation is also vitally important for staff. The presenter, who is an NME (Neurosequential Model in Education) trainer, will share strategies that educators can use to get students ready to use their cortexes and actively engage in learning. Students are prepared to be engaged if their education setting provides them with the "Six R's"-relevant, rhythmic, repetitive, relational, rewarding and respectful. This interactive session will introduce strategies in the “Six R’s” that can be infused into any reading classroom. Co-regulating techniques such as breathing will be modeled and practiced.

Supporting Beginning Readers with TeachingBooks
~Mary Ellen Graf *Change -Kym Davick will be presenting

Discover exceptional texts to support and supplement early literacy instruction. While underscoring phonics, phonological awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, you can now use TeachingBooks to identify popular picture books by more than a dozen phonics and phonetic awareness classifications (vowel and consonant sounds, alliteration, rhyming, and more). Additionally, you will have worksheets for each book to extend reading instruction in the library, home, or classroom. TeachingBooks is provided to all Wisconsin schools, public libraries, universities, and residents through BadgerLink, Wisconsin’s Online Library funded by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Teaching Tough Topics Through the Power of Picture Books
~Jennifer Koss

This session is for secondary teachers who seek to engage their students with some of history's most challenging topics. Picture books are not just for young children; they can open the door to deep conversations and profound understanding for older students. We will explore books that address complex subjects like the Holocaust, slavery, Native American boarding schools, and Japanese internment camps. Discover how these stories can serve as entry points for discussions about historical events and their lasting impact, and foster empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper connection to the material. Through interactive activities and practical strategies, you'll learn how to effectively integrate these picture books into your classroom.

Literacy Engagement and the Impacts on Literacy Development~Nicole Smith

In this session, participants will learn about the importance of literacy engagement and the impacts it has on literacy development. Participants will learn and discuss how to support intrinsic motivation and increase literacy engagement in the classroom. Through discussion and hands-on experiences, attendees will understand how to use a reading continuum and high-quality literature as a tool for exploring big ideas and questions with their students. They will walk away with ideas to engage students in differentiated literacy activities in which students use literacy to better understand and communicate with others, their communities, and themselves.

11:15 - 12:30

Breakout Session B

Writers Read Better: Strategies to Maximize Reading and Writing
~M. Colleen Cruz

For years teachers have known that reading can lift and accelerate student writing. Less explored is leveraging writing to lift reading. In this workshop, Colleen will begin by discussing the research behind the often-untapped method of using writing instruction to support reading success. She will then explore how from phonics to fluency, to deep comprehension, tackling some of the trickiest-to-teach reading skills and content from grades K-8 can be more successful when first approached through writing. You will have an opportunity to explore a range of classroom-ready strategies and leave with energizing ideas you can use in your classroom right away – plus resources to help make it all go smoothly. Join us if you are interested in making your literacy instruction more effective, symbiotic, and efficient.

Bring Magic into Your Writing Curriculum by Teaching Fantasy Writing, Grades K-3
~Carl Anderson

For students of any age to be successful and learn, they need to be regulated. Dr. Bruce Perry explains regulation as being in balance. Regulation is also vitally important for staff. The presenter, who is an NME (Neurosequential Model in Education) trainer, will share strategies that educators can use to get students ready to use their cortexes and actively engage in learning. Students are prepared to be engaged if their education setting provides them with the "Six R's"-Fantasy is the genre that students most want to write, yet rarely get the opportunity to do so in school. In this lively and practical session that’s based on his new book, Teaching Fantasy Writing: Lessons that Inspire Student Engagement and Creativity, Carl Anderson will explain how to teach this high-engagement genre that will accelerate students’ growth as writers, help them meet writing standards, and develop their creativity skills. Carl will discuss wonderful fantasy mentor texts and where to find them. And he’ll detail lessons that will help students create intricate fantasy worlds, and write well-crafted, beautiful fantasy stories set in them. You’ll leave the session equipped to go on an exciting new journey with your students!

SORRY THIS SESSION HAS BEEN CANCELEDThe Moth Education Program: Storytelling for the Classroom~Melissa Brown - The Moth Education Program

The Moth works with educators who want to use Moth-style storytelling techniques in their classrooms and communities. Our goal is to further the impact that true, personal storytelling can have on student engagement and school community. Student storytelling can challenge dominant narratives about young people's lives while developing new ways for students to listen to each other in classroom spaces. Come learn strategies to make spaces for your students to share what they want to tell. This workshop is for you, whether you're an experienced teacher looking to fine-tune new strategies, or a curious newcomer eager to learn more about Moth storytelling.

The Global Flow of Narrow Literacy Discourses and Instructional Practices
~Catherine Compton-Lilly

This session is for secondary teachers who seek to engage their students with some of history's most challenging topics. Picture books are not just for young children; they can open the door to deep conversations and profound understanding for older students. We will explore books that address complex subjects like the Holocaust, slavery, Native American boarding schools, and Japanese internment camps. Discover how these stories can serve as entry points for discussions about historical events and their lasting impact, and foster empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper connection to the material. Through interactive activities and practical strategies, you'll learn how to effectively integrate these picture books into your classroom.

Cloud-busting Data-driven Delusions for Better Learning and Development
~Dr. George G. Hruby

In this session, Dr. Hruby will lead a deep think on the categories we use to track student differences. Which are helpful (and to whom)? Which are harmful? Might newer measures prove beneficial? Above all, how do we get obsessive assessment policies off the necks of our students to advance their learning and support their unique life trajectories? On anything we can measure students on, they differ—not only between one another but also each to themself over time. The few variables we choose to track are constrained by the methods researchers have developed, yet the resulting group averages and trends suggest an imaginary “normality” to which individual children are compared. Societal, cultural, and ideological intuitions nudge our choices every step of the way. Developing a sense of how to use these imagined abstractions responsibly is a necessary corrective to for-profit data-mania and standardized curricula.

Engage, Enjoy, Extend: Expanding Language and Writing Complexity Through Authentic Conversations
~Elizabeth “Betsy” Kaye

Looking for literature ideas for your classroom? Books that engage and entertain, delight and inspire, affirm and inform are the focus of this Oral language is foundational for literacy learning. All children have language strengths, whether they are English-only speakers or emergent bilinguals. Participants will explore how to expand oral language through conversation to foster the complexity in writing that supports early literacy learning. Participants will discuss video clips of teaching interactions that support language expansion and writing. as we highlight selected books for grades K-5 from "CCBC Choices 2025," the most recent best-of-the-year list from the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC). The CCBC is a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serves as a statewide children’s and young adult literature book examination and resource center.

Digital Storytelling, Literacy, the Future: A Combustion!
~Brett Pierce

If today’s global dialogue is happening mostly inside of digital platforms, from YouTube to Twitter to Instagram, are we preparing students to meaningfully participate in this expansive sphere of knowledge? The answer is mostly: No. In this talk, I make the case for establishing meaningful, thoughtful digital storytelling as a standard, best practice in schools, in short, a ‘writing’ literacy unto itself, in deep dialogue with text-based literacy. How to do this? The process of guiding students to re-invent curricular content inside of a digital story – be it a mystery, a radio drama, a special news report or a personal vlog – is organically engaging, fun, and deeply educational. It’s a portal into meaningful participation in the digital sphere. It’s a portal into internalizing the structure and power of story. It’s a portal into students owning the curricular content: into creating knowledge. And it’s a portal into practicing the necessary ‘human skills’ that will be needed to succeed in a world of omnipresent change.

National Board Certification - A Journey You Should Consider!
~Cyntha Slavish

Are you interested in becoming a National Board Certified Teacher? Find out why you should certify, what the certification process involves, and what support is available.

SLP and Reading Interventionist: A Powerful Partnership
~Theresa Smith

A successful partnership between a speech-language pathologist and a reading interventionist benefits students in fluency, language, speech sound production, and voice. Exploring the etiology of why students may present with certain challenges in reading through the scope of speech and language offers an opportunity to combine reading intervention with strategies utilized to improve the quality of student communication during speech sessions. My purpose is to provide a foundational background of how speech-language pathology can improve students' reading skills by providing an awareness of how these challenges may affect reading success and strategies to improve reading fluency and comprehension.

Diving Deep into Nonfiction (and Fiction) Texts with Readers Rules of Notice
~Dr. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm

This interactive workshop explores how to motivate and assist students to more expertly read nonfiction and fiction texts of all kinds! Using Peter Rabinowitz’s notion of "readers rules of notice," students will learn to notice the topics of conversation taken up by nonfiction and fiction texts and discern the key details and
organizational structures used to communicate meaning about these topics. We will model and use teaching techniques like using visual texts, think alouds, reading like a writer/writing like a reader, practicing in miniature, questioning strategies like KEEP!, and the topic-comment strategy for identifying main idea. We will also explore the use of rules of notice for the teaching of all forms of composition.

Reciprocity: It’s More Than Letters and Words
~Tracee Farmer

Reciprocity is more than item knowledge. Clay wrote that “teaching proceeds on the assumption that each [reading, writing, talking] produces learned responses that facilitate new responding in other areas” (Clay, 2016). Explore how to teach for reciprocity at the processing level to support acceleration.

Nurturing Early Language & Literacy Development Through Collaborative Partnerships
~Stacy Gray, Robyn Bindrich

This session offers an opportunity to review the 2023 Wisconsin Act 20 requirements and related resources developed by the Wisconsin Department of Instruction in collaboration with educational partners. Participants will discuss the nine science-based early literacy components with specific examples of how considerations for language and culture can be embedded into related learning experiences. Engagement opportunities will be provided throughout the session to support shared learning among attendees and facilitators.

Engagement: The Key Factor in Student Achievement and Schoolwide Literacy Success
~Matt Renwick

Research across the educational field cites student engagement as critical for supporting student literacy success and more equitable school outcomes. The literature can be synthesized into the following elements of literacy engagement: 1. Trust and Relationships 2. Relevant and Meaningful Curriculum 3. Student Autonomy and Choice 4. Supportive and Flexible Learning Environment 5. Addressing Social and Emotional Needs 6. High Expectations and Support 7. Community and Family Engagement. Participants will use this framework for literacy engagement to create a plan for implementing these elements in their classrooms and schools. The results can lead to achieving the goals we have for all of our students.

Great New Books for K-5 Classrooms
~Megan Schliesman and Merri Lindgren

Looking for literature ideas for your classroom? Books that engage and entertain, delight and inspire, affirm and inform are the focus of this session as we highlight selected books for grades K-5 from "CCBC Choices 2025," the most recent best-of-the-year list from the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC). The CCBC is a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serves as a statewide children’s and young adult literature book examination and resource center.

12:30 - 2:00

Lunch

2:15 - 3:30

Breakout Session C

The “Science of Reading” and the Educational Reform Movement: Actors, Networks, and Agendas
~Dr. Elena Aydarova

A wave of science of reading (SOR) reforms that swept across the US raises the question of how those policies were conceptualized and by whom. Drawing on the findings of a comparative case study, this talk will consider the ties between organizations influential in SOR decision-making and the private sector, venture philanthropy, and conservative educational reform movements. The talk interrogates the roles different advocates play and agendas they pursue through their advocacy efforts.

SORRY! THIS SESSION HAS BEEN CANCELEDThe Moth Education Program: Storytelling for the Classroom
~Melissa Brown - The Moth Education Program

The Moth works with educators who want to use Moth-style storytelling techniques in their classrooms and communities. Our goal is to further the impact that true, personal storytelling can have on student engagement and school community. Student storytelling can challenge dominant narratives about young people's lives while developing new ways for students to listen to each other in classroom spaces. Come learn strategies to make spaces for your students to share what they want to tell. This workshop is for you, whether you're an experienced teacher looking to fine-tune new strategies, or a curious newcomer eager to learn more about Moth storytelling.

Reconsidering the Science of Reading through an Equity Lens
~Catherine Compton-Lilly

While advocates of the Science of Reading maintain that providing all children with a strong foundation in phonics will alleviate achievement disparities for children from historically underserved backgrounds, this presentation problematizes that argument. Specifically, Compton-Lilly asks, how can a single approach to teaching reading be the solution for children from a vast range of cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic and experiential backgrounds? This presentation will draw on decades of research to highlight how diversity and history affect learning to read and propose solutions that highlight the need for teacher responsivity and sensitivity to differences.

Emotions, Stress, and Learning to Read
~Dr. Andy Johnson

This session offers an opportunity to review the 2023 Wisconsin Act 20 requirements and related resources developed by the Wisconsin Department of Instruction in collaboration with educational partners. Participants will discuss the nine science-based early literacy components with specific examples of We teach real human beings in our classrooms with real human emotions. Positive emotions enhance learning; however, negative emotions (including stress) can impede children’s abilities to learn as well as teachers’ abilities to teach effectively. This session will examine the physiological and psychological impact of stress and other negative emotions. It will provide a variety of strategies for reducing the stress and negative emotions that students and teachers often experience. We will also address mental health issues as they pertain to both students and teachers. considerations for language and culture can be embedded into related learning experiences. Engagement opportunities will be provided throughout the session to support shared learning among attendees and facilitators.

Reclaiming Our Teacher Expertise: Charting Diverse Paths for Literacy Learners
~Elizabeth “Betsy” Kaye

Young children deserve the expert, focused teaching that knowledgeable educators strive to provide their students amidst the looming pressures of one-size-fits-all curricular mandates. This session explores the ways teachers can utilize the power of careful observation, knowledge of their students, and authentic literacy experiences to support early literacy learning. In this way, teachers continually deepen their connections between theory and practice with each unique student they teach AND reclaim the joy in teaching.

Good Books That Promote Literacy and Lift Native American People and Their Culture!
~Ron Duff Martin

Finding the right resources isn't always easy, especially when the literature is about a group of people, their culture and identity. Learn about some great resources available to help educators better understand Native Americans and to help non-Native young people better understand and appreciate Native people today. Identify resources for classrooms and school libraries to help Native students see themselves in the school environment and create a sense of pride in who they are and where they came from. This session will also allow participants to learn a bit about Native Americans in Wisconsin.

National Board Certification - A Journey You Should Consider!
~Cyntha Slavish

Are you interested in becoming a National Board Certified Teacher? Find out why you should certify, what the certification process involves, and what support is available.

We Are All Screenagers: Navigating Issues of Social Media and Mental Health
~Dr. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm

This interactive session will review recent research into the mental health of children and teens and how depression, anxiety, and other issues are influenced by social media use and a lack of faith in reliable information and how to discern it. We will then consider how to promote classroom cultures that promote mutual respect and healthy dialogue around contentious issues, that build community and resilience, and that value understanding and respect how knowledge is constituted and justified in journalism and in disciplines like science and social science. Then we proceed to developing and using tools for considering the difference between traditional and digital texts and how to read digital texts in ways that promote mental health.

Responsive Word Work
~Tracee Farmer, Ph.D.

Teachers need to select word work that can be transferred to reading and writing to support acceleration. What data might impact what word work is selected? How does word work support processing and independent problem-solving? We'll examine these questions and more in this interactive session through the use of student data and videos.

Partnering for Comprehensive Literacy
~Stacy Gray, Robyn Bindrich

Students in Wisconsin deserve access to high-quality and relevant comprehensive literacy instruction. A review of data reveals significant opportunities to strengthen literacy teaching, learning, and collaboration. Wisconsin’s statewide literacy needs assessment survey identified a need to enhance awareness of literacy resources, professional learning, and partnership opportunities offered by the WI Department of Public Instruction. To advance equitable literacy outcomes, educational systems developed through relationships with critical literacy partners must be considered. Join this interactive session to learn about how the WI DPI is promoting literacy partnerships and co-developing resources that can be applied in school communities.

Collaborative Learning: Make Your Classroom Work Itself~Erika Oskins

In this hands-on learning experience we will dive into learning strategies that make learning visible and give students responsibility and autonomy over their learning. These collaborative learning activities address the academic rigor needed to engage and cultivate depth of knowledge, cultivate curiosity, promote research, and address social-emotional competencies. Multiple targets create an optimal learning environment in one activity.

Great New Books for 6-12 Classrooms
~Megan Schliesman and Merri Lindgren

Looking for literature ideas for your classroom? Books that engage and entertain, delight and inspire, affirm and inform are the focus of this session as we highlight selected books for grades 6-12 from "CCBC Choices 2025," the most recent best-of-the-year list from the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC). The CCBC is a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serves as a statewide children’s and young adult literature book examination and resource center.

Empowering Agents of Change Through the Use of Social Justice Literature
~Nichole Smith

This workshop will showcase experiential learning paired with social justice literature as a foundation for interactive read-alouds and interactive writing. The benefits include growth in literacy knowledge, skills, and engagement, formation of a strong classroom community, awareness of diversity and social justice issues, and a sense of agency. After discussing examples from the literacy engagement action research, participants will explore other social justice literature while creating and sharing ideas to use in their school and community.

Guide for Engaging Lit Circles
~Claire Zagar

Imagine a classroom where you can feel your students' excitement over what they are reading and SEE the evidence of their critical thinking. Through the use of high interest lit circles, this can become a reality. This session will walk through a step-by-step guide for structuring the before, during, and after lit circles unit, and how you could realistically implement this in your classroom this year.