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Beyond Cold-calling: Voice in the ELA Classroom
(Middle - Upper Levels)
Amanda Brewer & Chelsea Everly-Orman
Room #152
"Learning floats on a sea of talk." Educators know this to be true, but too often students' voices are not heard in the classroom. There may be many reasons why students do not speak (anxiety, fear of being wrong, being tuned out, or not knowing how to respond). While we can't always know their reasons, we can set classroom conditions that value student talk and encourage students to use their voices. Participants will leave the session having engaged in multiple ways to bring student voices into their classrooms.
Dr. Brewer has taught pre-service English teachers for the past four years at UCM. Prior to that, she taught 7th, 8th, and 10th grade ELA for 11 years.

Ms. Everly-Orman taught high school English for 7 years. For the past 8 years, she has been teaching composition and pre-service high school English teachers.

Gateway to Learning: Place-Based Writing at the Arch
(High School)
Christina Andrade Melly
Room #153
How does a test-prep unit grow from snooze-worthy to authentic, critical, engaging, and even fun in less than three years? Join this session to learn how our sophomore ELA courses used source-based writing, place-based writing, and primary sources to explore students’ identities, expand their argument writing skills, practice their criticality, and experience joy as they visited the top of the Gateway Arch for the first time. Participants will also test drive source-based writing exercises to engage student writers at all levels.
Christina Andrade Melly is a kindergarten through master’s degree graduate of Missouri public schools, attending the Ritenour School District and University of Missouri before returning to teach at her alma mater. She is a Gateway Writing Project teacher-consultant and teacher-writer alongside her high school students. Serving as the 2023 Missouri Teacher of the Year taught her that student and teacher stories can change the conversation around public education: her joy is amplifying their voices.

Do the Write Thing: Dedicating Time to the Writing Process through Play & Place
(All Levels & Positions)
Diana Hammond & Tracy Brosch
Room # 140-Library
Come to this session and give yourself the gift of some writing time! In this session, participants will experience play and place-based writing activities and reflect on opportunities to integrate these concepts in their school contexts.
Diana Hammond has taught English and ESL at the middle, high school, and college levels and currently works as a teacher educator, literacy grant coordinator, and co-director of the Gateway Writing Project.
Tracy Brosch co-directs the Gateway Writing Project at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. Most of her career, she’s taught English and loves all things tech related. Currently, she is a teacher educator and doctoral student studying teaching and learning processes.

Mapping the Way to Literacy Success in Small Groups: A Collaborative Approach
(Elementary & Support Faculty)
Mindy McBride & Ann McLaughlin
Room #152
This interactive session empowers K–2 educators with practical strategies for implementing orthographic mapping in small group literacy instruction. Participants will engage in hands-on activities, explore research-based practices, and collaborate with peers to design personalized action plans. Emphasizing the importance of teacher and student collaboration, this session equips educators to build stronger literacy foundations and increase student outcomes through high-yield, developmentally appropriate instruction.

Mindy McBride and Ann McLaughlin are experienced educators and current doctoral candidates in Teacher Leadership at Maryville University. Together, they bring over 30 years of experience in early childhood and primary education. They have a deep expertise in literacy, math, SEL and instructional leadership. Their work centers on teacher growth through collaboration, coaching, and equity-focused practices. Grounded in research and relationships, Mindy and Ann believe empowered teachers lead to stronger schools and improved student outcomes.

Structuring and Running Book Clubs & Using Socratic Seminar Format for Discussions
(Middle School)
Mindy Resnick
Room # 153
This two-part session will explore effective strategies for implementing Book Clubs and student-led discussions in the middle school classroom.
In the first segment, we will examine how to structure Book Clubs using the Reading Workshop model. Participants will receive Google Slide decks, mini-lessons, and collaborative learning strategies, which we will actively practice together.
In the second segment, we will focus on facilitating student-led discussions through the Socratic Seminar format, promoting deeper critical thinking. Participants will receive structural materials, real-world examples, and opportunities for hands-on practice.
By the end of the session, you will have a comprehensive collection of resources and strategies to integrate into your own classroom.
Mindy Resnick:20 years in the classroom6, 7, 8th grade English Language ArtsCurrently teaching ELA 8 & Honors ELA 8 in the Francis Howell School DistrictTrained in Kagan Collaborative Learning StrategiesMaster’s Degree in Curriculum & DevelopmentNational Board CertifiedNational Board Candidate Support Provider for Francis Howell School DistrictMember of MNEA

The Pinnacles and Pitfalls of PBL in ELA: One Teacher's Journey
(Middle - Upper Levels)
Andi Dubitsky
Room # 155
Experience and evidence tell us that problem-based learning is one of today's strongest and most critical pedagogies teachers can provide students, but it is also one of the most difficult to learn and implement. This session includes one high school ELA teacher's journey through a year of PBL units, highlighting the high points and offering collaboration to raise up the low points.
As a teacher with as many years experience as her teenage students have been alive, Andi Dubitsky brings candor, humor, and immediately actionable instructional strategies that serve students and teachers alike. She believes lifelong learning is the fountain of youth and is always seeking new strategies and voices to enrich the lives of those with whom she works. In her free time, Andi enjoys chauffeuring, doodle-walking, reading scholarly research, and writing APA-formatted papers.

AI as a Thinking Partner: Teaching Students to Engage, Prompt, and Revise
(Upper Level)
Justin Scheuer
Room # 152
How can we contextualize AI as a thinking partner rather than a glorified search engine? This session explores the art of inquiry in AI-assisted writing, showing educators how to teach effective prompting, iterative dialogue, and AI as a tool for revision and learning. Walk away with practical strategies to help students ask better questions, refine their work, and engage AI as an active writing partner.
Justin Scheuer has been an educator for 17 years, inspiring students through theatre, literature, and storytelling. He spent 11 years at Bentonville High School, where he taught International Baccalaureate Theatre, acting, mythology, and dramatic literature. Currently, he is in his sixth year at Eureka High School, where he teaches theatre, creative writing, and science fiction literature. Justin has directed over 40 productions. His own creative work as a writer includes a one-person show based on Chekhov’s "The Seagull", which premiered at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. He is currently pursuing his EdD at Maryville University.

We're All Authors!: Publishing a Class Book with Studentreasures
(All Levels)
Kristen deJong
Room # 153
In this session participants will explore the process of how to guide students into becoming real, published authors through the company Studentreasures. Publishing a class book is a great way to connect ideas across many content areas (such as writing about a social studies or science topic), celebrate student successes and autonomy during the writing process, and even involve families in creating the final product. The kit of book materials is completely free and sent directly from Studentreasures, but there is also an option to publish online for the older grades. Students/families can also order a personal copy of the book to keep.
This session will give teachers an opportunity to learn more about what the publishing process entails, the time to sign up for a kit for the future school year, and engage in meaningful writing activities/brainstorming with one another to prepare their students for success.
Kristen is a National Board Certified Teacher that has worked at the elementary level for the past 10 years in both kindergarten and second grade. She also currently serves as the K-2 ELA curriculum chair in her building. Kristen completed her Bachelor's degree in Elem. Education at Mississippi State University and Master's degree in Literacy through Missouri State University. In 2022, Kristen was named the District Teacher of the Year. Her passions in this profession include all things literacy, supporting student and teacher growth, and bringing back the joy in teaching.

Cooking Up A Reader: The Essential Ingredients for Student-Driven Learning
(Upper Levels & Support Faculty)
Amy Leatherberry
Room # 154
Now more than ever, we need readers. We need curious young people capable of expansive imagination, critical thinking, and empathetic leadership, who understand that reading is one of the most powerful tools they have to make sense of the world and shape their place in it. But how do we get there? How do we move a classroom of students from passive compliance to a vibrant community of readers? This session will explore how student-driven reading goals and authentic assessment empower students to take ownership of their reading lives, build durable habits, and engage with texts in ways that matter to them. Participants will leave with practical strategies to foster a culture where students see themselves as capable, self-directed readers.
I began my career in Wellston through Teach for America. When the district was shuttered, I was hired at Kirkwood. In my 17 year career, I’ve taught a variety of grade levels and across a variety of contexts including alternative settings and Honors settings. In 2020, I moved to the library where I continue to focus on my passion of showing young people how to use stories to making meaning of their lives.

A.1 | The Power of the Sentence: Joyful Syntax Instruction for Stronger Readers and Writers
(All Levels)
Melanie Meehan
Room #151
Syntax matters, and sentences are the building blocks of every piece of writing. Therefore, students' ability to understand and construct complex sentences plays a critical role in both reading comprehension and written expression. In this session, participants will explore efficient, classroom-friendly routines that develop syntactic awareness. Attendees will leave with practical, use-tomorrow tools that inspire students to build stronger sentences, deepen comprehension, and communicate their ideas with greater precision and attention to craft.

Melanie’s professional life is based on her passionate belief that every child can write. Melanie recently retired from her position as the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator, and she opened The Writing Clinic, an in-person and online center for inspiring and nurturing competent, confident, and joyful young writers.

Keep Generating: Continuing the Conversation about AI in Education
(All Levels)
Troy Hicks & Andy Schoenborn
Room #140-Library
Please bring your questions and ideas from the keynote straight into this follow-up conversation. Here we can discuss some of the tools shared in the keynote in more detail, connect more directly to your classroom practice, and look at more examples of student work. You will help make this session happen, so please come prepared to interact, learn, and think about how to integrate AI into your instruction as we continue to create confident writers.
Dr. Troy Hicks is a professor of English and education at Central Michigan University, where he serves as Acting Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Services. He also directs the Chippewa River Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project, and collaborates with K–12 colleagues to explore how they implement newer literacies in their classrooms. Dr. Hicks speaks regularly at conferences, workshops, and webinars, and has authored, co-authored, and edited many resources including 16 books, and dozens of articles, chapters, blog posts, and other media broadly related to the teaching of literacy in our digital age.

Andy Schoenborn is an award-winning author and teacher in Michigan at Clare Public Schools. He focuses his work on progressive literacy methods including student-centered critical thinking, digital collaboration, and professional development. He is a past president of the Michigan Reading Association, a two-time past president of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English, and a Teacher Consultant for the Chippewa River Writing Project. His first book, co-authored with Dr. Troy Hicks, Creating Confident Writers was published in 2020. Find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andy.schoenborn or on Bluesky @aschoenborn.bsky.social.

The Morpheme Year: Two Schools' Teacher-Led Literacy Initiatives and The Results
(Middle - Upper Levels + Support Faculty)
Andi Dubitsky & Catrina Kaiser
Room # 151
In 2024-2025, two ELA teachers in separate buildings and secondary grade levels led literacy initiatives focused on increasing reading comprehension. Scholarly literature suggests that students lack basic decoding skills, but teaching phonics to 10th graders? This would not fly. Instead, the initiative focused on teaching word parts. This session will detail the two initiatives. Attendees will receive digital access to all resources discussed.
As a teacher with as many years experience as her teenage students have been alive, Andi Dubitsky brings candor, humor, and immediately actionable instructional strategies that serve students and teachers alike. She believes lifelong learning is the fountain of youth and is always seeking new strategies and voices to enrich the lives of those with whom she works. In her free time, Andi enjoys chauffeuring, doodle-walking, reading scholarly research, and writing APA-formatted papers.

I'm a middle school teacher with 15 years of experience, including 4 years teaching 5-8 Social Studies and 11 years teaching 8th grade English. I'm a voracious reader with a love of learning and am always open to trying new things.

Connecting the Dots: I See You, You See Me...We See Each Other
(All Levels & Positions)
Tene' ya Buchanan, M.A. Ed.
Room # 152
Connecting the Dots: I See You, You See Me...We See Each Other will help teachers foster a connection to literacy and learning through culturally diverse practices for the classroom.
Tene'ya Buchanan, M.A. Ed., is a dedicated educator with 15 years of experience and a deep passion for reading and lifelong learning. She understands the critical role of effective literacy instruction in shaping young minds and is committed to fostering a love for reading in students. With a strong belief in the transformative power of literacy, Tene'ya strives to empower learners and drive meaningful change in education.

Voice & Silence: Using Non-traditional Texts to Showcase the Power of Storytelling
(Middle - Upper Levels)
Andria Benmuvhar
Room # 153
When challenged on teaching works beyond canonical or traditional texts, often teachers are confronted by two r's: rigor and relevance. This presentation will highlight how middle and high school teachers can incorporate non-traditional texts, specifically graphic novels and novels-in-verse, into their curriculum while instilling rigorous analytical skills.  This shift to non-traditional texts also provides an opportunity to examine the power of storytelling and how certain texts can give voice to those who are silenced. Teachers will have the opportunity to practice the analytical steps students are asked to complete with excerpts from graphic novels and novels-in-verse. They will also leave the presentation with materials to practically apply these components in their classes.
This year Andria Benmuvhar finished her 23rd year of teaching English at the high school level. The past 12 years she has taught mostly freshmen and senior English classes at Parkway West High School. She went through the Gateway Writing Project Summer Institute in 2005 and has been an active GWP TC since then, taking part in additional work and presenting at several conferences. She also serves as an Instructional Coach for teachers in their first three years of teaching in Parkway. Outside of school life she is a mom of two boys--one soon starting middle school and the other soon to be a senior in high school.

Arguing for Collaboration Across the Disciplines: Sharing Literacy Conference Learning with your Non-ELA Colleagues
(Middle - Upper Levels + Support Faculty)
Renee Stites Kruep & Cassandra Smith
Room # 154
How often do you sit in sessions at a literacy conference and think, “my math/science/social studies teachers need to hear this! They need to do this!”? You’re thinking that because they should–-all teachers are responsible for all students and their literacy development. Since 2018, the Linking Science, Math, and Literacy for ALL Learners (LSM&L4AL) program, funded by a National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award, has worked with middle school science, math, special education, and English teachers to develop multimodal STEM text sets and implement interdisciplinary inquiry units about high-interest topics like climate change, bee pollination, the dangers of vaping, and the impact of scientists like Dr. Patricia Bath. These interdisciplinary units open up a line of collaboration with your colleagues, a chance to apply literacy skills across the content areas, and an opportunity for our students to practice and learn important skills in authentic contexts. In this session, we’ll unpack key literacy skills of reading and argumentation from the perspectives of different disciplines, share suggestions for collaboration across disciplines, and offer strategies for working with your non-ELA colleagues.
Renee Stites Kruep is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum at the University of Missouri. She draws on over a decade of teaching middle and high school English as well as leading curriculum redesign and professional development. Dr. Kruep primarily teaches graduate level literacy and English courses and is also the coordinator of the online Master’s of Education in Literacy Education program. Dr. Kruep serves as a professional development consultant for Linking Science, Math, and Literacy for All Learners, a CAEP reviewer for the National Council of Teachers of English, and a reviewer for NCTE and ALAN journals. Her academic interests, publications, and conference presentations include topics such as sustaining teachers through quality professional learning, young adult literature, and growing communities of readers among teachers and adolescents.

Cassandra Smith, PhD is a postdoctoral fellow in Special Education at the University of Missouri. She has been a member of the Linking Science, Math, & Literacy for All Learners team since 2019. Her research focuses on identifying, developing, and disseminating evidence-based algebra instruction and intervention practices for secondary students with disabilities. This includes supporting pre-service and in-service teachers implement evidence-based mathematics practices.

Empowering Readers: Strength-Based Interventions to Build Self-Efficacy and Agency
(Interventionist)
Julie Paur & Jacquelyn Higgins
Room # 140-Library
How can we help students see themselves as capable, confident readers? In this interactive session, we will explore reading interventions that build self-efficacy and agency by leveraging student strengths. Participants will engage in restorative circles, experience firsthand how these practices support literacy goals, and walk away with practical tools—including goal-setting forms and strategies—to foster motivation, independence, and success for all readers.
Julie Paur is the district Literacy Coordinator for the School District of Clayton in St. Louis, MO, and serves as the Chair of the St. Louis Language Arts Regional Consortium. In her twenty-three years in education, Julie has taught in intermediate and middle grades, provided literacy interventions for K-5, mentored new teachers, coached at the building and district levels, wrote curriculum, and led professional development in literacy. She is also an adjunct instructor at Webster University, working with undergraduate and graduate students. Julie is passionate about students finding a love of literacy and becoming lifelong learners.

Jackie Higgins is an elementary reading specialist for the School District of Clayton in St. Louis, MO. She is passionate about knowing each student as an individual and meeting their social-emotional needs while providing targeted reading interventions. Jackie believes that connection and belonging are key to helping students grow and develop a love of reading. In her 19 years of teaching, she has taught Kindergarten through fifth grade in both classroom and intervention settings, co-taught literacy groups with the school social worker to support students’ well-being, served on literacy and equity committees, written curriculum, and led professional development in literacy.

Moving Past the Theme Essay by Embracing Student Passion (In This New Land of AI)
(All Teachers)
Gwyndolyn Savens
Room # 151
Sick of reading 60 theme essays that all say the same thing-- but your district still requires them? Worried that students are borrowing ideas from AI? In this session, participants will walk through a synthesis experience that moves past the traditional theme essay. Participants will learn simple ways to activate a student’s interests before getting the change to exploring a sample unit.
Gwyn Savens has been teaching for over 20 years in two states, 3 schools, and grades 6-11. She currently teaches in the Gifted department at Webster Groves High School. She has been a Gateway Writing Project TC for almost 15 years and has presented at regional Writing Project conferences and NCTE. She is most excited about learning with others -- especially her students. She has been known to write some poetry and dance (just not at the same time).

Staying True to the Heart of Teaching Writing: How to Avoid Over-Scaffolding and Support Writers with Hope and Agency
(All Teachers & Support Faculty)
Jessica Ostrich, Katie Syrett, Shannon Roe, Sarah Valter
Room #140-Library
Are you ready to demystify the concept of 'scaffolding' in writing? In this session, we will explore its impact on student learning and offer strategies to avoid over-scaffolding. Dive into practical approaches that align with the essence of a writing workshop, empowering educators to foster independent writers who can apply their skills in the real world.
We are a passionate team of educators from the Lindbergh School District, dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of every student while fostering our own professional growth. Committed to innovation and lifelong learning, we are excited to share our ideas and collaborate with fellow educators.

Inspire a Love of Literary:  Create a Culture of Readers
(Middle School)
Mrs. Suzanne Whitford
Room # 151
Transform reading for all students by learning strategies to improve independent reading routines. Using ideas implemented from Book Love by Penny Kittle, discover manageable ways to track student reading, set literacy goals, and engage in student conferences that will positively ignite a love of reading and create a culture of readers. Session will include suggestions for how this can vertically align from 6th-8th grade ELA classrooms.
Suzanne Whitford is currently a 6th grade language arts teacher in the Rockwood School District, with previous experience teaching in both 5th and 8th grade. She is former middle school teacher of the year, and two time building teacher of the year, and leader of several district initiatives.

Every Teacher Is a Literacy Teacher: Practical Strategies for Daily Lessons
(All Teachers)
Matt Loomis
Room # 152
In this session, participants will be introduced to numerous structured literacy practices that can be quickly and easily implemented in all classrooms in order to develop content knowledge, facilitate critical thinking, assess student achievement, and improve reading fluency and comprehension. Attendees will have multiple opportunities for deliberate practice, meaningful collaboration, productive discussion, and active learning.
Matt Loomis is an 8th Grade Social Studies teacher at Bayless Junior High School and an experienced presenter of professional development at the district, regional, and state levels, focusing on reading and writing across the curriculum. He is dual-certified in Social Studies and English Language Arts (6-12) and believes that every teacher has the power to improve student literacy.

A.2 | Joy Is Not Optional: Teaching Foundational Skills While Preserving the Love of Reading
(Elementary)
Dr. Vanessa Howard
Room # 155
Structured literacy and foundational skills instruction are sometimes misunderstood as rigid or disconnected from student engagement. This session reframes that narrative. Participants will explore how explicit instruction in phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension can coexist with joy, cultural responsiveness, and positive reader identity. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for creating classrooms where students feel both capable and inspired.
Dr. Vanessa Howard is an award-winning literacy expert, speaker, dyslexia practitioner, and adjunct professor with a PhD in Educational Leadership and a heart for educational equity.
Her mission is to equip educators with clarity, equity, and practical tools so every child has access to high-quality reading instruction and the opportunity to thrive.

A.4 | Become a Novelist (instead of just teaching about them)
(All Teachers)
Anna Marie Riley
Room # 152
Have you ever thought of writing your own novel? Have mesmerizing characters been running around your brain with nowhere to go? Perhaps they should finally go on the page! This session will introduce you to storycraft frameworks and exciting tools that can help you finally get started on your very own novel! Come prepared to share your ideas and get supportive feedback. All participants will receive a free e-copy of the Teachers Who Write Journal, a step by step guide to take you from story idea to "Buy Now" in one academic year!
Anna is a novelist and developer of the Teachers Who Write project. After 20 years in the field of education as Dr. Amy Peach, she returned to her original love of writing. Anna writes from the ethical edge, where good people make questionable choices. Where life-altering challenges to societal norms meet the quiet mysteries of the heart. Her characters work in fascinating fields from curating centuries-old art to designing supersonic trains. Yet they experience the same joy and pain we all share. Through their eyes, readers discover the line between right and wrong isn’t just thin. It’s imaginary.

B.1 | Writing Beyond the Classroom
(All Teachers)
Melanie Meehan, Sarah Valter, & Leah Thomas
Room # 151
Join the co-authors of the Two Writing Teachers Blog for a two-part session focused on expanding joyful writing opportunities for students. Part One: Experience the power of being a teacher who writes. Participants will engage in a brief writing exercise and explore research demonstrating how teachers who write alongside their students strengthen writing instruction, identity, and engagement. Part Two: Discover ways to extend writing beyond the classroom through school-wide writing clubs and contests. We’ll share structures, lessons learned, and practical strategies for creating extracurricular writing opportunities that build community and excitement around writing.

B.2 | The Process is the Purpose: Writing in the World of AI
Handout
(Middle - Upper Level)
Andria Benmuvhar
Room # 155
When writing becomes about the product, it is easy to see how AI can enter the conversation. When all essays look the same and follow a formula, why not hand over the job of plugging in the details to an artificial intelligence? This presentation seeks to push back against the tide to return to a simple, fundamental truth: writing is about thinking. When we shift our focus from product to process, the metacognitive moves become more important. This presentation, through discussion and application, will remind teachers of the power of each stage of the writing process and how students can approach it with intentionality and reflection.
This year Andria Benmuvhar finished her 24th year of teaching English at the high school level. For the past 13 years she has taught mostly freshmen and senior English classes at Parkway West High School including College Composition and AP Literature. She went through the Gateway Writing Project Summer Institute in 2005 and has been an active GWP TC since then. She also serves as an Instructional Coach for teachers in their first three years of teaching in Parkway. Outside of school life she is a mom of two boys--one in middle school and the other soon to be heading off to his first year at Mizzou.

B.3 | Literacy Instruction Across Content Areas: Every Teacher is a Literacy Teacher
(Middle - Upper Level)
Julie Sieber
Room #152
Reading and writing aren't just skills students learn in English class — they are the tools students use to think, learn, and communicate in every discipline. This professional development session makes the case that every content-area educator plays a critical role in developing skilled, disciplinary readers and writers.
Explore teaching students to read, write, and think like scientists, historians, mathematicians, and professionals in their field. Through practical, classroom-ready strategies applicable across all grade levels and subject areas, educators will learn how to make expert thinking visible, build discipline-specific vocabulary, and use low-stakes writing as a tool to deepen content learning — without sacrificing instructional time.
Throughout my ten years in the classroom, I have primarily worked with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, focusing on building literacy skills and promoting reading engagement at the secondary level. I am currently pursuing an EdD in Learning, Teaching and Curriculum from Mizzou. I want to bridge the gap between research and practice to help other educators address the engagement and comprehension challenges I've encountered in my own classroom.

B.5 | Repurposing (Instead of Reinventing) Favorite Strategies
(Middle-Upper Level)
Diana Hammond
Room #157
We know the benefits of repeated practice, but it can be a challenge to reuse effective strategies while continuing to engage learners. In this session, participants will give new life to strategies by adapting implementation for different purposes. This approach can strengthen your scaffolds for students, build their confidence, and serve as a framework for discussing AI usage.

Diana Hammond has taught English and ESL at the middle, high school, and college levels and currently works as an assistant professor at St. Louis Community College. She also serves as co-director of the Gateway Writing Project.

C.5 | Small Moves, Big Impact: Two Difference Makers That Support Underserved Learners
(Elementary)
Mindy McBride
Room # 153
Supporting underserved students begins with the everyday interactions that shape their learning experiences. In this session, educators will be introduced to two high-leverage “difference makers” from Attuned Education that help create more responsive, inclusive classroom environments. Through guided role-play and reflection, participants will experience these practices in action and explore how small shifts in language and instructional routines can lead to stronger relationships, increased engagement, and greater access to learning for all students.
Mindy McBride is a K–2 Reading Specialist in the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District and a doctoral student in Teacher Leadership at Maryville University. With almost 20 years in education, she is passionate about helping teachers build collective efficacy through collaboration, reflective practice, and high-impact instructional structures. Mindy’s work focuses on strengthening small-group literacy instruction while keeping joy, curiosity, and student voice at the heart of learning. She believes that when educators learn together, students thrive.

D.1 | Writing, Thinking, and the Brain: How Neuroscience can Improve Writing Instruction
(All Levels)
Chris Rappleye
Room #157
Recent developments in neuroscience, cognitive psychology and educational research provide insights into how to align instruction more fully with how the brain learns: Mind, Brain and Education Science. This session will demonstrate how writing instruction can best align with this research by looking more closely at the thinking stages and neural networks involved in the writing process. This session presents writing instruction as directly coaching the thinking processes involved in writing and condenses the findings described in the book Writing, Thinking and the Brain: How Neuroscience Can Improve Writing Instruction (2024, Teachers College Press).
Chris presently holds the Ethan A. H. Shepley '41 Chair of Distinguished Teaching in English and Composition and is the past recipient of the Eleanor Church Johnson Chair of Distinguished Teaching in English. He regularly presents to teachers about research on the brain and social-emotional learning. As an advisor to students in the Upper School and a mentor to fellow teachers, he builds relationships and ensures the growth of his school community.

D.3 | The Power of a Good Sentence: Leveraging Sentence Level Instruction to Increase Background Knowledge and Reading Comprehension
Handout
(Elementary - Middle)
Sommer Burkemper
Room #155
Do you have students who struggle with writing a quality sentence (even in middle school and beyond)? Paragraphs may be littered with run-on sentences, simple sentences, random punctuation, etc. Sentences are the building blocks of paragraphs, so if we expect well written paragraphs, we need to teach well written sentences. One of the major benefits of teaching sentence activities, is that we can use the writing as a vehicle for increasing vocabulary and background knowledge, which are two key components of reading comprehension. In this session, we will explore sentence strategies such as combining and expanding to improve sentence writing skills, vocabulary, and comprehension . That's a lot of bang for your buck!
Sommer is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and Reading Specialist, with a passion for teaching students with language based learning difficulties such as Dyslexia. She is currently working toward her CALT-QI (Qualified Instructor) certification, with the goal of training more Dyslexia Therapists. She is trained in both Volume 1 and Volume 2 of LETRS and serves as a local LETRS facilitator for her school district. She loves watching the progress and confidence grow in her students each day, and adores being able to share knowledge around reading and writing instruction with fellow educators. Sommer serves as the current ALTA MO President and is eager to collaborate with others who are interested in increasing literacy gains in Missouri. Personally, she loves to read and write and is in the process of publishing her first children's book!

D.4 | Bringing Diverse Voices and Experiences into the Classroom through Primary Sources
(Middle - Upper Level)
Jen Maddock & Gwyndolyn Savens
Room # 156
Bringing diverse voices and experiences into the classroom through Primary Sources. In our contentious political climate, it can be scary to embrace diversity. This presentation evolved out of a larger two-day teacher in-service that combines Library of Congress resources and place-based experiential field-trips. This session is about the power of students interacting with primary sources and drawing their own conclusions. Teachers will learn to access primary sources from the Library of Congress website and some ways to use the sources. This session provides a framework for adding to existing units, as well as ways to structure new lessons. We were amazed by the impact of primary sources on students, and we can’t wait to share.
Jen Maddock is a teacher consultant with the Gateway Writing Project. She is a middle school teacher by trade currently supporting grant work at the University. In this role, she does professional development and creates student programming. She’s also co-created two local place-based field-trips—one at the Gateway Arch, and another, developed with Gwyndolyn through a Library of Congress grant, at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Gwyndolyn has been teaching for over two decades in grades 6-12. She currently teaches Gifted ELA at Webster Groves High School. In addition, she teaches students in the Frick Center for Civic Engagement. She recently earned a certification from the Experiential Education Academy and worked with Jen Maddock on a place-based field-trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden for the Library of Congress.

E.1 | Do the Write Thing
(All Teachers)
Tracy Brosch
Room #155
Come to this session and give yourself the gift of some writing time! In this session, participants will experience play and place-based writing activities as well as a collection of tips, tricks, and goodies that engage writers. Leave the session, not only excited about your own writing, but excited about taking some sparks back to your teaching context.
Tracy Brosch co-directs the Gateway Writing Project at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has spent 20+ years as an educator teaching a variety of subjects and grade levels. She joyously spreads that message that writing belongs in all processes of learning and is a vital part of the human experience.

E.2 | The Next Conversation in Literacy: Talk that Builds Independent Learners
(All Teachers)
Jackie Higgins & Jeanne McQueen
Room #151
What we say to students matters, but how we say it matters even more. In this session, a fifth-grade teacher and a reading specialist unpack the language moves that build student self-efficacy. Participants will explore high-impact teacher talk & goal setting strategies that transfer ownership to students. Walk away with practical tools that will make your next conversation count.
Jackie Higgins is an elementary reading specialist for the School District of Clayton in St. Louis, MO. Jackie believes that connection and belonging are key to helping students grow and develop a love of reading. In her 20 years of teaching, she has taught Kindergarten through fifth grade in both classroom and intervention settings, co-taught literacy groups with the school social worker to support students’ well-being, served on literacy and equity committees, and led professional development in literacy.

Jeanne McQueen is an elementary teacher for the School District of Clayton in St.Louis, MO. Jeanne believes that creating a safe and trusting community is essential to students growth in reading. In her 32 years of teaching she has taught preK-6th grade with a focus on reading intervention in grades 3-6. She has served on various literacy committees, mentored and coached other teachers in literacy, and has led professional development and curriculum writing around literacy and empowerment.

E.3 | From Scripted to Spark: Finding the Heart Inside the Literacy Manual
(Elementary)
Liz Crowder & Allison Antolik
Room # 152
While high-quality literacy manuals provide the essential "what" of instruction, they often leave out the "who"—the unique teacher and the curious students standing right in front of them. By taking your existing literacy curriculum and learning to effectively unpack the lessons, you can pivot from a script to building on the needs of your students, creating instructional strategies that increase student engagement.
With 26 years of experience in education, Liz Crowder currently serves as the Lower School Literacy Coordinator at MICDS. Her career includes 14 years of classroom teaching across 3rd and 7th grades, followed by 12 years as a Reading Specialist and Literacy Coach. Driven by a deep passion for student literacy growth, Liz is dedicated to fostering evidence-based practices that build confident, life-long readers. She holds an M.A. in Reading and a B.A. in History, with certifications in K–12 Reading, 1–6 Elementary Education, and 9–12 Social Science.

D.5 | Dear Classmate: Teaching SEL Strategies with Literacy to Strengthen Connection, Collaboration, and Community
Handout
(Middle - Upper Level)
Dominic Pioter & Ashley Luther
Room # 153
In this hands-on session, participants will experience several SEL-grounded activities, including words of affirmation and "buddy read" letters, aimed to engage students in conversation with each other both about texts and each other. These approaches acknowledge the power of an authentic, real world audience, and every classroom offers a room full of them. Having students interact and collaborate with each other through thinking and writing opens a “real world” of possibility right in our classrooms around gratitude, connection, and the gift of shared language.
Dominic Pioter has 25 years of experience teaching high school English and nearly 20 of those have been as a Gateway Writing Project Teaching Consultant. He currently teaches sophomore English and AP Literature at Kirkwood High School. But when he is not teaching, you can find Dominic stitching together solace with poems and his extensive book collection.

Ashley Luther is currently a high school English teacher in the Kirkwood School District. Her 15 years of teaching includes 10 years in middle school and spans grades 6 to 11. She holds a Doctorate in Education Teacher Leadership from Maryville University where she researched embedding SEL strategies within reading lessons. She holds an SEL certificate from Breathe for Change and is always looking to grow and learn from others!

C.3 | AP Literature: Navigating Creativity and Analysis Writing and Beyond the Canon
(Upper Level)
Dona Coleman
Room # 156
This session offers several lesson plans for Literature classes that incorporate analytical and creative elements.
Dona is a teacher at Fort Zumwalt West High School in O'Fallon, Missouri. After 34 years, Dona is heading into the last year of her career.

C.4 | Getting to Know NaNo
(All Teachers)
Kelly Davis
Room # 157
Come learn about the international writing adventure NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Whether you would like to participate with your classes, a club, or just use the lessons throughout the year for writing and/or reading you'll walk away prepared to do just that.
Kelly Davis currently teaches 8th grade language arts at Wildwood Middle School in the Rockwood School District. In her 28 years in education she has taught 6-8 language arts, 5th grade, and K-5 technology. She is passionate about sharing her love of reading and writing with students. In her spare time, she crochets, plays games with her husband and son, and writes both original fiction and fanfiction.

E.4 | Using Generative AI to Create High Interest MAP Test Prep Activities
(Middle - Upper Levels)
Jason Carter
Room #156
Standardized test scores for reading are often low in public school settings, while MAP testing prep materials are sparse, ineffective and inconsistently applied. This presentation will reveal a new more consistent way to prepare students for MAP testing in a fun and engaging way all throughout the year. You will learn how AI can be used to create literary analyses for novels, informational texts and entertaining narratives, which your students can then use to answer MAP style comprehension and vocabulary questions that are automatically graded in Google Forms. In the end, we will all have some fun making some of these engaging test prep activities with a few simple prompts.
Living in St. Louis, Missouri, Jason Carter teaches middle school English and has completed several collegiate programs, including earning an MA in English and Master of Education. He is currently working toward completing a doctorate, focused on literacy in education with a special emphasis on engaging students in MAP test prep through high interest custom AI created activities. Carter is a Teacher Consultant, who is active in the Gateway Writing Project,.

E.5 | Creative Writing as an Act of Love: Freedom, Voice, and the "Jazz Classroom"
(Middle - Upper Levels)
Hollie Martin
Room #157
This session explores creative writing not as an academic exercise, but as an act of love—love for language, for student voice, and for the deeply human need to be heard. In an era of increasing standardization, creative writing offers students a rare space for autonomy, authenticity, and quiet liberation.
Participants will engage in a collaborative, unconference-style experience that mirrors the very spirit of creative writing itself: flexible, responsive, and shaped by those in the room. Together, we will share practices, questions, and stories about how creative writing can open doors for students—emotionally, intellectually, and imaginatively.
Hollie has taught ELA to students in both Southern California and STL, ages 10-adult, since 2006. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and an EdS in General Education Studies. She currently works with 9th-12th graders at Washington High School in Washington, MO teaching English 1, the Creative Writing classes, and the AP Literature course. She is also the faculty advisor of the school's Creative Writing Club. She is a published poet, essayist, singer, and songwriter. In Myers-Briggs, she is an INFJ; in Ennegram, she is a 9w1. She lives with her husband and two children on wooded property with a horse barn, but the irony? No one in her family rides horses.

F.1 | Bearing Witness, Claiming Voice: Immigration, Identity, and the Literature of In-Between
(Middle - Upper Level)
Julie Sieber
Room #151
This session invites secondary English Language Arts teachers to reimagine how they approach literature instruction for Mexican and Central American immigrant students and children of immigrants. Grounded in the frameworks of Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Pedagogy and the concept of ""funds of knowledge,"" participants will explore how students' home languages, family histories, migration experiences, and cultural practices can serve as the foundation of rigorous literary study. This session walks educators through a model 11th-grade ELA unit that pairs high-expectation literary analysis with texts that reflect and complicate the lived realities of immigrant youth. Participants will leave with practical strategies for text selection, asset-based assessment design, multilingual scaffolding, and structuring inquiry that builds sociopolitical consciousness alongside academic skill.
Throughout my ten years in the classroom, I have primarily worked with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, focusing on building literacy skills and promoting reading engagement at the secondary level. I am currently pursuing an EdD in Learning, Teaching and Curriculum from Mizzou. I want to bridge the gap between research and practice to help other educators address the engagement and comprehension challenges I've encountered in my own classroom.

F.5 | Better Together: When Teachers & Librarians Team Up
(All Teachers)
Amy Leatherberry
Room # 153
Creating a vibrant community of readers takes more than a single classroom. This session explores how teachers and librarians can work side by side as instructional partners to foster joyful, inclusive, and engaged reading communities. Participants will learn collaborative approaches, including delivering engaging book talks, curating responsive, inquiry-based text sets, designing units that expand access and choice for all readers, and much more. Grounded in real world examples, this session will highlight how collaborative partnerships can promote independence, increase student engagement, and connect learners with diverse, meaningful texts. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas and tools to strengthen partnerships and build a school-wide culture of literacy.
I began my career teaching English in Wellston through Teach for America. When the district was shuttered, I was hired at Kirkwood. In my 18 year career, I've taught a variety of grade levels and across a variety of contexts including alternative settings and Honors settings. In 2020, I moved to the library, where I continue to focus on my passion of showing young people how to use stories to make meaning.

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