2026 Learn, Grow, Lead Professional Learning Conference: Full Schedule

8:45am EDT

Opening Session

Tuesday June 23, 2026 8:45am - 9:10am EDT

Chesapeake Room (1st Floor)

Join us to kick-off our day of learning!

Tuesday June 23, 2026 8:45am - 9:10am EDT
Chesapeake Room (1st Floor)

Audience All Participants
Level All Levels

9:15am EDT

Guest Consultant Session: Framing Every Student for Success

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Chesapeake Room (1st Floor)

Every classroom tells a story — and belonging is the moment students realize they are part of it. In this inspiring keynote, teachers step into the director’s chair to examine how daily choices, language, and leadership shape whether students feel seen, heard, and valued. Using the Me, See, Hear, Steer framework, educators will explore how to create classroom cultures where every student knows they belong, their voice matters, and their presence moves learning forward. Because when students feel they belong, they don’t just participate — they thrive.

Speakers

Dr. Kim Richardson

Coach, Leadership Strategist, Speaker, Keep Rising

Dr. Kim Richardson is a leadership strategist, ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC®), and founder of Keep Rising™. With a PhD in Educational Leadership and thirty years of experience as a teacher, coach, principal, and district administrator, she designs transformational learning... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Chesapeake Room (1st Floor)

Belonging

Audience All Participants
Level All Levels

10:40am EDT

Stop Asking all the Questions: Let Your Students Lead With Reciprocal Teaching

LIMITED

Tuesday June 23, 2026 10:40am - 11:25am EDT

Empower Room (2nd Floor)

Limited Capacity seats available

In this interactive 45-minute session, you'll experience reciprocal teaching as a learner first then discover why it's one of the most powerful comprehension strategies you can bring back to your classroom. Instead of a lecture, you'll work in small groups using the four core roles of reciprocal teaching: Predictor, Questioner, Clarifier, and Summarizer. As you read together and rotate through roles, you'll feel firsthand how this strategy deepens understanding and gives every student a voice.

Speakers

Sarah Kohl

Tuesday June 23, 2026 10:40am - 11:25am EDT
Empower Room (2nd Floor)

Belonging

Audience All Participants
Level All Levels

10:40am EDT

Expect It, Teach It, Reinforce It: Creating Consistent Classroom Expectations and Routines

FILLING

Tuesday June 23, 2026 10:40am - 11:25am EDT

Greenbrier Room (1st Floor)

Limited Capacity filling up

Strong classroom management begins with clear expectations, consistent routines, and predictable responses. In this session, participants will explore how to establish and reinforce classroom expectations through effective transitions, 3R Language (Reinforce, Remind, Redirect), and logical consequences that promote student responsibility. Teachers will leave with practical strategies for creating a positive, structured learning environment where students know what is expected and are supported in meeting those expectations.

Speakers

Lakesha Cherry

Elementary Teacher, Chesapeake Schools

Tuesday June 23, 2026 10:40am - 11:25am EDT
Greenbrier Room (1st Floor)

Community

Audience All Participants
Level All Levels

10:40am EDT

Moving Past "Good Job!": Designing Feedback That Drives Actual Revision

LIMITED

Tuesday June 23, 2026 10:40am - 11:25am EDT

Engage Room (2nd Floor)

Limited Capacity seats available

You spend hours placing numbers or letter grades on a stack of papers, only for students to glance at the grade, stuff the assignment into their backpacks, and never look at your comments again. Sound familiar? The problem isn’t a lack of effort, it’s a lack of actionable feedback design. This hands-on session shifts the focus from giving grades as a final result of past learning to feedback as a blueprint for immediate growth.

Through a mix of concrete analysis and collaborative design, you will leave this workshop with a personalized starting place to transform your grading workflow and empower students to take ownership of their mistakes and move forward with learning growth.

Speakers

Katilyn Pait-Fulcher

Tiffany Britt

Tuesday June 23, 2026 10:40am - 11:25am EDT
Engage Room (2nd Floor)

Student Ownership & Engagment

Audience All Participants
Level All Levels

11:35am EDT

Routines to Build Students’ Confidence and Community

FULL

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:35am - 12:20pm EDT

Engage Room (2nd Floor)

Limited Capacity full

Would you like students to become more independent, spend less time managing interruptions, and maximize every minute of instructional time?Join Lisa and Christie as they share practical routines that create structure, build student confidence, and foster a
positive classroom culture. You'll leave with a versatile Routine Toolkit filled with strategies that can be adapted to any grade level.

Speakers

Lisa Crooks

Christie Ambrose

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:35am - 12:20pm EDT
Engage Room (2nd Floor)

Community

Audience All Participants

11:35am EDT

Collaboration Counts

LIMITED

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:35am - 12:20pm EDT

Empower Room (2nd Floor)

Limited Capacity seats available

Effective collaboration doesn’t happen by chance; it requires intentional structures and clearly defined roles. In this session, educators will explore research-based strategies for organizing student groups that promote equitable participation, accountability, and meaningful discussion. Participants will learn how to implement collaborative structures and assign purposeful roles that support student engagement and academic discourse. Through modeling, interactive practice, and reflection teachers will leave equipped to create student-centered classrooms where all learners contribute and grow together.

Speakers

Karen Hughes

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:35am - 12:20pm EDT
Empower Room (2nd Floor)

Student Ownership & Engagment

Audience All Participants

1:30pm EDT

Guest Consultant Session: Supporting Student Identity With Belonging

LIMITED

Tuesday June 23, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT

Chesapeake Room (1st Floor)

Limited Capacity seats available

Students are constantly deciding whether to be themselves or to blend in. When classrooms prioritize fitting in, students comply— but often at the cost of identity, emotional energy, and engagement. When classrooms cultivate belonging, students feel safe enough to participate authentically and learn deeply. In this session, educators will explore the critical difference between belonging and fitting in, using identity development frameworks to understand student masking, stress, and disengagement. Teachers will learn how to shift from compliance-driven norms to co-created social contracts that honor identity, build emotional safety, and foster genuine inclusion.

Speakers

Dr. Kim Richardson

Coach, Leadership Strategist, Speaker, Keep Rising

Tuesday June 23, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Chesapeake Room (1st Floor)

Belonging

Audience All Participants
Level All Levels

1:30pm EDT

Positive Language, Positive Classrooms: Strategies for Student Belonging and Success

FILLING

Tuesday June 23, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT

Greenbrier Room (1st Floor)

Limited Capacity filling up

Classrooms today are filled with diverse learners, making it challenging for teachers to help every student feel supported and valued while maintaining patience and positivity. This professional development session, designed for all elementary teachers, will provide real, universal strategies you can implement immediately to foster a strong sense of belonging, community building, and student ownership.You will explore how positive language and daily structures set all learners up for success, and walk away with an actionable handout of strategies to create a safe, welcoming learning environment that opens the door to academic achievement for ALL students.

Speakers

Jacqueline Smyers

Tuesday June 23, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Greenbrier Room (1st Floor)

Belonging

Audience All Participants

1:30pm EDT

Structured Collaboration in Action: Mastering Eduprotocols for Active Student Engagement

FILLING

Tuesday June 23, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT

Empower Room (2nd Floor)

Limited Capacity filling up

Tired of doing all the talking while students sit passively? Eduprotocols—structured collaborative frameworks like Cyber Sandwich and Iron Chef—shift learning from teacher-centered delivery to student-centered creation, empowering students to take ownership of their growth. In this hands-on training, you'll explore practical, easy-to-implement strategies that combat learned helplessness, boost active participation, and maintain focused conversations around core content. By the end, you'll have the tools to increase student engagement and transform your instruction into a dynamic, collaborative experience where students do the thinking and the talking.

Speakers

Kristen Boykin

Marissa Lenthall

Tuesday June 23, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Empower Room (2nd Floor)

Student Ownership & Engagment

Audience All Participants

2:25pm EDT

Engagement by Design: Building Student Ownership Through Goal Setting and Team Roles

FILLING

Tuesday June 23, 2026 2:25pm - 3:10pm EDT

Greenbrier Room (1st Floor)

Limited Capacity filling up

What happens when students truly understand where they are in their learning and feel empowered to take the next step? In this session, participants will explore practical strategies that help students set meaningful goals, reflect on their progress, and take greater ownership of their learning journey. Through collaborative activities, real classroom examples, and ready-to-use tools, participants will discover ways to build student confidence, increase engagement, and create classrooms where learners are more motivated, independent, and invested in their growth.

Speakers

Debbie Fry

Debbie Fry is a Health, Physical Education, and Driver Education teacher at Indian River High School in Chesapeake, Virginia. She earned her B.S. from Old Dominion University and a Master's Degree from Regent University. She is the current department chair at Indian River High School... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 2:25pm - 3:10pm EDT
Greenbrier Room (1st Floor)

Belonging

Audience All Participants

2:25pm EDT

Fast and Curious: Classroom Review That Clicks!

LIMITED

Tuesday June 23, 2026 2:25pm - 3:10pm EDT

Empower Room (2nd Floor)

Limited Capacity seats available

Do you want students to “Buy-in” and get excited about learning again? This session is designed to introduce educators to the "Fast and Curious" classroom routine, a high-energy formative assessment strategy aimed at boosting engagement and retention. Throughout the session, participants learn the core concepts of this routine and receive actionable guidance on how to successfully implement it within their own classrooms. Additionally, the training provides hands-on application by teaching educators how to build custom, content-specific gamified review activities using the digital learning platform Wayground.

Speakers

Shereena Drakeford

Tuesday June 23, 2026 2:25pm - 3:10pm EDT
Empower Room (2nd Floor)

Community

Audience All Participants

2:25pm EDT

From Tattling to Tootling: Empowering Students to Build Community Through Peer Praise

LIMITED

Tuesday June 23, 2026 2:25pm - 3:10pm EDT

Inspire Room (2nd Floor)

Limited Capacity seats available

Ready to transform your classroom into a hub of encouragement and mutual support? Join us to explore "Tootling", the highly effective practice of having students monitor and celebrate the positive behaviors of their peers. In this highly interactive session, you will experience firsthand how a structured culture of peer praise can elevate student ownership, inspire proactive inclusion, and foster a deep sense of belonging across diverse learners. You will walk away with customizable printable slips, digital tracking strategies, and a foolproof rollout guide to build an uplifting, self-sustaining classroom community from the very next day.

Speakers