WY TeacherCon

As a secondary literacy specialist, and middle & high school English teacher I understand the demands of curriculum maps and pacing guides as well as the challenges of inheriting struggling adolescent readers in a tier 1 classroom. I've done the work and can model and explain how it can be done.
This session stands out because it tackles a critical—but often neglected—component of adolescent literacy: oral reading fluency in secondary classrooms. While fluency is widely emphasized in elementary settings, many middle and high school educators assume it is either already mastered or only relevant for struggling readers. This session challenges that misconception by clearly connecting oral reading fluency to comprehension, confidence, and academic success across all content areas.
What makes this session especially compelling is its practical, cross-curricular focus. Rather than presenting fluency as a stand-alone intervention, participants will experience modeled routines that seamlessly integrate into English language arts, science, social studies, and other secondary classrooms. Attendees will not just hear about strategies—they will see them in action, participate in them, and leave with ready-to-use tools that require minimal preparation and instructional time.
The session is uniquely valuable because it:
Bridges research and practice by clearly explaining the “why” behind fluency instruction for adolescents while immediately translating that research into classroom routines.
Addresses common misconceptions that often prevent secondary educators from prioritizing fluency.
Provides low-risk, engaging instructional approaches that build student confidence without embarrassing or stigmatizing older learners.
Supports both core classroom teachers and interventionists, making it broadly applicable.
Educators should choose this session because it offers something rare at the secondary level: concrete, realistic strategies that can be implemented the very next day to improve comprehension and engagement. Participants will leave not only understanding the importance of oral reading fluency, but equipped with actionable routines that help students become more fluent, confident, and capable readers in every content area.

Why choose this session? While other sessions offer new tips, we offer the biological blueprint for learning. We uncomplicate concepts like neuroplasticity and neurons and provide evidence-based, brain-friendly strategies that are scientifically proven to enhance memory, engagement, and long-term retention. This is not just theory; it’s the science of learning translated directly into powerful classroom practice.

This session blends two of the most influential and practical frameworks in education—Harry Wong’s work on procedures and classroom structure and Todd Whitaker’s insights on teacher professionalism and behavior—into a single, highly actionable workshop. Rather than offering abstract theory, the session provides teachers with concrete tools, ready-to-use checklists, and real classroom scenarios that they can immediately apply. Attendees will leave with a clear and refined plan for their first day of school, a personalized professional behavior self-check, and several high-leverage strategies proven to increase student engagement, reduce management issues, and strengthen classroom culture.

What makes this session uniquely valuable is its dual emphasis on both strong procedures and the daily professional habits that define great teaching. Teachers will engage in collaborative reflection, scenario-based problem-solving, and practical planning that connects directly to their own classrooms. This workshop is designed to give educators exactly what they need to start the year with confidence: clarity, structure, and research-backed strategies they can use on Day One. It is not another program to learn—it is a set of simple, powerful practices that help teachers start strong and stay strong all year long.

In the 2025-2026 school year, Albany County School District 1 launched an Elementary Extensions Team. The team offered enriching extensions, including project-based and place-based learning opportunities, to all elementary students in the district. This session will help classroom teachers and other instructional leaders learn about the potential of extension activities and vision extensions for their own students.

"My session is unique because it presents an innovative computational modeling tool that allows students to construct and represent complex systems. The tool, called SageModeler, is a systems dynamics modeling platform that has been shown to support students in making sense of complex scientific phenomena while applying systems thinking.

I have been working with high school science teachers in Green River and Douglas to develop a unit that uses this tool to support students in making informed decisions about Socio-Scientific Issues. Many contemporary issues in Wyoming require scientific knowledge to inform social decisions. Questions such as whether wolves should be reintroduced into Yellowstone, whether a new modular nuclear reactor should be built in Kemmerer, or whether AI data centers should be developed in the state all demand careful scientific reasoning.

This session will not only introduce a powerful new tool that teachers can integrate into their classrooms, but will also provide practical strategies to support teachers in preparing scientifically literate citizens capable of navigating complex and consequential public issues."

If you’re ready to move beyond one-size-fits-all instruction but aren’t sure how to actually make personalized learning work in a real classroom, this session is for you. You’ll walk away with practical strategies to let students move at their own pace, take ownership of their learning, and stay accountable without losing structure or rigor. Instead of just theory, you’ll see what it looks like in action and leave with tools you can implement immediately to increase engagement, independence, and meaningful learning for every student.

"AI is a “brave new world” for educators. What do terms like bots, AI smashing, hallucinations, and closed-garden AI really mean—and how do they impact teaching and learning?

In this hands-on session, participants will demystify these concepts while actively creating practical AI tools for their own professional use. Attendees will build a custom AI bot designed to serve as a PLC thinking partner. They will also learn how to engineer prompts to make AI resources better. Lastly, we will compare and contrast differ AI's using AI smashing tools.

This session is not lecture-based. Participants will engage in guided, hands-on work and leave with ready-to-use AI skills they can immediately incorporate into classroom instruction, planning, and assessment design."

The PBS Learning Media site is a powerful FREE tool for teachers who are interested in using video, online games, primary sources and self-paced digital lessons with their students. If you are a teacher in a K-12 classroom, a librarian, a technology specialist or an administrator there is something for you on PBS Learning Media. Teachers can learn how to harness the power of PBS media to create engaging and fun activities for students of all ages and abilities. Bring your favorite device and headphones or ear buds and come ready to launch the power of PBS in your classroom!

What if classroom management wasn’t about controlling behavior, but about creating a culture students want to be part of? In Raise the Bar: Building a Classroom Culture that Drives Success, educators will explore high-energy strategies that transform expectations, engagement, and accountability in the classroom. This session focuses on building a culture where students rise to challenges, support one another, and take pride in their learning. Attendees will leave with practical, immediately usable strategies to boost engagement, strengthen relationships, and create a classroom where excellence becomes the norm, not the exception.

Our session is interactive, collaborative, and hands-on, giving educators practical, ready-to-use classroom learning experiences they can implement immediately. What makes it unique is our focus on designing experiences that engage every learner, make content meaningful, and elevate instruction. Attendees leave with actionable strategies to transform lessons into memorable, high-impact learning.

Why choose this advanced session? This workshop moves Beyond Basics provided in the Introduction workshop. We provide the essential next step: understanding the brain as an integrated circuit. Participants will learn not just what the lobes do individually, but how their interconnections dictate the success or failure of learning, using the Information Processing Model as our guide. Participants will leave with precision strategies and a powerful neurological framework for fostering true Deeper Learning.

Civic education is no longer limited to a single course or a single grade level. This session offers a clear, practical definition of 21st-century civic education and shows how it can be meaningfully embedded in classrooms at every level, from elementary through high school.

Unlike sessions that focus on theory alone, participants will engage in hands-on civic learning models, analyze real classroom examples, and leave with ready-to-use activities aligned to existing standards.

This session because it moves beyond why civics matters to how civics works, equipping teachers with immediately actionable strategies to build student voice, civic learning and civic engagement, regardless of content area or grade level.

High-impact instruction is one of the most powerful tools schools have to improve student achievement and strengthen school climate. This session introduces a practical 6-Step Instructional Framework that increases engagement, clarity, and student ownership of learning. Participants will explore how structured lesson design improves not only academic outcomes but also belonging, behavior, and classroom climate. Educators will leave with ready-to-implement strategies that align with MTSS Tier 1 core instruction and support Wyoming’s whole-child priorities.

Mathematical fluency is attainable when students have a strong foundation in number sense. Participants in this session will build knowledge about the progression of skills within number sense and fluency. This session is appropriate for teachers, interventionists, coaches, and administrators. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in games and activities and explore ways to incorporate the strategies into their classrooms.