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The information on this page is for Empower19 in Chicago, Illinois. Check back in September for information about the 2020 ASCD Empower Conference, which will be held March 14–16, 2020, in Los Angeles, California.
About Pre-Conference Institutes | One-Day Institutes | Two-Day Institutes | Three-Day Institutes
Our two-day Pre-Conference Institutes will be held March 14–15, 2019, in Chicago, Illinois. They will run 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., daily. Specific location information for each institute will be added at a later date.
These are Pre-Conference Institutes held at Empower19. Check back for information about institutes at Empower20.
Presenters: Margaret Searle and Marilyn Swartz, Searle Enterprises Inc., Perrysburg, OH
Research shows that people who experience feelings of well-being have higher motivation, recover faster from setbacks, and are more capable of excelling in their learning. To establish this nurturing environment, schools need a more positive approach to problem solving. This is especially important for schools attempting to put a trauma-sensitive culture in place. In this institute, you will experience a strength-based process based on the Appreciative Inquiry research model. The model teaches educators, parents, and administrators to intentionally build positive emotions, foster relationships, and motivate adults and students to set and monitor challenging but achievable goals. You will learn the art of asking positive questions that shift the way both adults and students view their problems and their options for improvement.
Participant Outcomes:
Materials Fee: $22.00 for Causes and Cures In the Classroom: Getting to the Root of Academic and Behavioral Problems
Registration Code: PD19PC004
Discounted combination rates with Empower19 are also available. Learn more
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Presenters: Andre Wicks, Spokane Public Schools, Spokane, WA; Pete Hall, EducationHall, Coeur d'Alene, ID
As school leaders, how much of our work is done on the "island" of the schoolhouse? In order to affect meaningful, lasting change, education must go back to its roots: the community it serves. Emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between schools and the local community, Andre Wicks (former director of THEZONE Project in Spokane, Washington) and Pete Hall (former principal and best-selling education author) will discuss how educators can and must team with local officials, organizations, businesses, and families to alter the systems so that we can influence the outcomes. Focusing on assets, communication, partnership, and love, this informative session will include collaborative inquiry, strategy development, and interactive activities to deepen learning.
Materials Fee: $25.00 for The Principal Influence: A Framework for Developing Leadership Capacity in Principals
Registration Code: PD19PC006
Presenters: Alisa Simeral, Learning Systems, Inc., Reno, NV; Bryan Goodwin, McREL, Denver, CO
Teacher learning and student learning are inextricably linked. Find teachers who are actively involved in their professional learning and growth, and you'll find students actively involved in their academic learning and growth. Creating classrooms where such learning thrives requires teachers who have mastered the fundamentals and routines of teaching and have internalized a broad repertoire of expert mental models. In this highly interactive workshop, take a deep dive into catalysts for teacher learning: deeply embedded reflective practices, and the catalyst for student learning: ownership in the classroom. Explore six learning pathways that will transition your focus from teaching to learning and transform your classroom from teacher-owned and student-experienced to student-owned and teacher-guided.
Materials Fee: N/A
Registration Code: PD19PC007
Presenters: William Parrett and Kathleen Budge, Boise State University, Boise, ID
We know the transformative power of educators, particularly teachers, to improve the life chances of children and youth who live in poverty. We have seen it and felt it in many schools. What sets these educators apart from others is attending to not only what and how they teach, but also who they are (what they believe and value) and why they became educators in the first place. In this institute, the authors will share practical advice from their recent ASCD book, Disrupting Poverty: Five Powerful Classroom Practices. Featuring lessons learned from nearly 40 successful educators, many of whom have lived in poverty, the book provides insight into five practices that foster a supportive classroom culture for all students, but especially those who live in poverty. Participants will learn how to confront barriers that can get in the way of success with students who live in poverty and leave inspired and equipped with tips, ideas, and strategies for disrupting poverty's adverse influence on lives and learning.
Materials Fee: $50.00 for Disrupting Poverty: Five Powerful Classroom Practices and Turning High-Poverty Schools into High-Performing Schools.
Registration Code: PD19PC026
Presenters: Kristina Doubet, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA; Jessica Hockett, ASCD Author, Evanston, IL
Many teachers want to differentiate instruction, but the press of time, standards, and diverse student needs make that goal seem unattainable. What does fluid, manageable differentiation look like in today's classrooms? Is it possible to plan with all students' needs in mind? This institute will tackle these questions through hands-on activities focused on making differentiation practical and applicable. Participants will engage in active strategies for building classroom community, gathering assessment data, grouping flexibly, engaging students in challenging content, and fostering motivation with the goal of helping teachers envision differentiation in the context of what they do every day. Presenters will differentiate according to grade level (elementary and secondary). Participants will receive one of the presenters' books, which includes a range of subject-area examples, easy-to-digest strategies, and templates. Teachers will walk away from this institute with ready-to-use strategies and structures for continuing their professional growth.
Participants will
Materials Fee: $59.00 for Differentiation in the Elementary Grades: Strategies to Engage and Equip All Learners and Differentiation in Middle and High School: Strategies to Engage All Learners
Registration Code: PD19PC005
Presenters: Kristin Souers, ASCD Author, Spokane, WA; Anna Rowe, Independent Consultant, Spokane, WA
Childhood trauma is real, and it is more prevalent than we might believe. In this engaging, relevant, and practical session, learn from childhood trauma expert Kristin Souers (lead author of the best-selling and award-winning ASCD book Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom (2016) and her associate Anna Rowe about the importance of incorporating trauma-invested practices in the school setting. In this two-day workshop, begin by incorporating research, building a common vocabulary, and exploring the effect of stress on the brain development. Learn to build self-awareness, investigate the power of relationships, examine our belief systems, and embrace the concept of grace as we collaboratively build a culture of safety for our students, families, staffs, and communities. Participants will leave refreshed and excited about meeting the challenges awaiting them, with tools in the toolbelt and the energy and optimism needed to use them!
Materials Fee: $55.00 for Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma-Invested Practices for Fostering Resilient Learners; Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom; and Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom (Quick Reference Guide)
Registration Code: PD19PC003
Presenters: Stefani Hite, Tigris Solutions, Philadelphia, PA; Christine Miles and Michael Ritzius, New Jersey Education Association, Trenton, NJ; Dan Callahan, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Boston, MA
What practices elevate educator voices and support teachers as they take charge of their own learning? During this two-day institute, participants will collaborate to envision and design solutions, leaving with prototypes and protocols that advance professional practice in their local context. This session is ideal for novice and experienced educators, Edcampers, Teach to Lead alums (and future "teach to leaders"), and education leaders striving to take their professional learning to the next level.
Registration Code: PD19PC008