2026 Teaching as a Profession Summer Conference

Teachers will engage in a welcoming activity, preview the essential outcomes for the day, and begin thinking about how course structure, pacing, and intentional design can support both teacher success and student learning.

Teachers will dig into the strands, standards, and performance skills of Principles of Educational Instruction to develop a clear understanding of what the course is asking students to know and do. Participants will identify key themes, discuss how the standards connect to one another, and begin organizing the content into teachable chunks that support clarity, rigor, and alignment.

This session focuses on practical ways to bring the course to life through engaging, authentic learning experiences. Participants will explore strategies for modeling effective instruction, designing meaningful activities, and creating classroom experiences that reflect the kinds of teaching practices future educators should see and practice for themselves. Teachers will leave with ideas they can immediately adapt for their own students.

A strong course starts with a strong structure. In this hands-on work session, participants will begin building the foundational framework of their course, including essential organizational elements, pacing ideas, and the beginnings of a functional Canvas course skeleton. The focus will be on creating a usable structure that teachers can continue refining and customizing after the training.

The day will close with time for participants to reflect, share what they created, and learn from one another’s ideas. Teachers will highlight key takeaways, showcase pieces of their course design work, and identify next steps for implementation. This session is designed to reinforce collaboration, celebrate progress, and ensure participants leave with both practical products and a stronger professional support network.