2024 Conference
Session Information
Matt Eicheldinger
Keynote Speaker
Friday, 4:10-5:10 pm
Matt Eicheldinger is a middle school teacher, author, and one of the most well known educators on social media. He has captured the attention of over 70 million views on Instagram and TikTok, where he is known for his captivating and relatable storytelling. His first middle grade book, the first in The Matt Sprouts Series, was the #1 pre-ordered book for Barnes & Noble and Simon & Schuster distribution, and hit the USA TODAY and New York Times Bestseller List in its first week of publication. Matt has also inked deals to write two more books in the series as well as two other stand alone projects, which will be released in the next year.
Instagram / TikTok: @matteicheldinger
Website: matteicheldinger.com
Kathy Nimmer
Keynote Speaker
Saturday, 8:05-9:05 am
Kathy Nimmer is the 2015 Indiana Teacher of the Year and a finalist for 2015 National Teacher of the Year. She received the Dollywood Foundation’s Chasing Rainbows award, the NFB’s Blind Educator of the Year Award, and the Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest civilian honor in Indiana. She also delivered a TED Talk in 2014 and has authored two books: Two Plus Four Equals One: Celebrating the Partnership of People with Disabilities and Their Assistance Dogs, as well as Minutes in the Dark, Eternity in the Light. Kathy taught English at Harrison High School in West Lafayette for 29 years and is currently the director of SEEDS, a mentorship program for new educators. She is also a frequent motivational speaker at local, state, and national events. Kathy earned her BA in English Education from Trinity Christian College in 1991 and her MA from Purdue University in 1992.
Christina Bourne
Teacher Self-Care:
Beyond the Bubble Bath
Saturday, Session 4, 1:20-2:20
Session 5, 2:30-3:30
Join Christina Bourne, NBCT, for an in-depth session about educator wellness.
Attendees will be able to...
1. Form a deeper understanding of how to recognize individual wellness needs.
2. Identify areas of wellness success and areas in need of growth.
3. Access helpful resources to develop career-long wellness practices.
Christina Bourne, NBCT, is in her 23rd year teaching and holds a M.A. in Music Education. As an early career educator, she was diagnosed with a rare illness that inspired her to raise awareness about the importance of educator self-care. Christina was also Miss Nevada 2003, is an accomplished vocalist and flutist. She volunteers her time for organizations aimed at bettering the lives of others through education and self-care. In 2003 she was presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award by President George W. Bush for her efforts.
Lisa Burkhart
Increasing Engagement Through Classroom Games
Saturday, Session 2, 9:30-10:30
Session 3, 10:40-11:40
Teaching by using games keeps students happy and engaged. It also addresses multiple purposes by working on social skills like taking turns, being a good loser, and working with others. Join Lisa to explore games that are engaging for all. She will share a link to games she has made that you can play and adapt for your classroom using things like craft sticks, dice, cards, etc.
Lisa Burkhart has been a dedicated educator for 18 years, with 13 years spent nurturing young minds in kindergarten. Married for 31 years, she is a proud mother of four grown children, and a loving grandmother. Her passion for children shines through in her teaching and personal life. Lisa brings her enthusiasm for learning and adventure into the classroom, creating a vibrant and engaging environment for her students.
Keith Cole
Teaching the
Teenage Brain
Saturday, Session 4, 1:20-2:20
Session 5, 2:30-3:30
This session will focus on the teenage brain...how it works and how it fails due to the underdevelopment of specific regions of the brain. The most current neuroscience evidence shows how the teenage brain underperforms in key areas compared to adult brains.
Participants will be provided with clear and concrete strategies to help scaffold instruction so that teacher and student anxiety is reduced in the classroom on a daily basis, resulting in a more positive and healthy classroom environment!
Keith Cole has taught Psychology and Advanced Placement Psychology for over 25 years in Nevada. He has used psychological principles to help design and implement a year long new teacher training program at Douglas High School and routinely advises staff on how to improve their instruction.
Michelle Cottrell-
Williams
Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Brave
Friday, Session 1, 7:00-8:00
Saturday, Session 5, 2:30-3:30
Teaching is about so much more than delivering content to empty vessels. It requires us to know our students, believe that each one of them belongs and adds value to our classroom, and engage in practices that are responsive to their identities, cultures, and ways of being.
In this session, we will reimagine the classroom as a space where vulnerability becomes the key to sustaining empathy, belonging, dignity, and potential. Together, we will explore these topics in the context of school so participants can walk away with an enhanced vision of what is possible.
Michelle Cottrell-Williams (she/her) is the 2018 Virginia Teacher of the Year and a member of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY). She considers herself a disruptor who empowers others to rethink the status quo. Michelle was a high school teacher and instructional coach for 15 years before transitioning to support Equity and Cultural Responsiveness district-wide. She focuses on supporting educators to create equitable school and classroom cultures of safety and belonging, focused on relationships built through vulnerability, trust, and empathy. If Michelle had to choose which animal best represents her, it would have to be a unicorn: part glitter, part rebel.
Rachel Croft
Become a Reading STAR with Reciprocal Teaching
Saturday, Session 4, 1:20-2:20
Session 5, 2:30-3:30
Reciprocal Teaching is the high yield/low prep reading strategy you have been looking for! This strategy will engage your students and save you time. Reciprocal Teaching works in classrooms from kindergarten up to high school. This research based strategy engages learners in the four most powerful reading strategies, which used together become even more important for student reading growth. Learn how to help your students become a reading STAR and improve their reading skills.
Rachel Croft is a National Board Certified Teacher in Literacy and a 2022 finalist for Nevada State Teacher of the Year. Last summer she completed a field study in South Africa as Nevada's 2023 Global Learning Fellow. She has taught grades 1 through 6 in her 20+ year career and is endorsed in both Gifted and Talented education and TESOL. As a Literacy Facilitator for Northwest Regional Professional Development Program, Rachel enjoys working side by side with teachers and leading professional development.
Chris Gleason
Lighting a Fire in Kids
Friday, Session 1, 7:00-8:00
Saturday, Session 2, 9:30-10:30
This session explores three “truths” about teaching and learning: intrinsic motivation, curiosity, and connections.
Chris states, “We can’t force our students to learn. As educators, it is our job to create the conditions for growth. The seeds of potential lie within each person. Cultivating an environment of possibility will ensure that students and teachers not only succeed but also find their passion.”
Join Chris for a heartwarming and compelling talk about ways we can Light Fires in our students and ourselves.
Chris Gleason is the Arts and Creativity Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. He is the 2017 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year, 2017 and 2022 semi-finalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award and the first Wisconsin teacher to be named a National Teacher of the Year finalist in 50 years. In 2022 he received the Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence by the NEA Foundation and was selected as a Top 50 Finalist for the 2021 Global Teacher Prize. As a 2019 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow, Mr. Gleason traveled to South Africa to study the culture and education system.
Toneekia Hernandez
Rethinking Your Classroom: What it means to Indigenous and NonIndigenous Nevada
Friday, Session 1, 7:00-8:00
Saturday, Session 3, 10:40-11:40
This presentation will give food for thought to teachers of all grade levels about how to prepare their classrooms and to plan for learning while being conscious of Indigenous students and their families. There will be ideas about representation, inclusive lessons, and cultural norms.
Toneekia Hernandez is from the Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute Reservation located in both southern Idaho and northern Nevada (Elko County). She has been teaching at her Alma Mater, Owyhee Combined School, for seven years.
Jeffrey Hinton
Mind, Body, and Spirit
Tips for Avoiding Burnout
Saturday, Session 2, 9:30-10:30
Session 3, 10:40-11:40
Teachers know that teaching can be a very stressful profession and can lead to a whole host of physical and emotional problems. But there are things we can do to take charge of our physical and emotional well-being so that we can show up for our students. .
In this workshop, learn how to build a strong mind, body and spirit through practices and activities such as meditation, breathing, exercise, sleeping well, pursuing hobbies, social interactions, and expressing yourself artistically. Participants will have the opportunity to complete their own mind, body, and spirit plan to work towards finding harmony and balance, alleviating stress, and living more fulfilling lives.
Dr. Jeffrey Allen Hinton has taught high school US history for over 20 years. He has amassed wide knowledge and experience in increasing student achievement through project-based learning and professional learning communities. As a lifelong learner, Jeff has earned degrees in curriculum and instruction, US history, and educational policy and leadership. He also holds a Doctor of Education degree in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Jeff has been recognized for his teaching excellence, being named the Nevada Teacher of the Year and the National Council of the Social Studies Teacher of the Year. Jeff is currently an assistant principal, speaker, blogger, and writer.
Brittany Holmes-Sutton
Cultivating Communication:
Fostering Meaningful Connections
Saturday, Session 4, 1:20-2:20
Session 5, 2:30-3:30
How do you authentically connect with students, families, and colleagues? Communication matters. Join Brittany Holmes-Sutton in an engaging session on authentic connections. Learn a six-step method to effectively communicate and build meaningful relationships with students, families, and colleagues. This session will equip you with strategies to create a positive learning environment, foster student learning, and engage families. Reflect on your current communication skills and adapt them for diverse audiences. Walk away with the ability to make immediate, significant connections that enhance your classroom, school, and community.
Brittany Holmes-Sutton, a UNLV alumna, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. As an independent contractor in the therapy community, she works with a diverse group of youth and adult clients. Brittany is a member of the Delta Kappa International Marriage and Family Therapy Honor Society. Recently, she served as a project lead at the Obodo Garden Collective in West Las Vegas. Ms. Holmes-Sutton is also a contributing author to The Corona Chronicles: On Leadership, Processes, Commitments, and Hope in Uncertain Times.
January
Hurlbert
Culturally Relevant Practices
and Cosmopolitan Pedagogy
Saturday, Session 4, 1:20-2:20
Session 5, 2:30-3:30
Cosmopolitan pedagogy and culturally relevant practices incorporate students' funds of knowledge to help increase learning opportunities and create an inclusive environment. In this session, we will explore ways to teach literature, writing, and global problem solving by changing the narrative from deficit learning, which concentrates on what students are missing, to building on the knowledge students possess. Doing this creates learners who recognize they are a part of a larger community, helps develop positive self awareness, and provides connections to experiences outside of school.
January has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a Master's in K-6 Mathematics. She is pursuing a Master's degree in Equity and Diversity in Education. Ms. Hurlbert has been an upper elementary educator for six years. She says, “I am proof that it’s never too late to discover a passion that can change your life.” Her education philosophy is that all children deserve to be empowered to achieve their fullest potential through exceptional education that focuses on student-centered learning and culturally relevant pedagogy that helps to develop globally-minded citizens.
Dr. Lindsey Jensen
We Are Family!
Saturday, Session 2, 9:30-10:30
Session 3, 10:40-11:40
Unfortunately, educators often make unfair assumptions about students, families, and the communities in which we teach. In this session, participants will learn how to avoid making these unfair assumptions. Takeaways will include: how to cultivate respect, competence, integrity, and personal regard for students and families; engaging in dialogue (rather than delivering a monologue) and partnering with students, families, and community; transforming the "us vs. them" dynamic that is toxic in education. Participants will leave with the knowledge and understanding that WE ARE EACH OTHER'S GREATEST RESOURCE!
Dr. Lindsey Jensen is the 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year, the 2020 NEA Foundation for Teaching Excellence Illinois Awardee, and Vice-President of the Illinois State Teachers of the Year. Her work has been featured in IL-ASCD, Teach Plus, NEA Today, Education Post, and Flip the System US: How Teachers Can Transform Education and Save Democracy. Her career in education spans 18 years, and she currently serves as the state coordinator for Educators Rising Illinois & the Early Career Development and Aspiring Ed Director for the Illinois Education Association.
Ashley Nilssen
Empower Students with Targeted Feedback and Process-Praise
Friday, Session 1, 7:00-8:00
Saturday, Session 4, 1:20-2:20
The words we use when we communicate with students matter. By mindfully choosing the types of feedback and praise, we can bolster growth mindset and help students feel empowered and engaged. Join me to explore ways of improving our feedback to students. We will work to develop phrases that work for us and can be used right away.
Ashley Nilssen is starting her fourth year of teaching elementary school after years of substituting in many grade levels, where motivating students made her time as a guest in the classroom go well and enhanced student learning. Ashley was named the Douglas County Substitute Teacher of the Year in 2019. She currently teaches third grade and is passionate about finding and sharing practices that support growth mindset in her students.
Jeannie
Penrod
Moments of Mindfulness
Saturday, Session 2, 9:30-10:30
Session 3, 10:40-11:40
Moments of mindfulness will be an opportunity to learn invigorating mindfulness practices. There will be moments of learning breathing techniques, listening practices, and reflective mindfulness strategies to practice in and out of the classroom. Educators will be able to use these strategies in partnership with any content. The practices shared in this session are rooted in the Breathe for Change program that relies on trauma-informed strategies by creating a culture of community and self practices. Plan to leave this session feeling reinvigorated with methods to teach mindfulness to students and staff, as well as improving our own practices.
Laura Jeanne ("Jeannie") Penrod's journey as a high school educator has spanned 18 years in the Clark County School District and she is the 2024 Nevada State Teacher of the Year. Jeannie teaches disciplines ranging from Special Education to English Language Learners and varying levels of English Language Arts. She facilitates meaningful learning experiences with students using project-based learning (PBL) and social-emotional learning (SEL) to foster student reflection and advocacy. Passionate about teacher leadership, Jeannie has engaged in local, statewide, national, and global fellowships.
Dr. Gina Pepin
Let’s Talk,
Teacher to Teacher …
Friday, Session 1, 7:00-8:00
Saturday, Session 2, 9:30-10:30
Let’s Talk, Teacher to Teacher About the Power of Expertise: How to Fill Your Teaching Toolbox When Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies No Longer Match the Students in Front of You
Current student needs are not being met with research and best practices that have been shared before the pandemic. There truly is a need for new approaches, considerations, and research. This workshop guides teacher leaders through interactive and engaging activities that promote the belief that all students can learn. Concepts from the whole child, social emotional learning, trauma informed practices, performance/athletic training, and activities used by school occupational therapists are all integrated into applicable make-and-takes. Learn more about teacher expertise and how it is evident in student success.
Dr. Gina Pepin holds an Ed.D. in Teacher Leadership and a MS in Reading & Literacy K-6. Dr. Pepin teaches in a rural elementary school as a reading intervention teacher. She is involved in leadership, scholarship, and speaking opportunities across the country including family literacy workshops. She is passionate about early literacy and teacher leadership. She co-authored a professional learning book with children's book author, Eric Litwin, entitled The Power of Joyful Reading: Help Your Young Readers Soar to Success (Scholastic, 2020).
Wendy
Weeks
Shifting to Personalized Competency-Based Learning
Friday, Session 1, 7:00-8:00
Saturday, Session 3, 10:40-11:40
As the Nevada Department of Education continues shifting to personalized competency-
based learning, what does that look like? How will the shift impact designing lessons? What are competencies and how does a teacher personalize learning for 35+ students in a classroom?
Participants will be introduced to the Portrait of a Nevada Learner and its competencies – the foundation that facilitates moving to a personalized competency-based practice. They will see and create examples of designing student-centered (personalized) lessons that utilize competencies for assessing skills and knowledge.
Wendy Weeks is a 21 year teaching veteran from Nye County School District and currently teaches 4th grade.
She has a master’s degree, is a National Board Certified teacher, and is an active NCCTA member. She enjoys sewing and crafting and describes herself as a driven, compassionate, and loving individual. When it comes to being an educator, she felt the most connected to her students when they did 21 days of thankfulness.
“It was their idea, and we looked for small things to be thankful for every day.”
Michaela Marich Moderator
“Why I Teach”
General Session, Panel Discussion
Saturday, 12:10 and 1:10
Having been born and raised in Ruth, Nevada, Michaela understands firsthand the challenges and celebrations that come with rural Nevada living. She holds a deep commitment to education and has dedicated seven years to shaping young minds and advocating for educational excellence in Nevada. With a strong foundation in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Mathematics Education, Michaela brings extensive expertise and leadership to the field of education.
While teaching Kindergarten at McGill Elementary School in White Pine County, Michaela plays a crucial role in providing authentic and relevant learning opportunities to young learners and setting the stage for the remainder of their experiences with formal education. With dedication to student development beyond academics, Michaela serves as Head Coach for the White Pine High School Cheerleading and Stunt team where she motivates and guides students, fosters teamwork, and cultivates a positive learning environment within the context of sports and extracurricular activities.
Throughout her career, Michaela has been recognized for her dedication to the students of White Pine County School District as the Teacher of the Month for November 2017 and Nevada students as a finalist for 2023 Nevada State Teacher of the Year. She remains dedicated to advocating for Nevada’s students and teachers, striving to make a positive impact on building bridges within Nevada’s educational landscape.