Conference Schedule

Arrive on campus, check in, and receive your materials for the day. Optional campus tours available.

Join us as we kick off the 2026 conference with a performance from Gamma Phi Circus and engaging opening remarks from ISU alum, Phil Januszewski, a high-energy keynote speaker, flourishing mentor, former chemistry and physics teacher, and the founder of Positive Growth Lounge LLC and co-founder of M&P Presentations LLC. His work blends positive psychology, practical research, real-life stories, humor, and a little entertainment to help hardworking humans feel less tired, more inspired, and more connected to the work and people they care about.

Deeper Dive into Teaching. Registrants will select a session for the teaching area they want to learn more about.

• Agriculture
• Art
• Bilingual Elementary Education
• Biology/Chemistry/Physics (High School)
• Business and Tech and Engineering Ed
• Early Childhood/Elementary Education
• English (High School)
• Family and Consumer Sciences
• History, Geography, and Social Sciences (High School)
• Math (High School)
• Middle Level (All Subjects)
• Music
• PE/Health
• Spanish
• Special Education
• Speech and Social Work

Lunch

Lunch will be held in the Brown Ballroom. A boxed lunch will be provided.

Student Panel - Future Educator Hub

Step into the conversation and hear directly from students at the forefront of teacher education! Our interactive student panel brings together a diverse group of peers, offering real-world insights. Two lucky students will win a $1500 scholarship at the end of the session!

Table Fair

The table fair will include information from all education programs, student organizations, and more.

Admissions and Financial Aid: How Do I Get in? And How Do I Pay for it?

Session will cover ISU admission and financial aid process, including grants for future teachers.

Coaching and Extracurricular Opportunities

A panel of teachers will share their experiences and tips for future teachers interested in adding responsibilities to their role.  

Comics, Podcasts, & TikToks?! Teaching with Texts Kids Love

Reading in school doesn’t have to mean dusty novels. In this session, we’ll explore how teachers use everyday media to develop literacy in fun, meaningful ways. Engage in a mini lesson design around a ‘nontraditional’ text and see how creative teaching can be.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Student Teaching

Join student teachers and university student teaching supervisors for a panel discussion on what to expect during the student teaching experience. They will discuss the joys, excitement, challenges, and opportunities for growth provided by this capstone to the teacher education program.  

Exploring Bilingual Education-Changing the World in Many Languages

This session would provide an overview of career possibilities for individuals with Bilingual/ESL Endorsement, overview of the Bilingual/ESL program at ISU, and end with a "make and take" activity as participants listen to a panel of ISU Bilingual Cohort students.

Forest School: Teaching Young Children Without Walls 

Step outside the traditional classroom and discover how nature can become a powerful teaching partner. Explore how play-based learning in natural settings cultivates resilience, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and healthy risk-taking—and how these essential skills create a strong foundation for learning in any classroom.

Future Teacher Loading …

Could you see yourself making a difference in the lives of students? Come discover what it takes to become a teacher!

Meet current Ed Pathways students, hear what their journey is really like, and explore the programs, resources, and opportunities that can help you take your first steps toward a career in education.

Get inspired. Ask questions. Explore your options. Find your Ed Path!

Golden Apple Information Session

Hook, Hold, Inspire: Engaging Teens with Attention-Grabbing Strategies 

This interactive and energetic session will feature practical, classroom-ready strategies that spark engagement, build connections, and make learning meaningful for teenaged students. Through hands-on activities, real-world examples, and plenty of participation, attendees will leave with tools and techniques they can confidently use from day one in the classroom.  100% guaranteed laughs for all who join in the fun!

How (and Why) to be a Redbird

Learn why students love Illinois State, how we prepare them for success, and how we help make it affordable.

Incorporating Mindfulness in the Classroom to Create Positive Relationships and a Happy Classroom

This session will discuss the benefits of Mindfulness and its impact on both teachers and students. There is more to Mindfulness than being present and aware of your thoughts. You will learn several ways to utilize Mindfulness for students. You will be given ways to create a positive classroom environment, promote positive student behavior, and maintain a positive and successful school year.

International Student Teaching and Study Abroad 

Do you enjoy traveling, exploring the world, and learning new things? There are a lot of opportunities to internationalize your education while becoming a teacher at Illinois State University. This session will introduce you to some of the ways students are doing study abroad experiences, including student teaching, during their teacher education sequence.

Learning Rhyming Words Can Be Fun 

In this session, you will learn to practice vowel teams to enhance your phonemic awareness. Come prepared to make fun word family crafts.  

Play in Early Mathematics! 

Explore how young children engage in mathematics through play and how you can design playful mathematics. In this session, you will distinguish between different types of math play and playful math to leverage the curiosity that children naturally have in early childhood classrooms.

Sign Language and Braille in the Classroom

This session will focus on how educators can utilize American Sign Language (ASL) and Braille to communicate and teach students who are deaf or blind. Participants will engage in activities using ASL and Braille and learn more about teachers who work with these students.

Student, Family, and Community Engagement 

Building affirming relationships is at the foundation of everything we do as educators. Join Dr. Lindsey Jensen, 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year and Executive Director of Educators Rising Illinois, as she shares strategies for building equitable relationships with students, families, and the communities in which we teach.

Super Amazing Shake: Building Community with Young Children One Handshake at a Time 

Discover how the Super Amazing Shake transforms elementary classroom culture by teaching communication, confidence, and connection through authentic interactions. Walk away with practical strategies and ready-to-use ideas that help students build lifelong soft skills while creating a stronger classroom community.

Supporting Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder

With autism diagnoses on the rise, most educators will support neurodivergent learners. This session covers five evidence-based strategies to teach skills and reduce challenging behaviors.

Swiftly Connecting: Building Teacher Student & Family Bonds (Taylor’s Version)

Join me for an inspiring presentation where we'll explore grab-and-go strategies that foster connections with students and their families, Taylor Swift style. Together, we’ll embark on a "love story" to create lasting bonds in your classroom. "Are you ready" to “shake off” the old and embrace the magic that empowers you, your students, and their families to thrive?

Teaching the Skills High School Students Need: Great Teaching Isn’t Just About Delivering Content

This session explores how great teaching in secondary school goes beyond content. You'll create a classroom success matrix and learn strategies for teaching essential skills like organization, collaboration, communication, and responsible technology use. Be ready to reflect on your own classroom observations and experiences.

Technology Playground

It's Time for Play! Come to Studio Teach and explore an array of low- and high-tech tools that can be integrated into instruction to increase engagement in learning. Tech stations with instructions are provided. Bring your curiosity and willingness to learn.

Telling Stories of Self Using the English Language Arts Discipline

Explore opportunities for English Language Arts (ELA) disciplinary learning and teaching through this interactive breakout session. We will tell stories about ourselves using erasure poetry, a method of poetry writing in which the poet erases pre-existing language to create their own, new poem. Erasure poetry is a form of poetry that can be utilized with students in a future ELA classroom for a wide range of educational purposes. 

The Robot in the Room: When Using AI in Schools Becomes the Norm

You may have heard someone say, “Just ChatGPT that…” but what happens when that person is someone you know: one of your supervisors, or teachers, or (future) students? Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has impacted our entire society, and school classrooms are no exception. 

This discussion-based workshop will allow participants to engage the conversation about how GenAI is being used in school classrooms – by students, both productively and otherwise; by teachers, both instructionally and otherwise; and how we, as emergent (future) teachers, can be ready to lead classrooms where teaching and learning as we know it has been altered by GenAI.

The Roles of a High School Teacher 

Learn about the many roles inside and outside of the classroom that are available for high school teachers.

We All Belong: Identity, Belonging, and Connection

Finding your place in college starts with connection! Join current students and faculty to discover how Illinois State University celebrates diverse identities, supports inclusive communities, and offers opportunities to get involved through student organizations, leadership, advocacy, and service while creating your own identity bracelet!

Weird Moments I Learned in My Classroom and Lessons They Taught Me

Speaker: Phil Januszewski

Teaching isn’t always neat, quiet, or predictable…and that’s exactly what makes it powerful. In this session, you’ll hear real (and sometimes weird) classroom moments that show the challenges of teaching and why those moments end up being the reason this career changes lives, including yours.

What's Your Teacher Type? How Your Personality Shapes Your Future Classroom

Your personality plays a powerful role in how you teach, manage your classroom, and connect with students. In this interactive session, you'll explore your unique teacher type through personality assessments and reflective activities. Discover how your strengths influence your teaching style, classroom environment, and student relationships.

Admissions and Financial Aid: How Do I Get in? And How Do I Pay for it? - ISU Admissions and Financial Aid

Session will cover ISU admission and financial aid process, including grants for future teachers.

Coaching and Extracurricular Opportunities

A panel of teachers will share their experiences and tips for future teachers interested in adding responsibilities to their role.  

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Student Teaching

Join student teachers and university student teaching supervisors for a panel discussion on what to expect during the student teaching experience. They will discuss the joys, excitement, challenges, and opportunities for growth provided by this capstone to the teacher education program.

Exploring Bilingual Education: Changing the World in Many Languages  

This session would provide an overview of career possibilities for individuals with Bilingual/ESL Endorsement, overview of the Bilingual/ESL program at ISU, and end with a "make and take" activity as participants listen to a panel of ISU Bilingual Cohort students.

Forest School: Teaching Young Children Without Walls 

Step outside the traditional classroom and discover how nature can become a powerful teaching partner. Explore how play-based learning in natural settings cultivates resilience, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and healthy risk-taking—and how these essential skills create a strong foundation for learning in any classroom.

Golden Apple Information Session

Hook, Hold, Inspire: Engaging Teens with Attention-Grabbing Strategies 

This interactive and energetic session will feature practical, classroom-ready strategies that spark engagement, build connections, and make learning meaningful for teenaged students. Through hands-on activities, real-world examples, and plenty of participation, attendees will leave with tools and techniques they can confidently use from day one in the classroom.  100% guaranteed laughs for all who join in the fun!

How (and Why) to be a Redbird

Learn why students love Illinois State, how we prepare them for success, and how we help make it affordable.

Incorporating Mindfulness in the Classroom to Create Positive Relationships and a Happy Classroom

This session will discuss the benefits of Mindfulness and its impact on both teachers and students. There is more to Mindfulness than being present and aware of your thoughts. You will learn several ways to utilize Mindfulness for students. You will be given ways to create a positive classroom environment, promote positive student behavior, and maintain a positive and successful school year.

Learning Rhyming Words Can Be Fun 

In this session, you will learn to practice vowel teams to enhance your phonemic awareness. Come prepared to make fun word family crafts.  

Sign Language and Braille in the Classroom

This session will focus on how educators can utilize American Sign Language (ASL) and Braille to communicate and teach students who are deaf or blind. Participants will engage in activities using ASL and Braille and learn more about teachers who work with these students.

Student, Family, and Community Engagement 

Building affirming relationships is at the foundation of everything we do as educators. Join Dr. Lindsey Jensen, 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year and Executive Director of Educators Rising Illinois, as she shares strategies for building equitable relationships with students, families, and the communities in which we teach.

Super Amazing Shake: Building Community with Young Children One Handshake at a Time 

Discover how the Super Amazing Shake transforms elementary classroom culture by teaching communication, confidence, and connection through authentic interactions. Walk away with practical strategies and ready-to-use ideas that help students build lifelong soft skills while creating a stronger classroom community.

Supporting Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder

With autism diagnoses on the rise, most educators will support neurodivergent learners. This session covers five evidence-based strategies to teach skills and reduce challenging behaviors.

Swiftly Connecting: Building Teacher Student & Family Bonds (Taylor’s Version)

Join me for an inspiring presentation where we'll explore grab-and-go strategies that foster connections with students and their families, Taylor Swift style. Together, we’ll embark on a "love story" to create lasting bonds in your classroom. "Are you ready" to “shake off” the old and embrace the magic that empowers you, your students, and their families to thrive?

Teaching the Skills High School Students Need: Great Teaching Isn’t Just About Delivering Content

This session explores how great teaching in secondary school goes beyond content. You'll create a classroom success matrix and learn strategies for teaching essential skills like organization, collaboration, communication, and responsible technology use. Be ready to reflect on your own classroom observations and experiences.

Technology Playground

It's Time for Play! Come to Studio Teach and explore an array of low- and high-tech tools that can be integrated into instruction to increase engagement in learning. Tech stations with instructions are provided. Bring your curiosity and willingness to learn.

We All Belong: Identity, Belonging, and Connection

Finding your place in college starts with connection! Join current students and faculty to discover how Illinois State University celebrates diverse identities, supports inclusive communities, and offers opportunities to get involved through student organizations, leadership, advocacy, and service while creating your own identity bracelet!

Weird Moments I Learned in My Classroom and Lessons They Taught Me

Speaker: Phil Januszewski

Teaching isn’t always neat, quiet, or predictable…and that’s exactly what makes it powerful. In this session, you’ll hear real (and sometimes weird) classroom moments that show the challenges of teaching and why those moments end up being the reason this career changes lives, including yours.

What's Your Teacher Type? How Your Personality Shapes Your Future Classroom

Your personality plays a powerful role in how you teach, manage your classroom, and connect with students. In this interactive session, you'll explore your unique teacher type through personality assessments and reflective activities. Discover how your strengths influence your teaching style, classroom environment, and student relationships.

Student ambassadors will lead a 30 minute campus tour. The chaperone must sign up for this option on the registration form.