Breakout Sessions

Pre-K

Beth Gaby, M.A., Early Childhood Quality Coach for CCR&R
University of Tennessee Knoxville

Ashlee Collins, Developmental Support Specialist for CCR&R
Signal Centers

Coming Soon

9-12

Dr. Jamie Brickey, Certified Teacher & Psychologist
Greene County Schools

"AI Literacy Tools in the 9-12 Classroom"
Learn how to use AI tools to improve literacy in the high school classroom. Create podcasts, lecture maps, vidoe overviews, and much more!

PK-5

Caroline Beals, Special Education Teacher
Greeneville City Schools

Brandy Rambo, Special Education Teacher
Greeneville City Schools

Bethany Thomas, Speech Language Pathologist
Greeneville City Schools

"Unlocking Literacy: Practical Tools & Strategies to Support Struggling Readers and Writers in Tier 1 Classrooms"
Learn hands-on strategies and tools to help struggling readers and writers thrive in Tier 1 settings. This dynamic session will introduce particpants to the Expanding Expression Tool (EET) model, a powerful framework for building oral and written language skills.  Attendees will explore practical, classroom-ready techniques that integrate seamlessly into daily instruction and support diverse learners. Participants will also engage in a make-and-take activity, leaving with customized tools they can immediately use to boost student success in reading and writing.

ALL

Darlene Smith, Educator
Hamblen County School Board Member

"From Theory to Task: High-Impact Literacy Activities for Every Learner"
This breakout session bridges the gap between literacy research and daily classroom practice. Moving beyond rote worksheets, we will explore a toolkit of evidence-based activities designed to strengthen the core pillars of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

PK-K;
Admin.

Jennifer Ellison, Director
Cocke Co. Cradle to Career Coalition (C5)

"Measuring School Readiness: Caregiver Insights from Cocke Co."
This session highlights results from a caregiver survey in Cocke Co. examining how families prepare children for kindergarten and how the Countdown to Kindergarten initiative is influencing readiness-related behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge. Using local data, the Cocke County Cradle to Career Coalition (C5) shares key findings, trends, and practical lessons learned that are shaping early literacy and readiness strategies in a rural community. 

K-2

Margaret Bright, Teacher
Lenoir City Schools

"Beyond the Words: Comprehension in K-2"
This session will examine comprehension standards for K-2, as well as note progressions and demands asked of students.  We will analyze a text and plan a lesson, including strategies to use in the moment when students struggle.

PK-2

Melody Hobbs, Program Coordinator
Birth to Kindergarten Program
University of Tennessee Knoxville

"From Blocks to Books: How Mature Pretend Play Builds the Architectures of Literacy"
Before a child can understand that the letters D-O-G represent a furry animal that barks, they must first master the art of abstract representation—perhaps by first using a wooden block to represent that same dog. This session explores the profound cognitive bridge between children’s sociodramatic pretend play and early literacy. We will discuss how project-based investigations and shared classroom experiences provide the "rich vocabulary" and "mental tools" children need to transition from oral storytelling to symbolic literacy through pretend play. Attendees will leave with a new lens for seeing preschool children’s pretend play as a vehicle for early literacy learning, while asking ourselves: Do we believe pretend play is the most powerful early literacy intervention we have?

Coming Soon!

Krista Christian, Learning Loss Supervisor
Hamblen County Schools

Coming Soon

6-12

Mona Thomas, Teacher
Greene County Schools

Coming Soon

ALL

Barry Wortz, Professor of Film and Creative Media
Lipscomb University

Coming Soon

ALL

Shelia Newland, Teaching and Learning Coordinator
Greeneville City Schools

"A Journey to Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Positive Student Behavior Outcomes"
Discover how a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) helps schools boost achievement and reduce problem behaviors. Grounded in research, MTSS integrates academic, behavioral, and social-emotional interventions within a three-tiered framework. Join this session to learn practical strategies for strengthening implementation and ensuring every student receives the support they need to thrive.

ALL

Dr. Suzanne Bryant, Partner
Designing Leaders

Beverly Miller, Partner
Designing Leaders

"The Power of Generational Collaboration to Improve Literacy Outcomes"
Based on Tim Elmore's book A New Kind of Diversity and the presenters lifelong experience with changes in literacy instruction and policy, this interactive workshop explores how leaders can transform generational tension into team synergy and improve literacy outcomes. Participants will gain insights into the pardigms that shape each generation's view of work, authority, purpose, and literacy instruction - and walk away with practical strategies to foster trust, boost productivity, and build a culture where team members thrive and students succeed.

7-12

Kimberly Foulks, Middle School Teacher
Greeneville City Schools

"Altered Book Project: Bringing Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Writing to Student-Selected Novels through Recycling Old Books"
The altered book project focuses on turning an old book into a visual work of art that represents the student-selected novel. Through this session, teachers will learn how the project works, what the various writing compones are, and how it is graded with a rubric. Images and actual student examples will be part of the session in order to see the results of the project.

ALL

Dr. Jason Horne, Assistant Director of Schools
Greeneville City Schools

Coming Soon