Register today!

Saturday, April 6, 2024

9:00 am – 3:00 pm • MU Campus • Townsend Hall • Free Event

Celebrate the profession of teaching at the 2024 Teacher Education Conference! We invite the teacher education community (current students, alumni, graduate students, instructors, partner district host teachers, professional staff, etc.) to join us for a day of conversation and learning.

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Schedule at a Glance

Saturday, April 6, 2024

9:00 am – 9:30 am Registration, breakfast, and Diverse Literature Gallery
9:30 am – 10:15 am Keynote: Julian Jackman and Lonnie Lockhart Bey
10:20 am – 11:10 am Session 1: see room assignments
11:15 am – 12:00 pm Session 2: see room assignments
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch and more: food truck, flower truck (outside), maker space, haiku, graduate programs, DBRL
1:40 pm – 2:30 pm Session 3: see room assignments
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Conclusion and prize raffle

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Registration and Breakfast • 9:00 am – 9:30 am

Check-in
Location: Townsend Hall Lobby & Reflector
Pick up your conference materials. Say hello to old friends and meet new ones. Grab a coffee and donut. Visit the tables and galleries in the Townsend Lobby. Finalize your conference plan for the day and find a seat for our engaging keynote.

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Diverse Literature Open Gallery Showcase
Kirsten Tivaringe and LTC 4241 Scholars: Malinda Le, Isabell Accurso, Abbey Kamienski, Lucy Barber , Hope Lloyd, McKenna Cowie, Maddie Gamertsfelder, Lilah Roberts, and Jessica Zhang
Location: Townsend Hall Reflector
Come-and-go at your leisure for this walkthrough display: Seniors enrolled in LTC 4241 Diverse Literature invite you to peruse the interactive gallery display showcasing collections of diverse literature, with lesson plans and library recommendations for your classroom and beyond. Listen and engage as they reflect on powerful moments of teaching with texts in their elementary student teaching experiences.

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Keynote • 9:30 am – 10:15 am

Julian Jackman and Lonnie Lockhart Bey
Location: Townsend Hall Reflector
We are thrilled to open our conference with community leaders, Julian Jackman and Lonnie Lockhart Bey. In addition to their work in partnership with Columbia Public Schools and local families, they have recently opened Columbia’s new P.E.A.C.E and H.O.P.E Youth Center. Julian and Lonnie are certified trauma-informed community specialists on a mission to expand opportunities for youth who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This work includes building purposeful bridges between school, home, and community. Their partnership with the Columbia Public Schools is called the RISE Initiative (Responsible Intelligent Scholars Excelling). This program strives to help students navigate a way forward through—and in response—to trauma. RISE’s mission is to “help at-risk youth, the formerly incarcerated, and the community at large, to love, teach, and to guide them into fulfilling lives of promise; to give them hope and a future.” During this keynote, we ask that you lean in to hope, possibility, and peace. As the wall at the P.E.A.C.E and H.O.P.E Youth Center reads, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” While this session may challenge us, we ask that you arrive with an open heart prepared to learn, laugh, and to keep building community together.

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Session 1 • 10:20 am – 11:10 am

Continue the Dialogue
Facilitators: Lonnie Lockhart Bey and Julian Jackman
Location: 220 Townsend Hall
Would you like to continue the dialogue with Julian Jackman and Lonnie Lockhart Bey? Interested in learning more about the youth center? Do you have a question that you didn’t want to ask in the big group? If you answered yes to any of the above, please join us for another opportunity to learn with Julian and Lonnie as we explore hope, peace, trauma-informed care, and purposeful action steps to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. 

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Building Relationships with Students
Facilitator: Tom Whelihan
Location: 122 Townsend Hall
Do you want to be a flower, or do you want to be the person to help the flower grow? Building relationships with students comes down to one thing! It’s easy and attainable. Want to know what it is? Come to my breakout session and leave elevated.

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Teaching and Learning With Generative AI 
Facilitators: Christy Goldsmith and John Lannin
Location: 205 Townsend Hall
Math and English Language Arts teacher educators will lead this interactive session exploring what GenAI can do and what it can’t do. With specific examples from ChatGPT and BingAI, the presenters will demonstrate useful applications of the technology while recognizing its biases and limitations. Bring your questions and previous experiences with GenAI to engage with us in this session!

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Community-Based Teacher Education 
Facilitators: Jake Calder, Aliviah Deyo, Natalie Feldkamp, Lauryn Mason, Ruth McCarron, Samantha Tantilla, Rebecca Yanacheak, and Kathryn Fishman-Weaver
Location: 109 Townsend Hall
What lessons can we learn about powerful teaching through community-based organizations? Join us for an engaging presentation by a team of future teachers. This group has spent their semester serving and learning at community organizations throughout Columbia, MO. These learning experiences coupled with their studies in LTC 2040 and LTC 2040 Honors have equipped them with lessons on radical hope, asset-based perspectives, relationship building, and culturally responsive competencies. Learn from their experiences. Leave reminded that wisdom is ubiquitous and that our communities are often our best teachers.

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Mock Interviews 
Facilitator: Sarah Walters
Location: Townsend Hall Reflector
Calling all educators aspiring for career success! Don’t miss the opportunity to enhance your interview skills at our mock interview session. This transformative experience is tailor-made to empower you with the confidence and expertise needed to ace teaching job interviews. Immerse yourself in realistic scenarios, where seasoned educators provide constructive feedback to help you refine your responses and showcase your unique teaching approach. Join us in a supportive environment that fosters growth and camaraderie among educators. Embrace the chance to not only prepare for interviews but also connect with like-minded professionals, building a network that can propel your career forward.

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Session 2 • 11:15 am – 12:00 pm

Early Teaching Career Panel: Alumni Voices 
Moderator: Evan Simpkins `24  
Panelists: Liz Flippin (Year 3 at Battle High School, Columbia, MO), Evan Holder (Year 3 at Lange Middle School, Columbia, MO), Allie Pigg (Year 1 at Turner High School, Kansas City, KS), Andrew Whelihan (Year 1 at Cedar Ridge Elementary, Columbia, MO), Serenity Washington (Year 2 at Parkade Elementary, Columbia, MO)
Location: 205 Townsend Hall
Are you a current college undergraduate wondering about next steps after commencement? Are you new in your teaching career wanting to learn about other early career teachers’ experiences? Join the Early Teaching Career Panel: Alumni Voices to hear from recent graduates of Mizzou’s teacher preparation program in Year 1, 2, and 3 of teaching. Learn how they have navigated the transition into their first teaching position, their lessons, tips and tricks, and experiences. 

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Using Technology to Improve Classroom Behavior 
Facilitator: Sara Estrapala
Location: 115 Townsend Hall 
In this session, attendees will learn how to implement a free, technology-based self-monitoring intervention called I-Connect. I-Connect is a simple, evidence-based intervention that can increase academic engagement and reduce disruptive behaviors while also improving student self-awareness and self-efficacy. Links to free resources will also be provided.

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Creating a Prosocial Classroom 
Facilitator: Lindsay Brockmeier
Location: 122 Townsend Hall
If you are interested in learning how to create warm, kind, and emotionally upbeat classrooms, Creating a Prosocial Classroom is the place to be! We will discuss ways in which teachers can promote prosocial behavior among students by using person-centered praise, inductive discipline, and building strong teacher-student relationships. Teachers will walk away with practical strategies to use in their everyday interactions with students that foster positive classroom environments. 

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Cracking the Code: Choosing and using phonics assessments for more equitable instruction
Facilitator: Kirsten Tivaringe
Location: 206 Townsend Hall
Unlock the power of equitable instruction with our session, ‘Cracking the Code: Choosing and Using Phonics Assessments.’ Join us as we delve into the essential strategies for selecting and leveraging phonics assessments to enhance small-group instruction. In this session, we explore the critical role of assessments and how data-driven insights can drive equity in the classroom. We’ll explore real data to empower teachers to tailor instruction to effectively address the diverse needs of learners.

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Administrative Panel
Facilitator: Sarah Walters
Location: Townsend Hall Reflector
Panelists: Taylor Drennan (Middle School Principal, Columbia Public Schools), Mary Grupe (High School Principal, Columbia Public Schools), Josh Johnson (Director of Human Resources, Columbia Public Schools), John Downs (Superintendent, Hallsville School District)

Join us for a panel discussion with education administrators focused on the education job search, ideas for the future of the profession, and strategies for supporting and inspiring both educators and students. This engaging session aims to provide invaluable guidance and support for educators seeking employment opportunities in the dynamic field of education. The Administrative Panel brings together a distinguished group of seasoned education administrators, human resource professionals, and industry experts who will share their wealth of knowledge and experience. The Administrative Panel at our Teacher Education Conference is designed to empower you with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in the competitive job market and gain valuable insights into current trends into the profession of education. Don’t miss this chance to connect with industry leaders and fellow educators while taking the next steps towards a fulfilling and rewarding career in education.

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Lunch • 12:00 – 1:30 pm

Lunch and more: food truck, flower truck (outside), maker space, haiku, graduate programs, DBRL 

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Session 3 • 1:40 pm – 2:30 pm

STEAM Bus 
Columbia STEM Alliance
Location: Outside at Traditions Plaza
The Columbia STEM Alliance is parking the STEAM Bus outside of Townsend across from Traditions Plaza to welcome you inside to experience science, technology, engineering, and math collaboratively in a fun environment. Featuring a variety of tools including Legos, 3D printers, virtual reality goggles, and micro:bits. Step on in for hands-on-fun. 

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Reading Diverse Picturebooks Through Visual Thinking Strategies
Facilitators: Angie Zapata, Whitney Hoffman, Kara Johnson
Location: Townsend Hall Reflector
This interactive conversation will feature visual thinking strategy approaches to support readers critical encounters with picturebooks in the classroom. Participants will reimagine picturebook collections and rethink literature instruction as essential, critical work for both visual literacy development and a broader sense of citizenry among young children.

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Harnessing Strengths, Nurturing Potential: The Positive Youth Development Approach in Schools 
Facilitators: Melissa Herzog and Steven Krauss
Location: 105 Townsend Hall
Positive youth development (PYD) is a set of principles and practices that promote youth thriving. Anywhere that young people are, PYD can be implemented – and schools are no exception. This session will introduce key principles and evidence about PYD. Attendees will have opportunities to discuss their current approaches to supporting youth thriving. We will share simple practices that can be incorporated into daily classroom interactions and give attendees opportunities to brainstorm and practice new strategies to build relationships and nurture students’ assets and strengths.

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Understanding Challenges: Students with Disabilities Experience in Written Argumentation 
Facilitator: Delinda van Garderen
Location: 115 Townsend Hall
Today’s students live in a world filled with complexity, requiring the development of strategies for evaluating and using information to make evidence-based claims. During this session we will discuss challenges students with disabilities experience with written argumentation and instructional strategies designed to address these challenges.

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Musical Instrument Petting Zoo
Facilitator: Kevin Botkin
Location: 223 Townsend Hall
Ever wonder what the music kids do? Did you play the left-handed sewer flute in high school and want to show off your skills? Come try out some of the instruments your future students will be playing! This session will be an open exploratory with music educators on hand to help you make some noise in a low-stakes environment. Offered with the support of the Higday Mozart Outreach Concert Series.

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Closing • 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

We will all meet back in the Reflector for our closing session of the day. Stay with us for this last session so that we can close out the celebration together, participate in one more group activity, and for a chance to win our great conference prizes. 

During the closing, Kirsten Tivaringe will lead the group in Spoken Word Group Poetry  on “Why I Teach.”  Through this activity, conference participants will come together to engage in an inspiring exploration of purpose, recentering our aims for education, and celebrating the collective journey we’ve embarked upon.

Through the art of spoken word poetry, we will collectively make meaning from the sessions we’ve attended, discuss key takeaways and insights and create a space for celebration and appreciation. You will have an opportunity to reflect on your individual and collective agency as educators, consider the politics of possibility in our work and plan for continued collaboration and growth.

Join us as we come together and harness the power of poetry to share our stories, inspire, connect, uplift one another, and affirm our commitment to transformative education.