ENGAGE 2026 Professional Learning Conference: Full Schedule

Lunch Options or Bring Lunch for Game Show theme Party happening in the Student Union!

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8:30am CDT

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT

During the training, I will guide participants through the STAR Program website, modeling how to navigate key components and align materials with instructional goals. Teachers will be provided dedicated work time to explore the platform, select relevant resources, and begin creating or organizing materials and downloads to support implementation in the upcoming school year.

Presenters

Christina Bosko

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT
Rm. 1115 - Northwest High School 2301 Texan Dr, Justin, TX 76247, USA

Instruction, Special Education

Audience Elementary
TOPIC Differentiation

8:30am CDT

Huddle Up for Higher level Discussion: Philosophical Chairs in Action

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT

Rm. 1202 - Northwest High School

Entice students into a meaningful and structured debate over a controversial topic, while teaching the skills of academic discussion and how to effectively support a position.

Presenters

Sara Erikson

Secondary Teacher Support Specialist, NISD Curriculum & Instruction

Lauren Smith

Secondary Social Studies Instructional Coach

Rebekah Hall

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT
Rm. 1202 - Northwest High School 2301 Texan Dr, Justin, TX 76247, USA

Instruction, ELA, Social Studies

Audience Secondary
TOPIC Instructional Strategies

8:30am CDT

NoodleTools: Your Research Game Plan

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT

Rm. 1110 - Northwest High School

Step onto the field with a winning strategy for student research! In this session, educators will learn how to use NoodleTools as their playbook for guiding students through the research process—from building strong sources to creating accurate citations and organized notes. Whether you're coaching beginners or seasoned researchers, you’ll discover practical ways to integrate NoodleTools into your instruction, support academic integrity, and keep students on track from kickoff to final submission. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies that will help your students score big on their next research project!

Presenters

Kay Downing

Jamie Eikenberry

Secondary Librarian, Northwest ISD

Meghan Batson

Library Media Specialist

Jaime LeRoy

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT
Rm. 1110 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Instruction, All Contents

Audience Secondary
TOPIC Content Literacy

8:30am CDT

Not Theory—Teaching: Practical Wisdom from the Classroom

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT

Rm. 1217 - Northwest High School

This session features a veteran classroom teacher sharing proven strategies for boosting student engagement, improving classroom management, and building a strong culture of learners. Participants will gain practical, classroom-ready tools grounded in real experience to foster student ownership, collaboration, and a focused, inclusive learning environment.

Presenters

Teresa Williams

Spanish Teacher- Tidwell Middle School

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT
Rm. 1217 - Northwest High School 2301 Texan Dr, Justin, TX 76247, USA

Instruction, All Contents

Audience Secondary
TOPIC Differentiation

8:30am CDT

BOOK STUDY DEBRIEF: Grades K-2: Teaching Mathematics in the Visible Learning Classroom

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT

Rm. 1216 - Northwest High School

Huddle up for a dynamic book study debrief of Teaching Mathematics in the Visible Learning Classroom, where we break down the game film and examine the high-impact moves that drive student achievement. Just like a quarterback making split-second decisions at the line of scrimmage, teachers navigate hundreds of micro-decisions each minute—balancing learning intentions, tasks, and assessments to advance every player down the field. In this session, we’ll reflect on key takeaways from our study, share winning plays for surface, deep, and transfer learning, and discuss how to adjust the playbook to meet the needs of every learner. Walk away ready to call smarter plays, use evidence as your scoreboard, and lead your math team to championship-level growth. (Grades K-2 Session)

Presenters

Jaime Garcia

Elementary Math Coordinator, Northwest ISD

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT
Rm. 1216 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Planning, Math | Instruction, Math

Audience Elementary
TOPIC Instructional Strategies

8:30am CDT

Estabilishing the New Basics of Guided Reading in 1st grade

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT

Rm. 1214 - Northwest High School

This session will focus on routines for book boxes, guided reading, and moving them towards successful indepedent practice.

Presenters

Whitney Bass

Early Childhood & ELA Instructional Coach, Northwest ISD

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT
Rm. 1214 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Planning, ELA | Instruction, ELA

Audience Elementary
TOPIC Differentiation

8:30am CDT

USING YOUR NEW MATH RESOURCE: Speed to the Goal Line - Building Fluency

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT

Rm. 1201 - Northwest High School

Score big in math fluency with your new resource! This session will explore how the tool’s built-in features and scaffolds naturally support students’ development of speed, accuracy, and confidence with key skills. You’ll see how fluency grows as students interact with the resource, receive feedback, and progress through increasingly challenging tasks. Walk away with a clear understanding of how to leverage the resource to help every student advance toward math mastery.

Presenters

Marisa Wylie

Elementary Math Instructional Coach

Christina Matthews

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT
Rm. 1201 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Planning, Math | Instruction, Math

Audience Elementary
TOPIC Instructional Strategies

8:30am CDT

✨These are a Few of My Favorite Things ✨

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT

Rm. 1101 - Northwest High School

Chrome Extensions, Keyboard Shortcuts, and Hacks, OH MY! I am SO excited to share our FAVORITE THINGS with you! This is a session you will not want to miss! Whether you are Admin, Office Staff, Teachers, or someone who uses a computer daily, this session is. for. you. Come learn about all the ways to make your life easier with all these magical tricks. I promise, you will not be disappointed!

Presenters

Jordana Kaiser

Instructional Technologist, Northwest ISD

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT
Rm. 1101 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Planning, All Contents | Instruction, All Contents | Learning Environment, All Contents

Audience All Levels

8:30am CDT

Set the Stage: Teacher Moves and Student Skills for Success

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 11:45am CDT

Rm. 1104 - Northwest High School

Great learning experiences don't happen by accident—they're built lesson by lesson. Join Victor Sampson, creator of Argument-Driven Inquiry, as he unlocks the daily instructional moves that transform your classroom into a place where students show up equipped to argue, reason, and think critically—every single day.

Presenters

Courtney Toht

Secondary Science Instructional Coach

Vic Sampson

Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Argument-Driven Inquiry

Dr. Victor Sampson is an Associate Professor of STEM Education at the University of Texas in Austin. He is also the co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Argument-Driven Inquiry. Dr. Sampson received his Ph.D. from Arizona State University in 2007 and is an expert in STEM education... Read More →

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:30am - 11:45am CDT
Rm. 1104 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Instruction, All Contents

Audience All Levels
TOPIC Instructional Strategies

10:15am CDT

Connecting Word Problems Vertically in K-5

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT

Rm. 1206 - Northwest High School

This year on my campus I have led a year-long vertical alignment committee around analyzing and streamlining our word problem solving strategies, vocabulary, and rigor! This session will condense this learning and allow you to analyze the depth that word problems reach from K-5, and how to support every student in your math classroom.

Presenters

Lily Horak

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT
Rm. 1206 - Northwest High School 2301 Texan Dr, Justin, TX 76247, USA

Instruction, Math

Audience Elementary
TOPIC Differentiation

10:15am CDT

TI-84 Calculator strategies and activities for MS

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT

Rm. 1101 - Northwest High School

Learn ways to make the TI-84 calculator a tool for exploration and learning.

Presenters

Melanye Griffin

Secondary Math Coordinator, Northwest ISD

Pareesa Schulte

Education Technology Consultant, TI Education Technology Consultant

For more than 30 years, Texas Instruments has been an active member of classrooms around the world, empowering teachers and inspiring students to succeed in mathematics.
Through our award-winning products, engaging lessons, and top-notch professional development, TI is transformin... Read More →

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT
Rm. 1101 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Instruction, Math

Audience Secondary
TOPIC Instructional Strategies

10:15am CDT

BOOK STUDY DEBRIEF: Grades 3-5: Teaching Mathematics in the Visible Learning Classroom

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT

Rm. 1216 - Northwest High School

Presenters

Jaime Garcia

Elementary Math Coordinator, Northwest ISD

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT
Rm. 1216 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Planning, Math | Instruction, Math

Audience Elementary
TOPIC Instructional Strategies

10:15am CDT

Book Study Debrief: The Unstoppable Writing Teacher - Championship Season: Building Unstoppable Writers from the Ground Up

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT

Rm. 804 - Northwest High School

Join in for a power-packed debrief of The Unstoppable Writing Teacher, where we break down the high-impact strategies that turn every student into a writer worth watching. We'll swap winning plays, sharpen our coaching moves, and leave with a refined playbook built for our learners. Your scoreboard is waiting! Let's put some points on it.

Presenters

Kristen Dixon

Early Childhood and Literacy Instructional Coach, Northwest ISD

Tonya Gurley

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT
Rm. 804 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Planning, ELA | Instruction, ELA

Audience Elementary
TOPIC Instructional Strategies

10:15am CDT

Book Study Debrief: To Read Stuff You Have to Know Stuff

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT

Rm. 1105 - Northwest High School

In this follow-up book study session, educators will come together to do what the best coaching staffs do after every game — review the footage, break down the key moments, and talk about what it all means going forward. Participants will dig into the big ideas and most critical takeaways from To Read Stuff You Have to Know Stuff, unpacking what the research really says about background knowledge and its powerful connection to reading comprehension. But this session goes beyond the book. Teachers will engage in rich collaborative conversation about what these findings mean for their daily instruction — how they select texts, build knowledge sequences, and create classroom environments where every student has the content knowledge they need to read deeply and think critically. This is not a recap — this is a game plan. Walk away with a renewed sense of purpose, practical instructional implications, and a clear vision for what it looks like to put knowledge-building at the center of your reading instruction. The film does not lie — and neither does the research.

Presenters

Kelli Palmer

Elementary ELA Instructional Coach, Northwest ISD

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT
Rm. 1105 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Planning, ELA | Instruction, ELA

Audience Elementary
TOPIC Instructional Strategies

10:15am CDT

Drawing Up the Playbook: Winning with Unified Data

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT

Rm. 1108 - Northwest High School

Eliminate the sideline scramble by consolidating data points into one master roster, giving administrators a clear view of student performance and intervention needs.

Presenters

Mallory Jones

Student Services Facilitator, Worthington Middle School

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT
Rm. 1108 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Planning, MTSS, Administrative | Instruction, MTSS, Administrative

Audience All Levels

10:15am CDT

Middle Grade & Young Adult Literature: Secondary ELA Professional Book Study

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT

Rm. 1201 - Northwest High School

Back by popular demand! Teachers will experience some of the top young adult and middle grade authors and titles in contemporary literature. By reading and experiencing these stories, teachers will be able to reach a variety of student interests and walk away with strategies for curriculum and instructional implementation. If you participated in previous years, you will have the opportunity to select titles from a brand new list of titles!

Presenters

Rebekah Hall

Aleisha Reid

Brittnie Bragg

Secondary ELA Curriculum Coordinator, Northwest ISD

I am passionate about kids, literacy, and supporting our teachers as educators, leaders, and learners!

Shawna Mitchell

Instructional Coach, Northwest ISD

Instructional Coach

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT
Rm. 1201 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Planning, ELA | Instruction, ELA

Audience Secondary

10:15am CDT

I'm Not Getting Them Ready for Kindergarten Book Study

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT

Rm. 803 - Northwest High School

We will meet as a culmination of the book study to discuss topics from the book. You will be provided questions before the session to help guide the conversation.

Presenters

Rachel Lawson

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT
Rm. 803 - Northwest High School Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247

Planning, PreK | Instruction, PreK | Learning Environment, PreK

Audience Elementary
TOPIC Differentiation

10:15am CDT

ParentSquare - Beyond the Basics

Thursday July 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:45am CDT

Rm. 1205 - Northwest High School

It’s so much more than posts and messages! ParentSquare can streamline communication and up engagement. In this session, we’ll explore how to create groups and generate posts with add-ons to facilitate Events/RSVPs, Volunteer Sign Ups, Wish Lists, Sharing Media, and Completing Forms. Using the collaborative Studio Editor, users can create eye-catching newsletters with easy to use content blocks. We’ll simplify the process of scheduling appointments using the Appointment Sign-Ups feature for conferences, meetings, and more. Need the ParentSquare basics? Attend the ParentSquare Basics training before attending this session.

Presenters