20th Annual Teacher Leadership Institute: Inspiring Excellence

Do you ever wish you had a personal assistant? Someone you could bounce ideas off of, someone who could proofread your work, someone who could do a bit of research for you and then report back? What about someone who could do monotonous work for you so that you have time for more interesting tasks? In this introductory session, we will explore how generative AI (artificial intelligence) tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot can fill that role and be used to help boost your thinking and productivity. Bring your laptop as you’ll get hands-on practice using a chatbot, discover effective communication strategies to harness its potential as a thought partner, and gain valuable insights to apply to your own professional practice.
Note: We will not be discussing student use of AI in this session.

Pursuit of National Board Certification is one of the most challenging and rewarding professional learning opportunities in which educators can participate. Study after study proves the impact of the National Board process on student learning, student gains, teacher efficacy, and teacher retention. In this session, participants will learn how the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards can be used by all educators and applied to all professional learning.

Discover how to turn everyday phenomena into powerful science lessons that spark curiosity and critical thinking. In this hands-on session, you’ll explore the Ambitious Science Teaching framework and learn how to design lessons that are both engaging and equitable. Bring a laptop and a science lesson you've used recently—we'll work together to add in engaging elements. You'll leave with practical strategies and clear next steps to make science instruction more meaningful for all learners.