TeacherGoals-Conference-Connected-School-Communities-2021

Apply to be a presenter at the 2022 TeacherGoals Conference

Thank you for your interest in participating in the TeacherGoals Virtual Conference 2022 as a presenter.  Applications are now closed.  

The dates of the conference are March 11 and 12, 2022. This conference will be in a virtual format for this year.

Our goal is that educators, parents, students, and even community members will attend this conference to understand their purpose in our school communities more deeply. We hope that educators, parents, students, and community members will present to others how they support school communities in ways that have left a true impact.

Below is a list of strands that will help guide you in coming up with a focus for your presentation submission. Keep in mind that attendees of your session should leave with practices, strategies, and ideas that they can implement in their own school communities. In other words, you should take an action-based approach in your presentation. 

Conference Strands

Student Voice/Choice

As educators, when we promote student voice and choice, we create a student-centered learning environment where they can take more ownership of their learning. We do this because it empowers them, creates confidence, and helps build stronger relationships. As a presenter, we want to know how you implement student voice/choice. Examples could be through project-based learning, blogging, podcasting, and any kind of way students can showcase their creativity and learning in a new way. Please note that tech tools are great to share, but the application of how you use them to enhance student voice and choice is necessary. A bonus would be to also include how you connect student voice and choice to mastery of state standards or objectives.

Community and Family Engagement

The school community is not just about teachers and students. How are you, in your role as a teacher, student, parent, or community member, engaging with the school community in a way that promotes the mission of your school and/or district? For example, if you are an educator, how do you effectively engage with parents or community members? If you are a student, how have you utilized the connections of support? If you are a community member, how do you partner with a local school to enhance learning?

Social-Emotional Learning

Social-emotional learning is just not a checklist, course, lesson, or certain time of the day. It is how we teach, how we learn, how we interact, and more. How do you implement SEL with your students? How has it made an impact on their learning? How do you tie in your academic lessons with SEL? How has SEL impacted your teaching and with your students? How can you show it’s made your school community more empowered and connected?

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion must be more than just buzz words. Educators who value DEI strive to make sure their curriculum is representative of every child and taught in ways that honor the culture of their students’ families. Are you an educator who strives to honor all of your students in how you deliver your lessons? How do you show your students high expectations? How have you committed yourself to learn more about DEI? How has this improved your student/teacher relationships? How has it impacted student achievement? What strategies have you used? How can other teachers begin this journey or go more deeply into it?

School Leadership

Frequently, leadership is synonymous with administrators, but we know that school leadership is anyone committed to change and doing what’s best for the school community and those it serves. What is your current role in the school community, and how do you show leadership in your current role? How has it impacted student achievement and the climate/culture of your school? How have you used your role to connect to the school community?

Presenter Requirements

We are dedicated to making this conference a success, and we know you are too! Please ensure that you adhere to all deadlines and can fulfill the requirements for presenters.

  • Access to a stable internet connection (minimum download speed 25Mbps and minimum upload speed is 5Mbps.)
  • HD Webcam, High Quality Microphone, and Speakers.
  • Your display should have a resolution of at least 1920x1080.
  • Include interactive components within the presentation submission. This is to create a more positive experience for attendees.
  • Include actionable strategies that can be used within the presentation submission.
  • You must attend at least ONE tech session to ensure you are prepared to present in a virtual format if your proposal is selected.

Proposal Guidelines

You will need to include the following when submitting the presenter application form:

  • The Session Title: Please indicate the title of your session to include in the program. Please make the session title as descriptive as possible. Because titles provide first impressions, sessions with vague and uninformative titles often attract few participants. 
  • The Strand for your session: Click here to view the conference strands above for more information.
  • An Abstract: Provide a brief description of your presentation to be included in the program and provided to attendees before the event. Your description should provide attendees and reviewers with sufficient information about the context/setting for the presentation and critical areas of insight or findings that will be shared.
  • Actionable Practices/Ideas to Implement: We ask that attendees can leave with strategies, practices, and ideas that they can implement in their school community upon their return.
  • Engagement: We want attendees to not only walk out of sessions with actionable practices and ideas but also to have fun doing it. How do you propose to organize the session? How does the presentation allow adequate time and structure for participants’ engagement?

Proposal Review Process

Some specific points considered in the proposal review process are:

  • Is the title appropriate?
  • Is the content current and relevant to the needs of today’s school community?
  •  Is the description clear, and does it accurately reflect the proposed content?
  • Are learner outcomes measurable and achievable?
  • Will the presenter(s)/ presentation provide new information, knowledge, skills, and/or innovative applications of known information, knowledge, skills, etc.?
  • Is the program format appropriate for the subject matter?

Your submission will be reviewed and evaluated by the TeacherGoals Conference: Connected School Communities Selection Committee. The committee is knowledgeable on the conference theme, topics, and goals. TeacherGoals Conferences, LLC will notify speakers who are chosen to participate on the proposed topic and a Speaker Agreement for review and execution. Please note that we must be highly selective as there are limited presentation spots. 

To keep our conference content unique, we ask you to refrain from presenting on or publishing your topic elsewhere until after the conference.

Submission Timeline

  • December 1, 2021: Submission Window Opens
  • January 3, 2022: Submission Deadline
  • January 17, 2022: Acceptance Notifications
  • March 11-12, 2022: Conference Sessions
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