69th MRA Conference: Full Schedule

Add sessions to your personal schedule to register your attendance (Check-In).

10:30am EST

Author Visits: Beyond the Basics, Beyond the Books LIMITED

Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EST

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Teachers use goal setting to direct many elements of the curriculum. Why not author visits?
Authors Alice B. McGinty and Sarah Aronson share a new approach to planning and implementing school visits. This includes a checklist of social-emotional and curriculum goals which will provide the tools to give students empowering, meaningful interactions with authors, bringing reading and writing to life.

Speakers

Alice McGinty

Author, SCBWI Michigan

As the author of over 50 books for children, both fiction and nonfiction, I love to visit schools and libraries and to feel the magic that happens when connecting with young readers! With award-winning books like Bathe the Cat, Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World, and... Read More →

Sarah Aronson

Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EST
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Appropriate for All Levels

Strand(s) Community and Family Literacy, Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults, Literacy Educator Preparation

10:30am EST

B is for Belonging LIMITED

Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EST

River Overlook C (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Creating a sense of belonging starts with building strong, meaningful foundations through connection. When kids feel accepted as they form their identities, there are positive mental health effects. In this session, many ideas and literacy connections will be shared to create a classroom atmosphere where kids see themselves reflected and respected.

Speakers

Shannon Anderson

Author, Brain Coach, Professor, Motivational Speaker, www.shannonisteaching.com

Shannon Anderson has taught for 25 years, from first grade through college level. She also served as the gifted coordinator for her school district and on the board of directors for the Indiana State Literacy Association. A highlight of her teaching career was being named one of the... Read More →

Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EST
River Overlook C (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Culturally Responsive Instruction, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), Literacy Educator Preparation, Social-Emotional Learning and Wellness

10:30am EST

Rookie to Rockstar: Empowering New Teachers for Long-Term Success LIMITED

Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EST

Grand Gallery E (DeVos Place)

Infusing the JOY framework into our comprehensive professional development by unleashing the potential of new teachers, guiding them with support around the four pillars throughout the year, and fostering a culture of joy, excellence, and lifelong learning.Our comprehensive mentor training program is designed to empower and equip new teachers, prevent burnout, and ensure long-term success.

Speakers

Kate Rossetter

Engagement and Literacy Educational Consultant, EduKateR- LLC

Annemarie Johnson

Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EST
Grand Gallery E (DeVos Place)

Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Advocacy, Literacy Coaching and Leadership, Literacy Educator Preparation

1:00pm EST

The Path to Fluency for ALL Readers: The Essential Components for Developing Struggling Readers FULL

Saturday March 8, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST

Grand Gallery D (DeVos Place)

"Do you want me to do real reading or just read fast?" was the question from a student that stopped me in my tracks. I will tell the story of our journey in searching for a way to help our students become fluent and confident readers that supported "real reading".

Speakers

Angi Hoyer

Partner Success & Professional Learning Lead, Foundations In Learning

Saturday March 8, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Grand Gallery D (DeVos Place)

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+)

Strand(s) Assessment and Evaluation, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), Foundational Reading Skills, Literacy Educator Preparation

2:30pm EST

40 Ways to Spark a Love of Reading FULL

Saturday March 8, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EST

River Overlook C (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Inspire your students to enjoy reading with these 40 creative ideas you can use for years to come in your classroom, library, or school! Reading for pleasure leads to improved reading comprehension, writing skills, vocabulary, spelling, and grammatical development. Most importantly, reading for pleasure is crucial for developing life-long, avid readers.

Speakers

Shannon Anderson

Author, Brain Coach, Professor, Motivational Speaker, www.shannonisteaching.com

Saturday March 8, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EST
River Overlook C (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Community and Family Literacy, Early Language and Literacy, Literacy Educator Preparation

10:30am EDT

Professional Book Clubs for Teachers Writers LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

Grand Gallery E (DeVos Place)

Participants will learn how the Chippewa River Writing Project book club was founded and what core values could guide adult professional book clubs; this includes supporting and encouraging each other to consider best practices and implement new strategies into our diverse classrooms. We will also brainstorm strategies and provide resources for building your own beloved learning communities.

Speakers

Becky Schwartz

High School Teacher, Springport Public Schools

Becky Schwartz is an English/Social Studies teacher at Springport High School in Jackson county Michigan. In her over 10 years of teaching, she has taught 7th - 12 grade in English, social studies, and computer science. She has been a teacher consultant with the Chippewa River Writing... Read More →

Megan Kowalski

Special Education Teacher, Chicago Public Schools

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Grand Gallery E (DeVos Place)

Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Literacy Coaching and Leadership, Literacy Educator Preparation

12:30pm EDT

Teacher Book Studies: Fostering Collaborative Professional Learning LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

Grand Gallery E (DeVos Place)

Discover the power of teacher book studies as collaborative professional learning. This session explores the importance of educators learning together through organized book studies, drawing from years of experience, including pandemic adaptations. Learn to set up effective book studies, nurture teacher literacy, and translate insights into classroom practice.

Speakers

Kate Rossetter

Engagement and Literacy Educational Consultant, EduKateR- LLC

Melissa Brooks-Yip

Education Consultant, Doctoral Candidate, Teacher Education for Action, TEA LLC

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Grand Gallery E (DeVos Place)

Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Literacy Coaching and Leadership, Literacy Educator Preparation

12:30pm EDT

Silent Sustained Reading in High School: Fostering a Love of Reading in the Classroom and Building a Culture of Literacy within the School LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

Gallery Overlook B (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

In this inspiring session, teachers will learn how we are creating a culture of literacy within our department and school by utilizing a strategic system of SSR, which embraces goal setting, metacognitive thinking, sharing progress, celebrating personal reading, and collective growth. As classroom teachers in the field, our resources will be embedded in the presentation for you to copy and adapt for your context. Just add books!

Speakers

Mrs. Becky Gerhart

High School English Teacher, Mason County Central

Teaching English full-time since 2008. Mother of 7-year-old boy/girl twins. I fly kites on the shore of Lake Michigan.

Katarina Moore

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Gallery Overlook B (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+) Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Advocacy, Foundational Reading Skills, Literacy Educator Preparation

1:45pm EDT

25 Culturally Relevant Read-Alouds that Motivate Students into Independent Reading and Writing FILLING

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

This session will highlight the most recent culturally relevant children's and adolescent literature. Participants will be engaged in interactive read-aloud, how to do them and featuring books that prepare students to write and become activists for change in their community. This will be an interactive session with audience participation and resources to bring back to the classroom and use.

Speakers

Margaret Policastro

Department Chair, Professor and Director of Language and Literacy, Roosevelt University

Dr. Policastro is a professor of language and literacy at Roosevelt University where she is the director of the Literacy leadership MA program and the founding director of the Summer Reading Clinic. She teachers graduate and undergraduate courses in Language and Literacy. Dr. Policastro... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Early Childhood (Birth-K) Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+)

Strand(s) Culturally Responsive Instruction, Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), Early Language and Literacy, Literacy Educator Preparation, Literacy Policy for Equity and Justice, Writing for Equity a

1:45pm EDT

Get Off to the “Write” Start! How to Support Early Career Teachers’ Writing Instruction LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT

Grand Gallery D (DeVos Place)

This session will provide a brief overview of one Community of Practice (CoP) focused on early career teachers and effective elementary writing instruction. The bulk of the session will outline the planning approach for this CoP as well as provide work time to plan for a CoP that could be adopted by building administrators, mentor teachers, coaches, or other teacher education professionals.

Speakers

JoAnne West

Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, Saginaw Valley State University

Julie Brehmer

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT
Grand Gallery D (DeVos Place)

Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Foundational Writing Skills, Literacy Coaching and Leadership, Literacy Educator Preparation, Written Expression