Every Teacher A Leader Summit 2026: Full Schedule

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9:30am EDT

Global Issues in Humanities: Curriculum for Sustainable Change

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:45am EDT

This session offers a model for interdisciplinary, project-based instruction, engaging students with local and global issues. Participants will explore mentor texts, build knowledge, interrogate bias and credibility, and amplify student voices. The session includes sample units aligned with Muhammad’s HILL model, providing space to adapt ideas for participants’ own classrooms.

Speakers

Stephanie Hendrix

Humanities Academy Coordinator, Bangor High School

Stephanie Hendrix is a Bangor-based educator and equity advocate with 24 years of experience teaching in public schools and 10 years in higher education. As a Leaders for Just Schools facilitator and Blended Learning Instructor for the NEA, she leads national cohorts of educators... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 9:30am - 10:45am EDT

Instruction

11:00am EDT

Building Engagement and Background Knowledge in Grades K-8

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Readers of all ages use what they have learned about the world to make sense of new information. So, how do we build background knowledge from our classrooms? How do we build excitement about an upcoming topic? This session will explore different strategies educators can use in their own classrooms starting in the fall. Teachers will experience 4 or 5 strategies that can be adapted at any grade level and any subject. They will experience these strategies first hand, and then analyze the experience through a teacher lens. All of these activities will be active and engaging to build excitement about a topic. Finally, the educators will work together to develop a comprehensive list of ideas from their own experiences that will be recorded and shared with participants.

Speakers

Jessica Harvey

2nd Grade Teacher, Elm Street School (RSU16)

Jessica Harvey (she/her) is a 2nd grade classroom teacher at Elm Street School (RSU 16) in Mechanic Falls, ME and is the 2021 Androscoggin County Teacher of the Year. With a passion for outdoor learning, she co-founded her district's Get Everyone Outside Initiative (The G.E.O. Initiative... Read More →

Karen MacDonald

Retired Teacher, Teach Maine Center

Karen MacDonald (she/her) is a retired educator who spent 37 years in the Portland Public Schools teaching English Language Arts. In 2014 she was named Maine’s Teacher of the Year. Throughout her career, she worked to build an interdisciplinary model at King Middle School and... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Instruction, K-8

11:00am EDT

Research to Reality: Rethinking Phonemic Awareness Instruction

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Speakers

Kirsten Chansky

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Instruction

11:00am EDT

Writing as Leadership: Helping Students Use Language to Influence Their World

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Speakers

Dr. Sandip Wilson

Ryan Roderick

Thursday July 30, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Instruction

1:30pm EDT

Is Excess Screentime an Adversity-Like Event for Youth? Exploring the Implications for the Classroom and Beyond

Thursday July 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT

Join this session to explore whether excessive screen time may function as an adversity-like experience for youth. Drawing on emerging research linking screen exposure with attention, emotional regulation, and brain development, we'll examine parallels with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Educators will consider implications for classroom practice, student well-being, and developmentally appropriate technology use in schools and homes.

Speakers

Katie Rybakova

Chair and Associate Professor, Lunder School of Education, Thomas College

Katie Rybakova serves as the chair and an associate professor at Thomas College Lunder School of Education as well as the Executive Director of the Maine Association for Middle Level Education organization and Assistant Director of the Central Maine Education Consortium.