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SAIL 2025
Tuesday, June 10
 

9:00am CDT

History, Spirituality, and Politics of the Holy Land
Tuesday June 10, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
This survey course will offer some insights into historical circumstances, political motivations, and global politics to help interpret and understand the complexities of the Holy Land. From learning about ancient civilizations to exploring modern politics, participants will have the opportunity to expand their own knowledge of Ancient Near East history and facilitate discussions around contemporary realities.
Speakers
JC

Jeremy Cramer-Elsner

Jeremy has spent the past decade teaching Theology at Benilde-St. Margaret's and worked in Campus Ministry or teaching for nearly 20 years.
Tuesday June 10, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

9:00am CDT

Exploring Systems Thinking with STELLA Computer Modeling
Tuesday June 10, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
In this session we will explore the power of systems thinking in the middle and high school STEM classroom through hands-on experience with STELLA modeling software. We will learn how to create our own dynamic models and analyze pre-built models. Aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), we will focus on the science practice of developing and using models to make predictions, explain concepts, and support student inquiry.

Participants in this session should bring a laptop.
Speakers
Tuesday June 10, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Driving Question Boards/Question Focus Technique
Tuesday June 10, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Harness student curiosity and ownership of the curriculum. Using Driving Question Boards generated with the Question Focus Technique, students can see the relevance of the curriculum and gain a stake in the game. In asking questions at the beginning of a unit, students make immediate connections that can be referred to as you move through the course.
Speakers
Tuesday June 10, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park
 
Wednesday, June 11
 

9:00am CDT

Rooted Realities: Deepening Understanding and Cultural Competency Through Black and Brown Lived Experiences in Minnesota
Wednesday June 11, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
This course satisfies hours for the MN license renewal category for Cultural Compentency as well as American Indian History and Culture.  This course centers the experiences of Black and Brown communities in Minnesota, connecting historical context to present-day realities. Through interactive activities and guided reflection, educators will examine how systems of race and power shape access, opportunity, and identity. The course emphasizes building a sense of belonging and community, while supporting critical thinking around equity and inclusion. Participants will gain tools to create more culturally responsive learning environments and strengthen relationships with all students.
Speakers
DD

Dennis Draughn

Dennis Draughn is an educational leader dedicated to equity, inclusion, and fostering environments where all individuals feel a sense of belonging. As an African American male, he brings a nuanced perspective to his work, blending lived experience with a deep understanding of culturally... Read More →
Wednesday June 11, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

9:00am CDT

Modeling Science: Exploring the NGSS Practice of Developing and Using Models
Wednesday June 11, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
In this session we will dive into the NGSS Science and Engineering practice of Developing and Using Models to deepen student understanding of scientific phenomena. Through engaging, collaborative activities, educators will construct and evaluate physical models that represent real-world scientific concepts. This session emphasizes the power of models to support sense-making, encourage inquiry, and make abstract ideas tangible for students.
Speakers
Wednesday June 11, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

9:00am CDT

The Tools of Turnitin.com: Plagiarism Check, Peer Editing and more
Wednesday June 11, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Turnitin.com has long been a valuable resource for combatting plagiarism and strengthening academic integrity. They have also responded to our current landscape in which both students and teachers are navigating authorship, originality, and intellectual hygiene. We will explore the tools Turnitin provides, from PeerMark (peer editing), Drafts (revision), Originality Reports (AI), and different methods and modes of grading directly on Turnitin.com itself. 
Speakers
AO

Änna Overbo

Änna Overbo
Wednesday June 11, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Expanding Perspectives: Building capacity in Cultural Competency with Practical Classroom Tools
Wednesday June 11, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
This course satisfies hours for the MN license renewal category for Cultural Competency.  This course offers a dual focus on growing your capacity and self-awareness while providing actionable classroom strategies that foster a strong sense of belonging for all students. Educators will reflect on their own frames of reference and uncover potential biases that shape expectations and relationships with students, families, and the wider school community. Through guided self-reflection, collaborative discussions, and hands-on exploration of practical tools, participants will leave equipped to create welcoming, responsive classroom environments.
Speakers
DD

Dennis Draughn

Dennis Draughn is an educational leader dedicated to equity, inclusion, and fostering environments where all individuals feel a sense of belonging. As an African American male, he brings a nuanced perspective to his work, blending lived experience with a deep understanding of culturally... Read More →
Wednesday June 11, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Creating 3D Assessments
Wednesday June 11, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
This course will take a look at how you can create assessments that move beyond memorization and regurgitation of facts. How can you create opportunities to assess content, but also how students can use that content to solve complex problems related to your discipline? Bring along some assessments to rework! We will use the NGSS science standards as a backdrop but all disciplines are invited.
Speakers
Wednesday June 11, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park
 
Thursday, June 12
 

9:00am CDT

Accommodation, Modification, and Adaptation of Materials and Instruction
Thursday June 12, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
This class will fulfill the Minnesota Department of Education license renewal requirement in accommodation, modification, and adaptation of materials and instruction. Learn to write and follow accommodation plans that are helpful to students, unburdensome for teachers, and satisfying to parents.
Speakers
KG

Kristin Gilbertson

Director of Learning Support, middle school teacher, avid reader, camping enthusiast, rec pickleballer, proud MN Gopher
Thursday June 12, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

9:00am CDT

Brisk Teaching- Free AI tool for teachers
Thursday June 12, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Brisk is a google add on that allows teachers to do many things such as creating lesson plans, writing exit tickets, making rubrics, video worksheets, and many other functions including student feedback. This will be an introductory course. I will show what I have used it for this year and then participants will download and explore how it could apply to their own teaching.
Speakers
JR

Jennifer Roushar

Science Teacher at BSM.  Not an expert at Brisk- have just explored it this year.
Thursday June 12, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Key Warning Signs of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Thursday June 12, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
This course will satisfy two MN license renewal requirements:  1) Key Warning Signs of Mental Illness and 2) Suicide Prevention.  

Early Warning Signs of Mental Health Problems in Children and Adolescents School - This professional development session equips educators with the knowledge to recognize early indicators of mental health concerns in students. Participants will learn how to identify common signs of anxiety, depression, trauma responses, and other emerging mental health disorders across developmental stages. The session will also cover the difference between typical developmental challenges and signs that may warrant further support or referral.

Suicide Prevention and Intervention - This professional development training equips educators with essential knowledge and practical strategies for identifying, responding to, and supporting students at risk of suicide. Grounded in evidence-based practices the session covers key warning signs, risk and protective factors, appropriate language and communication techniques, school-based protocols, and when and how to involve mental health professionals and emergency services. Participants will also explore preventative approaches that foster a supportive school climate and promote student well-being.
Speakers
JV

Jackie Virnig

Phoenix School Counseling
Thursday June 12, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

The Future of Education and the Importance of Mindset Development
Thursday June 12, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
As technological advances progress, machines will take over more and more of the manual and cognitive tasks that humans once performed. What will be left for us, and how do we prepare our students for that world? Developing student mindsets for complex communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking is vital. This session will discuss curriculum design for maximizing mindset development.
Speakers
avatar for Steve Pohlen

Steve Pohlen

Director of Learning and Technology, BSM
Director of Learning and Technology, Benilde-St. Margaret's
Thursday June 12, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Teaching the Now with AI: Using Timely Topics to Spark Meaningful Learning
Thursday June 12, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
In a world where the news never stops and your lesson plans are already full... how do you help students make sense of what’s happening—without pulling an all-nighter?

This hands-on, low-pressure workshop is for any teacher who wants to bring more relevance into their classroom without starting from scratch. Whether you teach math, English, science, business, religion, or art, you’ll learn how to use AI tools like ChatGPT to turn what’s happening in the world into timely, engaging, and manageable learning moments.

We’ll explore:

How to turn articles into summaries students will actually understand

Quick ways to generate real-world examples, scenarios, and dilemmas

Prompts that get students thinking critically—and talking meaningfully

No AI experience needed. No robots taking over your classroom. Just fresh ideas, practical tools, and a little laughter to help you connect today’s headlines to what you’re already teaching.
Speakers
AD

Anne Dougherty

Anne Dougherty is an award-winning educator, entrepreneur, and curriculum designer who’s spent her career building programs that make learning feel real, relevant, and student-driven. At Benilde-St. Margaret’s, she helped launch and grow the RED (Research, Entrepreneurship, Design... Read More →
Thursday June 12, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park
 
Tuesday, June 17
 

9:00am CDT

Design Thinking - Crash course
Tuesday June 17, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
In this hands-on workshop, you'll dive into the Design Thinking approach—a mindset that values learning from failure, embracing ambiguity, and focusing on human needs. As you work through the stages of Empathy, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test, you'll not only experience the process firsthand but also envision how you can integrate the cycle—or individual phases—into lessons, projects, and real-world problem-solving with your students.
Speakers
Tuesday June 17, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

9:00am CDT

The Power of Video: Screencasting and EdPuzzle
Tuesday June 17, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Video can be a powerful tool for engaging students. First it allows for visual and audio stimulation that helps students retain information. Second, it is also practical for students who would like to view it multiple times to fully absorb the information. We will explore two tools to bring video to your classroom. Screencasting allows you to make and edit videos so that you can customize the video to include the content exactly as you want it. EdPuzzle allows videos to be interactive. As the video plays, questions and comments pop up that the student must engage with before continuing. This allows you to focus the student on the most important content.
Speakers
avatar for Steve Pohlen

Steve Pohlen

Director of Learning and Technology, BSM
Director of Learning and Technology, Benilde-St. Margaret's
Tuesday June 17, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Fun with Books: engaging ways to promote reading
Tuesday June 17, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Looking for ways to encourage reading? Come speed date books! Run a March Book Madness tournament! "Lego-fy" book covers! Learn some big and small ways to promote reading and introduce a variety of books to students.
Speakers
Tuesday June 17, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Learning Styles and Pedagogy
Tuesday June 17, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Does teaching and learning in our classroom meet the needs and strengths of all of our students? We will explore the Myers-Briggs styles framework and discuss how it can impact our teaching methods and curriculum design to make a positive and effective learning environment for everyone.
Speakers
avatar for Steve Pohlen

Steve Pohlen

Director of Learning and Technology, BSM
Director of Learning and Technology, Benilde-St. Margaret's
Tuesday June 17, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Google Docs, Sheets, and Forms Integration
Tuesday June 17, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Google Docs, Sheets, and Forms are separate, discrete tools teachers use on a daily basis. What if you could use them in an integrated way to increase the efficiency of your work flow? Come and find out how to coordinate these tools to improve the work flow with your students. How can you connect a Google Form to a Document, that is also connected to a Spreadsheet that you can automate a response to your students with feedback? How can you turn a Google slide show into an assessment that is easy to provide feedback to?
Speakers
Tuesday June 17, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park
 
Wednesday, June 18
 

9:00am CDT

Student Engagement through Class Discussions
Wednesday June 18, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
This course will cover ways to engage all students through class discussions in effective and respectful ways. With technology and without, we will explore ways to lead educated discussions that improve quality interactions, promote positive interactions, and get everyone involved. We will also discuss ways to assess and evaluate discussions in the classroom. Come ready to practice your discussion skills, and bring ideas or work from your own curriculum. There will be time to develop your own class discussions.
Speakers
Wednesday June 18, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

9:00am CDT

Empowering Teachers to Create Calm, Positive Classroom Cultures
Wednesday June 18, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Students today are presenting with higher - and different- behavioral, mental health, and social emotional needs than ever before. Many of the ‘tried and true’ approaches to classroom management are falling short, because the students we work with today are very different from our students of the past. This can be attributed to many factors, social media, COVID, cultural shifts, etc. but the fact remains the same: we need new approaches to creating calm and positive classroom environments because as behaviors increase, so does the likelihood of teacher stress and burnout. This workshop will provide school leaders with tools to support individual staff who are experiencing an increase in classroom behaviors, and will discuss current, research-based, school-wide interventions and solutions to promoting calm, productive, and joyful classrooms.
Speakers
JW

Jessica Werner

Northshore Learning
Jessica Werner, Ph.D., is the Founder and CEO of Northshore Learning. Dr. Werner works with schools worldwide as an instructor, a professor of education and classroom management, and as a consultant. She is passionate about helping schools support and retain effective teachers, as... Read More →
Wednesday June 18, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Promoting Teacher Well-being to Drive Student Success
Wednesday June 18, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Teacher well-being is directly tied to student outcomes and school culture. This session introduces strategies to address teacher burnout, enhance resilience, and foster work-life balance. Participants will leave with practical steps to integrate well-being initiatives into their schools, supporting educator effectiveness and longevity in alignment with Minnesota’s focus on teacher retention.
Speakers
JW

Jessica Werner

Northshore Learning
Jessica Werner, Ph.D., is the Founder and CEO of Northshore Learning. Dr. Werner works with schools worldwide as an instructor, a professor of education and classroom management, and as a consultant. She is passionate about helping schools support and retain effective teachers, as... Read More →
Wednesday June 18, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Student Engagement Strategies for K-8 Classrooms
Wednesday June 18, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Explore a variety of high-impact student engagement strategies designed to boost participation, deepen understanding, and create a more dynamic learning environment. This session highlights tech-integrated tools like PearDeck, Gimkit, Quizlet, and EdPuzzle, alongside hands-on approaches that support differentiation and formative assessment. Tailored especially for K-6 and K-8 teachers, you'll leave with ready-to-use ideas to bring back to your classroom. Perfect for educators seeking practical ways to energize their instruction and connect with all learners.
Wednesday June 18, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park
 
Thursday, June 19
 

9:00am CDT

Creative Problem Solving: A College in the Schools Preview
Thursday June 19, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
What if your students didn’t stop at the first idea—but explored ten more? This hands-on session introduces Creative Problem Solving, a College in the Schools course offered through the University of Minnesota’s College of Design. You’ll engage in activities that stretch divergent thinking skills—encouraging students to generate multiple solutions, take creative risks, and push beyond the expected. The exercises are adaptable across subjects, making them valuable tools in any classroom. Whether you're looking for new ways to spark student creativity or are considering bringing this course to your school, this session offers both inspiration and practical strategies.
Speakers
Thursday June 19, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

9:00am CDT

Spiritual Resilience and Student Mental Health
Thursday June 19, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Spiritual wellness is an important piece of our capacity to thrive in today’s troubled world. This session will introduce you to a model of faith-based, research-informed methods for supporting spiritual resilience in our students, parents, faculty and staff. We’ll briefly examine research on the benefits of spiritual emotions, and try out a few practical, inclusive habits that can help. This method is currently being used in Guatemala as well as at college campuses and churches across the US.
Speakers
CF

Connie Fourré

Connie is the retired Faith Formation Director and Wellness-Co-ordinator at BSM. She has written and presented extensively in the fields of spirituality, social justice and mental health.
Thursday June 19, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Supporting Literacy in all Disciplines
Thursday June 19, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
This course satisfies the license renewal category of Reading.  This course will explore strategies for helping teachers infuse literacy practices into their content area. there will be time to design lessons for your own classroom.
Thursday June 19, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park

12:30pm CDT

Students and Teachers as designers: Canva for all
Thursday June 19, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Canva can be a tool for many classroom activities: 1) Save Time: Customizable teaching resources made by teachers for teachers. 2) Supercharge your classroom: Make lessons engaging with AI-powered tools. 3). Foster student skills: Everything from creativity to critical thinking and 4) Deliver lessons your way: From planning to teaching, you have control over the entire learning experience
Speakers
avatar for Steve Pohlen

Steve Pohlen

Director of Learning and Technology, BSM
Director of Learning and Technology, Benilde-St. Margaret's
Thursday June 19, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Benilde-St. Margaret's 2501 Highway 100 S., St. Louis Park
 
SAIL 2025
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