SAIL 2025: Full Schedule

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

Mark Peterson

Tuesday June 10, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Library

Real World / Applied / Authentic Learning, ALL GRADES | 21st Century Learning (Creativity/Collaboration/Critical Thinking/Communication), ALL GRADES | Classroom Strategies, ALL GRADES

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

Library

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

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
Library

License Renewal Special Category, ALL GRADES | Multiple Perspectives / Global Understanding, ALL GRADES

12:30pm CDT

Expanding Perspectives: Building capacity in Cultural Competency with Practical Classroom Tools

Wednesday June 11, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT

Library

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

Dennis Draughn

Wednesday June 11, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Library

License Renewal Special Category, ALL GRADES | Multiple Perspectives / Global Understanding, ALL GRADES | Classroom Strategies, ALL GRADES

9:00am CDT

Accommodation, Modification, and Adaptation of Materials and Instruction

Thursday June 12, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT

Library

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

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
Library

License Renewal Special Category, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 | School Leadership, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 | Classroom Strategies, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

12:30pm CDT

Key Warning Signs of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

Thursday June 12, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT

Library

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

Jackie Virnig

Phoenix School Counseling

Thursday June 12, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Library

License Renewal Special Category, ALL GRADES

9:00am CDT

Design Thinking - Crash course

Tuesday June 17, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT

Library

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

Kelli Rahn

Tuesday June 17, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT
Library

Real World / Applied / Authentic Learning, ALL GRADES | 21st Century Learning (Creativity/Collaboration/Critical Thinking/Communication), ALL GRADES | Classroom Strategies, ALL GRADES

12:30pm CDT

Fun with Books: engaging ways to promote reading

Tuesday June 17, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT

Library

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

Laura Sylvester

Tuesday June 17, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Library

9:00am CDT

Empowering Teachers to Create Calm, Positive Classroom Cultures

Wednesday June 18, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT

Library

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

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
Library

School Leadership, ALL GRADES | School & Classroom Environment/Culture, ALL GRADES

12:30pm CDT

Promoting Teacher Well-being to Drive Student Success

Wednesday June 18, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT

Library

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

Jessica Werner

Northshore Learning

Wednesday June 18, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Library

School Leadership, ALL GRADES | 21st Century Learning (Creativity/Collaboration/Critical Thinking/Communication), ALL GRADES | School & Classroom Environment/Culture, ALL GRADES

Company Northshore Learning

9:00am CDT

Spiritual Resilience and Student Mental Health

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am CDT

Library

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

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
Library

Real World / Applied / Authentic Learning, ALL GRADES | School Leadership, ALL GRADES | School & Classroom Environment/Culture, ALL GRADES

12:30pm CDT

Supporting Literacy in all Disciplines

Thursday June 19, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT

Library

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.

Speakers

Nancy Maistrovich

Thursday June 19, 2025 12:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Library

License Renewal Special Category, 6-8, 9-12

SAIL 2025