Buckle up for an exciting journey in professional learning at Summer Inspire: Destination Excellence on May 28-29 from 8:30 to 4:00! This summer, we’re hitting the road toward innovation, impact, and instructional excellence. Please note: Our main location will be Shepton High School, but some sessions may be at the Plano ISD Sockwell Center.
Shepton High School: 5505 W Plano Pkwy, Plano, TX 75093
Here are some helpful tips for navigating Sched:
You can filter for session types by using the menu bar on the right side of the screen (Elementary, GT Credit, Full-day, etc.)
(For Secondary) This interactive training walks participants through the lessons and tools from the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum’s Upstander Education Database that can be used in the classroom to build positive communication and mutual respect. Participants will examine two TEKS-aligned lessons that provide students with tips on how to have respectful conversations and practice good listening skills. Learning Goals: Understand the skills and techniques used to build responsible and respectful conversations and provide hands-on resources to immediately implement in your classroom.
Explore low-prep, research-backed strategies that help make learning stick. Experience effective retrieval practice techniques firsthand, and discover how to integrate them into instruction using simple tools. Identify ways to lessen cognitive load through purposeful design, routines, and reflection. Leave with easy-to-implement ideas you can try tomorrow to support lasting learning for all students.
Every student brings unique strengths to the journey toward college readiness. This professional learning session empowers educators with strategies to support all learners—especially those developing academic language, reading comprehension, and written expression—skills essential for success on assessments like the SAT, ACT, and TIA. Educators will explore practical ways to scaffold instruction, build academic vocabulary, and create language-rich, inclusive classrooms that boost student confidence, engagement, and achievement across the board
(For secondary) This interactive professional development session empowers educators with strategic questioning techniques designed to deepen student understanding, foster inquiry, and enhance critical thinking. Participants will explore how to craft purposeful questions, encourage student-generated questions, and shift from content coverage to true comprehension. Through fast-paced, hands-on experiences, educators will analyze question types, refine questioning strategies, and practice techniques that promote higher-order thinking and meaningful student interactions. This session provides practical, immediately applicable methods to create a dynamic, inquiry-driven classroom environment where students take an active role in their learning. [Please note: This session is at the Sockwell Center.]
(For secondary) A positive classroom culture is the foundation for student success. This engaging professional development session equips educators with practical strategies to build strong relationships, lower student anxiety, and foster an inclusive learning environment where every student feels valued. Participants will explore techniques to create an “I can!” culture, ensuring students have the comfort and confidence to tackle challenging content. Educators will gain actionable ideas to celebrate diversity, honor multiple intelligences, and create a culture of second chances where learning thrives. Through hands-on experiences, this session provides ready-to-use strategies to enhance student engagement and build a connected, supportive classroom community. [Please note: This session is at the Sockwell Center.]
(For Secondary) This interactive training walks participants through the lessons and tools from the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum’s Upstander Education Database that can be used in the classroom to build positive communication and mutual respect. Participants will examine two TEKS-aligned lessons that provide students with tips on how to have respectful conversations and practice good listening skills. Learning Goals: Understand the skills and techniques used to build responsible and respectful conversations and provide hands-on resources to immediately implement in your classroom.
Explore low-prep, research-backed strategies that help make learning stick. Experience effective retrieval practice techniques firsthand, and discover how to integrate them into instruction using simple tools. Identify ways to lessen cognitive load through purposeful design, routines, and reflection. Leave with easy-to-implement ideas you can try tomorrow to support lasting learning for all students.
Discover ways to use Google Slides as an interactive learning space—not just a presentation tool. Explore strategies for using Slides to gather thinking, facilitate collaboration, and engage learners in meaningful tasks. Experience templates for graphic organizers, gallery walks, and more, then brainstorm how to design your favorite learning activities using Slides as a flexible and powerful platform.
(For secondary) This high-energy professional development session equips educators with practical, student-centered strategies that drive active learning and deep engagement. Participants will explore the essential components of an engaged classroom, gaining hands-on experience with techniques that get students actively involved in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The session focuses on increasing critical thinking, fostering student ownership of learning, and integrating higher-order thinking into daily instruction. Educators will leave with ready-to-use tools and strategies to create a language-rich, interactive environment where students thrive. This session provides an engaging and immersive learning experience, ensuring that teachers walk away with actionable strategies to transform instruction and maximize student success. [Please note: This session is at the Sockwell Center.]
(For secondary) This engaging professional development session explores the power of formative assessment as a tool to drive student achievement and instructional decision-making. Educators will examine how assessments shape learning, impact instructional choices, and support students in reaching their full potential. Through hands-on experiences and actionable strategies, participants will learn how to assess for learning rather than just of learning, incorporate student self-assessment as a powerful learning tool, and develop a collaborative classroom culture where assessment fuels growth. This session equips teachers with practical, ready-to-use methods to make assessment a meaningful and integral part of the learning process. [Please note: This session is at the Sockwell Center.]
Discover ways to use Google Slides as an interactive learning space—not just a presentation tool. Explore strategies for using Slides to gather thinking, facilitate collaboration, and engage learners in meaningful tasks. Experience templates for graphic organizers, gallery walks, and more, then brainstorm how to design your favorite learning activities using Slides as a flexible and powerful platform.
(For secondary) This interactive training walks participants through lessons and tools from the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum’s Upstander Education Database that can be used in the classroom to discuss good citizenship to create safe environments that promote kindness, respect, and other Upstander skills. Participants will examine TEKS-aligned grade appropriate resources that use historical Upstanders as examples of these traits and provide students with activities to reflect on and build good citizenship. Learning Goals: Gain resources and strategies for teaching Upstander skills and good citizenship through TEKS-aligned resources.
Discover ways to use high-impact protocols that spark engagement and deepen learning across all content areas. Explore a blend of EduProtocols, Project Zero thinking routines, and CASEL Signature Practices that encourage collaboration, reflection, and student voice. Experience how consistent routines reduce cognitive load and support learner variability through flexible, repeatable structures. Access curated resources and leave with ready-to-use strategies supported by simple tech and no-tech tools.
(For secondary) This interactive training walks participants through lessons and tools from the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum’s Upstander Education Database that can be used in the classroom to discuss good citizenship to create safe environments that promote kindness, respect, and other Upstander skills. Participants will examine TEKS-aligned grade appropriate resources that use historical Upstanders as examples of these traits and provide students with activities to reflect on and build good citizenship. Learning Goals: Gain resources and strategies for teaching Upstander skills and good citizenship through TEKS-aligned resources.
Discover ways to use high-impact protocols that spark engagement and deepen learning across all content areas. Explore a blend of EduProtocols, Project Zero thinking routines, and CASEL Signature Practices that encourage collaboration, reflection, and student voice. Experience how consistent routines reduce cognitive load and support learner variability through flexible, repeatable structures. Access curated resources and leave with ready-to-use strategies supported by simple tech and no-tech tools.
Explore how learning profiles—how students prefer to take in, process, and share information—can inform flexible instructional design. Apply Carol Ann Tomlinson’s framework to plan differentiated experiences that honor student variability while encouraging growth. Experience strategies supported by both tech and no-tech tools, and leave with practical ideas for designing instruction that balances choice, challenge, and support.
Join us for an interactive, hands-on session focused on using accommodations to build background knowledge and academic language for emergent bilingual students. Through real student examples, collaborative grading, and scenario-based problem solving, you’ll co-create strategies that support language growth and classroom success. Walk away with practical tools, a ready-to-use template, and the confidence to empower every learner through research-based best practices.
Explore how learning profiles—how students prefer to take in, process, and share information—can inform flexible instructional design. Apply Carol Ann Tomlinson’s framework to plan differentiated experiences that honor student variability while encouraging growth. Experience strategies supported by both tech and no-tech tools, and leave with practical ideas for designing instruction that balances choice, challenge, and support.
