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Conference Sessions & Presentations
Michigan Association of School Librarians Conference [MASL]
KEYNOTE
December 2025
- Opening Keynote Address: “Rising to the Challenge: Getting to the Heart of School Librarianship”
- Revamping the Library Space to Support Student Success
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2025
- Growing Bold Independent Readers with Early Chapter Books
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2024
- Building Empathetic Viewpoints Through Picture Books
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2023
- Building Authentic Connections Through #ClassroomBookADay Daily Picture Book Read Alouds
Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association [WEMTA]
KEYNOTE + FEATURED SPEAKER
February 2023
- Keynote Address: “Has there ever been a more crucial time to be a Librarian?”
- Making Space for Makerspace: A 3-Pronged Approach to Scheduling
- Building Community with #ClassroomBookADay
- What’s New in KidLit: Inclusive Picture Books You Should Know
- Revamping the Elementary Library Space to Support Student Success
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2022
- Connecting Through Story: The Transformative Power of Daily Picture Book Read Alouds
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2021
- Supporting Student Identities through the Picture Books We Choose: Critical & Intentional Selection of Read Alouds
Seoul of a Leader
September 2021
- Diversity in Literature {panelist}
Michigan Reading Association [MRA]
FEATURED SPEAKER
March 2021
- Selecting Inclusive Texts Through a Critical Lens
- #ClassroomBookADay & the Power of Shared Stories
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2020
- How Words and Pictures Come Together (including author/illustrator roundtables)
- Native Authors: Bringing Indigenous #OwnVoices Into Your Classroom
Wisconsin State Reading Association Annual Conference [WSRA]
February 2020
- Disrupting the Narrative: Enacting a Critically Conscious Stance as Literacy Educators (Panel Moderator)
- Building Community One Book at a Time
- Children’s Literature Committee Recommends
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2019
{NCTE 2019 Presentation Slides}
- Native Authors: Bringing Indigenous #OwnVoices Into Your Classroom (author panel)
- #BuildYourStack: Books to Bring Native & Muslim Representation into the Classroom (w/Traci Sorell & Jasmine Warga)
- #BuildYourStack: Spotlighting #OwnVoices Picture Books with #ClassroomBookADay Read Alouds
- How Words and Pictures Come Together (including author/illustrator roundtables)
International Literacy Association Annual Conference [ILA]
October 2019
- Developing Identity, Empathy, and Community through Daily Picture Book Read Alouds (#ClassroomBookADay presentation + author panel)
- Seeing Themselves On & Behind the Pages (author panel)
- Follett Lunch & Learn: Curating Inclusive Classroom Libraries (w/Julia Torres)
nErDcampMI Day One
July 2019
- Daily Picture Book Read Alouds: Building Community through Shared Stories
- Elevate & Advocate! Building Equitable Reading Experiences with Critically Curated Texts (w/Nicole Mashock, Jenny Seiler, & Aliza Werner)
Wisconsin State Reading Association Annual Conference [WSRA]
February 2019
- Engaging Students through Daily Picture Book Read Alouds
- Children’s Literature Committee Recommends: Picture This
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2018
- #BuildYourStack: Picture Book Read Alouds to Support #classroombookaday {Slideshow}
- Developing Identity, Empathy, & Community Through Daily Picture Book Read Alouds (#classroombookaday) {Slideshow}
- Necessary Conversations: Racially Diverse Books and White Teachers w/Dr. Kristin McIllhagga & Teresa Bunner (facilitated roundtables + author keynotes)
- Speaking Up and Speaking Out: Authors’ Best Lessons that Help Our Students Raise Their Voices w/Teresa Bunner & Jenny Seiler (author roundtables)
- We Need Diverse Books Presents: “It’s Problematic, Now What?” {panelist}
Expeditionary Learning National Conference [ELNC]
November 2018
- Pushing Through Bias: Selecting Texts that Reflect Our Students (w/ Sarah Miller)
nErDcampMI Day One
July 2018
- Picture Book Recommendations for #classroombookaday Read Alouds
- Daily Picture Book Read Alouds to Build Community & Identity
Scholastic Reading Summit
June 2018
- Engaging Picture Book Read Alouds that Support Community & Identity
Wisconsin State Reading Association Annual Conference [WSRA]
February 2018
- Children’s Literature Committee Recommends: Just One More Page & Picture This
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2017
- Get Lit Rising w/Brian Wyzlic (author panel/presentation)
- Finding Our Story and Amplifying Student Voices: Authors’ Best Writing Lessons w/Teresa Bunner (author roundtables)
The EdCollab Fall Gathering
September 2017
- I’m White, So Now What? Making a Place for Conversations Around Race in Schools w/Teresa Bunner
{Watch the Video Recording}
nErDcampMI Day One
July 2017
- Picture Books Every Day: The Power of Shared Stories
Scholastic Reading Summit
June 2017
- Picture Books for All Ages
Wisconsin State Reading Association Annual Conference [WSRA]
February 2017
- Children’s Literature Committee Recommends: Just One More Page & Picture This
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2016
- Writing as Advocacy w/Teresa Bunner (author roundtables)
- Advocating for Your Student Writers (author/editor roundtables)
The EdCollab Fall Gathering
September 2016
- Picture Books at Every Grade: The Power of Shared Stories
{Watch the Video Recording}
Illinois Reading Council Annual Conference [IRC]
September 2016
- Building a Classroom Library: The Non-Negotiables
nErDcampMI Day One
July 2016
- Picture Books at Every Grade, Every Day
Wisconsin State Reading Association Annual Conference [WSRA]
February 2016
- Children’s Literature Committee Recommends: Just One More Page & Picture This
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2015
- Learning the Art of Writing from the Writers w/Teresa Bunner (author roundtables)
- Reaching Hard-to-Reach Students (author panel)
- Guiding Writers (author/editor roundtables)
nErDcampMI Day One
July 2015
- A Year of #bookaday Picture Book Read Alouds in Middle School
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2014
- How Story Comes to Be w/Sarah Andersen (author/editor roundtables)
Michigan Reading Association Annual Conference [MRA]
March 2014
- Facilitating Choice Within Curriculum Constraints w/Sarah Andersen
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2013
- Reinventing Revision: Ways for Teachers to use the Author/Editor Relationship to Improve Student Writing w/Sarah Andersen (author/editor roundtables)
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention [NCTE]
November 2012
- Facilitating Choice Within Curriculum Constraints w/Mindi Rench, Sarah Andersen, & Danielle Kaye
Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English Conference [WCTE]
October 2012
- Facilitating Choice Within Curriculum Constraints w/Mindi Rench
#ClassroomBookADay Presentations
2023 NCTE – National Council of Teachers of English
-Building Authentic Connections Through #ClassroomBookADay Daily Picture Book Read Alouds
2023 WEMTA – Wisconsin Educational Media & Technology Association
-Building Community with #ClassroomBookADay
2022 NCTE – National Council of Teachers of English
-Connecting Through Story: The Transformative Power of Daily Picture Book Read Alouds
2022 Summer Virtual Learning Workshops
-#ClassroomBookADay 101
-Selecting Inclusive Texts through a Critical Lens for #ClassroomBookADay
2021 NCTE – National Council of Teachers of English
-Supporting Student Identities through the Picture Books We Choose: Critical & Intentional Selection of Read Alouds
2021 MRA – Michigan Reading Association
*Featured Speaker
-Selecting Inclusive Texts Through a Critical Lens
-#ClassroomBookADay & the Power of Shared Stories
2020 NCTE – National Council of Teachers of English
-How Words & Pictures Come Together
-Native Voices Telling Their Stories: Indigenous #OwnVoices Authors
-Unapologetically Me! Characters Confidently, Courageously, & Proudly Themselves (#BuildYourStack)
2020 Summer Virtual Learning Workshops
-#ClassroomBookADay 101
-Going Deeper with #ClassroomBookADay: The Power of Critical Selection
2020 WSRA – Wisconsin State Reading Association
-Building Community One Book at a Time
2019 NCTE – National Council of Teachers of English
-How Words & Pictures Come Together
-Native Authors: Bringing Indigenous #ownvoices Into Your Classroom
-Spotlighting #ownvoices Picture Books with #classroombookaday Read Alouds (#BuildYourStack)
-Books to Bring Native & Muslim Representation Into the Classroom w/Traci Sorell & Jasmine Warga (#BuildYourStack)
2019 ILA – International Literacy Association
-Curating Inclusive Books for the Classroom (Follett Lunch & Learn with Juila Torres)
-Developing Identity, Empathy, & Community through Daily Picture Book Read Alouds
-Seeing Themselves On & Behind the Pages
2019 Greater Bayland Literacy Council
-#classroombookaday 101: Building Community Through Daily Picture Book Read Alouds
2019 #nErDcampMI
-Elevate & Advocate! Building Equitable Reading Experiences with Critically Curated Texts
-Daily Picture Book Read Alouds: Building Community through Shared Stories
2019 WSRA – Wisconsin State Reading Association
-Engaging Students Through Daily Picture Book Read Alouds
2018 NCTE – National Council of Teachers of English
-Developing Identity, Empathy, & Community through Daily Picture Book Read Alouds
2018 Waukesha County Reading Council
-Daily Picture Book Read Alouds to Build Community, Identity, & Empathy
2018 #nErDcampMI
-Daily Picture Book Read Alouds to Build Community & Identity
2018 Scholastic Reading Summit
-Engaging Picture Book Read Alouds that Support Community and Identity
2017 #nErDcampMI
-Picture Books Every Day: The Power of Shared Stories
2017 Scholastic Reading Summit
-Picture Books for All Ages
2016 NCTE – National Council of Teachers of English
-Advocating for Picture Books at Every Grade Level
2016 The EdCollab Fall Gathering
-Picture Books at Every Grade: The Power of Shared Stories
2016 #nErDcampMI
-Picture Books at Every Grade, Every Day
2015 #nErDcampMI
-A Year of #bookaday Picture Book Read Alouds in Middle School: Why I Did It, How It Went, & Why I’ll Do It Again
Workshops & Webinars
Pride & Less Prejudice Online Webinar
July 2023
- Incorporating Pride & Less Prejudice Books Into the Classroom
Libertyville (IL) District 70 Institute Day
August 2022
- Keynote: There Is No Opt Out of Equity Work
- Breakout: Supporting Student Identity from Day One
- Breakout: The Intentionally & Actively Inclusive Classroom
Virtual PD Offerings
July 2022
- #ClassroomBookADay 101
- Selecting Inclusive Texts through a Critical Lens for #ClassroomBookADay
Lake County (IL) Educational Services
February 2022
- Selecting Inclusive Texts & Developing a Critical Lens (virtual)
Follett Online Webinar
September 2020
- Using Inclusive Books to Build Community (co-presented with Julia Torres)
Virtual PD Offerings
Summer 2020
- #ClassroomBookADay 101
- Going Deeper with #ClassroomBookADay: The Power of Critical Selection
Green Bay (WI) Literacy Council
October 2019
- #classroombookaday 101: Building Community Through Daily Picture Book Read Alouds
Follett Online Webinar
May 2019
- Building Community with #ClassroomBookADay Read Alouds
Waukesha County (WI) Reading Council
October 2018
- Daily Picture Book Read Alouds to Build Community, Empathy, & Identity
Published Works
“Voices from the Classroom” contribution for Digital Reading by Franki Sibberson & William L. Bass II
Choice Literacy contributions (subscription required to read complete articles)
Videos & Podcasts
- {One Question with Mr. Sharp} Video on Using Picture Books in Middle & High School
- {Books Between} Podcast on #classroombookaday
Popular Blog Posts
- Isn’t It Offensive to Say Black? Conversations We Can’t Avoid in the Classroom
- I Used to Hate Reading, But…(and here comes the important part)
- Because I Read What My Students Read
- Reading IS Part of My Job
- 12 Steps to Edugrowth When Called In
- #ClassroomBookADay: Picture Books Are For ANY Grade Level
- Getting Started with #ClassroomBookADay
- Can We Talk About Consent for a Minute?