Sydney Jensen

This keynote is an extension of Sydney's popular TED talk focused on supporting the emotional well-being of teachers who work with students experiencing trauma. Teachers give their hearts, minds, and spirits in support of their students, and that comes with stress, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue. Teachers cannot pour from an empty cup, and as we acknowledge this challenge facing the teaching profession, we can do more to counter it with self-care, resilience, and connection.

Takeaways from this session include:
- Reflection questions to help teachers and school leaders ground themselves in wellness
- Strategies for building a connected and intentional school community
- Resources to support the emotional well-being of school staff

This keynote is specifically tailored for a new teacher audience. In this passionate speech, Sydney shares her journey as a struggling student and the impact teachers made on her life. She shares her story of overcoming a disastrous first year in the classroom and sends a message of inspiration and hope to the newest generation of educators.

Takeaways from this session include:
- A roadmap for building a professional learning community
- Advice for making the first year full of growth
- Reinvigorated passion for entering the teaching profession

One of the most time-consuming tasks that teachers face is the process of providing feedback. Often, we spend hours writing or typing feedback on assignments only to find it on our floor a few minutes after the bell. Teachers have the power to use their feedback not only to provide next steps to our students, but also to foster positive relationships with students and invest in a learning community. This session will focus on how teachers can use feedback to build confidence in students as learners, increase engagement, and create a positive learning community.

Takeaways from this session include:
- Research and pedagogy supporting the power of timely and specific feedback
- Strategies for how teachers can use feedback as a pathway to building positive relationships with students.
- The ability to build confidence in students as learners, increase engagement, and create a positive learning community through feedback.

Leaders in education know that everyone needs a coach, but the logistics of developing a culture of instructional coaching can be challenging to navigate. Jensen is a member of a three person instructional coaching cohort seeking to shift the culture at Lincoln High using this strategy. Over the past two years, she has learned that the first step to creating a culture that accepts coaching for all teachers—new and veteran, struggling and thriving alike—is to take an affirmative approach. This session is geared towards administrators and buildings seeking to implement coaching as an essential part of professional development in their buildings/districts.

Takeaways from this session include:
- Research and pedagogy supporting the importance of instructional coaching
- Action steps to implementing an instructional coaching model
- A clear understanding of what instructional coaching is and what it is not
- A model for using coaching to increase collaboration among teachers

Sydney is an English/Literature teacher, so it might surprise you to hear that she has not always loved reading. This inspiring speech utilizes a story-telling model that engages listeners instantly. It is geared toward an ELA audience and highlights the ways teachers can use books to bring a learning community together through shared interests, discussion, and engagement. When our students feel represented in our curriculum, they are more likely to engage as readers and learners.

Takeaways from this session include:
- A heart-based approach to "book talks"
- Tips for using books to foster a sense of belonging in your classroom community