Writing sprints are used by authors all the time. Set a timer, and let the pen flow. How can we harness that method in the classroom? Join A3WP teacher leader Michelle Voelker as she shares quick and simple tricks that will get kids out of their own way and let their thinking flow onto the page. Come try a few and see how they can be used in your classroom tomorrow.
Michelle Voelker is an English teacher at a Title I school in Sacramento, CA. She is an A3WP teacher leader, providing workshops on literacy practices in the classroom. Before becoming a teacher, Michelle was an AmeriCorps member for a program that provided reading intervention on... Read More →
Friday August 8, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am PDT Board Room2490 Hilborn Road, Fairfield, CA, USA
This session will focus on utilizing the Backward Design framework, an approach to lesson and unit planning that starts with defining the desired outcomes and then works backward to create a path to those goals. For instance, let’s say students are studying photosynthesis. Before the teacher plans any activities, they first determine what students should be able to demonstrate at the end of the unit. In this case, let’s imagine students will create a poster explaining the process of photosynthesis and its significance to ecosystems. With this goal in mind, the teacher can then design lessons and activities that will guide students toward successfully completing their poster.
The session will begin with an overview of the Backward Design framework, followed by an opportunity for teachers to apply what they’ve learned by designing their own lesson plans.
Want to increase the number of books students read in a year? Come join A3WP teacher leader Michelle Voelker as she walks participants through book tasting to get students started. Follow the tasting with book club units that build on the momentum of independent reading and watch kids flourish as they analyze novels, discuss their reading authentically, and transfer all their learning into various writing assignments.
Michelle Voelker is an English teacher at a Title I school in Sacramento, CA. She is an A3WP teacher leader, providing workshops on literacy practices in the classroom. Before becoming a teacher, Michelle was an AmeriCorps member for a program that provided reading intervention on... Read More →
Friday August 8, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT Board Room2490 Hilborn Road, Fairfield, CA, USA
Your students have learned their lines.
They’re showing up to the rehearsal room ready to speak.
But now, it’s time to direct the scene.
In this session, we’ll move beyond getting students talking—we’ll focus on getting them thinking deeper.
What kinds of questions push students beyond recall and into analysis, debate, and reflection?
How do we help students truly engage with one another’s thinking—and with the grade-level standards?
Just like a great director guides actors to uncover the story’s depth, we’ll explore how to guide students to uncover the meaning behind their content.
You’ve built the rehearsal space—now let’s shape the performance.
Join us for the next act of academic discourse.
Consulting Teacher, Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District
Christina Geyer is an experienced educator, instructional coach, and school leader with over a decade of service in diverse California school districts. She currently serves as a Consulting Teacher for Fairfield-Suisun Unified, where she mentors and coaches early-career educators... Read More →
Friday August 8, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT Room 324 (3rd Floor)2490 Hilborn Road, Fairfield, CA, USA
Are you looking for authentic audiences for your students’ writing? Look no further than the social story. A3WP teacher leader Michelle Voelker demonstrates a technique she uses with her students to write social stories for others where they not only build their writing skills, but their empathy as well. Come learn how this very short story can hone students’ writing craft, and help them cultivate compassion.
Michelle Voelker is an English teacher at a Title I school in Sacramento, CA. She is an A3WP teacher leader, providing workshops on literacy practices in the classroom. Before becoming a teacher, Michelle was an AmeriCorps member for a program that provided reading intervention on... Read More →
Friday August 8, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT Board Room2490 Hilborn Road, Fairfield, CA, USA
Need a way to build writing fluency with students? Join A3WP teacher leader Michelle Voelker to learn how a 10 minute per day writing routine will help students not only build writing fluency, but gets them thinking critically about everything from craft, to current events, and more. Daily themes help students know what to expect and track their growth as the year progresses. During this design lab, participants will create their own 10 minute writing routines that can be implemented in their own classrooms.
Michelle Voelker is an English teacher at a Title I school in Sacramento, CA. She is an A3WP teacher leader, providing workshops on literacy practices in the classroom. Before becoming a teacher, Michelle was an AmeriCorps member for a program that provided reading intervention on... Read More →
Friday August 8, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm PDT Board Room2490 Hilborn Road, Fairfield, CA, USA
