Effective Instruction Institute
Effective Instruction Institute
Syracuse, New York | August 5–6, 2026
Day 1
Wednesday, August 5
Wednesday, August 5
Embedded Files
Take the learning home with you. Visit our book co-op open onsite throughout the event.
7:00–8:00 a.m.
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Location: Ballroom Atrium
8:00–9:30 a.m.
Keynote—Making the Shift: Moving From Teaching to Learning
Paula Maeker and Sarah Schuhl
Location: Ballroom
9:30–9:45 a.m.
Break
9:45–10:45 a.m.
William M. Ferriter—Building Student Commitment to Learning: Good Instruction Means Nothing if Students Don’t Feel Like They Belong
Location: MR 1
Avanti Supporting Videos—Courtney Hess and Gina Cassaday
Understanding Students' Backgrounds and Interests With Informal Class Interviews
Paula Maeker—The Language of Learning: Effective and Engaging Vocabulary Instruction for Grades 7–12
Location: Ballroom
Avanti Supporting Videos—Laura Wetzel and Autumn Doss
Contextualizing Vocabulary in Reading Instruction
Identifying and Teaching Critical Vocabulary via Direct Instruction
Sarah Schuhl—Teaching Mathematics Content: Grades 3–5
Location: MR 6
Avanti Supporting Video—Lindsey Hendricks
Expressing Fractions in Relation to a Whole in Small Group
10:45–11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
William M. Ferriter—The Best Instruction Comes Through Reflection: Studying the Characteristics of Effective Feedback to Learners
Location: MR 1
Avanti Supporting Video—Jessica Jones
Tracking Student Progress by Using Individual Score Level Assessments
Paula Maeker—Now That Makes Sense! Tried and True Comprehension Strategies for Grades 3–12
Location: Ballroom
Avanti Supporting Video—Courtney Hake
Teaching Close Reading to Improve Reading Comprehension
Sarah Schuhl—Teaching Mathematics Content: Grades PreK–2
Location: MR 6
Avanti Supporting Video—Vanessa Rivera
Counting 0‒10 in Sequences Orally
12:00–1:30 p.m.
Lunch (on your own)
1:30–2:30 p.m.
William M. Ferriter—AI as a Thought Partner for Differentiation
Location: MR 1
Paula Maeker—The Language of Learning: Effective and Engaging Vocabulary Instruction for Grades PreK–6
Location: Ballroom
Avanti Supporting Video—Megan Bruso
Using Nonlinguistic Representations to Enhance Vocabulary in Reading Instruction
Sarah Schuhl—Teaching Mathematics Content: Grades 6–12
Location: MR 6
Avanti Supporting Video—Jason Cianfrance
Selecting the Best Method to Solve Systems of Equations
2:30–2:45 p.m.
Break
2:45–3:45 p.m.
Stick With It: Strategies That Make Learning Last—This hands-on session focuses on the power of consolidation and re-engagement.
Location: Ballroom
Day 2
Thursday, August 6
Thursday, August 6
Take the learning home with you. Visit our book co-op open onsite throughout the event.
7:00–8:00 a.m.
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Location: Ballroom Atrium
8:00–9:00 a.m.
William M. Ferriter—Reaching Goals Matters to Kids, Too: Understanding the Brain Research Behind Student Goal Setting and Monitoring
Location: Ballroom
Avanti Supporting Video—Tammy Gately
Motivating and Inspiring Students Through Academic Goal Setting
Paula Maeker—Write Now! Engaging Scholars in Meaningful Writing Across Content Areas
Location: MR 1
Avanti Supporting Video—Scott Barnett
Writing About a Reading to Deepen Student Understanding
Sarah Schuhl—Strategies for Effective Mathematics Intervention
Location: MR 6
Avanti Supporting Videos—Geoff Fenelus and Barb Tasber
Conducting Practicing and Deepening Lessons With Close Monitoring
9:00–9:15 a.m.
Break
9:15–10:15 a.m.
William M. Ferriter—A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: Understanding the Brain Research Behind Visualizations and Concrete Examples
Location: Ballroom
Avanti Supporting Video—Jeff Patterson
Recording and Representing Content Using Pictorial Notes and Pictographs During Direct Instruction
Paula Maeker—Reading Is Fundamental: Embedding Play Into PreK–2 Literacy Classrooms
Location: MR 1
Sarah Schuhl—Teaching Students to Think Like Mathematicians
Location: MR 6
Avanti Supporting Video—Debby Burton
Teaching Students to Read Mathematical Word Problems
10:15–10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m.
Team Time—Presenters aid in your collaborative team discussions.
11:30–1:00 p.m.
Lunch (on your own)
1:00–2:00 p.m.
William M. Ferriter—Moving Beyond Complaining About Student Behaviors: Identifying and Teaching Academic Skills and Dispositions
Location: Ballroom
Avanti Supporting Video—Melissa Carli
Using Friendly Controversy to Increase Engagement With Sentence Frames
Paula Maeker—Moving Right Along: Engaging the Brain in Movement and Mindfulness in the Classroom
Location: MR 1
Avanti Supporting Videos—Jennifer Julius and Ashley Avila
Increasing Engagement by Having Students Use Body Representations
Identifying Essential Skills From Reading Standards
Sarah Schuhl—Analyzing Student Work to Make Mathematics Instructional Decisions
Location: MR 6
Avanti Supporting Video—Stephanie Metz
Introducing Exponent Laws Using Operations in Scientific Notation With Worked
2:00–2:15 p.m.
Break
2:15–3:45 p.m.
Keynote—Changing Practices Means Changing Your Peers: How to Move Resistant Colleagues Forward
William M. Ferriter
Location: Ballroom
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