Decatur ISD Eagle EdCon

“Students stop loving to learn when teachers stop loving to teach.”
– L. Watkins, Class of 2026

This session invites educators to reimagine secondary classrooms by bringing back the energy, creativity, and engagement often reserved for elementary schools. Inspired by a powerful student insight, “students stop loving to learn when teachers stop loving to teach,” this session challenges the idea that rigor and joy can’t be in the same room.
Participants will experience practical, high-impact strategies that infuse “magic” into secondary instruction without sacrificing academic depth or standards. From interactive routines, to choice, and celebration, each idea is designed to increase engagement, deepen learning, and build a stronger classroom culture.

Teachers will walk away with ready-to-use ideas, adaptable across content areas, that make learning feel meaningful, memorable, and fun. Because when teachers love to teach, students love to learn.

Strong Tier 1 instruction is the foundation of student success—but what does it actually look like in practice? This session will define the key components of high-quality Tier 1 instruction, including clear learning targets, engaging strategies, differentiation, and ongoing formative assessment.

With a 30 minute lunch, sometimes teachers need to move in a way that is helpful for their bodies, but still gives them time to get in food. Or during a conference period to get their blood pumping and increase their focus. I want to show them things to do at their desks as well as how to move in their room during their breaks. Between standing and sitting, sometimes simple moves can help us re-align and re-focus.