Workshop Sessions
Our interactive workshop sessions are led by UNC faculty, students and alumni who have spent years in the teaching field and want to share their knowledge. We have workshop sessions for Future Teachers, Parents, Teacher Cadet Teachers, High School Teachers and Counselors.
Teacher Cadet Teachers & High School Teachers & Counselors
Speakers: Amie Cieminski and Jonathan Cooney (Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 282
About this session: This session will focus on how “The Paradox of Choice” applies in teaching and learning contexts. Presenters will facilitate a light-hearted exploration of the science of choice and encourage participants to consider how they may craft conditions that enhance student motivation and performance in educational environments.
Speaker: Christine Rotole -McConnell (Colorado Teacher Cadet Executive Director)
Location: McKee Hall Room 282
About this session: Teachers and Counselors! Participate in this session if you are interested in becoming a Teacher Cadet Teacher or want more information on how to get a Teacher Cadet program at your school.
Parent Seminar
Speaker: Robert Fulton (Director, Colorado Center for Rural Education)
Location: UC Spruce Suites
About this session: Now is one of the most cost-efficient times to become a teacher in the past sixty years. Importantly, there are many options for high school students. Join us to learn about all the financial resources available to you to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses and debt.
Speaker: Kelly Langley Cook (Director, Social Studies Education)
Location: TBD
About this session: You have heard the myth that teachers don’t make much, but the rewards are WAY bigger than you may think! From paycheck to creative freedom to time off, join Kelly for this informative and data-driven session on the full benefits of teaching
Early Childhood Education
Speaker: Sue Davidson (Early Childhood Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 333
About this session: In this session, we will apply play-based learning principles and activities to create joyful, meaningful, and inclusive early childhood environments.
Speaker: Jean Kirshner (Early Childhood Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 336
About this session: One of the most important things we teach young children is how to understand, connect with, and care for others around the world. The ECE classroom is where the foundations of empathy, curiosity, compassion, and global citizenship begin. In this interactive session, you’ll rotate through fun hands-on stations facilitated by university education students, experiencing creative activities you could one day bring into your own classroom. Come discover how teaching our youngest children can make a world of difference!
Speakers: Sonia Semana and Vivianna Lundregen
Location: McKee Hall Room 338
About this session: What happens when nature becomes our teacher and children decide how materials move, mix, and transform? What theories will children create when ramps invite rolling, mud becomes paint, and flowers leave their marks?
Come play with natural materials and explore the possibilities of learning with nature as our guide.
Elementary Education
Speaker: Hannah Kang (Elementary Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 228
About this session: Discover the fun side of mathematics! In this interactive session, participants will experience engaging math games and hands-on activities designed to make mathematical concepts meaningful and accessible. Come ready to play, explore, problem-solve, and experience how mathematics can be taught in fun and engaging ways.
Speaker: Jody Lawrence (Elementary Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 219
About this session: Everyone’s talking, but who’s listening? Great teaching starts with hearing your students and choosing words that connect, not correct. Learn how listening shapes what we say and how students learn.
Speaker: Brian Rose (Elementary Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 254
About this session: We will explore the teacher maxim “You’ve just got to know your students.” We will consider what this means by identifying our own “funds of knowledge” by thinking through what we all know and can do.
Speaker: Jennifer Parrish (Science Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 221
About this session: Get ready to bee amazed! Discover fun, hands-on ways to spark curiosity in the science classroom! Take a peek inside a honey bee hive (no bees included!), uncover some of the fascinating secrets of honey bees, and experience creative ways to make science learning come alive. Come ready to explore, investigate, and bee curious!
Speaker: Danna Hartline
Location: McKee Hall Room 253
About this session: Discover how storytelling can bring people together, spark creativity, and make learning more meaningful. In this interactive session, you’ll explore playful storytelling techniques, try hands-on activities, and discover how stories can build community and connect learners. Whether you dream of becoming a teacher or simply love a good story, you’ll leave with new ideas for bringing stories to life! Note: Storytelling is a versatile tool for educators across all grade levels and subject areas. This session is for anyone interested in education, regardless of the age group or subject they hope to teach.
Speaker: UNC Student Educator Club Leadership Team
Location: Inspire Center – McKee Hall Room 223
About this session: For students, by students. Come build connections through a fun team-building activity where you could meet your future best friend or class buddy! In this space, we will explore identity, our “why” for teaching, and what ties us together as educators. Participants will also have the opportunity to discuss UNC experiences with current students. Any and all college-related questions are welcome!
Secondary Education
Speaker: Amy Bekins and Team (Science Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 141
About this session: Step into the world of science, where inquiry, exploration,and experimentation drive learning. Explore and imagine with us where we allow ourselves to examine what it is like to guide the future.
Speakers: Jodie Novak and Lindsay Reiten (Math Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 144
About this session: Join this exciting hands-on session where we will use data about CO2 emissions from 4 countries, including the US and China, to engage in argumentation and quantitative reasoning using various ways of representing the CO2 emissions.
Speaker: Matt Seymour (English Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 145
About this session: Every great story needs a hero, and every classroom needs someone who believes in the power of words. Find out what English teachers really do: spark big conversations, champion young writers, and help students discover the books that change their lives. Your origin story starts here.
Speakers: Noah Watson and Carter Bodily (History STEP students, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 146
About this session: Are there practical reasons to get a college degree? Absolutely! With your degree in the humanities, you can open up career possibilities in well-paid, dynamic fields that need immediate employees… like teaching! Join this session to do some myth-busting about education and explore how humanities content, such as History, has many real-world, job-gaining applications. Get ready for a fast-paced quiz game at the end of our session, where you can win prizes!
Speaker: Bryan Lindstrom (History MA, UNC Doctor of Educational Studies student)
Location: McKee Hall Room 147
About this session: What does a 75% actually tell us about what a student knows? In education, learning is often reduced to points, percentages, and standardized measures, but what gets lost in that process? This workshop challenges participants to reconsider what counts as evidence of student learning by juxtaposing quantitative and qualitative approaches to assessment. Through examining student work, discussing the limitations of traditional grading, and exploring alternatives such as student reflection, dialogue, and ungrading, participants will consider how assessment can move beyond measuring performance toward understanding learning. The goal is not to reject quantitative data, but to question its dominance and explore how teachers can create more meaningful, equitable, and student-centered assessment practices.
K-12 Education: Art, Music, Physical Education, Theatre
Speakers: Jennifer Krause, Scott Douglas, Jason Stanworth, Madi McAuliffe (Physical Education & Physical Activity Leadership, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 135
About this session: Step into the role of a physical education teacher! In this interactive session, you’ll explore how physical education goes beyond sports to build teamwork, leadership, and lifelong wellness. Engage in fun, hands-on activities and get a taste of what it’s like to guide and inspire students through movement for a lifetime of physical activity!
Speakers: Brian Dauenhauer, Ben Kern, Guancheng Liu, Doug Heacox (Physical Education and Physical Activity Leadership, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 137
About this session: Calling future teachers in ALL grades and subject areas! Discover how movement can transform the classroom! In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn simple, engaging strategies to integrate physical activity into everyday lessons. Experience how adding movement boosts focus, attention, and academic success—while giving you a glimpse into the powerful role teachers play in shaping active, engaged learners
Speaker: Mary Schuttler (Head of Theatre Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 138
About this session: Are you passionate about theatre and eager to inspire that passion in others? If so, this workshop will assist you in discovering if theatre education is the right path for you. We will discuss the challenges and rewards of entering this fulfilling profession, and explore the essential skills and insights needed to inspire and educate the next generation of theatre enthusiasts.
Speaker: Krissie Weimer (Head of Music Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 139
About this session: Music is everywhere and everyone is musical! You are, and your future students are too. Join us for a session of games and activities to promote music making in all classrooms, no matter experience or ability. Gain ideas and strategies to enhance creativity, social-emotional learning, and collaboration through music. We will use classroom materials, our bodies, and found sounds to engage in active and joyful music making.
Speakers: UNC Art Education Club Leaders and Abi Paytoe Gbayee (K12 Art Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 008
About this session: Ever wonder what it is really like to major in Art Education? Join UNC’s Art Education students for an honest, interactive conversation about what they wish they had known before starting their journey to become teachers. From balancing studio classes with lesson planning to finding your voice in the classroom, this session offers practical insights, funny stories, and creative advice from future art educators who are walking the path right now. Come ready to ask questions, make art, and imagine your own future as a teacher.
Speaker: Abi Paytoe Gbayee (K12 Art Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 019
About this session: What if art could be a conversation instead of a single voice? In this hands-on workshop, UNC Art Education students will guide participants through a collaborative art journaling exchange inspired by Journal Fodder Junkies and TetRAD Project artists David Modler and Sam Peck. You will create side-by-side journal pages that respond visually to prompts about creativity, identity, and teaching. As you trade ideas and layers back and forth, you will experience how art journaling can spark connection, reflection, and dialogue—skills every great teacher needs. No experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to create!
Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Education
Speaker: Aldo M. Romero (Director, Cumbres Teacher Prep Program, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 204
About this session: Today’s K-12 classrooms are more culturally and linguistically diverse than ever, creating exciting opportunities for future educators to make a meaningful impact. This interactive session introduces students to the skills, mindsets, and experiences needed to become effective and culturally responsive teachers. Participants will explore the importance of supporting multilingual learners, developing cultural competence, and building strong relationships with students, families, and communities. Drawing from the Cumbres Teacher Preparation Program at the University of Northern Colorado, the session will highlight how mentorship, early classroom experiences, leadership development, and professional learning communities can help aspiring teachers thrive in the profession and positively influence the lives of all learners.
Speakers: Oakley Schilling & Janette Rivera Gonzalez (St. Vrain Valley School District)
Location: McKee Hall Room 252
About this session: Discover how you can unlock the full potential of every student. Join us to explore engaging, high-impact strategies that make teaching multilingual learners an inspiring and rewarding experience. Whether you are stepping into your first classroom or looking to expand your toolkit, this session will show you how to turn language diversity into a powerful classroom advantage.
Speaker: James Gambrell (School of Teacher Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 203
About this session: What if speaking Spanish could help you change a student’s life? Colorado’s classrooms need educators who can connect with students and families across languages and cultures—and YOU could be one of them! Discover why Spanish-speaking teachers are so important, how your bilingual skills can become a superpower in the classroom, and the incredible difference you can make in the lives of students, families, and communities. Your language is a strength. Your voice matters. Colorado needs you!
Special Education
Speaker: Corey Pierce (Special Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 142
About this session: This interactive session will introduce students and parents to the benefits of a positive culture in a classroom. Attendees will participate in fun activities as they learn to build a positive culture in a group setting.
Speaker: Jennifer Urbach (Special Education, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 140
About this session: This interactive session will define dyslexia and discuss classroom implications. We will discuss how teachers can best support students with dyslexia.
Speaker: Adrienne Sarff (M.Ed, CALT)
Location: McKee Hall Room 020
About this session: Discover the exciting world of special education through fun, hands-on activities and real-world classroom challenges! Participants will explore how students learn differently, experience common learning barriers, and work together to develop creative teaching strategies. This interactive workshop highlights the power of inclusive education and how future teachers can make a meaningful difference in every student’s learning journey.
Speaker: Caitlin Raaz (PhD, CCC-SLP)
Location: McKee Hall Room 136
About this session: This hands-on session introduces students to the field of speech-language pathology and how SLPs help children with speech sound disorders. Attendees will use ultrasound to see their own tongues in action and discover how technology helps kids learn new sounds.
K-12 Teaching & Engagement
Speakers: Keeley Hynes (School Psychology, UNC) and Kelsey Davis (School Psychology, UNC)
Location: McKee Hall Room 424
About this session: Through interactive games, attendees will understand how teachers and school psychologists work together.
Speaker: Laura Killen-Wing (Early Childhood Education, Aims Community College)
Location: McKee Hall Room 425
About this session: Returning to college as an adult brings unique strengths—and unique schedules. This session highlights how Aims Community College supports non-traditional students every step of the way, making the jump to a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Northern Colorado straightforward and achievable. Find out how taking your initial steps at Aims helps you maximize past credits, minimize costs, and confidently step onto the pathway to a UNC degree.
Speaker: Kip Hottman (UNC Doc Student, Sr. Manager, Explorer-Education Connections, National Geographic Society)
Location: McKee Hall Room 428
About this session: What crosses your mind when you think of teaching? Classrooms in rows? Weekly quizzes? Rote standards? You have the power to change this! Join a former high school and middle school teacher turned National Geographic Society educator for an interactive session where you help redefine what education looks like. Get ready to spark your curiosity! Embark on an Antarctic expedition, explore how non-profits support youth as changemakers, and understand how your career path can change the traditional classroom. All you need are your ideas, your passion, and your voice. Let’s redesign the future of education together!
Questions? Contact Us!
Teacher Education
First initiated as a teacher’s college in 1889, UNC has education in its DNA. As a student in teacher education, you’re following in the footsteps of the best teachers in Colorado, and you’ll be well-prepared to blaze your own trails nationally.
- teacher.education@unco.edu
- 970-351-2908
- McKee Hall 216