2026 Breakout Sessions

There are three time slots for Breakout Sessions, one of which will be your assigned lunch rotation (be sure to follow your lunch assignment on your badge!). In this section, you will see what the breakout options are, who is presenting, and where they are located. Sessions will be open for any to attend, but will be on a first-come-first-serve basis until the materials run out or the space is full. And don’t forget to visit the Next Steps Expo on Day 2!

Check out the Conference Program to see Breakout Session Locations and Time Slots!

Day 1: March 3rd Sessions

Building Relationships & Wellness-Driven Classrooms Students WANT to be in

Mr. DC – Darrion Cockrell

Strong relationships are the foundation of thriving classrooms. In this interactive breakout session, K–12 educators will explore practical strategies for building meaningful student connections while prioritizing their own wellness. Through reflection, discussion, and actionable tools, participants will leave inspired and equipped to create classroom spaces where students feel seen, valued, and excited to belong.

Spirit Clips!

Ohio Educator Rising Ambassadors

Ohio Educators Rising Ambassadors will lead 3 separate breakout sessions to make spirit clips to encourage engagement among Ohio’s Educators Rising Chapters and its members. In addition, this activity can be taken back to districts to encourage team building and encouragement.

 

Day 2: MARCH 4th Sessions - Rotations at 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00

New Addition - Ronald McDonald House Charities: Keeping Families Close

Sarah Grace

For 50 years, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) has proudly been caring for families so they can care for theirs. Since the doors of the first Ronald McDonald House opened, RMHC has expanded the same mission around the world, providing essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families and promote healing when children need healthcare. Join us in learning more about this organization and help make cups sleeves to support their charitable efforts.

UPDATED - From Content to Connection: Navigating Your Journey as an Educator

Chris Monsour

Join Chris Monsour, Tiffin Columbian High School teacher and 2026 Ohio Teacher of the Year, for a look at the evolution of a teaching career. Reflecting on "how it started" versus "how it’s going," Chris will share the pivotal moment he realized he wasn't just teaching a subject, but teaching students.  This session explores the deep motivations that sustain a long-term career in education and the importance of viewing teaching as a calling.

For preservice teachers entering the field, Chris offers essential advice for navigating the modern classroom:

  • Embrace Lifelong Learning: Commit to being a learner alongside your students, especially when leveraging new technologies like AI to unlock understanding.

  • Find Your Community: Build a professional learning community that serves as a lifeline, celebrating small victories and lifting you up through challenges.

  • Stay the Course: Return regularly to your "why" and remain committed to the belief in education’s power to help students find their voices.

  • Focus on Character: Remember that your job is not to be a "walking encyclopedia," but to teach students how to be curious, decent human beings who question the world.

Prepare to define your own teaching philosophy and consider the environment you will build on day one to foster courage, care, and curiosity in your future students.

1% Better

Chris Nikic – Team Nikic, Inc

Come spend some time with our keynote speaker and learn more about how 1% Better can help you in and out of the classroom.

Slime and SEL

2026 State Officers

SLIME!!! What does slime have to do with Social and Emotional Learning? Come to our workshop to engage in a carefully curated presentation about the importance of social and emotional learning. The presentation will include real life applicable skills and strategies that can be implemented in the classroom environment to help students. Attendees will learn that Social and Emotional programs provide students with essential life skills, such as emotional regulation, empathy, and conflict resolution. Attendees will then have the opportunity to make slime, an often unknown, classroom tool that can aid student engagement and attention.

Direction to Perfection

Madison Ortega, Tessah Donoho

In this session students will learn and practice the importance of good directions. Participants will engage in hands-on activities, work with other students and hone their teacher direction skills. This is a great session for students who are ready to get up and move and hands on with their learning!

Classroom Champions - Going for the Gold!

Cathy Thomas, Nichole England

Step into the teacher-themed Olympics challenge, where creativity, teamwork, and quick thinking take center stage! Using a variety of engaging activities, students will compete in fast-paced, hands-on challenges that test problem-solving, communication, leadership, and basic teaching concepts to showcase their skills learned in their Education and Training program. With friendly competition, energy, and laughter around every corner, this is your chance to shine, level up, and go for the gold!

Stress Management

Madison Bensen, Jae Edwards

In this session students will learn and practice the importance of good directions. Participants will engage in hands-on activities, work with other students and hone their teacher’s direction skills. This is a great session for students who are ready to get up and move and hands on with their learning!

Leveraging C-TEC Students to Provide Training Opportunities for Daycare Centers

Craig McMillen, Christine Miller

C-TEC of Licking County, in partnership with Journey to 5, an organization whose mission is to increase Kindergarten readiness of children in Licking County through early intervention, from birth to age 5, is working to assist Daycare Centers to provide training to their employees in a unique fashion. Leveraging the availability of seniors who have met all of the requirements to be counted in ratio, during the school and work day, to relieve Daycare Center employees for training, the goal of providing high-quality, timely, relevant and ongoing training opportunities for Daycare Center employees aims to provide an outside-the-box mechanism to solve the challenges that most centers face in scheduling and providing training for their employees.

Project Crotchet: For beginners and beyond!

Katalina "Kat" Guillan

Teaches how to crotchet and emphasize the emotional benefits of learning this skill. One can be already experienced coming in or know nothing at all. This will include learning about design elements and clothing such as sweaters, scarves, hats, and more!

Intercultural Student Teaching: exciting study abroad options for Education majors.

Olga Shonia

The session will provide an overview of study-away programming options (overseas and Navajo Nation sites) available to Education majors at Capital University.

Capital University Admission Presentation

Derek Faasse

A presentation regarding the opportunities available for prospective students at Capital University and the steps students need to take in order to apply.

Recipes for Success in Elementary Education

Jenny Potts

Is a recipe just for cooking? Absolutely not! Recipes help me plan success for my students and myself.

Join me for a presentation on how you can use recipes for your classroom. I will share some of my best recipes with you to help you successfully get started in your career. Recipes include schedules, events and more.

This session is geared for future educators in grades K-3.

Capital University Guided Campus Tours

Capital University Staff

Get a guided tour of Capital University’s Campus and learn more about what college life has to offer.