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LSU Partners with Louisiana Association of Teacher Educators
for First Annual Student Teacher Conference

“Learning, Teaching, Leading” Conference Provides Classroom for
Educators Across the State

Conference Presentation Schedule

BATON ROUGE, LA—The first annual Student Teacher Conference will be held Monday, April 20, 2009, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Executive Center (formerly the Holiday Inn Select) in Baton Rouge. The LSU College of Education and Louisiana Association of Teacher Educators (LA ATE) are co-sponsoring this year’s student teacher conference titled “Learning, Teaching, Leading.”

Geared towards all audiences of pre-professional and veteran educators in early childhood, elementary, middle school, and high school, the conference will include invited presentations on classroom management, dyslexia, grant writing, legal issues in education, power teaching, and teaching at-risk students. The conference will also host invited presentations on the Louisiana Assistance and Assessment Program (LA TAAP), National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and resume’ writing and interview preparation. Award-winning educator Debbie Silver, PhD, will deliver the keynote address on “The Art & Heart of Teaching.” With more than 30 years experience as a classroom teacher, staff development instructor,

and university professor, Silver has been an invited author for several educational journals and has given keynotes at state, national, and international conferences in 49 states, Canada, Europe, and Asia. With teaching experience at almost every grade level, Silver’s numerous recognitions include being named the Louisiana State Teacher of the Year as well as a featured teacher for the PBS OnLine Teacher Chat and for Knowledge Delivery Systems.

Silver said, “All children have gifts. Teachers hold the important key for getting students to open them.  For some students their teacher is the single-most important adult they have in their lives, at least for a while.  Our profession carries tremendous responsibilities as well as potentially 'life changing' challenges.  Through our students we write messages to a future we will never see."

As the Coordinator of the Office of Field Experiences and director of the college’s professional development school activities, Karen Callender, PhD, has collaborated with directors of student teaching at universities and colleges throughout the state and with LA ATE board members in organizing this first annual conference.

“Typically, students preparing to become teachers spend more than 400 hours in community schools during their teaching preparation. We wanted to host a conference that expands their experiences and provides unique opportunities for future collaboration between professional organizations, schools, and educators across the state,” said Callender.

Teacher candidates experience course work and field work in their teacher preparation programs at universities and colleges throughout the state. Callender adds that this conference will serve as a unique opportunity for pre-service teachers to understand the facets of teaching that are not addressed within a program but are a part of a network of educational entities simultaneously working together to make up the system of education that exists today.

Callender encourages beginning teachers to be a part of collaborations between educational professional organizations that work hand in hand with teachers. “All of these dedicated professionals shape educational standards,” Callender said, “Beginning teachers should be a part of that endeavor, take part in a presentation, and contribute by sharing their knowledge and experiences with fellow teachers.”

LA ATE represents that collaboration, serving as state affiliate of the Association of Teacher Educators. LA ATE members represent professional educators involved in teacher preparation programs, including university faculty and administrators, P-12 school leaders, and P-12 teachers who serve as cooperating teachers and adjunct faculty in teacher preparation programs.

“It was a natural fit to partner LSU’s statewide collaboration with schools and school leaders with LA ATE members. Pooling our resources together allows us to expand our reach and offer even more posters, presentations, and invited lectures,” stated Candi Bagley, LA ATE Vice President and Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at LSU-Shreveport.

Gloria Rabon, Director of Field Experiences and Student Teaching at Grambling State University and LA ATE Treasurer commented, "I am excited to be able to take student teachers to a state conference again. Several years ago, our student teachers attended a technology conference at LSU and they really enjoyed the experience and were able to bring much of what they learned at the conference back to the classroom."

“College of Education faculty and students, both past and present, have played key roles in creating a culture of commitment and leadership by impacting our local and global communities,” said College of Education Dean M. Jayne Fleener. “This conference is a culmination of collaborative efforts and an indication that the LSU College of Education has a significant role to play in creating the kind of future that will advance education and wellness in the 21st Century.”