WHY CHOOSE GYTO WHY CHOOSE GYTO
Because It Works. For Instruction. For Culture. For Retention.
When administrators choose to invest in Get Your Teach On, they’re not choosing a conference—they’re choosing measurable instructional growth, renewed teacher morale, and stronger school culture. Districts across the nation consistently report that GYTO moves the needle in the areas that matter most: Tier I instruction, student engagement, and teacher retention.
And while GYTO is rooted in research-based, high-impact practices, we also know this important truth: You cannot reach a teacher’s practice until you ’ ve reached their heart.
Our experience and our data show that when teachers feel seen, valued, energized, and supported, they are far more likely to stay, grow, and implement new learning with fidelity.
What the Data Shows
INSTRUCTIONAL IMPROVEMENT
Educators leave GYTO with concrete, actionable Tier I strategies. Across our post-conference surveys: 96% of attendees said the sessions + workshops at GYTO were better than other PD conferences they have attended. 98% say they implement GYTO strategies on their campus at least monthly Schools report higher student engagement, better transitions, and more consistent academic routines across classrooms.
GYTO DOESN’T JUST INSPIRE. IT TRANSLATES INSPIRATION INTO CLASSROOM REALITY.
Teacher Retention & Morale
WE SURVEYED MANY EDUCATORS FOLLOWING GYTO AND FOUND:
99% of teachers felt more motivated after attending GYTO.
88% reported a renewed commitment to staying in the profession Administrators consistently cite reduced burnout and higher staff morale during the school year following GYTO attendance
TEACHERS LEAVE FEELING RECHARGED, REINVESTED, AND READY TO LEAD LEARNING ON DAY 1.
School Culture & Team Alignment
WHEN TEAMS ATTEND TOGETHER, THE IMPACT MULTIPLIES:
Stronger alignment around Tier I expectations.
Clearer instructional language across grade levels.
Increased collaboration and buy-in around schoolwide initiatives.
GYTO CREATES MOMENTUM—NOT JUST WITHIN INDIVIDUALS, BUT ACROSS ENTIRE CAMPUSES.
Survey data from the 2025 GYTO Charlotte Attendee Follow Up Survey.
97% of attendees say GYTO is better than other conferenceS
WHY GYTO WORKS WHY GYTO WORKS
Our sessions go far beyond theory. Teachers learn exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to do it and they practice it live.
High-Quality Modeling & Real Classrooms
From live model lessons to authentic classroom footage, teachers get to see effective instruction in action.
Emotional Recharge + Cognitive Rigor
Our approach is simple: If a teacher doesn’t feel inspired, they can’t be innovative. We reignite passion and sharpen practice. This combination is rare and incredibly effective.
Immediate, Actionable Implementation
Teachers leave with tools they can use the very next day: Lesson structures, engagement strategies, routines, coaching cycles, and Tier I systems
Long-Term Support & Sustainability
With tracks ranging from leadership to small groups to School House to Science of Reading, teams leave with a full-year plan not a three-day high
The Bottom Line
SENDING TEACHERS TO GYTO IS NOT A COST. IT’S AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR RESULTS.
When teachers return:
✔ They teach better.
✔ They engage students more effectively.
✔ They collaborate with higher trust and clarity
✔ They feel supported, valued, and reinvigorated.
✔ They stay.
Instruction rises. Culture rises. Student learning rises. That’s why administrators keep sending their teams year after year.
FIND YOUR PERFECT TRACK AT GET YOUR TEACH ON 2026 FIND YOUR PERFECT TRACK AT GET YOUR TEACH ON 2026
At Get Your Teach On, we do professional development differently.
Instead of bouncing from session to session, you’ll select one track and stay with the same community for the entire conference. This intentional design is what makes GYTO truly unique.
KINDER GARTEN
Your track b our home b A lace h build l ti hi , deepen content knowledg ngside ed ho te ou tea k away with real, sustainab g you can i he m retur sroom or campus.
SECOND GRADE FIRST GRADE GRADES 3-5
Below is your guide to the 12 tracks offered this year. No matter your grade level, role, or instructional responsibility… there’s a place made just for you.
GRADE-LEVEL TRACKS
These tracks ensure that content, strategies, and model lessons directly reflect the standards, developmental needs, and instructional demands of your grade band
SCIENCE OF READING & WRITING TRACKS
Deep, practical, and classroom-tested instruction aligned to the most essential literacy practices.
SPECIALIZED TRACKS
MIDDLE SCHOOL
math TRACK
Designed for educators seeking high-yield strategies tailored to their academic area.
Created for unique populations and instructional roles that require targeted support.
GYTO WORKSHOP FRAMEWORKS GYTO WORKSHOP FRAMEWORKS
What You’ll Experience in Your Track
Your conference track is intentionally designed to include a balanced mix of workshop frameworks. Each icon on your schedule represents the type of learning experience you’ll be part of during that session.
Teacher Toolkit Build
Hands-On Creation
Purpose: Build classroom-ready tools during the session
You’ll Experience:
70% creation + build time
Brief modeling + examples
Customization time for your grade/content
Printed/digital templates
You’ll Leave With:
Finished resources + adaptable templates
Strategy Lab / Engagement Lab
Practice Like You’re in the Classroom
Purpose: Learn one strategy deeply through practice
You’ll Experience:
Modeling of one core strategy
Partner/small-group role-play
Peer feedback + reflection
“Use it tomorrow” planning
You’ll Leave With: A ready-to-implement strategy plan
Idea Sprint
Fast-Paced Strategy Roundup
Purpose: Quick wins and highenergy ideas
You’ll Experience:
10+ rapid strategies
Movement, music, demos
Short practice moments
You’ll Leave With: A printable/digital idea list
Data to Decisions
Turn Data Into Action
Purpose: Practice using data to plan instruction
You’ll Experience:
Clear protocols
Trend identification
Small-group/reteach planning Collaborative analysis
You’ll Leave With: Data trackers + planning tools
Playbook Workshop
Deep Dive Into Systems
Purpose: Strengthen sustainable routines and structures
You’ll Experience:
Step-by-step model: Launch →
Manage → Monitor → Adjust
Real classroom routine modeling
Build supporting tools
Context-specific discussion
You’ll Leave With: An implementation roadmap
Live Model Lessons
Real Students. Real Instruction.
Purpose: See Tier I instruction in action
You’ll Experience:
Full lesson taught with students
Real-time modeling: pacing, feedback, movement
Debrief + Q&A
You’ll Leave With:
A clear vision of strong instruction
NEW TO NATIONALS! NEW TO NATIONALS!
We ’ re leveling up this year ’ s experience with incredible new additions.
Introducing two brand new tracks focused on the Science of Reading and interactive Pre-Conference Intensives for Classroom Management & Instructional Coaching you won’t want to miss.
NEW TRACKS!
Take a peek at the next few pages to see
SCIENCE OF READING TRACKS SCIENCE OF READING TRACKS
New for this year, GYTO is launching two dedicated Science of Reading & Writing tracks one for K–2 educators and one for 3–5 educators. Designed for districts and schools that are making structured literacy a priority and need real, practical support.
These tracks are intensive, hands-on, and classroom-focused, giving you the clarity and confidence you need to make structured literacy your strongest system on Day 1
What you’ll learn:
✔ Top Rope Practices
High-impact, upper-strand SOR essentials that strengthen comprehension, vocabulary, language structures, written expression, and content knowledge.
✔ Bottom Rope Practices
Foundational lower-strand components such as phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluent reading, spelling instruction, and orthographic mapping.
✔ Writing Instruction That Aligns With the Science
Explicit, systematic writing practices embedded throughout the day including sentence-level work, modeled writing, writing about reading, and predictable routines that build strong written communication.
Two Grade-band Options:
K–2 SORW Track: Early foundational skills + emergent writing
3–5 SORW Track: Transitional + multisyllabic literacy + advanced writing routines
Who is this track for? Why you’ll love it:
Schools/districts adopting or refining SOR-aligned practices
Teachers who want clarity, alignment, and confidence Leaders who need to create a campus-wide literacy plan
Anyone feeling overwhelmed by the shift and ready for structured support
IF YOUR SCHOOL IS PRIORITIZING LITERACY AND YOU WANT THE SUPPORT TO GET IT RIGHT, THIS TRACK IS FOR YOU.
SCIENCE OF READING & WRITING AT GYTO SCIENCE OF READING & WRITING AT GYTO
Where research meets real classrooms so ever y student becomes a confident reader and writer.
INTRODUCING GYTO PRE-CONS
$99 till December 31st (after $129) | July 5 (8:30 am - 12 pm)
Your Deep-Dive, High-Impact Start to the Conference
For the first time ever, GYTO is launching Pre-Conference Intensives. Half-day, deep-dive sessions designed to give you an early jump on the two hottest topics in education: Classroom Management and Instructional Coaching.
These Pre-Cons take place the day before the official conference kickoff and are completely optional add-ons and can be purchased when you begin registration. If you ’ re ready to sharpen your practice, address your biggest challenges, and walk into Day 1 already transformed this is the place to start
OPTION 1:
Pre-Con 1: Your Classroom Management Roadmap Power Moves for Daily Success
Every teacher knows the moment when the classroom starts to slip off-task chatter, long transitions, attention fading, and the pull to manage instead of teach. This high-impact Pre-Con tackles classroom management at its root: instruction.
Grounded in Whole Brain Teaching and practical Tier I practices, André Deshotel will show you exactly how to build a classroom environment where engagement is high, behavior is predictable, and learning stays at the center.
You’ll Learn How To:
Ledby:André Deshotel
Lock in attention from the start with engagement routines that eliminate drift
Use predictable systems that reduce confusion and disruption
Build transitions so smooth they run themselves
Redirect behavior without losing momentum
Create a calm, highly engaged classroom where instruction does the heavy lifting
YOU'LL LEAVE WITH READY-TO-IMPLEMENT ROADMAPS THAT BOOST ENGAGEMENT, MINIMIZE BEHAVIORAL FRICTION, AND MAKE TEACHING FEEL LIGHTER, MORE JOYFUL, AND FAR MORE EFFECTIVE.
Pre-Con 2: Your Instructional Coaching Roadmap–Evaluating, Supporting, & Coaching Tier I Practices
Led by: Hope King
For the first time in GYTO history, we’re offering a half-day intensive designed specifically for instructional coaches, deans, APs, and leaders who coach teachers.
If you are responsible for supporting instruction on your campus, this Pre-Con delivers the clarity, structure, and systems you need to make your coaching cycles more intentional, more effective, and more sustainable.
OPTION 2: Hope Will Guide
Your Through:
How to evaluate classrooms using the Five to Thrive lens
How to identify breakdowns in Tier I instruction before they become school-wide issues
How to design coaching cycles that are clear, targeted, and aligned to outcomes
How to coach teachers into consistent Tier I practices using small, measurable steps
How to ensure your feedback actually leads to change—not confusion
You’ll Walk Away With:
A coaching framework that strengthens instruction campus-wide and gives every teacher the support they need to grow.
Trust us...
THE PERFECT START TO YOUR GYTO EXPERIENCE THE PERFECT START TO YOUR GYTO EXPERIENCE
Whether you ’ re a classroom teacher looking to regain instructional control or a coach/leader looking to elevate Tier I practices across an entire campus, these Pre-Cons set the tone for an incredible GYTO experience.
Deep dive Real strategies Immediate impact
Your best year of teaching and leading, starts HERE!
PRE CON EVENTS
8:30 AM - 12 PM
8:30 AM - 12 PM PRE CON EVENTS
00-7:00 PM EVENING ENTERTAINMENT 1 3 4 2
12:00-5:00 PM
DOORS OPEN FOR GYTO OPENING CELEBRATION & KEYNOTE
GYTO OPENING CELEBRATION & EVENING ENTERTAINMENT
s c h e d u l e i s s u b j e c t t o c h a n g e MONDA JULY 6 SUNDAY JULY 5 WEDNES JULY 8
TUESDAY JULY 7
8:30-10:00 AM OPENING KEYNOTE
10:30-11:45 AM BREAKOUT 1
BEGINNING AT 5:00 PM 6:00-8:00 PM YOUR SMALL GROUP PLANLIVE MODEL LESSON YOUR SMALL GROUP PLANLIVE MODEL LESSON WEDNESDAY FEATURE:
11:45-1:15 PM LUNCH
1:15-2:30 PM BREAKOUT 2
2:45-4:00 PM BREAKOUT 3
YOUR TIER I MASTER CLASS EXPERIENCE 8:30-11:30 PLUS LIVE MODEL LESSONS PLUS LIVE MODEL LESSONS
11:30-1:00 PM LUNCH 1:00-2:15 PM BREAKOUT 1
2:30-3:45 PM BREAKOUT 2
5:00-7:00 PM EVENING ENTERTAINMENT
8:30-10:00 AM BREAKOUT 1 10:30-12:00 PM BREAKOUT 2 12:00-2:00 PM LUNCH 2:00-4:00 PM EVENING ENTERTAINMENT YOU DONT WANT TO MISS THIS! NO MORNING KEY
GRADE LEVEL SESSIONS GRADE LEVEL SESSIONS
YOUR TIER I MASTER CLASS EXPERIENCE: LIVE MODEL LESSON
Session Presented by: Hope King, Wade King & Andre Deshotel
WRITING PROGRESSIONS
Session Presented by: lisa peters
NUMBER SENSE NINJAS 2.0
Session Presented by: Bryce Sizemore
YOUR WHOLE GROUP PLAN: LIVE MODEL LESSON
Session Presented by: Hope king
GRADE LEVEL SESSIONS GRADE LEVEL SESSIONS
THE GREATEST SHOW: TURNING BEHAVIOR DATA INTO DECISIONS
Session Presented by: lanesha tabb
LET"S PLAY WITH WORDS! RESEARCH-BASED STRATEGIES FOR VOCABULARY SUCCESS
Session Presented by: Christina DeCarbo
YOUR SMALL GROUP PLAN: LIVE MODEL LESSON
Session Presented by: LaNesha Tabb, Amelia Capotosta & Naomi O’Brien
SMALL GROUP ROTATIONS
Session Presented by: Lisa Peters
BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE AN INTERVENTION PROBLEM… WE HAVE A TIER I PROBLEM.
Kick-start Your Conference With a One-of-a-Kind, Highimpact Morning
With Hope King, Wade King & Andre Deshotel
Get ready for something GYTO has never done before. This three-hour immersive master class is designed to ground your entire conference experience in the most powerful place it can start: Tier I instruction. You’ll evaluate your practices, watch systems come to life with real students, and leave with the clarity and confidence to transform instruction the moment you return to your classroom.
PART 1: GYTO S INSTRUCTIONAL PLAYBOOK
Evaluate. Prioritize. Transform.
With Hope King and Wade King, you’ll examine your current instructional practices through the lens of Five to Thrive. You’ll identify the gaps, the inconsistencies, and the places where small shifts can create big impact.
This is not theory This is clarity Before you step into any other workshop, you’ll know exactly what you ’ re here to learn, strengthen, and take home.
PART 3: ENGAGEMENT & WHOLE BRAIN TEACHING
Where Five to Thrive Meets the Energy Your Students Crave
Andre will break down the engagement strategies that make Five to Thrive come alive with movement, accountability, whole brain teaching, and the instructional energy needed to keep students locked in all day long.
You’ll leave with practical, high-impact strategies you can use starting Day One of school
PART 2: SEE IT IN ACTION
Andre Deshotel’s Live Model Lesson
Thinkofthisasthefirstdayofschool.It’sliveand unfiltered You’llwatchAndreDeshotelteachafullmodel lessonwithrealstudentsashedemonstrates:
Howtobuildinstructionalsystemswithpurpose Howtoevaluateeffectivenessinrealtime Howtopivot,adapt,andcourse-correct HowtouseTierIpracticestopreventbehaviors beforetheystart
ThisexperiencewillredefinewhatTierIcanandshould looklike.Wecanguarantee:you’veneverseenanything likethisbefore.
PART 4: LIVE Q&A
Your Questions. Answered in Real Time.
Bring your burning questions about instruction, engagement, management, or anything you just watched.
You’ll be able to submit questions live and get real, honest answers from Hope, Wade, and Andre.
WRITING PROGRESSIONS
Session Presented by: Lisa Peters
This session focuses on teaching young children how to write in a fun and engaging way that strengthens their phonics skills and introduces them to the essential reading and writing code. The goal is to give students the freedom to create and write their own sentences beyond just the ABCs, fostering creativity and literacy development. By incorporating movement and drawing on students’ background knowledge, they will be able to unlock the codes of writing early. This session will cover a step-by-step writing process that helps children form and write complete sentences.
Session Research Session Standards
• CCSS.Print Concepts: Understand that words are separated by spaces in print
• CCSS Phonics and Word Recognition: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
• CCSS Conventions of Standard English
1.Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
2. a. Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.
3. b. Recognize and name end punctuation.
4. c. Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds (phonemes).
5. d. Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships
Session Description
Foorman, B. (2016). Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade.
Honig, B., Diamond, L., & Gutlohn, L. (2018). Teaching Reading Sourcebook.
Blevins, W. (2024). Differentiating Phonics for Maximum Impact.
Burkins, J. & Yates, K. (2021). Shifting the Balance.
NUMBER SENSE NINJAS 2.0
Session Presented by: Bryce Sizemore
True number sense isn’t built through worksheets it’s built through daily routines that make math visual, verbal, and joyful. In this hands-on Playbook Workshop, Bryce Sizemore will model daily math routines that strengthen subitizing, counting, composing and decomposing numbers, and part-part-whole relationships. Teachers will experience the routines as students first, then unpack the structure behind them to understand how and why they work.
Too often, early math instruction focuses on memorization or “getting the answer,” leaving students unsure of what numbers really mean. This session flips that script by showing how simple, intentional routines — like quick talks, visual models, and hands-on exploration — help students build lasting understanding. Teachers will learn how to scaffold these routines across the year, connect them to their current curriculum, and use them to grow confident, flexible thinkers who truly understand numbers.
By the end of this session, teachers will have a complete Number Sense Playbook they can use to bring clarity, confidence, and excitement to their math block — no fancy prep required.
Session Standards
K.CC.A.1: Count to 100 by ones and by tens.
K.CC.A.2: Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).
K CC B 4: Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
K.CC.B.5: Count to answer “how many?” questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; count out that many objects.
K.OA.A.1: Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds, acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
K.NBT.A.1: Work with numbers 11–19 to gain foundations for place value.
Session Research
Session Description
Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2014). Learning and Teaching Early Math: The Learning Trajectories Approach (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Jordan, N. C., Kaplan, D., Locuniak, M. N., & Ramineni, C. (2012). Building Kindergartners’ Number Sense: A Randomized Controlled Study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(3), 647–660 Herlehy, L. (2021). Building Number Sense with Subitizing. IMSA Digital Commons. Devlin, B. (2021). Subdomains of Early Number Sense and Their Relation to Mathematics Achievement. University of Delaware UDSpace.
LESSON WITH HOPE KING
Five to Thrive: Start to Finish
This session gives you an up-close, real-time look at what highquality Tier I instruction looks, sounds, and feels like when all Five to Thrive components are working together.
You’ll watch a complete mini-lesson taught with live students, analyze Hope’s instructional moves, and walk away with a crystalclear vision you can bring back to your own classroom.
Part 1: Prepare Your Look-Fors
Setting You Up to See the Right Things
Before the lesson begins, Hope will break down exactly what to watch for so you ’ re not overwhelmed by everything happening at once You’ll be guided to notice the specific moves, moments, and micro-decisions that make strong Tier I instruction stick.
Part 2: Live Model Lesson
Watch Tier I Instruction in Action
You’ll observe a full lesson taught live with students, exactly as it would happen in a real classroom. This is your chance to see the Five to Thrive framework not as slides but as movement, language, redirection, pacing, checks for understanding, and student response patterns.
This is not a performance. It’s a transparent, authentic view of effective instruction that you can model your own lessons after.
Part 3: Debrief + Q&A
Unpack the Lesson and Transfer the Learning
After the lesson, Hope will walk you through the major moves of the lesson and connect each one back to the Five to Thrive pillars. This is where the why behind the what becomes clear.
Q&A: Ask Hope anything from classroom management, pacing, student motivation, transitions, small groups, or behavior. This is your chance to get individualized clarity and coaching.
YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH: YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH:
A concrete model of what strong Tier I instruction looks like Clarity around the Five to Thrive in real classroom action
Ready-to-use language, moves, structures, and pacing strategies
A deeper instructional lens to bring back to your classroom and PLC
THE GREATEST SHOW: TURNING BEHAVIOR DATA INTO DECISIONS
Session Presented by: lanesha tabb
What if the answer to every behavior challenge was hiding in plain sight? Step right up for The Greatest Show! In this Data to Decisions session, kindergarten teachers become ringmasters; observing real student behavior moments, spotting patterns in the chaos, and uncovering root causes that go way beyond simple redirections. You’ll laugh, reflect, and rethink what “data-driven” means in a K classroom as you learn to turn tiny behaviors into BIG clues that guide calmer, more joyful learning. Expect high energy, hands-on fun, and one surprising discovery that just might transform the way you see your kinders forever.
Prizes to Take Home From the Show:
A fresh lens for understanding what kindergarten behavior is really communicating
A simple, repeatable process for noticing patterns and pulling meaning from your daily observations
A decision-making framework that supports smoother routines, safer transitions, and more focused learners
Playful, developmentally-appropriate strategies that build structure, choice, and consistency
A mindset shift that reframes “management” as connection, clarity, and confidence
Tools and reflection prompts to help you identify tiny teacher moves that create HUGE classroom impact
Session Research
Session
Description
Classroom Management and Facilitation Approaches That Support Learning (Wilkins, 2022)
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2021). Better Learning Through Structured Teaching
Principles of Instruction: Research-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know. (American Educator, Spring 2012)
LET"S PLAY WITH WORDS! RESEARCH-BASED STRATEGIES FOR VOCABULARY SUCCESS
Session Presented by: Christina DeCarbo
In this interactive strategy session, Christina shares how to teach vocabulary with purpose and play! We’ll practice how to explicitly teach vocabulary words to students, dive into direct and indirect instructional strategies that build comprehension, and of course – PLAY with words! Christina shows you how to make word play meaningful, effective, and highly engaging for all students. You’ll walk away with a toy chest overflowing with vocabulary knowledge and strategies you can use immediately with your little learners!
Session Standards
CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.L.K.4
Determineorclarifythemeaningofunknownand multiple-meaningwordsandphrasesbasedon kindergartenreadingandcontent
a.Identifynewmeaningsforfamiliarwordsand applythemaccurately.
b.Usethemostfrequentlyoccurringinflectionsand affixes(e.g.,-ed,-s,re-,un-,pre-,-ful,-less)asa cluetothemeaningofanunknownword
CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.L.K.5
Withguidanceandsupportfromadults,exploreword relationshipsandnuancesinwordmeanings.
b.Demonstrateunderstandingoffrequently occurringverbsandadjectivesbyrelatingthemto theiropposites(antonyms)
c.Identifyreal-lifeconnectionsbetweenwordsand theiruse.
d. Distinguishshadesofmeaningamongverbs describingthesamegeneralaction(e.g.,walk, march,strut,prance)byactingoutthemeanings.
CCSSELALITERACYLK6
Usewordsandphrasesacquiredthroughconversations, readingandbeingreadto,andrespondingtotexts.
Session Research
Beck, I. L. (2013). Bringing Words to Life, Second Edition: Robust Vocabulary Instruction.
Session Description
Cunningham, A. E., & Stanovich, K. E. (1997). Early reading acquisition and its relation to reading experience and ability 10 years later.
Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences: everyday parenting and intellectual development in young American children.
Kindle, K. J. (2008). Teaching vocabulary In the K-2 classroom: easy strategies for infusing vocabulary learning into morning meetings, transitions, centers, and more.
Nagy, W. E., & Anderson, R. C. (1984). How Many Words Are There in Printed School English?
Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., & Griffin, P. (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children.
YOUR SMALL GROUP PLAN YOUR SMALL GROUP PLAN
withLaNeshaTabb,AmeliaCapotosta& NaomiO’Brien
You’ve gathered the data. You’ve taught the minilesson. Now what?
This session is designed to answer the single most common teacher question after whole-group instruction:
"HOW DO I ACTUALLY MEET THE NEEDS OF EVERY STUDENT?
In this high-impact workshop, LaNesha Tabb, Amelia Capotosta, and Naomi O’Brien will take you step-bystep through building a small-group plan that is intentional, engaging, manageable, and rooted in strong Tier I instruction. No more guessing. No more surface-level rotations. No more “what do I do now?”
What you’ll experience:
What you’ll learn: A REAL, LIVE MODEL LESSON WITH A FULL CLASS OF STUDENTS
Not just a small group Not just a simulation
You’ll watch an authentic classroom come to life so you can finally see:
What the teacher does with their small group
What the rest of the students do
How to keep every learner engaged, purposeful, and on task
How small group fits seamlessly with the whole-group mini-lesson
How to use your data to choose the right skill for the right students
Why this matters:
Small-group instruction is one of the highestimpact practices in a classroom but only when it’s done with clarity and purpose. Most teachers aren’t struggling with effort…they’re struggling with structure.
This session gives you the structure.
How to turn data into differentiated, targeted smallgroup plans
How to decide who goes where, why, and for how long
How to design small-group lessons that are brief, powerful, and easy to prep
How to build meaningful independent tasks for the rest of the class
How to manage transitions, routines, and expectations so instruction doesn’t fall apart
How to ensure your small-group instruction increases mastery. Not just activity
What you’ll Leave with:
A complete small-group plan tied directly to your data
Routines and rotation systems that actually work Strategies you can use the very next day
A clear vision of what strong small-group instruction should look like because you saw it live
SMALL GROUP ROTATIONS
Session Presented by: Lisa Peters
This session will focus on creating effective and engaging small group rotations that allow meaningful learning to happen across the entire classroom not just at the teacher table. Participants will explore how to structure rotations so every student is actively practicing essential skills while the teacher provides targeted instruction to a small group.
We will break down what the rest of the class should be doing during this time, highlighting predictable routines, independent expectations, and high-impact literacy and math activities that reinforce gradelevel skills. Teachers will walk away with practical, ready-to-use examples of rotation tasks including phonics practice, writing stations, independent reading, digital learning tools, fluency activities, handson centers, and partner games—that promote mastery, independence, and smooth transitions. By the end of the session, participants will have a clearer understanding of how to design rotations that maximize instructional minutes, reduce behavior challenges, and ensure that learning continues at every seat. Attendees will leave equipped with strategies, visuals, and activity ideas that can be implemented in their classroom immediately.
Session Research Session Standards
CCSS ELA-LITERACY RF K 1 D
Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
CCSS ELA-LITERACY RF K 3 A
Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter–sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
RF K 2 – Phonological Awareness
•Recognize and produce rhyming words.
•Blend and segment onsets and rimes.
•Blend and segment individual phonemes (CVC words)
•Add or substitute sounds to make new words
RF.K.3 – Phonics and Word Recognition
•Demonstrate basic knowledge of letter–sound correspondences
•Read common high-frequency words by sight.
•Decode simple CVC words.
CCSS ELA-LITERACY L K 1 F
"Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.
Session Description
Diller, Debbie. Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All. Portsmouth, NH: Stenhouse Publishers, 2007.
Rimbey, Kimberly Ann. Meaningful Small Groups in Math, Grades K-5: Meeting All Learners’ Needs in Any Setting. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2022.
Lindsey, Julia B. Small Groups, Big Results: Evidence-Based Routines to Get Every Child Reading. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2025.
Meet your Presenters
LISA PETERS
@LISAELAINE
Lisa was born in San Antonio, Texas, and graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Education and Dance/Fine Arts With 14 years of experience in education, she has taught students across all grade levels, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Currently, Lisa teaches kindergarten and believes it is the most magical place to be, where young learners begin their academic journeys. Lisa is passionate about early literacy and creates learning resources that support students in developing essential reading and writing skills. Her materials have helped children and adults worldwide improve their literacy, allowing them to read and write with confidence. Lisa’s attention to detail and intrinsic motivation make her a dedicated educator, always striving to help every child make significant leaps in their learning.
BRYCE SIZEMORE
@THETEACHINGTEXAN
Bryce Sizemore is a Kindergarten teacher, presenter, and the creative force behind The Teaching Texan a brand dedicated to helping educators bring joy, simplicity, and effectiveness to early childhood classrooms. With over a decade of experience teaching K-2nd, Bryce has developed a deep expertise in early literacy and numeracy instruction rooted in the Science of Reading and research-based math practices.
A passionate advocate for making learning hands-on and meaningful, Bryce specializes in helping teachers transform their small group instruction and center routines so every child feels successful and excited to learn. Through his engaging and practical sessions, he empowers teachers with classroomtested strategies they can implement right away no fluff, just real results.
Meet your Presenters
LANESHA TABB
@LANESHA TABB
LaNesha Tabb is a veteran educator of 19 years, children’s book author, and the creator of the Reimagine Writing framework. She designs practical, joyful K–5 writing resources that help teachers feel confident and students feel empowered. Her books, including the Alpert series and Yara’s Gingerbread Diva: Sweet Escape, bring diverse stories and art-forward learning to classrooms and families. She speaks nationally on writing instruction, student engagement, and culturally responsive teaching. Whether she’s in a school, on a stage, or in her studio, her mission is to help children fall in love with di w iti g, and their own voice.
CHRISTINA DECARBO
@MISSDECARBO
Christina DeCarbo-Wagers (Miss DeCarbo) is a PreK-5 literacy coach, teacher, national presenter, and curriculum author from Northeast Ohio. Christina is a Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist (C-SLDI). She is also certified at the Associate Level with the Orton Gillingham Academy. She is an advocate for helping educators understand the power of explicit instruction and purposeful practice opportunities for students. With over 18 years of experience as a K-2 teacher and coach, her sessions are packed with engaging and effective research-based practices that can be implemented the very next day. She loves collaborating and sharing ideas with educators on Instagram @missdecarbo. Learn more about Christina and all of her teaching resources on her website at www.missdecarbo.com.
Meet your Presenters
AMELIA CAPOTOSTA
@AMELIACAPOTOSTA
Amelia Capotosta is an Ohio educator, who brings a contagious amount of enthusiasm, positivity, and creativity to the education world. She is a forever optimist, and is passionate about many things including her family, students, books, pairing education and engagement. With classroom experience from elementary to middle school, Amelia has first-hand knowledge of the effectiveness of researchbased strategies in the classroom, and how to design and implement them. She has spent dedicated time creating research-based resources that bring books to life in classrooms all over. Amelia knows that true comprehension takes place across all subject areas, and is able to help educators and administrators take actionable steps towards cross-curricular teaching that is engaging, meaningful, rigorous, and effective. She is certified in Orton Gillingham methodology and has worked to support thousands of educators, adminstrators, coaches, and specialists on the research and science backed methods to teach reading. As a collegiate instructor, national speaker, presenter, educator, and consultant, Amelia has had the opportunity to inspire and support thousands of educators, administrators, coaches, and specialists. She focuses her sessions on research, engagement, innovative, and ready-to-implement ideas; she is here for you!
NAOMI O"BRIEN
@READLIKEAROCKSTARTEACHING
Naomi O’Brien is an educator in Maryland who currently teaches 1st and 3rd grade. With over 15 years of classroom experience, Naomi is deeply passionate about helping children become confident, capable readers. She believes every child deserves instruction grounded in research and delivered with intention, clarity, and joy. Her work centers on making the science of reading approachable and meaningful and she enjoys helping teachers strengthen their instructional practices while inspiring students to fall in love with reading.
Meet your Presenters
HOPE KING
Hope King is a veteran educator with 18 years of experience, a national speaker, and the co-founder of Get Your Teach On and Rock Your School. She is recognized for her ability to integrate research-based Tier I instructional practices with intentional, high-engagement strategies that elevate both teacher effectiveness and student learning.
For the past four years, Hope has served as a Campus Implementation Specialist, leading the GYTO Content Team in a multi-year effort to strengthen instruction across more than 30 campuses. Through comprehensive, yearlong support—including lesson modeling, instructional coaching, and system development—she and her team partner with schools to improve Tier I practices from the beginning of the year to the end.
Hope is also the author of The Wild Card and the creator of the widely implemented “Five to Thrive” instructional framework. She presents nationally on instructional design, student engagement, classroom management, and schoolwide systems for consistency. In every setting, her mission remains clear: to equip educators with high-impact, sustainable practices that ensure every student receives rigorous, meaningful, and joyful learning experiences every day.
WADE KING
Wade King attended Anderson University, where he received both his undergraduate degree and his Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision. Wade has been recognized as a District Choice Teacher and Teacher of The Year. His students’ outstanding achievement scores and growth on standardized tests were some of the highest scores in the state of South Carolina. Mr. King attributes his students’ success to a “ no excuse ” policy that he models himself. The relationships he fosters with his students, their families, and community is the driving force behind his teaching. Mr. King’s classroom is filled with music, engagement, rigor, and discipline. He strives to prepare his students for their futures and not their pasts, while also placing an emphasis on global learning.
Meet your Presenters
ANDRE DESHOTEL
@BRAINENGAGER
Andre Deshotel has over 15 years of experience in education, including roles as a classroom teacher, district instructional coach, and elementary assistant administrator. In his current role as Teacher Support Coach, he strengthens teacher capacity in classroom management and engagement by providing practical, effective, research-based strategies to enhance student learning.
As a Certified Whole Brain Teaching Presenter for over ten years, Andre has designed and delivered professional development nationwide. He is dedicated to jumping into the trenches to support teachers and students with meaningful, hands-on guidance.
FOUR DAYS OF CONTENT
Four days filled with research-based workshops that will guide you in creating rigorous and engaging lessons all year long.
KEYNOTES & LIVE MODEL LESSONS HANDS ON WORKSHOPS
Learn from influential educators and motivational speakers that not only ignite inspiration but also deliver powerful, practical insights. You’ll also get to experience live model lessons with real-time coaching that brings strategies to life So you return to your classroom energized and equipped to create real educational magic!
Training specific for your position from some of today’s top educators and administrators who are experts at their craft with strategies that can be implemented the very next day!
INCREDIBLE NIGHTLY ENTERTAINMENT 2026 SWAG CERTIFICATE FOR 24 PD HOURS
We're celebrating 10 incredible years with some of our favorite artists and entertainers.True champions of our community who continue to show up, inspire, and make the GYTO experience unforgettable!
Swag that will make you want to bring an extra suitcase! Not to mention all the free goodies from our sponsors!
Each attendee receives a professional development certificate for 24 hours of quality professional development over the conference’s four days!
GYTO 4-day all access pass: $659
Register now with just a deposit! Final payment won’t be due until March 2026! Invoice, check, and purchase order options are also available for schools and districts.
R E G I S T E R N O W L E T ’ S G E T S T A R T E D ! LET’S GET STARTED!
Register now with just a deposit! Final payment won’t be due until March 2026! Invoice, check, and purchase order options are also available for schools and districts.
INTRODUCING TICKET ADD-ONS INTRODUCING TICKET ADD-ONS
Get the chance to have an enhanced experience at our National Conference by adding on to your ticket. You can purchase any of these options when you register for the conference.
VIP at $199
Make the most of GYTO Fest 2026 with our VIP Experience! It’s limited and will sell out!
It includes:
Daily Lunch + Free Morning Coffee
Reserved VIP Seating
Early Registration & Early Shopping at the GYTO Collective VIP Lounge + Presenter Networking & Book Signing Access
Dedicated VIP Entrance, Concierge, & Registration Line
Exclusive VIP Lanyard & Special Photo Moments
conference tee $30 Lunch $26 per day
Save time AND money by pre-purchasing your lunch. $26/day online (vs. $30/day on-site) Includes lunch Monday–Wednesday
Avoid long lines and crowded restaurants with dedicated pickup Highly recommended for all attendees.
Menu preview: BBQ Plate, Italian Pasta + Grilled Chicken, or a Burrito Bowl (with vegetarian and gluten-friendly options). Full menu available when you begin registering for the conference .
Make sure to snag your official GYTO Fest 2026 Conference Tee!
Pre-ordering is the only way to guarantee your size and secure the perfect keepsake. Plus, you’ll save by ordering now because prices go up on site!
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