Professional Learning

Conferences and Coaching

Pick your setting. Every event brings hands on training you can use the next school day.

• Crockett Ranch Conferences

  Sleep under big Texas skies. Two days of hands on ECR training with meals, lodging, and fireside chats.

  Explore Ranch Conferences

  Print the Ranch Retreat general flyer (PDF)Print the Ranch Retreat welcome flyer (PDF)

• Kemah Coastal Conferences

  High energy training on the Kemah waterfront. The same proven system in one exciting day by the bay.

  Explore Kemah Conferences

  Print the Kemah Conference welcome flyer (PDF)

• WAVE Coaching

  Live Zoom coaching that meets you where you are. Short seminars with big classroom payoff.

  Explore WAVE Coaching

• Student CAMPS

  Student CAMPS that turn young writers loose. Weeklong models your campus can run with confidence.

  Explore Student CAMPS

• Register NOW!

  One hub for every event. Pick Crockett Ranch Retreat, Kemah Coastal Conference, or WAVE Coaching Experience and save your spot.

  Register NOW

• Ask Us Questions About Conferences

  Talk with our team about dates, groups, and purchase orders. We answer fast and love to help.

  Ask Us Questions

Prefer a personal walkthrough? Book a Consultation. See all dates on the calendar.

The ECR Trifecta

Training, tools, and technology work as one system so PD day turns into classroom practice. Each pillar links to the detailed Teach BIG page.

Campus wide implementation: The Writing Academy solution page.

Teach BIG Literacy Trainings

Six literacy trainings, available in person or virtual. Read each description, then open the agenda.

• Phonics & Spelling

  Unleash your phonics and spelling instruction with Sound BLOCKS and a Sound PROOF routine that turns 26 letters, 44 sounds, and 75 power patterns into reliable, decodable building blocks. Dive into etymology and word origins, layer in chants and motions to cement grapheme and phoneme connections, and practice explicit routines that transfer from accurate decoding to confident spelling in real texts. Claim your spot to help every student crack the code and become joyful readers and rock-solid spellers who can tackle any word they meet.

  Would you like a PDF agenda? Phonics & Spelling agenda, opens in a new tab

• Grammar & Editing

  Activate your grammar and editing instruction with creative activities and interactive games that bring parts of speech, sentence order, structure, and patterns to life. Leverage fresh assessment analysis to target misconceptions, strengthen sentence fluency, and turn grammar practice into measurable editing gains. Register now to transform grammar into a game students can’t wait to play, and editing into the skill that lifts scores fast.

  Would you like a PDF agenda? Grammar & Editing agenda, opens in a new tab

• Vocabulary & Revising

  Supercharge your vocabulary and revising instruction with a practical workshop that fuses word origins and morphology with connotation, denotation, and annotation strategies. Apply classroom-ready routines (context clues, collocations, precise word choice, sentence combining, clarity checks, and transitions) using mini-rubrics and item-aligned practice that transfer directly to state tests. Sign up now to turn vocabulary into a scoring advantage and revision into a superpower, so your students crush the test, one purposeful question at a time.

  Would you like a PDF agenda? Vocabulary & Revising agenda, opens in a new tab

• Making the Grade

  Unlock the mystery behind computer-scored ECR Essays! In this powerful seminar, teachers will discover how Automated Scoring Engines evaluate Extended Constructed Response (ECR) essays. Learn patterns the computer detects, why certain responses score higher than others, and how structure, reasoning, and nuance influence results. Walk away with practical techniques to align instruction with modern scoring systems while still teaching students to write clearly, thoughtfully, and authentically. Demystify the algorithm. Empower your instruction. Help students MAKE the GRADE!

• Reading: 4 Dimensions of Comprehension

  Revolutionize your reading and comprehension instruction with a hands-on seminar that bridges fun and deepens understanding through the Four Dimensions of Comprehension: Taught, Tap, Think, and Toggle. Learn to help students transfer knowledge of literary elements, literary devices, text structures, and other abstract standards into concrete strategies that stick. Build question-style fluency by mapping stems to the right dimension, selecting precise text evidence, and explaining reasoning with clarity. Master paper-to-digital transfer using annotation, highlighting, and navigation routines for computer-based assessments, plus ready-to-use mini-lessons, organizers, and item-aligned practice. Enroll now to turn reading time into measurable mastery, and watch comprehension scores and student confidence soar.

  Would you like a PDF agenda? Reading: 4 Dimensions of Comprehension agenda, opens in a new tab

• Writing: Short & Extended Constructed Response

  Discover powerful strategies in our short and extended writing training that spark a growth mindset while aligning seamlessly with science and social studies standards. Experience ESSA’s four learning modes (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) woven into energizing, ready-to-use classroom routines. Explore standards specific reading sets crafted for the Four Dimensions of ELAR prompts (Taught, Tap, Think, and Toggle) to plan purposeful thesis statements, evidence, and explanations. Gain insider techniques for turning drafts into polished products that perform on test-time tasks and endure as lifetime writing habits. Save your seat to transform hesitant writers into confident communicators who produce clear, organized, high-scoring responses.

  Would you like a PDF agenda? Writing: Short & Extended Constructed Response agenda, opens in a new tab

Teacher Testimonials Tell the Story!

Browse testimonials by district →

Implementation support

Coaches and leaders get follow through after the workshop: pacing, tool roll out, and W.A.V.E. sessions tied to the Writing Academy curriculum.

Training videos and on demand resources

Use these links after PD to refresh strategies or onboard new teachers. Video hosting for the full S.H.I.N.E. library is listed on the training page until a dedicated public gallery ships.

• ECR Trifecta training overview. Six content area workshops and W.A.V.E. coaching options on this page.
• ECR Trifecta Implementation Guide (PDF). The 30 page implementation guide for bringing the ECR Trifecta to your campus.
• S.H.I.N.E. video sequence. Connected to Writing Academy curriculum and W.A.V.E. coaching.
• TBASE how to guides. Platform walkthroughs for teachers implementing digital tools after PD.