Beginning Teacher Summit 

Beginning Teacher Summit 2026

Rooted & Rising: Building Strong Foundations for Engaged Learning

Hosted by the Reich College of Education Office of Partnerships and Engagement

Registration for BT Summit 2026 is now closed. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Ike Smith (smithit@appstate.edu).

👥 Audience 

Beginning teachers (years 1-3) and beginning teacher support staff (e.g., Instructional Coaches, Beginning Teacher Coordinators, etc) from App State Public School Partnership member districts. No cost to attend.

🎯 Learning outcomes 

By the conclusion of BT Summit 2026, participants will be able to...

☑️ Understand core facets of engaging learners and how those foundational elements support critical classroom components like classroom management and student learning; evaluate how those elements fit within their own contexts.

☑️ Experience a variety of learning related to engaging all learners to support effective classroom management practices, building relationships, and planning lessons and will evaluate those for compatibility within their own contexts.

☑️ Access networks of collaboration to support students and professional development;

☑️ Apply learning from the day as they plan for their own classrooms.

ℹ️ Session information

Click here to filter sessions by your interests, and scroll below for full details on each session.

Alignment to engagement types and strategies

To help you decide which breakout sessions are most relevant to you, each session is aligned to the three types of engagement -- behavioral, cognitive, and emotional -- and six engagement strategies (see below) described in "Student Engagement: Evidence-Based Strategies to Boost Academic and Social-Emotional Results" (Abla & Fraumeni, 2019):

Measuring student engagement  //  Building relationships  //  Balancing structure and student autonomy  //  Using technology thoughtfully  //  Engaging in effective questioning  //  Connecting with the "real" world

Alignment to professional development needs

Additionally, each session is aligned to the top professional development needs teachers requested through the 2026 Teacher Working Conditions Survey:

Classroom management  //  Content-area specific  //  Differentiation  //  Instructional strategies  //  Multilingual learners  //  Special populations (e.g., AIG, EC, etc.)

🤝 Thanks to our sponsors!

NC New Teacher Support Program  //  Appalachian State University Alumni Association  //  Blue Ridge Energy  //  Delta Kappa Gamma  //  Elkin City Schools  //  James Center for Student Success & Advising  //  Mast General Store  //  Northwest RESA  //  Sibme  //  Owings Insurance  //  Stick Boy Bread Co.

📻 Your soundtrack for the day

Click here for the BT Summit 2026 playlist, filled with songs that represent the spirit of engagement!