April's ABC Adventures: AI, Advocacy, Belonging, Behaviors, Conversations, Colleges, & Conferences

April was a month of checking off the ABCs — AI and Advocacy, Belonging and Behaviors, Conversations, Colleges and Conferences — from Northbrook to San Diego, from Rosemont to Springfield. Each stop, each gathering, and each keynote had a common thread: how we as educators have the extraordinary power to create cultures of belonging wherever we go. Whether through early childhood education, equity in higher education, or advocacy at the legislative level, I found myself consistently reminded that belonging doesn’t happen by accident — it’s something we intentionally build together. This month, I witnessed and participated in so many beautiful examples of how collective energy, voice, and action can make belonging a reality for all our students, families, and colleagues.

April 1st –West Northfield District 31, Northbrook

I kicked off April at Field Middle School in Northbrook, opening their institute day with a keynote focused on shaping a culture of belonging. It was powerful to celebrate educators who created breakout sessions on equity topics, and I even got to lead two breakout sessions myself on educational equity as a lens for behavior. The day was filled with hope, new ideas, and energy to keep pushing forward.

April 5–9th – A Global Experience at ASU+GSV Summit

Thanks to a generous scholarship from the ASU+GSV event organizers, I traveled to San Diego for the ASU+GSV Summit, one of the most amazing professional experiences of my career. Over 7,000 educators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and leaders from around the world came together to explore innovation in education from "PreK to Gray." I had the honor of bringing Jacqueline San Diego, the 2024 Illinois Special Education Teacher of the Year, with me!

Highlights included attending sessions led by Google on AI, participating in Dreamscape immersive learning experiences, and attending The AI Show — where I explored AI's potential to transform education. I even got to test new technology like Meta glasses, the M2 Mirror Talk by Swivl, and hear DMC (formerly of RUN DMC) perform! To top it off, I met Colin Kaepernick!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a surreal, energizing experience that left me with so many ideas for utilizing AI in education.

April 10th – Illinois Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (IACTE)

The morning began with a World Café at the Illinois Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (IACTE) spring conference. We shared strategies for increasing the level of preservice educators' belonging in our schools. It was interesting to see how many of the Colleges of Education across the state struggle with similar challenges for their aspiring educators.

StartNet- PD for Chicago Public Schools- In the afternoon, I facilitated a StartNet professional Zoom session with 40 early childhood educators, discussing how cultural misunderstandings of behaviors can lead to over-identification for special education services — and how we can prevent it by recognizing and honoring students' cultural behaviors early.

April 14th – Schaumburg School District Educational Association

In Schaumburg, I joined over 200 educators to celebrate retiring teachers and paraprofessionals. It was an emotional afternoon full of stories, laughter, and tears. I opened the ceremony with an inspirational speech about how every educator has the power to lift each other up and create cultures of belonging, even during tough times when we may feel isolated.

April 15th – NTOY, Aurora University, and North Central College

National Teacher of the Year - The National Teacher of the Year Cohort had a virtual surge presentation with an amazing opportunity to hear a keynote and receive training from Dave Isay, the Founder and President of StoryCorps. Not only did he share the purpose behind StoryCorps' mission, he also shared some heart-filled stories with us from participants. Walking away from this session, I was reminded once again of the power of our stories.

Aurora University - I had the privilege of speaking with 25 aspiring educators and their professors at Aurora University, sharing my journey and what I’ve learned as the Illinois Teacher of the Year. We ended the session with a thought-provoking Q and A. I am so thankful to Aurora University for all the work they are doing to nurture our next generation of educators!

North Central College - That evening, I joined a graduate course panel at North Central College alongside my long-time friend and State School Board member, Laura Gonzales. We discussed family engagement with marginalized communities, educator advocacy at the legislative level, and strategies for meaningful connections with families. The future of education is bright with these passionate future administrators!

April 17th – Building Early Belonging in Chicago Public Schools

I facilitated another World Café with StartNet, this time for CPS Early Childhood educators. We explored how young children begin to understand belonging long before elementary school, and how our smallest messages — both verbal and non-verbal — shape their sense of inclusion. Together, we outlined action steps to build more affirming, welcoming early childhood classrooms.

April 21st – Rosemont School District

I traveled to Rosemont School District for the first time, greeted by a warm and passionate group of educators. I shared my keynote on building cultures of belonging and celebrated four incredible educators who are actively doing this important work. The energy in the room was palpable, and it was a beautiful reminder that belonging starts with every interaction, every connection.

April 26th – Advocacy and Human Rights with the Illinois Education Association

Finally, I traveled to Springfield for the Illinois Education Association’s Human and Civil Rights Conference. We were inspired by the incredible Bettina Love's keynote, author of Punished for Dreaming. In addition, my colleague Elizabeth Ojeda-Jimenez reminded us of our rights when protecting our "aspiring citizens" in our classrooms. And, Brandon Thornton, a former Teach Plus Fellow and current ILSTOY member, shared strategies on how to use our story for advocacy. I closed out the conference by leading a World Café with nearly 100 passionate IEA leaders, talking about belonging, agency, and how we must continue to use our voices to build schools where everyone feels seen, valued, and empowered.

PODCAST EPISODE UPDATES

I am also excited to share 2 new podcasts of amazing educators in Illinois! Checkout all the episodes at https://www.youtube.com/@EquityTeacherLeader/podcasts