NM PED 2026 Literacy and Humanities Summer Conference

Only 27% of students in the United States perform at or above proficiency in writing. The gaps along lines of race, income, disability status, and English learner status are significant, persistent, and largely ignored. This session makes the case that explicit, systematic foundational instruction is more than just good pedagogy; it is the equity intervention that writing education has been missing.

In this session, you will examine who implicit writing instruction fails and why. You will then build a practical toolkit focused on transcription automaticity and sentence-level instruction, giving every student in your classroom genuine access to composition. You will leave with the strategies necessary to bridge proficiency gaps and ensure that foundational writing skills become a gateway to student voice and success rather than a barrier.

Our schools represent a diverse range of cultures, ethnicities, languages, and values. As an educator, it is paramount that you understand the importance of respecting, embracing, and amplifying your students’ unique perspectives and lived experiences. Culturally responsive teaching bridges gaps in understanding, promotes equity, and creates learning environments where all students can thrive. By affirming student identities and fostering meaningful connections between learning and their lives, you can empower your students to succeed both personally and academically.

In this session, you will learn the core principles of culturally responsive teaching and how to integrate them into your daily lessons and routines. You will explore strategies for creating an inclusive and respectful environment where every student feels seen, heard, and valued. You will gain insights into how culture and identity shape the way students learn, communicate, and engage with the world, leaving with a toolkit of practical ways to leverage these insights to enhance learning outcomes for every student in your classroom.

This session will explore the benefits of dance for social and emotional growth, its connection to language and literacy, and practical strategies for classroom implementation. The core focus of the workshop is integrating dances from Latin America and beyond into general education to connect movement to any subject area.

Through an interactive and experiential approach, participants will examine how rhythmic movement and choreography can serve as a bridge to academic content, enhancing students’ understanding of rhythm, syntax, and cultural storytelling. Attendees will leave with practical, classroom-ready strategies to incorporate dance into their daily instruction, fostering a more kinesthetic and inclusive learning environment that supports both well-being and academic achievement.