The Educator's Table: Training & Fellowship for RVA Christian Educators

(Keynote Session by Jeff Keaton) There is a battle raging for the hearts and minds of today's children. As Christian educators, you are on the frontlines of this battle. In this presentation you will be reminded of the importance of your great work and will be encouraged to invest in this generation of children like never before.

(Early Childhood Breakout Session by Dr. Julie Madsen) In the classroom, the use of Pathways for Preschool and Footsteps for Fours fosters age-appropriate developmental skills and discovery learning. Learn creative management tips and lesson planning strategies for educators of early childhood education.

(Elementary Breakout Session by Jamie Meachum) A strong foundation in phonics is key in reading instruction. Let’s look at the importance of phonics as the first step.

(Upper Elementary Breakout Session by Rachel Cruice) Friendship can feel like everything—or nothing—in the life of an elementary-aged girl. One moment there are giggles and shared secrets, and the next, hurt feelings and broken bonds. In this workshop, we will discuss how we can help our girls navigate the ups and downs of friendships in a way that pleases Christ.

(Middle and High School Breakout Session by Pam Litzenberger) "Students say, “It hurts to think!” or “It’s hard!” Our students must do more than just memorize facts and formulas. In this workshop, we will discuss the levels of thought and how you can encourage critical thinking in your math classroom, using specific examples from BJU Press math textbooks. Learn practical ways you can challenge your students to learn to problem-solve and build their critical-thinking skills."

(Middle and High School Breakout Session by Dr. Bryan Smith) Can writing, grammar, and literature be taught Christianly? Absolutely—but only if we approach these subjects in the right way. Effective biblical integration in English focuses on Christian worldview shaping. Students learn Christianly as they are taught to see English from a Christian worldview. Learn about effective practices that will enable you to achieve core language arts objectives in a distinctively Christian way.

(General Breakout Session by Dr. Jenny Copeland) Incorporating technology into your classroom should take your instruction to the next level—not hijack your preparation time! Discover some amazing tools that will help you manage your classroom and motivate your students without tons of work behind the scenes.

(General Breakout Session by Cindy Dickinson) Do you feel like your students sometimes just aren’t getting it? Are you looking for ways to provide differentiated instruction or new ways to present concepts? Instructional strategies are like vehicles that get students from where they are to where they need to be. Learn instructional strategies that can be used to differentiate. Discuss and determine which strategies can meet your students’ needs best. Leave with a list of instructional strategies that you can use in your classroom right away.

(General Breakout Session by Dr. Rebecca Weier) The way we think and talk about our life matters. We want to help students to develop the language and thought patterns that encourage growth. As students recognize that failure is a stepping stone to success and learn to take appropriate risks, they grow.

(General Breakout Session by Erin Burchik) "Discover how this new AI platform can strengthen biblical worldview instruction and support both teachers and students in your school. Join us for a special workshop introducing BJU Press AI by TrekAi—a groundbreaking AI platform trained on BJU Press materials and built to guide learning through a biblical lens and the Socratic method. This session will explore how BJU Press AI by TrekAi empowers teachers with time-saving tools like quiz and rubric generators, paper proofreading, and a lesson plan generator, all while providing students with on-demand academic support, review, and personalized learning—without just giving away the answers. School leaders will get a firsthand look at the platform’s capabilities, its faith-aligned design, and how it integrates seamlessly with BJU Press resources."

(Early Childhood Breakout Session by Dr. Julie Madsen) In this session, learn how to encourage growth in your students by using a biblical worldview in all aspects of teaching. You will learn how to incorporate biblical teaching in your classroom to strengthen your students’ emotional skills, cognitive development, spiritual growth, and thinking habits. This session also covers Christian values to instill in students, such as compassion, honesty, love, and forgiveness.

(Elementary Breakout Session by Cindy Dickinson) Teachers play many roles in the classroom. One of the most important is being a classroom manager. Learn how to organize your classroom from a biblical perspective to benefit both your students and yourself. If you don’t manage your classroom, your students will!

(Elementary Breakout Session by Rachel Cruice) “Take out your worksheet . . .” is often met with groans as students face yet another page of routine practice. But what if those same worksheets could become engaging, interactive experiences instead? In this workshop, you’ll discover simple, low-prep ways to transform everyday worksheets into activities your students will actually enjoy. You’ll walk away with practical strategies you can implement as soon as Monday. Let’s turn the ordinary into something your students are excited to dive into!

(Elementary Breakout Session by Jamie Meachum) Why are reading groups important? Do they really make a difference? We’ll look at tips for creating and maintaining successful reading groups in the classroom.

(Middle and High School Breakout Session by Dr. Rebecca Weier) The advice to “study harder” often causes discouragement for students who are already trying but not finding success. Explore five study strategies that lead to success in STEM-related subjects! This session is geared toward high school-level math and science teachers.

(General Breakout Session by Dr. Jenny Copeland) Technology is no longer a novelty in education; it is a vital and powerful force in education. But while we focus our attention on finding the newest tool or incorporating the most fabulous app, are we remaining vigilant of the potential misuses of technology? Everyday technology tools have made cheating incredibly easy, but unfortunately, the strategies students are using to cheat are often beyond what educators would have even considered! This session will present specific cheating methods as well as specific safeguarding and accountability strategies. Come get ideas for how to protect your classroom and your students! 

(General Breakout Session by Pam Litzenberger) Are you the teacher who is in the profession for the summers off, break days, and 8 AM–3 PM hours? Is it just a job? Or do you desire to be the teacher who enters the teaching field to reach those difficult students and open the door to learning for them? There is a middle ground here. How can we become an effective teacher—a master teacher—the kind every administrator wants to clone—but without school taking over our lives 24/7?

(General Breakout Session by Dr. Bryan Smith) So you know about the importance of a biblical worldview, and you know about Creation, Fall, and Redemption. What’s next? Now it’s time to dig into some of the important complexities of biblical worldview shaping in education. In this session, we will discuss how CFR can help us analyze and evaluate the thorny issues we face as educators. We will also begin to implement a strategy that can get us started in planning an entire year of instruction.

(General Breakout Session by Tayla Rooney) Join Tayla Rooney, Education Consultant at Let’s Go Learn, for a practical session on how schools are using assessment data and AI tools to better support both general education and special education students. This workshop will highlight how Let’s Go Learn helps schools assess student needs in ELA and math, identify learning gaps, and provide targeted support. Tayla will also demonstrate how the platform’s AI-powered tools help teachers save time by automatically analyzing student data, recommending instruction, and supporting intervention planning. Attendees will leave with simple strategies for using data more effectively, supporting diverse learners, and making instruction more efficient for teachers.

(Administrative Breakout Session by Dr. Julie Madsen) This workshop will teach you how to become a successful leader in your school, whether you are a teacher, administrator, or other educational staff. You will leave with practical leadership skills you can implement immediately as you lead the team God entrusted to you.

(Elementary Breakout Session by Cindy Dickinson) Do you have questions about using manipulatives in your math classroom? Perhaps you feel like manipulatives are a burden, a bother, or a waste of classroom time. Research shows that using manipulatives in your math classroom can positively affect student understanding. Learn creative ways to use your math manipulatives, leading your students to a deeper understanding of math. And learn a variety of ways to organize your math manipulatives to make the most of your classroom time.

(Elementary Breakout Session by Jamie Meachum) Watching students develop skills in reading is rewarding! Both the student and the teacher get excited when progress is made. In this session we will explore clear, objective methods for assessing reading, and remove the guesswork from the grade.

(Upper Elementary Breakout Session by Rachel Cruice) Friendship can feel like everything—or nothing—in the life of an elementary-aged girl. One moment there are giggles and shared secrets, and the next, hurt feelings and broken bonds. In this workshop, we will discuss how we can help our girls navigate the ups and downs of friendships in a way that pleases Christ.

(High School Breakout Session by Dr. Rebecca Weier) As your students discover who they are and how God has gifted them, they can pursue their calling and vocation with conviction and excitement. As you help students work through a series of questions and observations, they can discover where their gifting meets the world’s greatest needs. This session is aimed at helping high school faculty and guidance counselors.

(General Breakout Session by Pam Litzenberger) From first-year teachers to veteran teachers, the rate of teacher burnout is rising steadily. Why are teachers feeling exhausted and desiring to leave the profession? How can we as teachers recognize the signs of burnout, and how can we reverse this process? How can administrators help teachers avoid burnout before it happens? This workshop will help both teachers and administrators address and deal with burnout.

(General Breakout Session by Dr. Jenny Copeland) Introducing Trove, the premier learning platform for teachers and students using BJU Press materials. Building on the best features of our previous technology solutions, Trove makes it easier than ever to find instructional resources, build sharable lesson plans, create digital or printed assessments, and interact with students in an online format. Join me to learn more!

(General Breakout Session by Jeff Keaton) Renew your passion for the ultimate reason why you have invested your life in Christian education as Jeff shares with you why it is critically important that we pass down a biblical worldview to the children in our care.

(General Breakout Session by Erin Burchik) Discover how this new AI platform can strengthen biblical worldview instruction and support both teachers and students in your school. Join us for a special workshop introducing BJU Press AI by TrekAi—a groundbreaking AI platform trained on BJU Press materials and built to guide learning through a biblical lens and the Socratic method. This session will explore how BJU Press AI by TrekAi empowers teachers with time-saving tools like quiz and rubric generators, paper proofreading, and a lesson plan generator, all while providing students with on-demand academic support, review, and personalized learning—without just giving away the answers. School leaders will get a firsthand look at the platform’s capabilities, its faith-aligned design, and how it integrates seamlessly with BJU Press resources."

(Keynote Session By Dr. Bryan Smith) We live in an age of secular unbelief. For that reason, we need to convey to our young people not just an understanding of the Christian faith, but also skill in defending it. The challenge is that there are different approaches to defending the faith, and these approaches can be very confusing. But there is a way forward: The Bible itself shows us how to defend belief in God and His Word. That’s what we need to teach to our young people.