NIET Conference Countdown: A Sneak Peek at the 5 Strands

Behind each NIET National Conference session and strand is a team of staff illuminating the best practices and teachings we have learned through our 25 years in the field. There’s just one week to go before our annual event - a conference full of valuable opportunities to advance and celebrate best practices in educational excellence through five strands:

• Strand 1 - Advancing Collaborative Structures
• Strand 2 - Individualized Coaching and Support
• Strand 3 - Maximizing Instructional Coherence
• Strand 4 - Optimizing the Learning Environment
• Strand 5 - Empowering Early Career Educators

Wondering which strand or session to put on your schedule? Pull back the curtain on some of our can’t-miss content this year in a Q&A moment with our lead strand developers!

*Some responses have been edited for clarity

Q: What key strategies and tools will attendees walk away with after attending sessions in your strand?

Tracy Hypolite, Lead Developer for Strand 1 - Advancing Collaborative Structures: “Are participants ready to elevate their leadership and collaboration strategies? If so, they should join us for Strand 1: Advancing Collaborative Structures, where they will participate in dynamic, hands-on sessions designed to strengthen collaborative models that promote continuous professional growth and instructional excellence. Key takeaways from this strand include strategies to strengthen ILT members' ability to effectively support and guide teachers in collaborative meetings, examples of processes to measure and track cluster meeting impact, techniques for integrating ongoing student assessments into instructional planning support, and tools to transform school improvement plans to drive real progress.”

Angelina Burrows, Lead Developer for Strand 3 - Maximizing Instructional Coherence: “Attendees will leave Strand 3: Maximizing Instructional Coherence sessions equipped with key strategies for customizing grouping structures to address diverse student needs, applying research-based literacy practices, promoting meaningful classroom discourse, and building systems for data-driven decision-making. The emphasis on practical tools and evidence-based approaches is incredibly valuable, offering clear, actionable steps to strengthen instructional coherence. These sessions provide a holistic framework for aligning teaching practices with student success and school-wide goals.”

Carrie Pullins, Lead Developer for Strand 4 - Optimizing the Learning Environment: “Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies for how to support teachers in promoting student ownership based on their current skill levels using one of our open resources, utilize data to create an inclusive and responsive school environment, cultivate a community-wide mindset by establishing trust, showcasing expertise, and building credibility and foster shared leadership by leading as a learner, building trust, and motivating team members.”

Q: If someone could only attend one session in your strand, which one would it be and why?

Ruhi Khan, Lead Developer for Strand 5 - Empowering Early Career Educators: “I would recommend Individualizing Support for Early Career Teachers. While this whole strand highlights the importance of using scaffolds when supporting early career teachers to ensure they comprehensively understand instructional vocabulary and curriculum literacy, this particular session focuses on empowering early career teachers to learn collaboratively with experienced colleagues and actively participate in discussions that enhance instructional practice and student success. Attendees will gain strategies to help early career teachers effectively engage in and maximize opportunities for professional growth and effectiveness.”

Keely Potter, Lead Developer for Strand 2 - Individualized Coaching and Support: “Having spent a large portion of my educational career in public schools as an instructional coach and knowing how critical the role of intentional reflection is for refining practice and increasing effectiveness, I think each session in this strand will have an impact on how attendees reflect upon the impact of their coaching. However, if I had to pick just one, I would attend Collaborative Coaching for Aligned Support. Aligning coaching to school goals and student needs is not always easy and it takes continuous planning and reflection, especially when various members of an instructional leadership team are involved. When coaching is both aligned and collaborative, it maximizes teacher growth and student achievement.”

Q: Which type of educator would benefit the most from this strand?

Keely Potter, Lead Developer for Strand 2 - Individualized Coaching and Support: “At NIET, we believe in a distributive leadership model, where every educator deserves a coach. If you have the opportunity to support educators in their development, this strand is designed for you. Mentor Teachers, Teacher Leaders, Master Teachers, and Instructional Coaches will find this strand to be packed with ideas and learning around how to not only build intentional reflection within themselves and those they coach, but also how to measure and maximize impact. This is also a strand in which principals and other building-level leaders will discover strategies to support the alignment of support that is provided to teachers, especially through the collaborative efforts of their instructional leadership teams. District-level leaders who may be restructuring or redefining what coaching systems and structures look and sound like to impact teacher growth and student achievement will also find this session relevant.”

Angelina Burrows, Lead Developer for Strand 3 - Maximizing Instructional Coherence: “Individuals directly involved in classroom teaching or supporting instruction - such as teachers, instructional coaches, and mentor teachers - will benefit the most from this strand, as it offers practical, actionable strategies they can immediately implement. However, we have seen that empowering those closest to instruction creates a strong foundation for improving teaching and learning, ultimately benefiting the entire school community, and because of that, school and district leaders will also find value in understanding how to build systems that align with and support these practices, ensuring coherence across all levels.”

Q: What was your favorite part about helping develop this content? 

Carrie Pullins, Lead Developer for Strand 4 - Optimizing the Learning Environment: “My favorite part was collaborating with my peers to explore new ways of supporting teachers and leaders. Our strand highlights lead learners and embracing that role in this process through hours of research, shared experiences, constructive feedback, and plenty of fun, we were able to create something impactful that we are so excited to share with attendees next week.”

Ruhi Khan, Lead Developer for Strand 5 - Empowering Early Career Educators: “The content was so rewarding to work on with my team because it highlights purposeful strategies for supporting early career teachers within existing systems, structures, and processes. This approach ensures manageable implementation and knowledge transfer while delivering a significant impact, all tying into providing students with the opportunity to succeed, our ultimate goal here at NIET.”

Angelina Burrows, Lead Developer for Strand 3 - Maximizing Instructional Coherence: “My favorite part about helping develop this content was seeing my colleagues step into their brilliance and challenge themselves to design relevant, engaging, and student-focused sessions. It was inspiring to witness their creativity and dedication as they crafted ideas that truly prioritize meaningful learning experiences for students. Collaborating with such passionate educators reminded me of the power of teamwork and our shared mission of building excellence in educators so students can be successful. We are so excited to share this work with all of you during the conference next week!”

Learn more about each strand and its sessions in the NIET National Conference: 25 Years of Impact Program.