Crafting Inquiry 2026
Workshop Information
Workshop details
Design classrooms that are accessible, inclusive, and equitable for all students!
NEW THIS YEAR! We are offering two different sections to ensure that your professional learning experience is tailored to you.
- Early Childhood with Tia Henteleff
- Elementary and Middle School with Dr. Catlin Tucker
Audience: PreK through middle school teachers and leaders
Dates: October 16, 2026
Time: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm PST
Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland, Oregon
Workshop description
Early Childhood Session (Preschool through Kindergarten)
- Presenter: Tia Henteleff
- Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland, Oregon
The beginning does not just matter in the beginning; it matters to everything that comes next. The early years of schooling is a highly impactful time during which children develop foundational ideas, concepts, and dispositions of mind towards learning while going through a tremendous amount of brain development. In this interactive full-day workshop, participants will explore how to design inclusive and engaging learning experiences that support every child’s intellectual curiosity, creativity, and knowledge building. Grounded in the Science of Learning and child development, the day will focus on three foundational ideas: a teacher’s adaptive expertise and data-informed decision-making, engagement, and student agency. Through collaborative activities, scaffolded lesson building, and design challenges, educators will explore practical strategies for creating learning experiences that provide students with meaningful opportunities to engage, grow, and thrive.
Throughout the day, teachers will unpack key findings from Science of Learning research and apply their learning directly to a lesson or unit of study, whole-group learning experiences, and differentiated small-group instruction. Participants will leave with practical guides and strategies for developing learning experiences that balance all aspects of a child’s developing brain, disposition, intellectual curiosity, and academic and social sense of belonging. The workshop emphasizes immediate classroom application, providing educators with concrete tools and strategies to create more responsive, engaging, and inclusive learning experiences for all learners.
Attendees of this session will receive a copy of Tia's book, As We Begin: Dispositions of Mind, Learning, and the Brain in Early Childhood. Click here for a recent review.
Elementary and Middle School Session (1st-8th grade)
- Presenter: Dr. Catlin Tucker
- Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland, Oregon
Today's classrooms are increasingly diverse, requiring more flexible, responsive, and dynamic learning experiences that honor learner variability while maintaining high expectations for all students. In this interactive full-day workshop, participants will explore how to design accessible, inclusive, and equitable learning pathways that support diverse learners and remove barriers to participation and success. Grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the day will focus on three essential pillars of instructional design: data-informed decision-making, differentiation, and student agency. Through collaborative activities, lesson analysis, and design challenges, educators will explore practical strategies for creating learning experiences that provide students with meaningful opportunities to engage, grow, and thrive.
Throughout the day, teachers will apply their learning directly to a lesson or unit of study, designing pre-assessments, whole-group learning experiences, and differentiated small-group instruction informed by student data. Participants will leave with a practical framework for developing learning pathways that balance targeted support with opportunities for student choice and independence. The workshop emphasizes immediate classroom application, providing educators with concrete tools and strategies to create more responsive, engaging, and inclusive learning experiences for all learners.
Attendees of this session will receive a copy of Catlin's book, The Station Rotation Model and UDL: Elevate Tier 1 Instruction and Cultivate Learner Agency.
Registration information
Tickets include a book by the speaker of your selected session, breakfast, coffee, snacks, and lunch.
On the registration page, you can specify whether you are registering for the Early Childhood session or the Elementary/Middle session.
If you wish to pay by Purchase Order/Pay by check, send an email to spearcenter@intlschool.org with the name(s) of participant(s) & the session they wish to attend. We will follow up with you by sending you an invoice. Thank you.
Early bird (through August 31, 2026) - $350
Regular - $400
Presenter Bios
Tia Henteleff is a celebrated keynote speaker, author, professional development designer, and a classroom teacher of 26 years and counting. For the last 15 years, Tia has created and facilitated research-informed, engaging workshops for educators and educational leaders both nationally and internationally. Her book, As We Begin: Dispositions of Mind, Learning, and the Brain in Early Childhood, was released in February of 2024 and was one of the first to take a holistic view while connecting current Science of Learning research to early childhood. She is currently a Design Science Teacher for preschool and elementary grades as well as the Lower School Research Lead for the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning. Tia’s work contributes to the fields of the Science of Learning, Early Childhood Education, and Arts Education and she has served as a member of school boards and advisory think tanks in the DC area. She received her Masters in Curriculum and Teacher Education with an emphasis in the visual arts from Stanford University and remains involved on campus as a presenter for Challenge Success. Her research and teaching combine her passions for understanding how learning and thriving happen, brain development, the cultivation of intellectual curiosity and creativity, and the power of early childhood education. Tia lives in the DC area with her husband and three children.
Dr. Catlin Tucker is a bestselling author, international trainer, and keynote speaker. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2010 in Sonoma County, where she taught for 16 years. Catlin earned her BA in English literature from the University of California at Los Angeles. She earned her English credential and Master’s in Education at the University of California at Santa Barbara. In 2020, Catlin earned her doctorate in learning technologies at Pepperdine University.
Catlin designs and facilitates professional learning to help leaders and teachers cultivate the mindset, skillset, and toolset needed to design student-centered and student-led learning environments that position students as active agents. She encourages educators to leverage technology strategically, shifting from experts at the front of the room to facilitators working directly with students. Catlin also collaborates with leadership teams to build a professional learning infrastructure that supports this shift, weaving professional growth into the fabric of the school.
Catlin has written a series of bestselling books, including The Station Rotation & UDL, Elevating Educational Design with AI, The Shift to Student-led, The Complete Guide to Blended Learning, UDL and Blended Learning: Thriving in Flexible Learning Landscapes, and Balance with Blended Learning. She also hosts the popular podcast The Balance, which explores strategies to make teaching and learning more sustainable and impactful.
Catlin is active on X @Catlin_Tucker and Instagram @CatlinTucker
Register hereThis will take you to a separate page to complete registration.