Teaching in Appalachia Conference

October 22, 2022, David J. Prior Convocation Center

Focused on providing teachers within the Appalachian area with usable, relevant resources to use immediately in the classroom, the first annual Teaching in Appalachia (TIA) Conference will serve as a guide and catalyst for more inclusive practices for teaching students within the Appalachian region. We hope this conference will be a prelude to more attempts to provide diverse literature, curriculum and research-supported materials for the central Appalachian region.

This professional development will focus specifically on addressing the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) and will provide local teachers with lessons and resources to implement the next day in their respective classrooms. This conference will include topics such as Appalachian history, science, mathematics, children’s literature, and music. We invite teachers of every subject to attend!

Conference Agenda

Breakfast and Opening Remarks: 9:00 a.m.

Breakout Sessions 1: 10:00 am-11:00 am

  • Title: Teaching Writing from the Voiceplace: Central Appalachian Dialects in the Academic Classroom, Presenter: Amy Clark
  • Title: Teaching About Lynching: The Wise/Norton Community Remembrance Project, Presenter: Tom Costa
  • Title: Music and Our Community: Innovative Ideas That Reach Beyond the Confines of Music Education, Presenters: Donald and Kelly Sorah
  • Title: Developing Mathematical Identities: Teaching Mathematics Using Equitable Practices, Presenter:  Brooke Mullins

Breakout Sessions 2: 11:15 am-12:15 pm

  • Title: Context and Kindness: Teaching Conflict with Compassion. Presenter:  Emily Dotson
  • Title:  Appalachian Voice in Children’s Literature, Presenters: Elizabeth Dotson-Shupe and Kara Dotten
  • Title: Building Capacities for Place-Based Environmental Education in Virginia’s Clinch River Valley, Presenter:  Walter Smith

Lunch: 12:00 pm-1:30 pm

Public Address by Silas House: 2:00-3:00 pm

Reception Sponsored by the Center for Academic Excellence and Innovation and UVA Wise Center for Appalachian Studies: 1:30-3:30 pm