LaNESHA TABB
Culturally Relevant Teaching, Best-Selling Author, & Founder, Education with an Apron
A WORD FROM LaNesha!
“I am extremely passionate about leaving a legacy, a stamp on the world in an impactful way- and helping students and educators is how I get that done. I believe in empowering our youngest learners with the skills they need to read and write is one of the most powerful ways to bring change. Growing up in a world where I did not always feel seen in my schooling created the desire to provide perspective, exposure, and representation at every turn for my students. Once this was achieved in my classroom, I began to share ideas with teachers and administrators. - LaNesha Tabb”
LaNESHA TABB
Educator, Influencer, Best Selling Author, and Speaker
LaNesha Tabb is an apron donning educator from Indianapolis, Indiana with nearly 15 years of teaching and professional development experience. LaNesha’s life experiences as a ghost student and struggling young teacher are stories of truth, hope, and connection for the teaching profession; shedding light on the path of excellence for ALL EDUCATORS!
LaNesha is the content creator behind Education With An Apron where she creates fresh and innovative teaching resources. What exactly is Education With An Apron? It is a collection of teaching resources, courses, and professional development, specifically in writing and social studies from a primary educator. It is designed for Educators who desire to think out of the box through rigorous, and globally connected resources, books, and ideas. Oh, and the aprons? Those came from a need to have pockets to hold all the tiny things that little children give you during a school day!
LaNesha has worked with thousands of educators across the United States through conferences and custom professional development sessions. LaNesha specializes in helping primary educators master their writing block and teaching culturally relevant social studies topics.
PROGRAM OPTIONS
VIRTUAL or IN-PERSON EVENTS
Workshops
Keynote & Breakouts
Half-Day PD
Full-Day Options
IN-SCHOOL or DISTRICT TRAININGS
1 - 5 Day Teacher or District Training
Ongoing School Year Training
Small Group or Full Teacher Staff Implementation
Virtual or In-Person Options available!
EDUCATION WITH AN APRON
RESOURCES AND COURSES
CHECK OUT LaNESHA’S ENDLESS RESOURCES AND COURSE OPTIONS!
SPEECH TOPICS
KEYNOTE TOPIC OPTIONS…
What If I Became the Teacher I Needed?
PD Type: Keynote
Designed Length: 60-90 minutes
Platform: Virtual or In-Person
Target Audience: All Teachers, Administrators (school and district level), Staff
Every time I learn something new about the world… a financial concept, an accurate historical narrative, a holiday celebrated by another culture... I ask myself, “did they teach me this in school?” Most of the time, the answer is no. Who would I be, and what might I have done if I were exposed to lessons that went beyond the narrative of Johnny Appleseed and pumpkin crafts? What if cultural exposure for myself and my peers had happened outside of the month of February? By reframing my lessons, join me as I unpack how empathy, perspective, action, and global relevance found a permanent new home in my instruction.
Unpack Your Impact: Global Students, Global Impact
PD Type: Workshop
Designed Length: 60-120 minutes
Platform: Virtual or In-Person
Target Audience: All Teachers (school and district level), Staff
By laying out their revolutionary approach to teaching social studies, LaNesha Tabb explains how to provide students with a deep but achievable understanding of global social systems as they’re transformed by history, sociology, economics, geography, and civics. And, because the Unpack Your Impact curriculum can be folded into existing lessons for almost any topic, students garner an inclusive and interdisciplinary appreciation for how all learning shapes, and is shaped by, a diverse array of human cultures. Inspiring, optimistic, and empowering, Unpack Your Impact shows that teachers can make a positive impact—individually and globally.
WORKSHOPS and BREAKOUT SESSIONS…
Reimagine Writing: Little writers, BIG Impact
PD Type: Workshop
Designed Length: 60-90 minutes
Platform: Virtual or In-Person
Target Audience: PK - 8th Teachers and Administrators (Ideal for K-2nd)
Join LaNesha Tabb as she walks you through the process of getting young writers independently to produce quality pieces of writing within the first few weeks of school! You will also meet the beloved book character, Alpert, and learn how he can assist new writers in creating powerful illustrations that will support their writing. You will walk away armed with strategies that can be immediately implemented into your writing block. Let's write!
Getting Global: A Teacher’s Guide to the World’s Big Questions
PD Type: Workshop
Designed Length: 60-90 minutes
Platform: Virtual or In-Person
Target Audience: PK - 8th Teachers and Administrators (Ideal for K-2nd)
Young children come to school with no shortage of questions about the world- and thank goodness for that! In this session, LaNesha will break down some strategies for exposing big ideas to little learners through social studies. We will discuss how we can use those questions to learn about the world through geography, civics, history, sociology, and economics!
Reimagine Rigor: Student Autonomy with Higher Levels of Complexity
PD Type: Workshop
Designed Length: 60-90 minutes
Platform: Virtual or In-Person
Target Audience: K-8 Teachers (school and district level), Staff (Great for Teachers with Gifted Students)
Have you ever felt victimized by the word RIGOR? You aren't alone! This word has been associated with "more" and "harder" work- and that's not the goal. Join LaNesha as she walks you through strategies that will allow your high-achieving and gifted students (and, honestly- the rest of the students, too!) to work on higher levels of complexity- without adding tons of prep work for the teacher! We will discuss how to achieve true rigor- which is getting students to become autonomous and comfortable working at higher levels of complexity. These strategies can be easily implemented to any content area that students are learning! Let's RAISE the RIGOR!
Reimagine Reading: Comprehension
PD Type: Workshop
Designed Length: 60-90 minutes
Platform: Virtual or In-Person
Target Audience: PK - 8th Teachers
You’ve taught your students how to visualize, summarize, synthesize, and make all the connections. You’ve coached them through tons of close reading passages. You’ve taught every comprehension strategy you can think of, but it still seems like those skills just won’t stick. You need a comprehension overhaul! Join LaNesha as she will show you how to choose the right texts, build background knowledge, plan the right questions, and change the way you assess comprehension!
Reading Things: Integrating Science and Social Studies
PD Type: Workshop
Designed Length: 60-90 minutes
Platform: Virtual or In-Person
Target Audience: PK - 8th Teachers
Science and Social Studies… where did they go? For many teachers, finding time to squeeze these subjects into their schedule feels nearly impossible! While it can be tricky, we cannot afford to allow our students the chance to learn about the very things that make up the way we live… science and social studies! In this “Stranger Things” themed session, we will go into the “Upside Down” of reading to discover some research-based best practices for integrating content into our reading instruction. This is achieved with intentional strategies around vocabulary, background knowledge, and inquiry. Let’s go into the Upside Down!
Around the World in 30 Books
PD Type: Workshop
Designed Length: 60 minutes
Platform: Virtual or In-Person
Target Audience: PK - 8th Teachers
How can educators pull reading, writing, vocabulary, and social studies out of one book? It’s possible! With the right text, we can go deeper with our ELA and social studies requirements to achieve that integration of learning standards that is ideal for our learners. In this session, you will travel all over the world through beautiful and complex texts that will challenge every student. Join LaNesha as she provides a framework for digging deeper into literature standards and skills while engaging students!
Windows and Mirrors
PD Type: Workshop
Designed Length: 60-90 minutes
Platform: Virtual or In-Person
Target Audience: PK - 8th Teachers
Ready for comprehension skills to soar? Based on the research of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, Join LaNesha as she walks you through the importance of selecting and teaching from texts that serve as windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors for our students. With the right text, selecting higher-order thinking questions for comprehension becomes not only attainable but necessary for students to truly dig in and understand what they are reading.
On-Going Training Options….
Let's Get Vertical! Align + differentiate for school-wide growth!
PD Type: Training or Workshop
Designed Length: Single Workshop, Half-Day, Full-Day, or Multi-Day PD
Platform: Virtual or In-Person
Target Audience: K-12 Teachers, Administrators (school and district level), Staff
The buzzwords in education are constantly changing, but one thing remains the same; we need to move our students along a path that sets them up for success! But instead of looking forward, we need to look UP and DOWN. LaNesha will lead and guide you through how to get started with the crucial part of planning that is often ignored: vertical standard alignment. From foundational skills to higher-level thinking, let's go! Once we’ve aligned things vertically, it’s time to differentiate within the walls of your own classroom. We will walk you through best practices for whole-group and small-group differentiation, and strategies for collecting data to drive instruction in all subject areas! If we want to see school-wide growth, we have to get moving, and Amelia will facilitate the successful design + implementation of this plan!
Let's Rock Your Writing Block
LaNesha will work with you and your team to custom-create an ongoing professional development plan to introduce, infuse, equip, and see through the implementation of the reading block process. This program is designed for a 1 or 3-Day option, but we can accommodate anything between a 1 to 5-day format…
Option 1: 1-Day Let’s Rock Your Writing Block Training
Sample Agenda for 1-Day Writing Training:
8:30 am - 10:00 am - Framework overview/The "why" behind the what.
10:15 am - 11:45 am - Vertical alignment (BIG 3) to ensure student accountability and success for reluctant writers
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Logistics Breakdown (Planning for writing spaces in classrooms to foster independence) If possible, take a gallery walk to see how teachers create the physical space for writing.
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm - "What do we do TOMORROW?" - Q+A/ Troubleshooting (How can we get ahead of perceived roadblocks to getting started ASAP)
By the end of this day, educators will:
Implement an effective framework for the writing block that will ensure student independence and success during writing.
Master the logistical requirements needed to get an effective writing workshop running immediately.
Become equipped with an engagement strategy that will motivate students to create high-quality pieces of writing.
Options 2: 3-Day Let’s Rock Your Writing Block Training
Sample Phases for 3-Day Writing Training:
PHASE ONE: THE POWER OF THE PROCESS - By the end of this day, educators will:
Implement an effective framework for the writing block that will ensure student independence and success during writing.
Master the logistical requirements needed to get an effective writing workshop running immediately.
Become equipped with an engagement strategy that will motivate students to create high-quality pieces of writing.
PHASE TWO: GENRE-SPECIFIC WRITING - By the end of this day, educators will:
Understand how to infuse the writing process with any writing genre
Master effective strategies for revision and editing
Coaching on pain points/troubleshooting for any issues during implementation
PHASE THREE: EFFECTIVE WRITING ASSESSMENT - By the end of this day, educators will:
Understand how to both track daily writing success as well as overarching unit requirements
Learn how to provide powerful and effective feedback to push writers toward proficiency.
How to co-construct rubrics and writing progressions with students
TESTIMONIALS FOR LaNESHA TABB
“You have no idea how you have set my class on fire. I love teaching but after your session I have a new fire and passion for my profession!”
-ENE A.
“You are inspiring and have ignited a fire in so many of us! Thank you for sharing your journey and your passion.”
-SARAH B.
“Literally sat in the lobby after your session with my Ela team and brainstormed how we can change our lessons to include more social studies. You our presentation was a game-changer for me. Just wow. Thank you!”
-JENNIFER P.
“Your session was exactly what I needed to hear. It reaffirmed so many worries I have had about the kinds of gaps we are leaving and students. Thank you for lighting a fire and starting a discussion that needs to be heard Nationwide. You are incredible!”
- VALERIE D.
“I planned on quitting at the end of this year but after your session I'm ready to get back in the classroom. Thank you so much for inspiring us with your story.”
- RUTH H.
“I have become more intentional in examining my teaching, specifically intent, topics, and materials, due to attending LaNesha’s session related to Social Studies. Her words echo in my mind, which has made me more reflective and has inspired discussions between my colleagues in updating the content and narratives we teach.
— LIZ SHERMAN
SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
“LaNesha helped me understand that, not only are younger students capable of having discussions about big topics, they NEED to be having these discussions. I’m so pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful, impactful conversations my first graders are having now. I always thought that kids were too young to be having discussions about things like race, politics, and other controversial topics. But now, thanks to LaNesha, I know that you can have kid friendly conversations about tough subjects, giving students the chance to be heard and to start building the foundations of understanding.”
— CHELSEA PICARD
FIRST GRADE TEACHER
“I have had the pleasure of listening to LaNesha Tabb present at several different conferences. LaNesha’s content is so relevant because she a full time kindergarten teacher just like me. Once my district pushed us to a 90 minute reading block science and social studies were practically cut from my curriculum. LaNesha believes that little kids can tackle big topics. Because of her resources and guidance I have brought back social studies curriculum in my classroom.As a kindergarten teacher I have always struggled to find a meaningful way to teach writing to my students. For years I sat in back to school meetings and said my goal for the year was to be a better writing teacher. After watching LaNesha do the writing process chant with her kindergarten class I was sold. I loved that the students purpose for writing wasn’t just in response to some prompt. Instead they were creating a book! I also appreciate that her writing process is a framework and not a program so the students have a lot of choice. One of my biggest goals as a kindergarten teacher is to build student independence so I don’t have 27 hands up saying Miss Forney! After hearing LaNesha present I was actually excited to start writing with my kids. The best part of being a part of LaNesha’s professional development is her passion. She found something that worked for her and her students and now she wants to share it with other teachers!
— KELLIE FORNEY
KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, 17 YEARS
EVANSVILLE, IN
I attended LaNesha’s presentation at Get Your Teach On in Spring 2018, and I have talked to all of my colleagues about it ever since! Not only was her presentation incredibly engaging and something I could apply on the very next day in my classroom, the content she shared has forever shifted the urgency with which I approach teaching.
I have always loved a good interdisciplinary theme: apples, pumpkins, bats, spiders, etc. LaNesha impressed upon me the need to teach our students to be good humans, good global citizens. She displayed a photo of the rally in Charlottesville, complete with tiki torches and angry faces, and reminded us that each of those demonstrators had a first grade teacher. If all we teach is apples, bats, and pumpkins, who will teach empathy, tolerance, social responsibility and civic literacy?
Since attending LaNesha’s presentation I have been intentional about engaging my young students in developmentally-appropriate discussions about current events and created opportunities for students to think critically about their own opinions. By sharing these lessons with my teammates, they have adopted some of this mindset as well. LaNesha’s presentation in 2018 had already had immeasurable impact in the classrooms of myself and my colleagues. I can only imagine the amazing impact she has had across the country!
-MEREDITH NEWMAN
2ND GRADE TEACHER
PATRIOTS STEM ELEMENTARY
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