Professional Learning That Honors Teachers and Students

Upcoming events with Burkins & Yaris are designed for educators who want to teach literacy in ways that are both research-aligned and deeply humane. Each session invites teachers, coaches, and leaders to pause, think, and reimagine reading instruction so it feels less like a checklist and more like a meaningful intellectual endeavor shared with students.

Across keynotes, workshops, institutes, and virtual series, the events emphasize balanced, thoughtful approaches to reading. Instead of promoting rigid programs, Burkins & Yaris focus on responsive practice informed by science, classroom experience, and respect for professional judgment.

What to Expect from Burkins & Yaris Events

While each gathering has its own focus, there are consistent throughlines that shape the learning experience. Participants can expect an engaging blend of research, classroom stories, and practical strategies that can be implemented immediately, without requiring a complete overhaul of existing curriculum.

Grounded in the Science of Reading, Centered on Children

Events frequently explore how to interpret the science of reading in ways that are accurate, nuanced, and humane. Rather than reducing literacy to a set of mandates, sessions help educators:

• Clarify core reading research and how it intersects with daily classroom decisions.
• Balance explicit instruction with rich, authentic reading and writing experiences.
• Consider the cognitive, emotional, and cultural dimensions of literacy learning.
• Stay curious and skeptical about oversimplified interpretations of research.

Practical Strategies for Today’s Classrooms

Burkins & Yaris events are intentionally practical. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all prescriptions, they present adaptable frameworks that can be tailored to different schools, communities, and student populations. Participants often leave with:

• Concrete routines for small-group and whole-class reading instruction.
• Ideas for refining core literacy blocks without discarding what already works.
• Tools for planning lessons that honor both standards and student agency.
• Discussion prompts and protocols to share learning with school teams.

Types of Upcoming Burkins & Yaris Events

The upcoming events calendar typically features a mix of formats so schools and districts can choose the experiences that best fit their goals and schedules. Whether participants join in person or online, the emphasis remains on interaction, reflection, and professional respect.

Keynotes and Featured Talks

Keynotes provide big-picture thinking about reading instruction, often challenging common myths and inviting educators to reconsider deeply held assumptions. These sessions are ideal for large gatherings such as district-wide professional learning days or literacy conferences, where a shared message can spark follow-up work at the school level.

Workshops and Institutes

Workshops and institutes offer more extended time to dive into specific aspects of literacy instruction. Educators may spend a half day, full day, or multiple days exploring topics such as:

• Designing reading instruction that bridges decoding and meaning-making.
• Aligning classroom practice with research while honoring teacher expertise.
• Reimagining guided reading, conferring, or small-group instruction.
• Supporting multilingual learners within a science-of-reading framework.

These events often include opportunities for participants to apply ideas to their own lessons and units, leaving with drafts, plans, and next steps.

Virtual Series and Online Learning

For schools seeking flexible access to professional learning, upcoming virtual events play an important role. Online sessions help educators stay connected to current thinking without the need for extensive travel. Virtual learning experiences may include:

• Live webinars with opportunities for Q&A and collaborative reflection.
• Multi-session series that build knowledge and practice over time.
• Interactive sessions that invite participants to share classroom artifacts.
• Recordings and resources that support continued learning with colleagues.

Who Benefits from Attending These Events

Upcoming Burkins & Yaris events are particularly valuable for educators who want to navigate current literacy conversations with clarity and integrity. While all educators are welcome, there are certain roles that tend to find the learning especially powerful.

Classroom Teachers

Teachers often attend looking for ways to strengthen reading instruction without abandoning approaches that are working for their students. Sessions support classroom educators by:

• Clarifying how to integrate phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Offering ways to individualize instruction within whole-group frameworks.
• Providing language to advocate for what students truly need.

Instructional Coaches and Literacy Specialists

Coaches and specialists use events to refine how they support teachers and systems. They gain:

• Shared vocabulary for discussing reading research with colleagues.
• Frameworks for professional learning that respect teacher autonomy.
• Ideas for facilitating schoolwide conversations about literacy shifts.

School and District Leaders

Leaders benefit from events that translate complex research into actionable guidance for policy and practice. Sessions help leaders:

• Evaluate curriculum and assessments through a balanced lens.
• Plan long-term professional learning rooted in trust and collaboration.
• Communicate clearly with families and communities about literacy changes.

Core Themes Across the Events Calendar

While specific dates and topics shift throughout the year, there are recurring themes that anchor the Burkins & Yaris approach to upcoming events.

Respect for Teacher Professionalism

Events begin from the premise that teachers are thoughtful professionals capable of making sophisticated decisions. Instead of handing out scripts, Burkins & Yaris invite participants to question, adapt, and refine practices so that they fit their students and communities.

Both/And Thinking in Literacy Instruction

A hallmark of their work is the move away from polarized either/or debates. Instead, sessions focus on the power of both/and thinking, exploring ideas such as:

• Balancing systematic phonics with meaningful reading and writing.
• Supporting accuracy and automaticity while nurturing joy and curiosity.
• Honoring data while also trusting close observation and professional insight.

Sustainable Change, Not Quick Fixes

Upcoming events emphasize growth that is realistic and sustainable. Rather than presenting new mandates, they help participants identify small, high-leverage shifts that can accumulate into meaningful change over time. Educators leave with a sense of possibility rather than overwhelm.

Preparing to Attend an Upcoming Event

Educators considering an upcoming Burkins & Yaris event can make the most of the experience by arriving with specific curiosities and questions. Prior to attending, it can be helpful to:

• Identify one or two aspects of reading instruction you most want to rethink.
• Gather examples from your current practice to reflect on during sessions.
• Plan how you will share key takeaways with colleagues after the event.

Approaching the event as part of an ongoing professional journey, rather than a one-time training, supports deeper learning and more meaningful implementation back at school.

Extending the Learning After the Event

The most powerful professional learning continues long after the final session. Participants are encouraged to revisit their notes, try new ideas with students, and reconnect with colleagues to reflect on what is working. Schools can extend the impact of upcoming events by:

• Creating small professional learning communities to test and refine strategies.
• Scheduling follow-up discussions during staff or team meetings.
• Collecting student work samples to monitor how changes affect learning.

By treating each event as a starting point rather than an endpoint, schools can nurture a culture of continuous improvement in literacy instruction.

A Focus on Students at the Center of Every Event

Ultimately, each upcoming event exists to improve the daily experiences of children as readers and writers. Whether the focus is decoding, language comprehension, or engagement with complex texts, the sessions consistently return to core questions: What do students need? How can instruction honor their identities, aspirations, and capacities? How can schools cultivate readers who are accurate, thoughtful, and motivated?

By blending research, reflection, and practical tools, Burkins & Yaris events help educators create classrooms where students feel both challenged and supported, where reading is not only a skill to master but also a doorway into ideas, stories, and worlds.

Looking Ahead to Your Next Professional Learning Experience

As the upcoming events calendar continues to evolve, educators can look forward to new opportunities to deepen their understanding of literacy and refine their practice. Each gathering is an invitation to step back from the rush of daily teaching, reconnect with core beliefs, and return to school with renewed clarity about what matters most for young readers.