Dr. Jenny French’s most popular

Professional Development, Workshops & Presentation Topics

FOR ADMINISTRATORS

Building a Middle School Reading Intervention Program that Works

In this engaging and informative session, administrators will gain invaluable insights into the key components of building a successful reading intervention program tailored to the unique needs of middle school students. Dr. French will guide you through practical tools for identifying struggling readers, designing targeted interventions, and monitoring progress over time. Whether you're a seasoned leaders looking to enhance your existing program or a newcomer seeking guidance on where to begin, this workshop offers a wealth of resources and strategies to help you make a lasting impact on student literacy outcomes.

Initiative Mastery: Prioritizing and Launching School Initiatives that Work

Did you know that 80% of school initiatives fail? With so much out of our control, how do we combat initiative fatigue, remain compliant, AND improve student achievement? This workshop is designed exclusively for school administrators seeking to streamline their initiatives and ensure their success. Learn how to conduct a district-wide initiative audit, assess the effectiveness , prioritize programming, and develop a plan for implementation.

FOR TEACHERS

Access Granted: Helping All Students Tackle Tough Texts in Science and Social Studies

Are you a science, social studies, or content-area teacher facing students who can’t decode the texts you assign? You’re not a reading teacher—but your students still need to read to succeed. This workshop is for you. Learn practical, easy-to-use strategies that help struggling readers engage with complex content—without watering it down. You’ll leave with tools that support literacy in your subject area while honoring your expertise as a content teacher.

Building Fluency in Adolescent Readers

Fluent reading is often a missing variable between decoding and comprehension. Teachers lack time to listen to students read aloud, or lack age-appropriate materials for secondary students who need fluency practice. This session looks at all the ways to support secondary students to become fluent readers. Fluency no longer has to be a stumbling block for comprehension!

Comprehension and Engagement for Adolescent Learners

So often engagement and comprehension strategies are based on research that took place at the elementary levels. This session focuses on research-based strategies that will increase engagement and deepen reading comprehension specifically for adolescents.

Writing Reboot: Teaching Writing When Students Struggle to Read

Teaching writing in middle and high school can feel impossible when students have serious gaps in spelling, decoding, and reading comprehension. This workshop is designed for teachers who want to support adolescent writers—but aren’t sure where to begin. We’ll explore high-leverage, research-based strategies that make writing accessible for students with foundational literacy needs. From sentence-level scaffolds and guided modeling to vocabulary supports, this session offers realistic, classroom-ready tools that work across content areas. Whether you're a seasoned teacher or new to writing instruction, you'll leave with ideas you can use tomorrow.

Teaching That Sticks: Practical Strategies with Proven Impact

What if we stopped guessing what works and focused only on what the research tells us has the highest impact on student learning? This interactive workshop helps educators in all content areas apply John Hattie’s Visible Learning research in a way that’s practical, sustainable, and aligned with standards and with the needs of real students. You'll also explore how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs intersects with effective instruction—because students can’t thrive cognitively if their basic emotional and psychological needs aren’t met first.

Supporting Multilingual Learners in Every Classroom: Practical Strategies for Teachers & Coaches

In today’s classrooms, supporting English Language Learners (ELLs)—or Multilingual Learners (MLLs)—is no longer the work of just ESL teachers. Whether you're a classroom teacher, instructional coach, or curriculum leader, you play a vital role in helping students access rigorous content while developing language proficiency. In this half-day, interactive workshop, you’ll learn how to scaffold instruction, boost academic language, and use visual, oral, and interactive strategies that benefit all learners—not just ELLs. 

Visible Thinking, Visible Language: Literacy and AI in the Visual Arts

This half-day workshop is designed specifically for visual arts educators who want to bring deeper thinking, stronger literacy skills, and innovative tools into their classrooms. Participants will practice thinking routines and Visual Thinking Strategies that promote rich interpretation and critique of artwork—both student-created and historical. We’ll also explore how AI tools like ChatGPT and image generators can be used as creative collaborators to support writing, spark prompts, and streamline planning—without compromising the creative process. You’ll leave with ready-to-use sentence frames, thinking protocols, and activity templates you can implement immediately to help your students think, write, and create more deeply.

FOR TEACHERS, COACHES & ADMINISTRATORS

Mission Possible: Practical Solutions When Resources Run Low

Budgets are shrinking, support is limited, and schools are being asked to do more with fewer resources than ever before. But “less” doesn’t have to mean “less impact.” This workshop introduces a practical, empowering framework—the 5 Assets Approach—to help school and district leaders audit what they already have, prioritize what matters, and expand the capacity of existing people, systems, and resources. Whether you're lacking curriculum materials, struggling with staffing shortages, or navigating tough financial choices, this session will equip you with creative, actionable strategies to stretch what you’ve got—without sacrificing quality or burning out your team.

Bridging the Gap: What the Science of Reading Looks like for Middle and High School Students

There are tons of PD opportunities and resources available on the science of reading for elementary teachers, but the science of reading also applies to middle and high school students! Secondary teachers are experts of their content, but are frustrated by the lack of knowledge and resources to support students who still need to master decoding and fluency. In this session, participants will explore the science of reading and its application to older students. Whether you're a classroom teacher, literacy coach, or administrator, this workshop offers valuable insights, resources, and tools to enhance your teaching practice and empower your secondary students to become confident and proficient readers.

Writing Winning Grants: A Practical Guide for Teachers & School Leaders

Are you an educator with big ideas but limited resources? This half-day, interactive workshop is designed specifically for teachers, coaches, curriculum leads, and school leaders who want to write winning grants that fund programs, materials, or professional development. Whether you're applying for local mini-grants or large-scale federal funding, you’ll walk away with the tools, templates, and confidence to write compelling proposals. No previous experience required!