A growing body of research, based on a seminal study published by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 1998, suggests that willpower is finite, like a muscle that gets tired with overuse. When left unchecked, we reach decision fatigue—a state of mental exhaustion that leads to impulsive decision-making.

Studies show that a teacher makes over 1,500 decisions on any given day. You do the math.

This is one reason why the International Literacy Association has introduced three new learning tracks for ILA 2018.

“Each year, attendees tell us that they’re overwhelmed by the number of conference offerings and stuck on which sessions to attend,” says Professional Learning Manager Becky Fetterolf. “We created the conference tracks to help attendees better prioritize their time and plan a more personalized learning experience.”  

Attendees can select one of the following three tracks:

• Designed for school leaders, Administrators as Literacy Leaders presenters will discuss how to create a culture of literacy in your building or district by mobilizing teaching staff and by engaging students and families. Sessions will explore culturally responsive administration, professional learning networks, productive partnerships, and more.
• Sessions within the Literacy Coaching track will introduce innovative tools, best instructional practices, and job-embedded professional development models to drive positive literacy outcomes. With a strong technology focus, attendees will learn how literacy professionals can effectively collaborate with teachers to shape digital literacy instruction.
• Led by experts in the field, the Literacy Research track will unpack the latest findings in literacy learning and discuss how that research informs and translates to best practices. Attendees will examine the preferences of young readers, the impact of teaching culturally relevant texts, existing conceptions and misconceptions of academic language, and other topics of relevance.

Learn more and register at literacyworldwide.org/conference. To view the full list of sessions under each track, use the “Event Search,” located in the iPlanner.

Alina O’Donnell is the communications strategist at ILA and the editor of Literacy Daily.