Celebrating a Powerful Teacher Leader Institute

The 2026 Teacher Leader Institute (TLI) in Moraga, California brought together passionate educators from across the country for several days of learning, reflection, and deeply meaningful professional dialogue. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful St. Mary’s College campus, this year’s gathering offered both inspiration and grounding—reminding us what it looks like when educators come together with a shared purpose: helping children become confident, capable readers and writers.

This year’s TLI theme, “Leading for Impact: Purpose, Practice, and Performance,” was present in every conversation, session, and collaborative moment. From morning discussions over coffee to evening reflections, participants consistently returned to one essential question: What actually works best for teaching kids to read and write, and how do we lead others toward those practices?

Across the institute, conversations were thoughtful, honest, and deeply rooted in classroom practice. Educators engaged in rich dialogue about instruction, coaching, assessment, and the daily realities of supporting literacy learning in diverse settings. The emphasis stayed firmly on impact: how leadership decisions translate into real outcomes for students.

The learning was further shaped by a series of powerful, thought-provoking sessions. Some of the highlights included:

• Denny Taylor challenged participants to examine the status of the Science of Reading movement and consider how current narratives are influencing instructional decisions and, ultimately, student learning experiences. Her session invited reflection on how research is interpreted and applied in ways that either support or constrain children’s literacy development.
• Connie Obrochta led an engaging and insightful session on Set for Variability: Flexible Word Solving, helping educators think more deeply about how readers navigate print with flexibility, strategy, and meaning-making at the center. Her work underscored the importance of honoring the complexity of reading processes rather than reducing them to isolated skills.
• Journey Swafford explored strengthening coaching practices, offering practical tools and perspectives for those supporting teachers in classrooms. Her session reinforced the idea that strong coaching is grounded in relationships, clarity of purpose, and a relentless focus on student learning.

And that’s just a few of the thought-provoking sessions; find the entire agenda here.

What stood out most throughout the institute was the sense of collective commitment—leaders learning not just for personal growth, but for the impact they will carry back to their schools, districts, and communities. The energy was steady, reflective, and purpose-driven in all the best ways.

As the conference came to a close, participants left with new insights, renewed clarity, and a strengthened sense of direction for their work ahead. Enjoy pursuing the photos from a terrific conference, each one a reminder of the learning, connection, and inspiration shared throughout the week.