Charter school opens campus for professional learning workshop
– Almond Acres Charter Academy will host a one-day educator workshop on Aug. 8 featuring Gail Boushey, co-author of Prepared Classroom: Ready to Teach, Ready to Learn and the best-selling books The Daily 5 and The CAFE Literacy System.
The event is open to general education teachers, special education teachers, paraeducators, administrators, homeschool educators, teacher candidates, intern teachers and student teachers from across California. The workshop will focus on professional collaboration and instructional strategies.
Attendees will explore a system designed to foster student self-regulation, strategies for building independence, inclusion and differentiation in the classroom, alignment of teaching with purposeful practice, and how to deliver brain-compatible lessons that engage students. The model can be implemented with any content area and adapted to individual, small group, classroom, or schoolwide settings.
Amy Brabenec, a student engagement specialist at Virginia Peterson, said, “Attending the Teach Daily conference last August was a game-changer for me. The hands-on session shared the routines and practical strategies for daily formative check-ins with students. This completely shifted how I support teachers in making instructional decisions and ensuring every minute in the classroom counts. I was inspired by the real examples shared by classroom educators and appreciated the time to connect with colleagues who are just as passionate about sustainable high-impact teaching practices.”
Dena Vertrees, a teacher with Heartland Charter School, said, “I attended the Teach Daily conference at Almond Acres Charter Academy last year and left feeling inspired and equipped with practical tools I could immediately apply as an Independent Study teacher. I especially appreciated the focus on flexible strategies that work in a home setting. This in turn helps me to better support families in building strong, consistent literacy habits no matter where learning takes place.”
Carrie Fiel, assistant executive director at Almond Acres Charter Academy, said, “Attending the Teach Daily Conference session with Gail Boushey was truly inspiring. Gail skillfully demonstrated high-impact instructional strategies and clearly connected each to the supporting research, which helped deepen our understanding of why these practices work. What stood out most was how she made the learning both engaging and practical — blending evidence-based insights with real-world application in ways that could immediately be taken back to the classroom. Her session left me motivated and equipped to support teachers as they implemented what was learned with confidence.”
Seating for the workshop is limited. Registration is open through the Teach Daily website at https://www.teachdaily.com/content/pages/paso-robles-workshop-2025.
Almond Acres Charter Academy has implemented the Daily 5 and CAFE strategies for the past 13 years to support student independence and engagement in reading and writing. Faculty and staff have participated in several in-person and online trainings with Gail Boushey and the Teach Daily team.
Almond Acres Charter Academy is a public, tuition-free kindergarten through eighth grade school located in Paso Robles. The school serves families in northern San Luis Obispo County and is open to all students. The school employs credentialed teachers and administers state-mandated testing. Its mission is to support students academically and socially by focusing on the development of heart, mind, body and soul.
