Pedagogy Conference 2026: Gymnastics of Learning

Gymnastics of Learning: Physical, Mental, and Emotional Strategies for Growth

Gymnastics of Learning: Physical, Mental, and Emotional Strategies for Growth  

In teaching and in pedagogy, no expectation has been thrown around more than growth. Teachers seek professional growth and development. They encourage students to grow throughout the semester by nurturing their evolution and building their lifelong relationship with a “growth mindset.” Students, in turn, bring their expanded skill sets into the community to foster even more growth, a quasi-trickle-down economy of learning that reaches beyond the borders of our institutions.  

Yet, to facilitate growth, it is often necessary to stretch the idea of what we think we are capable of. We must balance work and life to ensure we nurture our own growth. We must remain flexible in ideology, methodology, and our timelines, self-imposed or mandated by our governing bodies. We must develop strength of mind, body, and spirit. We must build stamina and coach our students and ourselves to become well-rounded scholastic athletes. Finally, we must not forget the times of failure or shifting strategies. 

At the Engaging Pedagogy Conference this year, we at TLU invite you to gather, present, and participate in lectures, workshops, and breakout groups that may focus on, but are not limited to, or exclusive to… 

• Adapting strategies for enhancing cognitive processing through: 
  • Note-taking, Motor learning, Recovery, Self-motivation, Meditation, Mindfulness, Simulation, Technology (AI) to enhance education, active learning, flipped classrooms, etc. 
• Engaging and connecting with others in the online environment 
• Learning for curiosity’s sake 
• Balancing teaching and learning 
• Stretching the boundaries 
• Equipping students and teachers with tools they can use for online learning 
• Dealing with stage fright, a fear of failure, and performance anxiety 
• Promoting the physicality of learning 

We invite breakout and poster presenters from Higher Ed, K-12, and graduate students. Registration is $75 per person (non-TLU participant). Use the discount code 2P2026 for two people. Use the discount code 3P2026 for three or more. Also, presenters get $25 off the registration fee. 

Register to Participate: 

• Participant Link
• TLU Participant Link

2026 Keynote Speaker, Dr. John Seeholtz

Dr. John Seesholtz, baritone, is the cofounder and executive director of the Canciones Project, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the advancement of Latin American music throughout all stages of academia and former Director of Vocal Pedagogy at the University of Colorado. He is also an alumnus of UTSA (BM Vocal Performance 2001). John made his professional Italian debut in 2006 as part of the Galuppi Festival at Teatro Goldoni in Venice as Guglielmo in Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte. He has performed all over the United States, Europe, and Latin America (Bazil, Paraguay, and Mexico). His most recent operatic performances include; Tío Sarvaor (de Falla’s La Vida Breve), Germont (La Traviata), Baron Zeta (The Merry Widow), Sharpless (Madame Butterfly), Alvaro (Florencia en el Amazonas), Iago (Verdi’s Otello), Pangloss (Candide), Silvio (Pagliacci),Verdi's Falstaff as Ford, and his favorite role, Gianni Schicchi (title role). 

Some of his solo concert performances include Camina Burana, Brahm’s Requiem, the Five Mystical Songs, Sea Symphony, and Dona Nobis Pacem by Vaughan Williams. He has published multiple articles and curated music collections including: “Hyperadduction: A Pedagogic Approach for the 21st Century Voice Instructor,” “The AIDS Quilt Songbook and Its Uncollected Works,” “The Origin of the Verdi Baritone, ” and “The Lost Songs of the AIDS Quilt Songbook.” He is working on an online database called “The Canciones Project: Expanding Bel Canto Canon Through the Innate Pedagogic Fluency of Latin American Spanish Art Song.” In August 2024, he began traveling throughout Latin America researching, performing and lecturing at multiple institutions including Conservatorio de las Rosas (Mexico), Facultad de Bellas Artes (Mexico), Centro Evangélico Mennonita de Teología Ascunción (Paraguay) and Instituto Municipal de Arte -IMA (Paraguay).

LET US INSPIRE YOU!

The Texas Lutheran University Engaging Pedagogy Conference is a fun and welcoming event that promotes and inspires regional educators—in high school and higher education—to share innovative and effective teaching methods, encourage teacher well-being, advocate for and commit to inclusive education, and foster a community of educators passionate about student success.