2026 NYSAFLT Annual Conference

TICKETED PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION: Leah Grady, NYSAFLT Teacher of the Year and a 22-year classroom veteran, invites you to a lively, hands-on workshop built around one key question: What if we worked with today’s learners instead of against them?
We’ll explore Gen Alpha—who they are, how they learn, and what actually motivates them (hint: it’s not more worksheets). Then we’ll turn the research into practical, realistic strategies for building connection, increasing engagement, strengthening real-world communication, and bringing more joy into the language classroom.
This session is especially valuable for teachers exploring Comprehensible Input (CI), proficiency-based instruction, or simply looking to modernize their approach without starting from scratch. You’ll get concrete ideas for tweaking what you already have—your curriculum, lessons, activities, and rubrics—to better meet today’s learners.
Expect a fast-paced, interactive session with movement, collaboration, discussion, and plenty of ideas you can use right away.
Best for upper middle and high school world language teachers of all languages.