Lubbock Christian University’s (LCU) College of Education (COE) hosted over 450 educators from across the state of Texas for their third annual Educator Conference.
The conference included breakout sessions featuring topics like content-specific pedagogy, navigating technology and AI in education, and classroom management, among many others.
“We wanted to make sure that we reached teachers in all areas,” shared Dawn Cox, Assistant Professor of Education, who coordinated the 2026 event. “We definitely wanted to cover the most common, tested areas—RLA, Math, Science, Social Studies—but we also wanted to make sure that we reached those who sometimes get forgotten: Pre-K, SPED, Fine Arts. It was really important that we provide sessions in those areas as well.”
The keynote speaker, Jonathan Hines, is a former professional basketball player, and the athlete-turned-educator has been featured on The Today Show and the Kelly Clarkson Show after receiving the Pre-K Educator of the Year Award for the state of Georgia.
Hinds delivered his keynote address titled, “Relationship Matters,” where he discussed finding ways to connect with students, parents, and guardians in and outside of the classroom. He also hosted a breakout session titled, “The Three Rs: Rituals, Routines, and Relationships.”
“Before you can really teach a child, you have to build a relationship with them,” he emphasized. “I didn’t really have that when I was a student, and I saw the impact it had on me even at an early age. I’ve seen how, when a teacher takes the time to build those relationships, the better the students become—more well-rounded, a student who actually wants to be in school. I think relationships are key to being a good educator.”
Hinds was greatly impressed during his time on LCU’s campus. “I was really excited to come speak at LCU. My time here, even though it was only for a day, has been great—the people here are lovely—they’re incredibly kind, easy to talk to, it’s been fantastic to be able to spend this time here with people training teachers in West Texas.”
The at-capacity conference is the latest in the COE’s efforts to support local and area educators, and the packed Talkington Center for Nursing Education auditorium is evidence of the high demand for events like this.
Educators from 55 different school districts attended the conference, representing both public and private schools from across the region, with participants traveling from as far away as Vernon, Texas, and Grady, New Mexico.
“We really want to reach out to our surrounding counties and districts,” added Professor Cox. “We want to give them another option for professional development that’s led by teachers in the West Texas area—so it’s people in our area ministering to others.”