Professional Learning
Why Must Teachers Experience Equitable, Personalized Learning Themselves?
Educators are the lead learners in schools. If they are to enable powerful, authentic, deep learning among their students, they need to live that kind of learning and professional culture themselves. When everyone is part of that experiential through-line, that’s when student-centered learning thrives.
Student-centered learning depends upon a different kind of instruction, in a different kind of learning environment, with new roles for educators. It demands a new mindset and different skills for teachers, counselors, specialists, and administrators. But formal preparation for student-centered teaching and learning is nascent. Few educators enter innovative schools with prior experiences in redesigned learning environments. And traditional professional development falls short in addressing the challenge of Professional Learning.
Solving this challenge involves three elements:
The specific and unique competencies required of innovative, forward-leaning educators
New strategies for providing professional learning opportunities
New structures to invest in educators and recognize their learning
Innovative, forward-leaning professional learning is built upon the research of adult learning and mirrors the core principles of student-centered learning: agency, self-direction, and high-quality content personalized to educators’ strengths and needs. The learning is ongoing, iterative, collaborative, culturally relevant, focused on mastering competencies through authentic experiences, and data-driven. Microcredentials, coaching, job-embedded learning, and design thinking are shaping the future of professional learning for educators.
We know that when educators are thoroughly prepared to take on their essential role in equitable, student-centered learning—and when they experience authentic, continuous, and deep learning themselves—that’s when student-centered learning thrives.
Through the Next Gen Professional Learning Project, we brought together leading partners to understand the state of professional learning in the field today. We asked school, district and CMO, and network leaders to lend their voices so we could understand their needs and goals.
Learn with LEAP
LEAP offers several professional learning opportunities to support innovative educators to shift toward equitable student-centered learning. Our capacity-building services span cohort-based professional learning, leadership coaching, and implementation support. We work alongside our partners to transform innovation and improvement initiatives into lasting classroom practice. Bring LEAP to your school, district, or community to activate your graduate portrait, bravely advance your innovative learning designs, thoughtfully integrate AI to strengthen teaching and future-ready learning, and develop systems and practices for transformation that lasts.