259. A Collaborative Team Meeting Structure that Elevates Instruction with Kurtis Hewson

Most schools are collaborating. But very few are collaborating in a way that systematically elevates instruction for every teacher and every student. In this episode, guest Kurtis Hewson breaks down the Collaborative Team Meeting (CTM)—a deceptively simple structure that becomes the engine of a school's entire support system. You'll learn how CTMs sit inside a larger four-layer collaboration model, why focusing on "yellow" students (not red) is a game-changer, and how a tight, repeatable meeting structure builds collective efficacy, distributive coaching, and real instructional growth. If you've ever felt like your school is "playing whack-a-mole" with student needs or drowning in meetings about individual students, this episode offers a practical, proven alternative. What You'll Learn The four layers of collaboration every school needs Why adding one meeting can actually reduce meetings overall The critical mindset shift: tier the supports, not the kids Why CTMs focus on yellow students (and how that prevents future red) The pre-work, norms, roles, and timing that make CTMs effective How celebrations turn into organic strategy sharing The Key Issue protocol that keeps conversations about practice, not personalities How CTMs create distributive coaching across a staff The biggest mistake schools make when trying to collaborate Timestamps 00:00 Why CTMs are different from typical collaboration 02:30 The four layers of collaboration explained 06:45 Kurtis's "every child deserves a team" vision 09:00 Three mindset shifts schools must make 14:00 What happens before a CTM starts (pre-work & norms) 18:00 Why celebrations matter more than you think 20:30 The Key Issue protocol explained 24:30 How teachers commit to trying new strategies 26:30 Distributive coaching and capacity building 29:30 The biggest challenge: sticking to the structure 33:30 The free CTM Starter Kit and new book announcement Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/259 Connect with guest Kurtis Hewson  Website: jigsawlearning.ca