3.8: Different by Design - Reframing Professional Learning

Love what you hear, or have a suggestion for a future episode? 💖 Send me a text. 💌 “Sit and get” professional development is easy to schedule and hard to defend. What busy educators actually need is learning that respects their time, connects to their students, and leaves them with something they can use tomorrow.We’re joined by St. Lucie Public Schools instructional specialist Kimberly Wadsworth and Teacher Leader Dr. Trevor Sparacio to unpack a different approach: differentiated professional learning built around choice, relevance, and teacher voice. We talk through Innovate Ed, a first annual teacher-led conference designed by teachers for teachers, where sessions are created and facilitated by educators who are testing strategies in real classrooms every day. From the opening keynote energy to the time-block structure that lets you personalize your day, the goal is practical application, not passive compliance.We also dig into what shows up inside the sessions: classroom management moves, literacy strategies, student engagement, technology integration, and support for diverse learners. Trevor shares concrete examples of how to use data in a meaningful way with tools many teachers already have, including iReady, IXL, and Performance Matters, turning diagnostics and item analysis into targeted warmups and small-group plans. Kimberly highlights interactive design elements like modeling, movement, and collaboration so teachers leave equipped, not overwhelmed.Last, we get honest about the part that matters most: implementation. We discuss follow-up coaching, PLC reflection, peer modeling, and district resources that help new learning stick over time. If you’re local, we share registration details; if you’re outside the district, you’ll still walk away with a blueprint for building teacher-led learning where you are. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review, then tell us: what kind of professional learning would actually work best for you?