When Teachers Get Excited About Brain Science | Shane & Suzy

Suzy Evans and Dr. Shane Saeed, instructional coordinators in Colorado's St. Vrain Valley School District, have spent eight years building a different kind of professional learning experience: a voluntary Science of Learning Collaborative, coordinator-led and increasingly teacher-powered. In this conversation, they share what happened when Gretchen brought her working memory mini-lesson to their teachers—and how the "parking spaces" metaphor quickly became part of the language teachers used with each other and their students. They talk about what makes professional development actually transfer into classroom practice, including the importance of community, sustainability, and giving teachers space to experiment and learn together. Together, they explore what it can look like when brain science moves beyond a PD session and becomes something teachers and students actually use.You'll Hear Us Talk AboutThe "parking spaces" metaphor for working memory and cognitive overload—and how teachers began using it with students from kindergarten through 12th gradeThe Science of Learning Collaborative, an opt-in professional learning model that has grown to 75 educatorsWays to "clear parking spaces," including movement breaks, brain dumps, and checks for understandingWhy every brain is different, and how processing speed and neurodiversity can affect how students experience cognitive overloadThe surprising idea that a teacher's own working memory can become a bottleneck during explicit instructionAbout Suzy Evans & Dr. Shane SaeedSuzy Evans is an Instructional Coordinator for St. Vrain Valley School District, where she supports principals and teachers in data analysis, instructional decision-making, and collective efficacy; she co-facilitates the district's Science of Learning Collaborative and co-hosts the Vrain Waves podcast.Dr. Shane Saeed is an Elementary ELA Curriculum Coordinator for St. Vrain Valley School District, specializing in structured literacy and educational equity. She holds a doctorate in executive leadership, authored Be the Flame, and is a national speaker and ASCD & ISTE-recognized leader. She also co-hosts the Vrain Waves podcast.Links + ResourcesVrain Waves Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vrain-waves-teaching-conversations-with-minds-shaping/id1365316994Suzy Evans on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannah-evans/Dr. Shane Saeed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-saeed-ed-d-686296132/Be the Flame by Shane Saeed: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/be-the-flame-sparking-positive-classroom-communities_shane-saeed/29003758/item/64854630/Teach FAST by Gene Tavernetti: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/teach-fast-focused-adaptable-structured-teaching/37475687/SOL in the Wild: https://solinthewild.substack.com/Powerful Teaching by Pooja Agarwal & Patrice BainLearn More About the Anti-Boring Learning LabFree Toolkit: https://antiboringlearninglab.com/resourcesGretchen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-wegnerWatch the video version of this episode on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/0yq29ZyNv3s