Key Elements of Successful Teacher Training

Most schools get curriculum training wrong. They spend thousands on new materials and hope a one-day PD does the trick. Here’s what usually happens: Teachers get a thick guide no one has time to read. The opening training is surface-level and rushed. By October, folks are improvising. By January, the curriculum barely resembles what was purchased. This isn’t a teacher problem. It’s a training problem. If you want your curriculum to actually drive results, here’s how to do it right: 1. Start with the Why Don’t assume buy-in. Build it. Teachers need to understand: - Why this curriculum? - What gaps will it help close? - What strengths will it build on? - How will it make the work more effective, not more complicated? 2. Prioritize Execution Over Exposure Sitting through a launch PD isn’t enough. Training should be: Ongoing: part of PLCs, coaching, and planning Practice-based: including rehearsal and feedback Modeled: leaders and coaches need to show what good looks like, which means they need to put themselves in the role of teachers and plan a lesson like a teacher would and then model it 3. Build a Strong Prep Routine No great lesson happens without preparation. Create a shared playbook: - Clear planning protocols - Exemplar lessons and student work - Expectations for lesson internalization 4. Make Collaboration the Default Teachers shouldn’t be planning alone. Schedule weekly co-planning. Pair teachers to internalize together. Review lesson execution with video and feedback. Curriculum is just a tool. Whether it works depends entirely on how you train people to use it.

In working with schools, I've learned that one of the most powerful ways to accelerate achievement is to help teachers make the shift from technical preparation to intellectual preparation. The technical part is clear and necessary: Are all the student materials copied and ready? Check. What activities will I do in what order? Check? Teacher PowerPoint made? Check. The challenge is that if the teacher hasn't intellectually prepared, lessons (even using HQIM) can feel like a series of activities with the goal of attempting or completing (or worse, copying) all the work in the curriculum. Intellectual preparation helps teachers support students to transition from surface-level work to deeper thinking ... from completing work to doing their very best work. It starts with something simple yet profound: The teacher should do ALL the work they ask of students -- from the do now to the exit ticket and all the annotation, data collection, and problem-solving in between. When teachers do that, they figure out if a question is oddly worded, the level of thinking students will need to complete tasks, and what misconceptions might hold students back. In other words, unless the teacher can do an A+ job on the student work, the teacher can't support students in doing an A+ job on their work. Doing the student work isn't the full process for intellectual preparation, but it's the first and most important step. (Determining the meatiest parts of the lesson, time stamping to ensure adequate time is spent on the meat, and creating criteria for success for student work and misconception/response plans are other critical components.) My experience is that most teachers teach lessons "flying blind" because while they know the technical flow of the lesson, they don't know exactly the level of thinking / quality of work they will expect -- and demand -- from students.

Effective training design blueprint: 20% presentation 80% practice and feedback — PRESENTATION Don’t let the name fool you. The “presentation” portion of a training is not a lecture. It’s an active experience. A good instructor engages participants every 2-3 min. Breaking concepts down to chunks Teaching one at a time Connecting new knowledge to old Asking questions/launching activities Pausing or pairing participants to think/do Validating they understand Demonstrating how to apply Asking to elaborate on their own words — PRACTICE & FEEDBACK Practice what? Stacking cups? Please no! Practice the way in which they apply the new knowledge/skill to complete work related tasks. Match the contexts closely. Make it easier at first. Deliver immediate feedback. Confirm or guide their performance. Then make it harder. And delay the feedback. Make that feedback natural consequences. Conclude with action planning. Include opportunities for spaced practice. — Designing effective training is a specialized discipline. If a true knowledge or skill gap is preventing performance, design it with the methods we know to work. It’s extremely important to get right when it’s needed. Yet, ironically, what happens before and after the training is even more so…