Professional Learning Strategy

This page compiles all components of my Professional Learning (PL) strategy into one cohesive, actionable resource for the University of Texas Elementary School instructional staff. The plan is designed to foster collaboration, build instructional capacity, and align professional growth with improved student outcomes. It reflects both research-based principles of effective professional learning and the specific needs of our PreK–5 campus. Teachers, instructional leaders, and administrators can use this page as a guide to implement, track, and sustain impactful professional learning over the course of the year.

Call to Action Video

Call to Action: Moving Beyond Sit & Get — Embracing Collaborative, Ongoing Professional Learning.

Audience & Needs

 

This PL strategy is designed for the instructional staff at the University of Texas Elementary School, including general education teachers, special education content leads, instructional coaches, and administrators. Our staff needs professional learning that is actionable, data-driven, specific to their content and grade level, and embedded in ongoing feedback and collaboration. Students deserve effective Tier 1 instruction aligned to the Top 10 TEKS in literacy, math, and science.

PL Strategy Overview

 

This PL strategy aligns to the five key principles of effective professional learning and emphasizes sustained, collaborative growth:

  • Significant and ongoing duration

  • Embedded support during implementation

  • Active, engaged participation

  • Content-specific modeling

  • Grade-level and discipline specificity

The plan includes PLCs, coaching cycles, peer modeling, teacher-led goal setting, and reflective practice—all grounded in campus data and student needs.

Fostering Collaboration& Modeling through  Self-Directed Teacher Growth

Fostering Collaboration and Modeling

Collaboration is structured through biweekly PLCs, vertical alignment meetings, and teacher-led modeling sessions. Teachers observe peers, co-plan lessons, and share data in reflective cycles. Modeling is integrated through demonstration lessons, exemplar planning templates, and structured instructional rounds.

Fostering Self-Directed Learning

Teachers track student progress through DMAC, IXL, and DIBELS data, reflect on their instructional impact in journals, and create growth portfolios. These tools promote teacher agency and ownership of practice while keeping the focus on student outcomes.

Leadership Roles

This professional learning plan relies on a collaborative leadership model where responsibilities are distributed among administrators, instructional coaches, and special education content leaders. Each role plays a vital part in supporting teachers through coaching, modeling, feedback, and facilitation.

Role Responsibilities
Admin Team (Lara Wilder - Executive Principal & Lucy McCoy - Instructional Admin) Schedule, accountability, feedback
Instructional Coach Team (Jennie Noonan – Reading & Carly Kennedy – Math) Lead facilitators, coaching, demonstration lessons, data tracking
SPED Teacher Leaders (Gabi Huntington - Reading & John Cheek - Math) Co-teachers, lead modeling sessions, mentor peers
General Education Teachers Actively engage in PLCs, track student data, set individual growth goals, lead and participate in breakout sessions, contribute to vertical alignment meetings

Timeline

This timeline reflects intentional, sustained implementation over the year. Milestones include the August PD launch, ongoing PLCs, monthly instructional rounds, and quarterly reviews. These checkpoints ensure accountability and provide opportunities to adjust the plan based on student and teacher needs.

Timeframe Key Activities
August PD Week: Launch sessions; review TEKS Top 10 and data tools.
Weekly PLCs: Grade-level specific, focus on current student data and next steps.
Biweekly Coaching/Feedback Cycles: Walkthroughs and reflective meetings.
Monthly Instructional Rounds: Peer observation and discussion.
Quarterly Reviews: Quarterly Reviews: Evaluate progress, adjust plan as needed.

BHAG & 3-Column Table

The Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) of this professional learning plan is to improve Tier I instruction in literacy, math, and science through data-driven, collaborative, and reflective practices aligned with the Top 10 TEKS expectations. The following 3-Column Table outlines the alignment between this goal, the specific learning activities designed to support it, and the evidence of teacher learning that will guide continuous improvement.

Professional Learning Resources

To support the ongoing implementation and refinement of this Professional Learning plan, I’ve curated a set of resources that teachers, leaders, and coaches can access to continue learning and collaborating.

Web-Based Resources:

Communities of Practice:

Reflection: Lessons Learned and Next Steps

This course challenged me to rethink my assumptions about what makes professional learning impactful. I came into the process with frustration over the traditional "sit and get" sessions I had experienced throughout my career, and I leave with a clear vision of what authentic, collaborative, and sustained learning can look like on a campus.

 

Through the research, readings, and the process of building this PL strategy, I developed a much deeper understanding of the five key principles of effective professional learning. The emphasis on ongoing support, modeling, collaboration, and tailoring content to specific grade levels and needs has already reshaped how I approach leadership conversations at my school.

 

I also grew significantly in my ability to communicate ideas through story and design. Learning from Duarte’s principles on structuring presentations helped me craft a call-to-action that resonates with my audience and keeps the focus on them as the hero of the story. This course has given me the confidence to step into my new role as Reading Interventionist and Literacy Coach equipped with a clear plan and a mindset that prioritizes growth, agency, and accountability.

 

Finally, creating and organizing the full strategy on my e-portfolio has been an opportunity to showcase not only my work but also my ability to lead others through a process of meaningful change. I look forward to continuing to refine and implement this PL strategy in collaboration with my team.

Resources & Acknowledgments

References:

Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present visual stories that transform audiences. John Wiley & Sons. http://resonate.duarte.com/#!page0

Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the teachers: Effective professional development in an era of high stakes accountability. Center for Public Education. https://web.archive.org/web/20180619070816/http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/system/files/Professional%20Development.pdf 

Learning Forward. (2019). Standards for professional learning: Quick reference guide. https://learningforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/standards-reference-guide.pdf

TNTP. (2015). The mirage: Confronting the hard truth about our quest for teacher development. TNTP. https://tntp.org/publications/view/the-mirage-confronting-the-truth-about-our-quest-for-teacher-development

TEDx Talks. (2013). Empowering the teacher technophobe | Kristin Daniels | TEDxBurnsvilleED. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puiNcIFJTCU

 

Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Ms. Lucy McCoy for providing the PD schedule framework and supporting images.