Training Options

Activated Learning is not a spiral-bound, scripted curriculum. We help teachers explore new beliefs, acquire new expertise, and change their pedagogy. For this reason, we very rarely work with groups of educators “cold,” or at the sole behest of an administrator. We prefer to work with teams of front-liners who really want us there, and administrators who are supportive and eager to learn. We know that our training can only have an impact if it addresses real-time problems, is adaptable, and is supported at all levels of the system over a long period of time. Here are a couple of pre-requisites to consider:

1. For online training, I only work with groups who can confirm 90 -100% cameras on with high engagement. If you would like to have only one camera and your entire team gathered in a room together that can work well too, but you need to make sure there is someone on your end who can actively help to facilitate conversation. We’ll need to mute/unmute often so we can chat. If engagement dips below about 70% I typically cancel the session on the spot and we rebook when the team can be fully present.
2. During both online and in-person training, teachers will be asked to try a very straightforward new daily practice and stick with it for the duration of the training, at least.  The practice takes 5-10 minutes per day. Before we get going, I ask that you double-check that your team can commit to this.

Ask yourself: is Activated Learning right for your team, right now?

Special Summer Option: Free Online

I typically offer 2-3 FREE online training sessions in the summer. Check the “Upcoming Training” page to see if there might be something you can join.

Option 1: Self-Serve

Anyone can download these activities and get working with school staff to build EF-literacy. Combine this with a quick online consult and you’re getting a ton of bang for your buck. Online consults are booked by clicking the “Office Hours” button on the landing page and scrolling to the bottom to schedule “Activated Learning Support.”

Option 2: Online Training for School Teams

If you are an energized school group who is ready to learn about EFs and how to support children in classrooms, online training may be for you. To qualify, you need to provide evidence that you will be able to facilitate active engagement and a back and forth dynamic in each session. Your team either needs to gather together and have an onsite facilitator (often a principal/teacher leader), or each participant needs to confirm 100% intention towards cameras-on, active participation. Please note that I no longer do ANY cameras-off training. It is just too depleting and yuck; people need people to learn.

• Module 1: How can we support active self regulation?
  • This session will introduce a 5-7 min, feasible, acceptable, and useable intervention that will help teachers deliver tailored strategies to every single student in the class for every single possible context. Sound impossible? Let’s talk about socially shared learning regulation.
• Module 2: How can we teach children the science of EFs? 
  • This session will introduce several approaches for teaching children about EFs. The goal is EF-literacy! Will you opt for a 2 hour field day, great for use during a September soft-start? Or, how about a series of structured mini-lessons? You might also want to explore incorporating the EFs2theRescue characters. We’ll get you set up so your students have the language they need to participate confidently in whole class socially shared learning regulation.
• Module 3: Managing Student Emotion
  • Teachers who are equipped with a great approach for conducting socially shared learning regulation, and whose students are EF-literate, might still be worried. What happens if we open shared metacognitive spaces and students contribute big emotions or disruptive opinions? In this session, we’ll discuss the essential science of emotion validation.
• Module 4: Accountability for Students and the Approach
  • In this final session, we’ll discuss the use of observation, feedback and assessment to make sure all of that great EF literacy, strategy talk, and validation don’t go to waste. How can we make sure students walk the talk?

This four part series is active, fun, and interactive. These four high-impact POPS of learning perfectly compliment a whole-staff book club.

Option 3: In Person Presentations

This. Is. The. Best. Option. Hands down!! In person, we can move through the four modules (above) more deeply into metacognitive relationship with one another. We’ll actually HAVE the socially shared conversations, DO the EF-literacy building activities, EXPLORE the way validation feels, and FIGURE OUT feedback and assessment approaches that work best in your context. Participants get a chance to feel what their students will feel as a result of using this approach. (Spoiler: it feels motivating, connecting, encouraging, validating, and empowering… and participants have said its the best PD they’ve ever had.)