First-year curriculum implementation can feel like drinking from a firehose for teachers and leaders alike. But buried in the chaos are clues to what’s working and what needs a reset. During a reflection activity with instructional leaders, we asked one simple thing: write down two implementation challenges you’ve seen and heard from teachers. As we grouped the sticky notes and looked for trends, we didn’t just see problems— we saw direction. This post unpacks how listening differently at the end of year one can be the pivot point for smarter, more strategic implementation leadership in year two.

When students understand what they’re learning and why it matters, everything changes. This post explores how lesson framing—done with intention—can bring clarity to your instruction, boost student ownership, and make your teaching time more impactful.

The key to making collaborative planning sessions both efficient and effective for everyone involved is to have a clear plan that all stems from a “north star,” or an anchor point from which you are operating. Let’s look at three different options for designing collaborative planning.