How can we help?

While we currently work full time as educators, we have some flexibility in our schedules and love to work with teachers, schools, and districts. 

What we offer

Our specific area of expertise is the practical application of the principles of standards-based learning. In other words, what does SBL look like in the classroom? We have guided and supported teachers and schools through the changes in curriculum, instruction, assessment, and communication necessary in the shift to a standards-based system. Reading our book, The Standards-Based Classroom: Make Learning the Goal, is the best way to know if we would be a good fit for your professional development needs. 

Workshops

We have one-, two-, or three-day workshop options based on your needs and readiness. Topics can include:
  • Introduction to Standards-Based Learning: If your school is new to SBL or just starting to think about the transition, it’s important to understand the WHY behind the shift and to get a clear understanding of WHAT this will look like in your classrooms and school. 
  • Getting Started with Standards-Based Learning: If you have already committed to the transition and are ready to start making changes, then it’s time to review the WHY and WHAT, and focus on the HOW.  
  • Moving Forward with Standards-Based Learning: If you are well on your way in your transition to SBL and want to dive into work to improve curriculum, instruction, and assessment in your classes, then it’s time to reflect on what’s working, analyze what’s not, and really dig in with the HOW.
We believe that the one doing is the one learning, so we design our workshops to be interactive and productive. Just like our students, adult learners need time to think, talk, make meaning, and apply new learning; we want all teachers to leave our workshops with the practical tools and strategies necessary for the next steps of implementation.

We will work with school leaders prior to our workshops to ensure that we understand your particular culture, goals, and readiness. We will discuss options and design personalized agendas based on our conversations. In addition, we come ready to adjust as necessary throughout our workshops based on experiences, needs, and requests; because there are two of us, it's easier to differentiate when the need arises.

Consulting

We can work with teacher leaders and administrators to assess current status, determine needs, and develop long-term professional development pathways to improve learning in your classrooms.

An important part of our work with schools is to help them develop their own faculty learning targets and scales. Standards-based learning will look different at every school, and it's important to come to common agreements about the components of your individual system and the language you will use. This work is often drafted with smaller leadership groups and then brought to the full faculty for feedback and revision. 

We can work with teams to plan for and facilitate the development of these common understandings and outcomes. 

In addition, we can recommend teacher-consultants with specific content-area expertise as necessary.

Book Study

We will facilitate a digital, guided book-study of The Standards-Based Classroom: Make Learning the Goal for groups of educators.

This book study includes focus questions, online discussions, and individual feedback on participant products.  We can customize timelines, but suggest spreading the study out over a semester or a year. 

The book study may be effective in conjunction with other consulting or workshops.

Presentations

We will be presenting at the following conferences: