Episode 3.8: Different by Design - Reframing Professional Learning

“Sit and get” professional development is easy to schedule and hard to defend. What busy educators actually need is learning that respects their time, connects to their students, and leaves them with something they can use tomorrow.

We’re joined by St. Lucie Public Schools instructional specialist Kimberly Wadsworth and Teacher Leader Dr. Trevor Sparacio to unpack a different approach: differentiated professional learning built around choice, relevance, and teacher voice. We talk through Innovate Ed, a first annual teacher-led conference designed by teachers for teachers, where sessions are created and facilitated by educators who are testing strategies in real classrooms every day. From the opening keynote energy to the time-block structure that lets you personalize your day, the goal is practical application, not passive compliance.

We also dig into what shows up inside the sessions: classroom management moves, literacy strategies, student engagement, technology integration, and support for diverse learners. Trevor shares concrete examples of how to use data in a meaningful way with tools many teachers already have, including iReady, IXL, and Performance Matters, turning diagnostics and item analysis into targeted warmups and small-group plans. Kimberly highlights interactive design elements like modeling, movement, and collaboration so teachers leave equipped, not overwhelmed.

Last, we get honest about the part that matters most: implementation. We discuss follow-up coaching, PLC reflection, peer modeling, and district resources that help new learning stick over time. If you’re local, we share registration details; if you’re outside the district, you’ll still walk away with a blueprint for building teacher-led learning where you are. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review, then tell us: what kind of professional learning would actually work best for you?

Transcript

Welcome To Straight Chalk

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Hello, and welcome to Straight Chalk, a podcast for busy educators. My name's Belinda Benner O'Donnez, and I am an instructional specialist in St. Lucie Public Schools. In this episode, Different by Design, Reframing Professional Learning, I'm so excited to get to chat with St. Lucie Public Schools instructional specialist Kimberly Wadsworth, together with teacher leader, Dr. Trevor Sparestillo from Lincoln Park Academy. Welcome back, everyone, to the podcast. How are you all?

SPEAKER_00 0:29

I'm fantastic. Thank you for having me again. It's a pleasure and honor to be back on this podcast.

Spark Moments From The Field

SPEAKER_01 0:35

I love it. I love it. Well, it's wonderful to have you both back as my special guests again this month, because as an instructional specialist, the focus of this episode is something near and dear to my heart. Today we're going to be discussing ways to design professional learning systems to meet educators where they are, offering choice, relevance, and pathways that honor different roles, grade levels, and goals. When learning is differentiated and teacher-driven, it doesn't just fill a seat, it strengthens daily practice, fuels confidence, and ultimately improves outcomes for students. And to showcase this, today we're spotlighting an exciting professional learning opportunity coming to St. Lucy Public Schools, Innovate Ed, the first annual teacher-led conference designed by teachers for teachers. But before we dive into this amazing learning opportunity, in case our listeners didn't have the chance to yet listen to previous episodes, including leveling up professional learning, student data empowerment, and learning expeditions, I'd love for you to share once again a bit about yourselves and what I'm now started to call a Spark moment, which is one thing, big or small, that recently reminded you why the work you do matters.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

So I'm Trevor Sparasio. I'm a seventh grade uh civics teacher at Lincoln Park Academy. Uh, I've been at Lincoln Park for two years, and I also served as a seventh grade uh civics teacher and team leader at OCAMIC8 for about seven years. Uh Civics is a big passion of mine. It's a subject end grade that I love near and dear to my heart. Um, at Lincoln Park now, I currently serve as the team leader and middle school social studies department chair. I earned my doctorate in educational leadership last year in uh 2025, where I did my dissertation on autism and having secondary students on the autism spectrum create a transition plan for themselves because uh students with autism are also near and dear to my heart as well. And my spark moment would be uh we recently had our History Fair and Project Citizen competition. And what was really powerful to me is how engaged my students were in participating in Project Citizen and really wanting to fix a problem in their town. It made them feel like their voices matter and that they could be active citizens in society no matter their age. And that's something that's really powerful as a civics teacher to see.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

I love that you are so passionate about CBIX. I know you have seen the work that you do with students. You're phenomenal. But so thank you for being here.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 3:01

All right. Well, I am Kimberly Wadsworth, and I'm an instructional specialist here at St. Lucie Public Schools. And this is my first year in this role. So I've been here about a year in this position, a little over, been in education for 23 years. Um, everything from pre-K to higher education at the University of Alabama, roll tide for any of those people that are out there. And then I was at Palm Point here in St. Lucie County for about five years in first grade before I came here. So I have really enjoyed um working with Belinda and then also Trevor with our teacher leader. So it's just a great new community of people that I've gotten to know over the past year. And then my spark moment really comes to FK Suite, which is one of the schools that I support. And we were having a literacy suite start event, which was like a little donuts with grown-ups for a grant that we were able to secure through the St. Lucie Education Foundation. You gotta make sure they do a lot of great work for our teachers. So people definitely know that they really do help a lot. But while we were there, we were providing new fly materials for them to take home. So bags and whiteboards. And often when we send home little home practice sheets, a lot of students don't have the materials to practice it with. Then they also don't have teachers for parents that really understand what to do with it. So that small sheet to watch the spark in their family's eyes. And it wasn't just moms and dads, it was grandmas and aunts and uncles and people that were like, no, I'm with them at night because mom's working and I want to be able to help. So I was really just able to go through it with them and I got to see the spark in their eye when they were like, that's what that means. Because as teachers, we know what it means, and then they're looking at it like, what do you want me to do that? I'm gonna change this to this sound. So it was really nice. It was just a reminder that our community of learners involves our families, and we often don't give them as much an appreciation as they deserve for being part of that.

What Effective Professional Learning Needs

What Innovate Ed Really Is

SPEAKER_01 4:55

Yeah, and I really thank you too, Kim, for being with me today. I know both of you are super busy, and so taking your time to be on the podcast this month is something really special talking about this great new initiative that's happening. Research consistently indicates that professional learning is most effective when it's content-focused, active, collaborative, and sustained through opportunities to apply learning in authentic contexts over time. Professional learning is further strengthened when it's facilitated by practicing educators whose classroom-based expertise brings relevance, immediacy, and credibility to the learning experience. This emphasis aligns with our work as instructional specialists in talent development within the Office of Teaching and Learning, where we support differentiated, teacher-powered professional learning across the district. Through the Lucy Public Schools Teacher Leader Academy, our monthly learning expeditions embed professional learning within classroom settings and highlight teacher leaders facilitating learning for their colleagues. And now we are extending that same approach through a new district initiative, which I'm excited to share, Innovate Ed Teacher Led Conference. So, with that in mind, for anyone hearing about this for the first time, what is Innovate Ed and what makes this conference truly teacher-led?

SPEAKER_02 6:07

So, thank you for asking. So, Innovate Ed is a teacher-led conference that brings educators together to learn from one another. So every session is designed and facilitated by classroom teachers and instructional staff who are sharing real strategies, real experiences, and real successes from their own classroom. We think that's one of the most exciting parts about it. It isn't your typical sit-and-get professional development. It's built around collaboration and engagement and practical application. Participants are going to actively engage in their sessions, try out strategies, and they're going to walk away with ideas they can immediately use in their classrooms. It's truly about elevating teacher voice and recognizing the expertise that already exists within our schools, which is one of the great things. One of our teacher leaders, who is about to tell you a little bit more about his now, is one of those voices that'll be presenting there.

SPEAKER_00 7:01

Yeah, thank you for that. I am the first cohort of teachers to go through this program. So Innovate Ed is a conference built on one powerful idea that our cohort decided to do. When teachers lead the work, everyone grows. What makes it truly teacher-led is that these session strategies and conversations come straight from the educators, where these strategies are happening every day in their classrooms. For me, this is more personal. I spent the last three years with this teacher leader group cohort, one with Mrs. Babcott, Mrs. Hawkins, who are both from Fairlawn Elementary, Mrs. Butterworth, who is from Northport K8, and Ms. Hughes, who is at Dale Cassins. And they've helped me shape into a stronger teacher, leader, and person. We are going to be the first graduating cohort from this teacher academy. And being with them throughout this entire three years, they've helped me collaborate with purpose, communicate more clearly, and always keep students at the center. And Innovate Ed reflects that same spirit for teachers, lifting each other up, sharing uh what works for them and growing together. It's real, it's authentic, and it's driven by educators who truly understand the work we do every day.

How The Conference Day Works

SPEAKER_01 8:11

And Trevor, I love that you mentioned everyone who's in your cohort. I know Kim and I had the privilege of working alongside you all. And we've watched you from your foundational year with Miss Dee Dee Johnson and Dr. Perry through Learning Expeditions with me, and then also now in your third year with Miss Wadsworth. It's been an honor to watch you grow. So we've been very lucky to be on those sidelines and supported you in reaching more and more teachers as you've gone through this program with what you do. It's amazing. And I love that this event is created and it's organized by the St. Lucy Public Schools Teacher Leadership Academy. So that cohort one, you guys are incredible. And it aims so that educators across the district can learn from each other who are doing this work every day. And so, with that, let's talk about how this day will work. What can participants expect when they arrive? How is the day structured? And how does choosing one session per time block help teachers personalize their learning like interest and grade level?

SPEAKER_02 9:07

One of the first things I can tell you, um, Melinda, is that we have been able to secure one of the best keynote speakers in St. Lucie Public Schools. So we're super excited that everybody's day is gonna start off with Dr. Kevin G. Perry. And he will really get our teachers fired up. And then they're gonna get to go into the learning of their choice so that they have already chosen their path of what they want for that day. They had a variety of engaging sessions that they could choose from across grade levels and content areas. Topics include everything from classroom management to literacy strategies to technology integration, supporting diverse learners, you name it, we really have it there. Each session is intentionally designed to be interactive. And I think that's one of the biggest points that as we've been working with presenters is making sure that it's not a sit and get. You're not gonna just be sitting there and listening, you're gonna be collaborating, you're gonna be reflecting, actively engaging with the content. We want our presenters and the people in the room to do what they would do in their classroom. We don't want our students to just sit and get. We want them to actively learn and collaborate. So we're only gonna ask from you what we ask of you, right? So you participate and get in there with us. But the goal is for every educator to leave, not just inspired, but equipped. So we want them to have that practical strategy and a clear plan for implementation. I feel like if you can leave saying, I want to try this tomorrow, I know how to do this tomorrow. We didn't want you to leave with just hopes and dreams, but actionable things that you could actually do.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

Yeah, that's awesome. And I love that you said, you know, taking something actionable with you. Uh, one of my college professors, I'm gonna give him a shout out, Dr. Joseph Melita from Lynn, he would always say, you know, put some in your toolbox and make it your own too. And I I really love that you said that. It was a great connection for me. So when participants arrive and innovate ed, they can expect a day that's structured with a purpose. All the presenters have been working on their presentations and their Canvas and making it as engaging as possible on their free time on top of teaching. So we really want teachers to experience that. The conference is organized into clear times and block schedules where teachers can choose one session at a time, allowing them to truly personalize their learning based on their interests, their grade level, and what they feel like their students need most. That choice is powerful because it gives teachers control over their own growth and keeps learning meaningful, just like with the students in our classroom. So we again, just like Ms. Wadgeworth said, we want to implement that. My session fits into the vision that because it's designed for all grade levels, whether someone teaches elementary, middle, or high school, these strategies and interventions we can explore be adapted into any classroom and any subject as well. We're focusing on intentional review, especially as we're heading into PM3s and EOCs, on how to make on how to make it more targeted, how to make it more efficient, and how to make review more meaningful to students. And these are practical strategies to help strengthen mastery, close the achievement gap, and build student confidence. By the end of the session, uh teachers walk away with tools that they can add directly into their toolbox of strategies, routines, and planning approaches they can use the very next day. The goal is for all participants to feel empowered with something concrete that makes their instruction stronger and their review more intentional. And that's why Innovate Ed is all about choice, relevance, and teacher-driven growth that leads to better experience for our students.

Practical Session Takeaways Teachers Want

SPEAKER_01 12:30

And I know, Kevin, you mentioned, you know, that you as a cohort have spent a lot of time on top of your regular teaching load planning this conference. I mean, shout out to you and the other teacher leaders who have vetted presentations, book rooms, boots on the ground trying to get sponsorships. It's gonna be truly an amazing day. So I'm super excited to see where it goes, and I'll be there. Couldn't miss out on seeing Dr. Perry with his keynote address. So that's gonna be awesome. One of the reasons that choice matters is that when teachers can select sessions aligned to their students' content and current goals, the learning is more likely to transfer into the classroom, into practice. And so we talked a little bit about structure. What about content? What are some of the major focus areas teachers will see in the sessions? And can you share an example of a kind of takeaway a teacher might hear, something that they can use right away?

SPEAKER_02 13:18

One of the things we're really excited about is the range of focus areas that teachers will see throughout the session. So we have presentations centered on classroom practices, literacy and math strategies, student engagement, and technology integration. You asked about like what is one of the things that people will see. Well, on some of the learning expeditions that we have done previously, we had a really good session with Miss Cassie Migliori from Palm Point, and she will also be doing a presentation and it's a lot on gestures and how we can use gestures in our learning with students. So to me, that's something that, you know, really speaks to it can go into any content area, but gestures is just something that we have with our with our bodies, right? And our minds. It doesn't take a special tool of we don't have to buy a subscription, anything else that we are already paying for. We just get to kind of go in there and work together, often as our teams with our content-focused partners and come up with those things. So that's one of the, you know, that's a little sneak peek of some of the things that you might be learning. But across all of the areas, the common thread is that the content is practical and it's rooted in real classroom experience. So they look different because they're not just sharing ideas. Oh, you should try this. And if you get a chance, do this. They're actually going to be modeling what that effective instruction looks like. And then the participants are actually going to have their turn. There's the you do together. So you're going to be out there doing it together so that you're actively engaged and collaborating and actually trying out those strategies during the sessions. The presenters were really focused on that. When we met a couple of months ago with all the presenters, they really wanted to be sure that they had opportunities for movement. And, you know, the worst thing is you've sat somewhere so long that your legs are falling asleep and you want to pay attention, but you just got to move. And so even those small things that we ask, again, teachers in the classroom to consider that movement, we asked our presenters to consider also. So hopefully they're all going to leave with something that they can put into practice right away. Love that.

SPEAKER_00 15:23

And then as a presenter myself at Innovate Ed, one of the major focus areas that teachers will see at Innovate Ed is to how to use data in a meaningful and practical way. I was on here on this podcast before, before PM2, talking about how students can take ownership of their data. And it's really powerful and studies show that it does make a difference. So a lot of sessions this year uh drives into tools that we use every day, such as iReady, IXL, Performance Matters, and our PM1 and 2 data, as well as the St. Lucie Public Schools midpoint data, to show teachers how to take that information and not be so intimidated and make it into simple and effective steps. When we talk about data, we're really talking about the understanding where students are and what they need. And teachers will learn quick strategies on how to use iReady diagnostic strands to build a targeted warmup or how to use performance matters items analysis to turn it into a small group instruction review the very next day. Typical takeaways might sound like here's a fast way to pull your IXL analytics and build instructional practice for that week. Or here's how a routine that mirrors the PM data. So students get more comfortable with data and formatting their own data as well and taking ownership of that data. So everything is designed to be practical. Teachers leave with tools that they can immediately add to their toolbox, their strategies and routines, and make intentional review more focused and meaningful for both students and teachers.

Making Learning Stick After The Day

SPEAKER_01 16:46

And it sounds to me like both of you have spent a lot of time this year thinking very strategically about what those sessions involve. The content, making sure that each session has an availability of choices for teachers. So thinking really through what that professional learning looks like to maximize the effectiveness for teachers. And we know that research shows that professional learning transfers into classroom practice when it is content-focused, active, collaborative, sustained, and supported by coaching and follow-up. In my own research, examining professional learning systems that support educators, I frame technology integration as an adaptive challenge, one that requires not just skills, but confidence and a sense of well-being. Through the veteran teacher technology self-efficacy and well-being theory of change model I developed, I found that relevant hands-on learning with time to practice and ongoing support strengthens teacher self-efficacy and leads to real changes in instruction. Certainly, intentional planning for what happens after the conference is necessary so that initial enthusiasm is reinforced through sustained supports that lead to lasting changes. When teachers leave Innovate Ed, Energize, what structures such as tiered learning, follow-up coaching, peer modeling, inventories, resources, practice time, what sort of structures are in place to ensure this learning is implemented and shows up in classroom practice?

SPEAKER_02 18:12

That is such an important question. So the goal of Innovate Ed isn't just a great experience from one day. It's making sure that learning actually shows up in classroom practice. That's one of the biggest things that we look at. And we were really intentional about that. So many of our presenters are teacher leaders. So they're ready. They're in their schools, they're there as a support system. This is their third year. So they've gone through a lot of, I wouldn't just say training, but experience, right? Like real world experiences. They've gone out to different schools and led different professional learning opportunities. We also encourage our schools to build opportunities in to share reflection, collaboration, whether it's through PLC conversations, team planning, or informal peer walkthroughs. The strategies shared at Innovated are designed to be practical and replicable, which makes them easier to bring back and discuss with a team. In addition, these sessions are built around that active engagement of the tried experiences that we talked about, where they're really practicing that they already have the practice, not just heard about it. So it makes it a little bit easier and you have more confidence when you're going to try to put that into implementation. It's a lot more likely. Ultimately, innovate ed is designed to spark momentum. And so I love that you were talking about that spark moment earlier. And really that's what we want to do is we want to have that spark momentum. And it's a combination of teacher leadership, collaboration, and ongoing support to help sustain that momentum. So they may have it and it may be wonderful, but if we're not there to help turn it into real classroom impact, then it may not be as successful. And that's why our teacher leaders are so important, our administration at all of our schools, our coaches, our support staff here at district. In addition to that, we also work to help people create that protected time and those ongoing touch points so that strategies introduced during Innovate Ed can be revisited, refined, and strengthened over time. So talent development has multiple avenues to reinforce that learning from the conference. They can reach out to any of the instructional specialists that they have for their schools, but they can also dive deeper independently through the courses we have offered online that really go deeper into a lot of the topics that they're already going to be learning about. And maybe while they're there, they might have a new spark, right? Of an interest of a new area of learning. So we kind of help follow them all the way through the process. And our teacher leaders are a big, big part of that because they're in the schools with them every day.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

Yeah, we really do mean what we say about differentiated professional learning. We are offering so many different things from 60-second strategies to microlearning modules to video series to being out in person at schools with our learning expeditions. There is just so much to choose from. So differentiation is the name of what we do every day.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

As you were talking about like bringing that back into the classroom, a lot of times people are reach out to us instructional specialists and say, hey, I heard someone talk a little bit about this in a different area of the district. Because you come to like one of our CLPs, our team's super interested and like diving through that more together and how that might look for our students. And so that's another way that I think this conference helps build that learning all avenue also, because the first thing you want to do is tell somebody about what you learned. And then sometimes you're like, I mean, because then when people start having questions, you're like, let me see if I can get somebody to, you know, help answer all of your questions. And it just provides another opportunity for those teachers to grow leather teachers, which is really what we're all about.

Registration Details And Deadlines

SPEAKER_01 21:47

Yep, absolutely. Well, before we wrap up, for anyone listening who wants to be a part of this very first Innovate Ed in St. Lucie Public Schools, what's the easiest way to sign up and what key details should people know?

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Listening and you want to be a part of the very first Innovate Ed conference in St. Lucie Public Schools. The good news is that registration is open until April 1st, but that's coming up soon. All instructional staff can sign up through the forms link that you are emailed by the Office of Teaching and Learning. It's free for all St. Lucie Public Schools instructional staff, and also you'll earn professional learning credits for attending, which is such a great bonus as we are all working towards our renewal requirements and improvement of practicing. So if you're looking for a morning of meaningful teacher-led learning and you want to use strategies you can actually use the very next day in your classroom, go right ahead and register. And we would love to see you there. Thank you, Dr.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

Sparasio, Kim, for joining us here today for this month's episode. And thank you to our listeners for being a part of this conversation as well, focused on reframing professional learning that is different by design. If you're an instructional staff member in St. Lucie Public Schools, we hope that you'll join us for Innovate Ed, our first annual teacher-led conference designed by teachers, for teachers. And if you're listening from outside of this district, we invite you to think about how what you've heard can translate into your own setting, whether that's peer-powered learning, time to collaborate, follow-up support, or creating spaces where teachers lead and learn from one another, no matter your context, no matter where you teach. We hope you've heard something today that made you pause, reflect, or think I could try that. So thank you once again. I appreciate you both. I just can't wait for this conference. It's going to be amazing.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

Thanks again for having us. And thank you to everyone listening. It's been great sharing about Innovate Ed teacher-led conference and why this works matters to us so much. Whether you're here in St. Lucie Public Schools or teaching somewhere else, I hope you heard something that sparked an idea that you can bring back to your students, your team, department, or entire school. And if you're joining us from outside the district, I hope it inspires you to create your own spaces for teacher-led learning. No matter where you teach, we all have the same focus on what's best for our students to provide them a high-quality education in a safe and caring environment. And today you made me think, you know what? I could try that. Then this conversation did exactly what it was supposed to do.

Final Reflections And Share The Podcast

SPEAKER_02 24:07

Yes, we are incredibly excited about the lunch and the opportunity to showcase the amazing work happening across our district. Do not forget to register soon. As sessions and seats are filling up super quickly. We'll hope you'll join us on April the 11th. And remember, it's only until lunch. You just need to get a little bit of your morning time and then you can go and do all the fun things with the family and be part of this first ever teacher-led conference. We look forward to seeing you there. Thanks again, everyone. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 24:37

Once again, thank you for listening to Straight Short Podcast for Busy Educators. And be sure you share this podcast with a friend and tune in again next month for more from anywhere you get your podcast.