The educators already in your buildings understand your students, your community, and your unique challenges in ways no one else can. When we recognize and activate this internal expertise alongside quality external resources, we create sustainable, meaningful professional learning that resonates deeply with teachers.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Districts that prioritize asset-based professional learning are finding creative ways to elevate teacher voice and leadership:

• Collaborative Instructional Rounds: Models like the one Matt Griesinger shared on The Best of Us podcast turn teachers into peer observers and coaches, creating real-time learning cycles grounded in actual classroom practice.
• Teacher-Led PLCs: Empowering teachers to identify their own learning needs and facilitate communities of practice around the challenges they're facing.
• Teacher Rounds Facilitators: Developing a cadre of educators trained to lead instructional rounds, guiding their peers through the observe-reflect-implement cycle with skill and nuance.
• Content-Specific Teacher Leaders: Elevating teachers with deep expertise in math, literacy, or other subjects to coach colleagues on both content knowledge and effective instructional strategies.
• Mentor Programs: Pairing veteran educators with newer teachers in structured ways that honor the knowledge and experience already present in your schools.

The beauty of these approaches? They don't just improve teaching practice—they boost retention, build leadership capacity, and create cultures where educators feel valued for what they bring to the table.

From Gratitude to Action

This Thanksgiving, the greatest gift district leaders can give isn't a catered lunch or a thank-you email. It's the message that "we see your expertise, and we're creating space for it to shine." When professional learning systems are designed to surface, celebrate, and scale the knowledge of your educators, appreciation becomes more than a feeling. It becomes a strategy.

So as you head into the holiday season, ask yourself: How are we recognizing the talent already in our buildings? And more importantly, how are we empowering it to lead?

Ready to build systems that honor teacher expertise? Schedule a conversation to explore how thoughtful tools can help you create a culture of recognition and growth.