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What Happens After the Workshop?

We’ve all been there: you leave a professional development workshop energized, inspired, and ready to make changes. But a few weeks later? That energy fades, and little has shifted. Why does so much of our well-intentioned, meaningful, and well-delivered professional learning often fail to make an impact? That’s exactly the issue Thomas Guskey pointed to in a recent article: despite good intentions, the outcomes of many professional learning efforts fall flat. He describes it as a puzzling mismatch between what schools invest and what actually changes in practice. Here’s the link to his article: https://kappanonline.org/explaining-the-puzzling-results-in-professional-learning-research/ A Puzzle With a Solution But maybe it’s not so puzzling after all. Most schools devote a huge majority of their time and money to the inputs of professional learning, deciding what conferences to attend, what speakers to bring in, or which online course to take. These decisions feel productive. They g...
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Elevating Professional Learning: Dr. Molly Myers leads her faculty with an innovative twist on Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

  At Huddle Up Learning, we believe in the power of collaboration to enhance educational practices. One exemplary leader in this movement is Dr. Molly Myers, the Lower School Principal at Shanghai Community International School (SCIS), who has transformed the professional development landscape at her school. Watch the full podcast here (39:33) The Journey Begins: A Year of Growth 2023-24 "I want an organization that learns autonomously, period." Two years ago, Dr. Molly Myers initiated a structured approach to Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) within her faculty. To start the 2023-24 school year, different teams of faculty members chose their own PLC topics, focusing on improved instruction and identifying effective ways to measure student learning. Dr. Myers structured specific time set aside in the yearly calendar for teams to meet within their PLCs and share updates and feedback on the strategies they were implementing as well as the process itself.   The culminatio...
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Leadership Huddles: A Bespoke Approach to Innovative Learning Communities with ACS and Kristine Mizzone

As the American Community School of Abu Dhabi (ACS) enters a new year, consultant Kristine Mizzone is spearheading an exciting, innovative initiative designed to empower leaders within the school community. This initiative, called the ACS Leadership Huddles, is not just another leadership workshop—it's a unique and dynamic program tailored to fit the needs of busy educators and leaders at ACS. The goal is to blend flexibility, practical impact, and personalized support, helping individuals grow, inspire their teams, and lead with purpose. Kristine’s work is a great example of how creative professional learning experts are crafting innovative experiences on Huddle Up. Watch to Kristine and ACS's Aaron Shelby full podcast describing their experience on #InsideTheHuddle. The Leadership Huddles are structured to maximize work-embedded learning, offering a unique opportunity to take theory and transform it into actionable strategies. What's the frustration all consultants feel? ...
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Founder Derek Luebbe: A guest on the EduTogether podcast

 In 2024, Huddle Up Founder and CEO Derek Luebbe sat down with Aryeh Eisenberg,  the host of the EduTogether podcast. As educators and entrepreneurs, both shared an interesting discussion on how to innovate the structure and the goals of the educational experiences we offer to students and adults.  We've outlined a few of the key topics covered below - and some of Derek's favorite quotes -  if you wish to jump to a section of the podcast that most interests you. Huddle Up Founder Derek Luebbe on the EduTogether podcast 0:00-12:02:   Introduction and Derek's background as an international educator 12:02 - 15:00:  An introduction to Huddle Up Learning  "Learning should be collaborative. And it should be about generating new ideas and ... learning from each other." 15:00 - 16:47:   How Huddle Up helps organizations implement learning initiatives with shared accountability.  "Huddle Up provides an asynchronous space so that we have the time ...
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Implementing a Strategic Plan: The Challenges and How Huddle Up Makes It Easier

Once an organization has developed a strategic plan, the next hurdle is to make it actionable. However, even well-thought-out plans often face significant obstacles during implementation. Plans tend to “gather dust,” remaining largely invisible to the wider organization and failing to adapt when conditions change. Huddle Up aims to solve that problem with a new way to make strategic plans dynamic, transparent experiences where evidence and feedback build shared accountability from all constituents.  See how Huddle Up changes strategic planning   In our  previous post , we explored the challenges organizations face when developing a strategic plan. While the development phase presents hurdles in goal setting, stakeholder engagement, and planning efficiency, the real test begins when it’s time to put that plan into action. Even the best-crafted strategic plans can fall flat during the implementation phase, leading to poor execution, missed deadlines, and disengaged teams. H...
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Streamlining Strategic Planning: How to “Plan the Plan” with Less Chaos and More Collaboration

Ever been in one of those planning meetings that drag on forever, with everyone talking, but nothing really moving forward?  We’ve all been there. Strategic planning is a critical part of any organization—whether it’s a school, a nonprofit, or a business—but it doesn’t have to feel like a never-ending marathon of meetings. We like to think of strategic planning in two phases, each with its challenges for organizations. Planning the plan Implementing the plan ( Go to this post. ) In this blog (the first of a two-part series), we’ll highlight innovative strategies to help organizations streamline the most crucial phase of planning—“ planning the plan. ” This phase is often the most time-consuming and challenging, but it doesn’t have to be.  Let’s dive into how organizations can rethink their approach to strategic planning. The Challenges of Strategic Planning: Planning the Plan Strategic planning can often feel like trying to plan a road trip with a car full of backseat dri...
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