Professional Learning That Works | Model the Science of Learning | Uncomplicate Ed
When professional learning is designed like great teaching, it doesn't just inform. It transforms.
Here's the Gist (TL;DR)
Professional learning needs to be an experience that is built using the science of learning
Teachers deserve research-informed support they can use right away
No fads. No fluff. Just brains and wisdom
Whether it's brought in or school-based, training needs to model how people actually learn
Grab a free training (on vocabulary) that already has the science of learning principles built in
Keep reading...
What Teachers Are Really Asking For
Teachers want (and need) real, useful professional learning that sharpens practice and helps kids learn. Not another buzzword. Not a fresh coat of paint on last year’s initiative. They need something that crafts an experience for teachers, so they leave feeling valued and excited to implement what they’ve learned.
That’s what we build at Uncomplicate Ed. But we don’t just teach the science of learning. We use it.
In every live session and every PD in a Box® kit, we design the experience around how people actually learn. That means every slide, question, and handout is grounded in what cognitive science tells us really works, for teachers and students alike
And surprisingly, that’s still rare.
Why So Much PL Still Misses the Mark
I recently read a reflection by Jim Hewitt and Nidhi Sachdeva on a classic piece by Douglas Carnine, Why Education Experts Resist Effective Practices.
The takeaway? We have the research, but it’s rarely used.
Professional learning often gets sidetracked by trends and what feels good in the moment. That’s how we end up with sessions on learning styles (a myth) or personality color charts (fun but flimsy) while proven strategies like retrieval practice and spacing sit on the sidelines.
And teachers feel it.
They’ve seen too many initiatives roll in with fanfare and disappear by spring. They’ve been handed “this year’s focus” enough times to be skeptical. If we want teachers to engage, we have to give them something real.
How We Do Things Differently
At Uncomplicate Ed, we build Professional Learning Experiences that:
Are informed by research
Use what we know about how learning works
Model the exact strategies we want teachers to use
We don’t just talk about retrieval practice. We use it.
We don’t just explain dual coding. We design for it.
We don’t just reference spacing. We build it in.
Our experiences include:
Retrieval to boost long-term memory
Visuals and language together to make ideas stick
Worked examples and modeling for clarity
Practice spread out over time to interrupt forgetting
Time to reflect, process, and apply
We’re not chasing shiny new trends. We’re following what science says works for actual human brains.
Designing Like It Matters (Because It Does)
Knowing how people learn is one thing. Actually designing Learning Experiences around it, is another.
At ISTE+ASCD this year, I spoke with a school leader and ResearchEd ambassador who said, “The U.S. is about ten years behind in using cognitive science in teacher PL.” Ouch. But fair.
Most professional learning is still driven by belief or buzzwords, not research. But we believe education deserves better. Teaching is too complex and too important to be guided by vibes.
It needs to be rooted in something solid.
Give Teachers What They Actually Deserve
Learning experiences need to be something teachers look forward to. Not because it’s flashy, but because it’s relevant, practical, and research informed.
They don’t deserve to leave wondering if what they learned is legit.
They don't deserve to feel unsure about how to use it.
And they definitely don’t deserve to be stuck in another one-and-done cycle of initiatives.
Professional learning needs to feel clear. It needs to feel useful. It needs to respect teachers' time and intelligence.
That’s what we build. Every single time.
Why We Call Them Experiences
We don’t just deliver sessions. We create learning experiences.
Teachers deserve more than a slideshow when they show up for professional learning. They deserve to feel seen, supported, and at the center of the work.
Just like we know students learn best when they’re engaged, the same is true for teachers. Our professional learning is not a sit and get. It’s built for real participation.
Teachers don’t just learn the strategies. They actually practice how to use them and figure out how they’ll bring them into their very next lesson.
We plan every detail, from the content to the structure to the materials, with the same intentionality we want to see in classrooms.
It’s not just about the learning. It’s about how teachers experience it.
Final Thoughts
Making teaching a science-informed profession doesn’t mean taking away creativity. It means giving teachers something solid to stand on.
At Uncomplicate Ed, we believe it’s not enough to know the research. We have to use it, design with it, and model it so teachers feel what great learning looks like and are ready to bring it back to their classrooms.
Because when we know better, we teach better. And when we model better, teachers believe it’s possible.
If you’re interested in an in-person Uncomplicate Ed learning experience, whether it be reading- or math-focused, on classroom management or student engagement, or just on the science of learning, we still have a few dates left in August. Reach out here to inquire: [email protected]
And if you’re looking to level up your own school-based learning experiences, take a look at our PD in a Box® by clicking here.
In Case You Skimmed (TL;DR)
Professional learning needs to be an experience that is built using the science of learning
Teachers deserve research-informed support they can use right away
No fads. No fluff. Just brains and wisdom
Whether it's brought in or school-based, training needs to model how people actually learn
Grab a free training (on vocabulary) that already has the science of learning principles built in
