May 8, 2025

Dear Educator,

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! While we know teachers deserve to be celebrated every day, this week offers a special moment to pause, reflect, and acknowledge the profound impact teachers make in the lives of their students, families, and communities.

For this week’s Bright Spot, I want to shine a light on one teacher who has made an unforgettable difference in our family: Ms. Hassey, my son Zack’s teacher.

With Gratitude,

This One's for the Teachers

I’ll never forget the day Zack came home from school and asked, “Mom, did you know I’m smart?”

I smiled and replied, “Of course I do, Buddy! What made you realize it?”

He shared, “Ms. Hassey gave us a really hard math problem, and we all used different strategies to figure it out. She picked mine to show the class!”

In that simple moment, Ms. Hassey did something powerful: she validated his thinking and showed him that his ideas mattered.

Instead of simply focusing on getting the right answer, she created space for his voice, his strategies, and his growth. That moment was a turning point—one of many sparked by a teacher who intentionally created a learner-centered environment that fostered agency, creativity, and confidence.

Through her care and intentional practice, Ms. Hassey helped Zack not only grow academically but also believe in himself. I’m forever grateful for educators like her, who see their students as individuals, take the time to know them, and nurture their curiosity, confidence, and skills. Their impact is immeasurable.

This Teacher Appreciation Week, I encourage you to take a moment to celebrate the teachers who have made a difference in your life. And if you’re a teacher, please know: Your work matters. You matter. You’re changing lives every day.

To show off the work you do, there is a unique opportunity being offered by the Walton Family Foundation. Their "Celebrating What Brings Educators Alive" project invites educators to share what brings them alive in their work. Participants will receive a $200 honorarium for providing 60 minutes of their time! Please note, submissions are still being accepted even though the May 1st deadline has passed. Learn how to participate here.

Learner-Centered Collaborative has a library of classroom strategies that support personalized, authentic, competency-based, and equitable & inclusive learning. Within our Personalized Learning section, you'll find real-world examples of how to Make Thinking Visible, Create Learner Jobs, Co-Design Passion Projects, and so much more! Explore all of the strategies here.

Resources to advance your learner-centered practice

📖 WEBINAR RECORDING: Closing the Year Strong. "It's about being willing to see what happens when we put the power in the hands of learners to direct a process on their own and to be in the driver's seat of their own process with agency. I've seen educators have their minds blown, saying, "Wow, I didn't realize our kids could do this." They were so into it." Watch here.

🛠️ Mindsets Reflection Tool. "As we work to create learner-centered environments, examining our own water—our culture, assumptions, and beliefs—is key to cultivating the mindset shifts needed to change the water we’re swimming in. We can do this by visiting other schools implementing learner-centered practices or stepping out of our field and having analogous experiences. This tool is designed to support your next inspiration visit!" Download this tool.

👩‍💻 Competency-Based Learning Pathway. "The Competency-Based Learning Pathway includes 3 courses + a bonus foundational course designed to help educators plan with a competency-based approach, use assessment as a tool for learning, and create authentic audiences for assessment." Start learning here.