Webinar Recording: Learner-Centered Bright Spots: Making Learning Public and Closing the Year Strong
In this webinar, three members of the Learner-Centered Collaborative team—Katie Martin, Kate Weisberg, and Danny Scuderi—highlight practical strategies for closing the school year by celebrating learning and cultivating learner-centered mindsets.
Drawing from their work in classrooms and systems nationwide, they offer tangible examples of how schools and educators can use reflection, celebration, and community-building to reinforce learner-centered practices and end the year on a high note.
Questions explored include:
- What role do mindset shifts play in supporting learner-centered environments, and how can educators model these shifts?
- How can educators embed micro-celebrations and reflection into the daily rhythms of school life for both students and staff?
- What structures support meaningful student-led conferences, portfolios, and presentations of learning?
- How can learning walks, staff exhibitions, and public reflection foster a collaborative, whole-learner culture among educators?
- Why is celebrating learning essential for sustaining momentum and reinforcing the values of learner-centered education?
Examples shared include affirmation stations, kudos cards, brag tags, classroom learning walks, student-led conferences, and public exhibitions of learning. Educators are encouraged to start small—finding even 30 seconds to celebrate a colleague or student—and to trust in the capacities of learners to reflect on and share their growth.
Resources Shared During the Webinar:
- 🗞️ Learner-Centered Collaborative Newsletters (Bright Spots, Catalyst, and The Download)
- 🛠️ Mindsets Reflection Tool
- 📖 Reclaiming Joy at the End of the School Year
- 📖 12 Ways to Breathe Life Into Your Portrait of a Learner
- ♟️ Big Move: Curating Evidence of Learning With Portfolios
- ♟️ Big Move: Student-Led Conferences
- ♟️ Big Move: Using Defenses of Learning
- ♟️ Big Move: Using Exhibitions of Learning
- 📖 The Why, What, and How of Learning Walks
