2025-2026 School Year Events
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In-Person Training
Attend one of our trainings or institutes in-person for targeted professional learning on specific high-yield strategies or on our instructional framework.
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Virtual Training
Attend one of our trainings virtually online for targeted professional learning on specific high-yield strategies or on our instructional framework.
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Training of Trainers
Attend one of our in-person or virtual Training of Trainer institutes in order to become certified trainers for your school or district.
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PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EVENTS OPEN TO ALL EDUCATORS
Learning-Focused brings educators together to learn how to transform their schools and classrooms through intentional and purposeful planning designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed academically and beyond.
Studies demonstrate a positive link between teacher professional learning, teaching practices, and student outcomes. Research has shown seven widely shared features of effective professional learning. Learning-Focused embraces each feature as a core tenant of our professional learning. We believe that professional learning is meant to help educators do what they do best, even better.
Our professional learning guides educators to design school and classroom cultures that focus on rigorous standards-driven learning, engaging academic instruction, meeting the needs of all learners, and achieving remarkable success.
Attend an In-Person Training/Institute
Accelerate Learning with Previewing
September 29, 2025 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
The Accelerate Learning with Previewing Training is focused on the systematic implementation of strategies and practices that will fully engage all students to meet their individual academic needs and dramatically build achievement.
Accelerate Learning with Scaffolding
September 30, 2025 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
Accelerate Learning with Scaffolding training is focused on systematically addressing the difficulty of differentiating and meeting the needs of all your students.
Increase Critical Thinking with Higher Order Thinking Strategies
October 6, 2025 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
Increase Critical Thinking with Higher Order Thinking provides educators with concrete strategies and valuable insights to confidently cultivate Higher Order Thinking in their students.
Accelerate Learning with Effective Assignments
October 7, 2025 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
Effective Assignments address the fact that students can do no better than the assignments they are given! By developing rigorous and challenging assignments and assessments, you can confidently provide students with assignments and assessments that are intellectually demanding.
Accelerate Learning with Vocabulary
October 13, 2025 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
Learn how to implement systematic vocabulary instruction with the seven key characteristics for effective learning. Discover strategies to introduce new words in context and bridge the word knowledge gap, ultimately fostering deeper understanding and stronger communication skills.
Pathways to Student Engagement: A Guide for Math Instruction
October 14, 2025 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
Transform student compliance into authentic engagement with this research-based guide for math educators.
Increasing Critical Thinking with Writing
October 20, 2025 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
Writing throughout lessons actively engages students with the content they are learning. There are numerous points throughout the lesson where students can write to deepen their understanding of the content and increase their writing proficiency. In the Assignment, students practice Write to Inform, or formal writing for a specific purpose, while ongoing Write to Learn strategies happen during Lesson Instruction.
Increase Critical Thinking with Comprehension Strategies
October 21, 2025 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
Learn practical ways to boost students' critical thinking by focusing on the explicit instruction of comprehension strategies. Increase Critical Thinking with Comprehension Strategies shows you how using specific strategies and understanding how texts are organized helps students analyze information and make better decisions. You'll learn easy ways to use reading techniques and text structures to help students analyze, infer, and find the main ideas; and get practical ideas for your classroom to make reading a powerful tool for developing critical thinking in all your students, no matter their level.
Pathways to Student Engagement Part 1: Collaboration, Writing, and Distributed Summarizing
January 26, 2026 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
This professional learning introduces three high-yield strategies that reframe engagement and promote deeper thinking, motivation, and active participation: Distributed Summarization, Writing to Learn, and Collaborative Pairs.
Pathways to Student Engagement Part 2: Effective Questioning, Formative Assessment, and Effective Feedback
January 27, 2026 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
This professional learning highlights three powerful, research-based strategies: Effective Questioning, Formative Assessment, and Effective Feedback.
Pathways to Student Engagement: A Guide for Math Instruction
February 5-6, 2026 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
Transform student compliance into authentic engagement with this research-based guide for math educators.
Accelerate Learning with Vocabulary
February 23, 2026 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
Learn how to implement systematic vocabulary instruction with the seven key characteristics for effective learning. Discover strategies to introduce new words in context and bridge the word knowledge gap, ultimately fostering deeper understanding and stronger communication skills.
Increasing Critical Thinking with Writing
February 24, 2026 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
Writing throughout lessons actively engages students with the content they are learning. There are numerous points throughout the lesson where students can write to deepen their understanding of the content and increase their writing proficiency. In the Assignment, students practice Write to Inform, or formal writing for a specific purpose, while ongoing Write to Learn strategies happen during Lesson Instruction.
Pathways to Student Engagement Part 3: Activating Strategies and Vocabulary Instruction
March 23, 2026 at the Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC
The focus is on two essential "launch" strategies that ensure all students can access rigorous content from the very beginning. Activating Strategies hook student interest and bridge the gap between prior knowledge and new learning. This is paired with foundational Vocabulary Instruction, which equips students with the specific language they need to comprehend and engage with the lesson's core concepts.
Attend a Virtual Training
Pathways to Student Engagement Part 1: Collaboration, Writing, and Distributed Summarizing
Virtual professional development with 2-hour zoom sessions on October 3, 10, & 17, 2025 (3:00pm-5:00pm each day)
This virtual workshop is designed for self-paced coursework and synchronous learning through Zoom. This synchronous learning will consist of 3 two-hour sessions.
Pathways to Student Engagement Part 2: Effective Questioning, Formative Assessment, and Effective Feedback
Virtual professional development with 2-hour zoom sessions on November 7, 14, & 21, 2025 (3:00pm-5:00pm each day)
This virtual workshop is designed for self-paced coursework and synchronous learning through Zoom. This synchronous learning will consist of 3 two-hour sessions.
Pathways to Student Engagement Part 3: Activating Strategies and Vocabulary Instruction
Virtual professional development with 2-hour zoom sessions on January 9, 16, & 23, 2026 (3:00pm-5:00pm each day)
This virtual workshop is designed for self-paced coursework and synchronous learning through Zoom. This synchronous learning will consist of 3 two-hour sessions.
Attend a Training of Trainers Institute
The High Performance Learning-Focused Lesson Training of Trainers Institute
Virtual Institute with 2-hour zoom sessions on October 3, 10, & 17, 2025 (8:30am-10:30am each day)
This virtual institute is designed for self-paced coursework and synchronous learning through Zoom. This synchronous learning will consist of 3 two-hour sessions.
Increasing the Rigor of Learning-Focused Lessons Training of Trainers Institute
Virtual Institute with 2-hour zoom sessions on November 7, 14, & 21, 2025 (8:30am-10:30am each day)
This virtual institute is designed for self-paced coursework and synchronous learning through Zoom. This synchronous learning will consist of 3 two-hour sessions.
Accelerating Learning-Focused Lessons Training of Trainers Institute
Virtual Institute with 2-hour zoom sessions on January 9, 16, & 23, 2026 (8:30am-10:30am each day)
This virtual institute is designed for self-paced coursework and synchronous learning through Zoom. This synchronous learning will consist of 3 two-hour sessions.
Increase Critical Thinking with Comprehension Strategies Training of Trainers Institute
Virtual Institute with 2-hour zoom sessions on February 13, 20, & 27, 2026 (8:30am-10:30am each day)
This virtual institute is designed for self-paced coursework and synchronous learning through Zoom. This synchronous learning will consist of 3 two-hour sessions.
Accelerate Learning with Scaffolding Training of Trainers Institute
Virtual Institute with 2-hour zoom sessions on February 13, 20, & 27, 2026 (8:30am-10:30am each day)
This virtual institute is designed for self-paced coursework and synchronous learning through Zoom. This synchronous learning will consist of 3 two-hour sessions.
The Learning-Focused Training Center in Asheville, NC

- of the cozy learning environment
- of the location
- of the attention to detail
- it is an escape from your day-to-day
- of the nice touches
- you may see bears!