November 2025 Newsletter
Hello,
As you all eye that glorious Thanksgiving break, somewhere between the last parent conference and the first slice of pumpkin pie, it helps to look back at this fall. The lessons that soared, the ones that face-planted, the moments we wish we could rewind. Those “failures” are really just evidence that we are still experimenting, adjusting, and growing as professionals.
Thank you for reading our newsletter and letting us ride along with you on the march to Thanksgiving. We are grateful to be part of your professional learning community, cheering you on all the way to that well earned break.
This edition of the Learning-Focused Newsletter explores:
- How Scripted Lesson Planning Changed Education and How Does AI Impact What's Next
- What Happens Inside Your Classroom Structures Makes All the Difference for K-12 Student Learning
- A Guide to the R.A.F.T. Writing Strategy Across Content Areas
- Vocabulary Strategy: Word Bridges
- Novel Analysis: Refugee
Enjoy!
@LearningFocused #withLF #learnon
P.S. Check out our Upcoming Events
Event Spotlight
Pathways to Student Engagement Part 1: Collaboration, Writing, and Distributed Summarizing
January 26, 2026 · 8:30 AM–3:30 PM ET
Learning-Focused Training Center · 200 District Drive Ste 001 · Asheville, NC 28803
Move beyond “busy but not learning.” In this one-day institute, you will learn practical routines for Collaborative Pairs, Writing to Learn, and Distributed Summarizing that increase accountability, reveal student thinking, and strengthen retention across subjects and grade levels.
- Design lessons that promote active participation and deeper thinking.
- Use simple structures to make evidence of learning visible.
- Leave with ready-to-use strategies you can implement the very next day.
Registration: $197 per person, includes materials valued at $70. Group discounts for 3+ participants. Seating is limited.
Event Spotlight
Pathways to Student Engagement Part 2: Effective Questioning, Formative Assessment, and Effective Feedback
January 27, 2026 · 8:30 AM–3:30 PM ET
Learning-Focused Training Center · 200 District Drive Ste 001 · Asheville, NC 28803
Building on the collaborative and reflective structures from Part 1, this second day focuses on the guidance systems that keep engagement purposeful: Effective Questioning, Formative Assessment, and Effective Feedback. Learn how to plan questions, checks for understanding, and feedback that keep every student thinking, responding, and moving forward.
- Design purposeful questions aligned to Learning Goals and higher-order thinking.
- Use formative assessments to gather clear evidence and adjust instruction in real time.
- Provide specific, actionable feedback that builds student ownership and confidence.
Registration: $197 per person, includes materials valued at $105. Save $50 when you register 3 or more participants.
Resource: Word Bridges
Ready to move your students beyond memorizing vocabulary lists? The Word Bridges strategy helps students analyze context, create their own generalizations, explore prefixes and suffixes, and choose precise synonyms so new words actually stick and show up in their reading and writing. Download this free resource to get a ready-to-use graphic organizer, sample elementary and middle school examples, and digital adaptation ideas you can plug into tomorrow’s lesson.
Accelerate Learning with Scaffolding
Meet immediate learning needs while staying aligned to grade-level goals
Scaffolding helps you address diverse readiness levels without lowering the bar. Provide just-in-time supports during grade-level tasks, then fade them as students gain confidence and independence. Build an inclusive classroom where every learner can succeed with challenging content.
- Clarify the purpose of scaffolding and how it improves outcomes.
- Support all students with timely aids that taper as mastery grows.
- Apply guiding principles, including extending the Zone of Proximal Development.
- Keep access to grade-level expectations central while differentiating for learning.
