"I didn't realize how long it had been since I felt like a learner." That's what one educator told Trish Hinze and Tina Iles after last year's preconference session — and it's shaped their 2026 session, Powerful Practices for Professional Learning. In their newest blog post, they explore why so many educators are working harder than ever with fewer chances to actually experience meaningful learning themselves, and how professional learning designed around physical, social, and learning needs can change that. Read the full post to see their LEARN → APPLY tool for turning professional learning into lasting practice — and register to join Trish and Tina's session on Sunday, December 6th at the 2026 Annual Conference. Registration details are in the post! #LearnFwd26 @LearnTexas @LearningForward learningforward.org/2026/09/…

Ever had a "mighty mirror moment"? Peter Carpenter did — while trying on a cart full of clothes that looked perfect online but told a different story in the mirror. In a new blog post, he asks what it would look like to hold that same honest mirror up to our professional learning design. Do our ideas just look fun and trendy, or are they actually meaningful and aligned? Read the full post to see how he and Tina Howle are using the "Know, Do, Feel" framework to help you supercharge your adult learning — and register to join their session on Sunday, December 6 at the 2026 Annual Conference. Registration details are in the post! #LearnFwd26 @LearningForward learningforward.org/2026/08/…

Systemic professional learning is not built in a single workshop. It is built in sustained, collaborative, standards-aligned work across a whole district. Join us at Unite for Learning to explore what that looks like in practice. Dec. 6-9 | Gaylord Texan, Dallas | conference.learningforward.o…

"Your cup is already full." That's the image Jennifer Abrams uses to describe why receiving feedback well is so hard. It's just one piece of her newest blog post, which breaks down two distinct, learnable skills: saying the hard thing (starting with observation, not judgment, then sitting in silence) and hearing the hard thing (suspending your certainty that you're right). Read the full post to see all four moves — and register to join her pre-conference session on Sunday, December 6th at the 2026 Annual Conference. Registration details are in the post! #LearnFwd26 @jenniferabrams @LearningForward learningforward.org/2026/08/…

George Couros. Haesun Moon. Joe Sanfelippo. Three keynotes. Four days. One community united for learning. When students need us most, educators come together. Dec. 6-9, Gaylord Texan, Dallas. conference.learningforward.o… #learnfwd26

"Do students know what they are learning? Not what they are doing." That's the distinction Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey draw in their newest blog post. A finished poster or a completed worksheet is evidence of activity — not proof of learning. In the post, they break down the four questions that create real teacher clarity: What are we learning? Why does it matter? What does success look like? How will we know? Read the full post to see all four — and register to join their pre-conference session on Sunday, December 6th at the 2026 Annual Conference. Registration details are in the post! #LearnFwd26 @DFISHERSDSU @NancyFrey @LearningForward learningforward.org/2026/08/…

Understanding the Mind Transforms the Way We Teach and Learn Margaret Lee and Jim Heal ask what really changes when educators understand *how* learning happens — not just which strategies to use. One striking result from their work with Cicero SD 99: after a year of building shared learning-science knowledge, the share of educators choosing the instructional activity best aligned with how learning works jumped from 22.3% to 65.2%. Read the full post to see what that shift looked like in practice — and register for Meg and Jim's preconference session, Evidence-Informed Instruction: Understanding the Mind Transforms the Way We Teach and Learn, on Sunday, December 6th at the 2026 Annual Conference. Registration details are in the post! #LearnFwd26 @LearningForward learningforward.org/2026/09/…

270+ sessions. Standards-aligned. Evidence required. No exhibit hall. 4 days of deep professional learning and valuable collaboration. | Dec. 6-9 | Dallas, TX | conference.learningforward.o…

Thomas Guskey previews his Learning Forward 2026 preconference session, "Uniting Our Efforts to Evaluate Professional Learning." He breaks down the 5 critical levels of evidence for evaluating PL, how generative AI can streamline data gathering and analysis, and how to plan backward from the student outcomes you want to see. Read the full post to see how evaluation can become a built-in part of professional learning — not an afterthought — and register to join Tom's session on Sunday, December 6th at the 2026 Annual Conference. Registration details are in the post! #LearnFwd26 @tguskey @LearningForward learningforward.org/2026/09/…

Ready to transform your vision for student success into lasting, systemic change? Applications are now open for the Learning Forward Academy Class of 2029! Join a dynamic, collaborative community of educational leaders to gain practical strategies, actionable tools, and the support needed to drive meaningful impact within your school or district. Apply today to take the next step in your professional growth: learningforward.org/academy/

The people improving schools rarely make headlines. But they are the reason students succeed. Join the community that supports them. Unite for Learning, Dec. 6-9, Gaylord Texan, Dallas. conference.learningforward.o… #learnfwd26

Professional learning should feel relevant, engaging, and worth an educator’s time. In this interactive session, school and district leaders will explore how AI can help them design learning experiences around targeted priorities, standards, and the specific needs of the people they serve. learnfwd.org/reimagineai #ProfessionalLearning #AIInEducation #EdTech

Professional learning should feel relevant, engaging, and worth an educator’s time. In this interactive session, school and district leaders will explore how AI can help them design learning experiences around targeted priorities, standards, and the specific needs of the people they serve. learnfwd.org/reimagineai #ProfessionalLearning #AIInEducation #EdTech

Learning Forward is the only professional association in the field focused solely on professional learning. Unite for Learning is where our community gathers. Will you be there? Dec. 6-9, 2026 | Gaylord Texan, Dallas | conference.learningforward.o…

Ready to transform your vision for student success into lasting, systemic change? Applications are now open for the Learning Forward Academy Class of 2029! Join a dynamic, collaborative community of educational leaders to gain practical strategies, actionable tools, and the support needed to drive meaningful impact within your school or district. Apply today to take the next step in your professional growth: learningforward.org/academy/

What does it mean to lead from who you actually are and not who the role pressures you to become? Wednesday’s keynote speaker Joe Sanfelippo will close Unite for Learning with a session on grounding yourself, building trust through presence, and creating habits that sustain a positive culture. Drawing on his Personal, People, and Process Rhythms framework, he will share why great leadership is about showing up with clarity, humanity, and consistency when it matters most. Join us Dec. 6-9 in Dallas for THE Learning Conference. conference.learningforward.o… #learnfwd26

Behind every thriving classroom is a community of educators learning together. Come build that community with us. THE Learning Conference, Dec. 6-9, Dallas. conference.learningforward.o… #learnfwd26

In 1997, Dolly Parton stood on our Annual Conference stage to accept an award from us (NSDC at the time) honoring her work on literacy and children's education. Learning Forward's Dennis Sparks shares his behind-the-scenes memory of that day, including her warmth, her wit, and the lasting impression she left on everyone in the room. We will miss her greatly. Read the full story: dennissparks.wordpress.com/2… #learnfwd26 #EducationLeaders

Every presenter at THE Learning Conference must demonstrate a research base or evidence of impact. This is the standard at Learning Forward. Unite for Learning | Dec. 6-9, 2026 | Gaylord Texan, Dallas | conference.learningforward.o… #learnfwd26

When we unite, our collective strength grows. Students. Learning. Opportunity. Hope. Join us at THE Learning Conference, Dec. 6-9, 2026, at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas, Texas. conference.learningforward.o… #learnfwd26