Episode 712: Adopt, Adapt, or Abandon? The Consensus About Personalized Learning

Ashley Mengwasser:

For student-centered instructional practices known under the umbrella of personalized learning to flourish in Georgia classrooms, they first need a vehicle to reach teachers. Yes, PL needs a way in. One such delivery method is Georgia's RESAs, regional educational service agencies. RESA programs equip academic coaches and teachers on PL. And the feedback that RESAs receive about PL is pretty unanimous. So, what is the word from teachers on the inside? Let's find out.

Hello, educators and education leaders, we're glad you're here. I'm Ashley Mengwasser, your host. This is the platform for Georgia's teachers, Classroom Conversations. Our series is proudly presented through a joint partnership of the Georgia Department of Education, GaDOE, and Georgia Public Broadcasting, GPB.

This season, we've trailblazed personalized learning strategy in podcast form to cover ground laid over the past five years by a great initiative called the GRE4T Initiative. Yeah, GRE4T promotes personalized learning so that students across subgroups can experience enhanced learning and well-being. PL is the land of flexible learning environments and student choice, goal setting, and adaptive assessment. So, you can walk the clear and sunny path that other educators have laid before you. We've called in a RESA, a personalized learning training arm to share what's working out in the field.

A little background on RESAs, which stand for regional educational service agencies. There are 16 of these agencies in Georgia, all designed to share services across school systems and help promote DOE initiatives. One of these is our season seven focus, personalized learning, the student-centered practices for heightened engagement. Today, we'll look through the lens of one RESA to view the impact personalized learning has had on academic coaches, on teachers, and students alike.

When coaches can work side-by-side with teachers and put themselves in teacher's shoes, it seems like that's when we get the best outcomes. So, here to help me at GPB Studios is Literacy Specialist, Uvonda Mitchell from Chattahoochee-Flint RESA, where she's been for the past six years. Welcome, Uvonda.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Hi.

Ashley Mengwasser:

How are you?

Uvonda Mitchell:

I am great.

Ashley Mengwasser:

You got the memo that I telepathically transmitted to you. We are wearing the exact same color today.

Uvonda Mitchell:

We are, and we look beautiful.

Ashley Mengwasser:

We do, and you look stunning. So, I'm happy to see that we're in alignment. Anytime I hear the word RESA, I think one thing. Do you want to guess what it is? This just shows you my brain. I think Reese's, which is why I brought you some chocolate today, Uvonda.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Thank you.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Because I know you like chocolate.

Uvonda Mitchell:

I love chocolate, yes.

Ashley Mengwasser:

A little something for the road.

Uvonda Mitchell:

That will stick with me.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Do people make that mistake when you say, I'm with RESAs?

Uvonda Mitchell:

I have not had that happen.

Ashley Mengwasser:

What? Why am I this way? I don't know. I apologize.

Uvonda Mitchell:

No, but I like the association.

Ashley Mengwasser:

I know, my brain always associates with chocolate. I hope you can enjoy that later. Can you help kick us off if we're understanding RESAs, not Reese's, with there are 16 of these in Georgia. What is the charge each RESA has?

Uvonda Mitchell:

Well, I think that you did a great job of describing it in the introduction, but the charge of RESA is exactly that, to provide professional learning and development for teachers, that's our charge. But we don't stop with teachers. We actually provide professional development and learning and support for any adult who provides or has an impact on students in our public schools. So that could be superintendents, principals, assistant principals, counselors, media specialists. We can take it further, technology specialists, maintenance crew, transportation. So, though the realm is open, anyone who is in an education setting can benefit from the services at a RESA.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Long story short, know your RESA, and take them a Reese's.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes, and take them a... yes.

Ashley Mengwasser:

I think that's the right recipe for success, honestly. What geographic region does Chattahoochee-Flint cover? Can you help us understand?

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes. So. Chattahoochee-Flint RESA serves part of Southwest Georgia. So, Southwest Georgia to me is broad, so we aren't as far south as Florida, so we're in the midpoint. So if you can maybe close your eyes to map, that's how I have to remember the districts.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Okay, I'll do that, I'll do that.

Uvonda Mitchell:

So we have districts that border Georgia and Alabama, and then we have districts that are as far east as I-75. And then we have districts as far north as Talbotton, I don't know if you're familiar with that.

Ashley Mengwasser:

No.

Uvonda Mitchell:

In Taylor County. So it is outside of Muscogee, but to the north and a little to the east.

Well, since you asked about the Chattahoochee-Flint RESA District, I would like to take the opportunity to shout out our 17 district.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Oh, we love it, we love a roll call. Go for it.

Uvonda Mitchell:

I have to, Mr. McCorkle would kill me if I didn't. So, we have Chattahoochee County, Clay County, Crisp County, Dooley County, Macon County, Muscogee County, which is our largest county, that's Columbus. Whitman County, Randolph County, Schley County, Stewart County, Sumter County, Talbot County, Taylor County, Webster County, Furlow Charter School, and Southwest Georgia STEM Charter School, also known as SOWEGA.

I wanted to also add a fun fact. So, one of our districts is Sumter County. Have you ever heard of Plains, Georgia?

Ashley Mengwasser:

Yes.

Uvonda Mitchell:

What do you know about-

Ashley Mengwasser:

The home Jimmy Carter? Yes.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes. So, that's part of our claim to fame. Jimmy Carter is part of our RESA district and he began his political career as the board member of the Sumter County Board of Education, so.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Well, there you have it. Do you drive to all those areas yourself?

Uvonda Mitchell:

Some more than others. I may have been to Clay only once, which is maybe an hour and a half from my home. But yes, I have been to all of them at some point in my six years.

Ashley Mengwasser:

So I'm imagining you as a road warrior, Uvonda, that you've got to stay gassed up to get out there.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Gassed up, energized, and I've learned to love podcasts and audiobooks.

Ashley Mengwasser:

We love that, thank you for that feedback. You said that your life is really about balance between two things. You've got work on one end and you've got family on the other. So, I'm seeing a little see-saw here.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes.

Ashley Mengwasser:

And the fulcrum or the middle is just your mission of supporting others. So, tell me about your family life because we haven't heard much about that yet.

Uvonda Mitchell:

All right, so I am a wife and a mother, those are my main things. My husband is in education also.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Oh, wow.

Uvonda Mitchell:

He's an administrator and he was promoted to principal.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Congratulations, yay.

Uvonda Mitchell:

For our middle school, our county middle school. So, yes, congratulations to him.

Ashley Mengwasser:

You got to share that chocolate now. I'm sorry to report.

Uvonda Mitchell:

I know, but he deserves it, no problem. And then we have three beautiful children. We have a 21-year-old Danielle who is out of the house finding her way, so we're proud of her. And then a 15-year-old Mackenzie, and a 12-year-old Mason. So, we have a high schooler and a middle schooler. So my husband was at the high school, he'll be leaving my daughter, going to the middle school with my son.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Wow.

Uvonda Mitchell:

So, between all of their activities, cheering, basketball, track and field, being a supportive wife, church going, work in the community, I'm pretty busy.

Ashley Mengwasser:

You stay occupied. And you said you were very content with your job at Chatt-Flint-

Uvonda Mitchell:

I love my job.

Ashley Mengwasser:

... as literacy specialist, because you said good for your husband, but you really don't want to be an administrator.

Uvonda Mitchell:

I do not.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Why not?

Uvonda Mitchell:

There of course are good points or parts to being an administrator, but I know me and the part that I loathe is the discipline.

Ashley Mengwasser:

It's hard.

Uvonda Mitchell:

It is very hard. And you have to be strong to do that work. And just, having three kids, that's enough.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Yeah, and you're just going to love curriculum on the other side.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Curriculum and instruction. Yes, ma'am, yes.

Ashley Mengwasser:

What are you watching? Another thing you told me you like to do is you could just binge a good series when you have some spare time. What are you bingeing right now? Tell us.

Uvonda Mitchell:

I am bingeing Ted Lasso.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Oh, I love that.

Uvonda Mitchell:

I love Ted Lasso.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Ted Lasso. And I have to laugh because you said, "I might be a little late to this story." I don't think you are. I think this is the perfect time. I think Ted Lasso was perfect for PL because he is a motivational figure.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes, yes he is. From beginning to end, just yes, I love him.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Why is he a great coach? You work with coaches.

Uvonda Mitchell:

He is a great coach because he sees the bigger picture. It's not just about winning, you have to keep in mind the people that you're working with when you're trying to win. You have to get to know them, you have to know their strengths and their weaknesses and play to those. You have to let them develop as an individual and help them grow in those strengths and weaknesses. And not only that, but you have to be open to growth and-

Ashley Mengwasser:

Yourself.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Oh, yes, and that is Ted. Why is he in London to begin with? Growth, right?

Ashley Mengwasser:

Growth. Great point, great point. A little plug for everybody to watch the series.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes, please, yes.

Ashley Mengwasser:

But there's this word that you said that I think is so fitting when we're talking about personalized learning, which is development, developing. There's this undercurrent of move, change, evolve that's underneath all of this. Since we're working with RESAs, hearing about RESAs and PL for the first time in season seven, what would you like teachers listening to know about RESAs in Georgia? Anything?

Uvonda Mitchell:

Well, I can't stress enough that we are service agencies, which means we are here to serve. And so, we work with our districts and our schools to determine the needs of the districts and the schools, and we focus on that. So, we are here to serve you. But more importantly, we know that teachers have a lot of expectations on their desk. Instead of their plates, they have it on their desk. So, teachers have a lot on their desk and they don't want more added to their desk. So we're not here to add to their desk, we're here to help them organize their desk. We're here to help them just use their desk more effectively. We don't want to add to it, we just want to show you how to make it the most useful desk that it can be.

Ashley Mengwasser:

What a wonderful resource. And what are RESAs learning about teachers as you're working with all 17 districts in your RESA?

Uvonda Mitchell:

One, that we realize that they have a lot going on and that we appreciate it and that we are cognizant of their time and their energy that they provide by coming for PL. But I also think that they want us to know that they appreciate the opportunities to be able to collaborate and learn and speak with other like-minded people. In our district, Chattahoochee-Flint RESA, we have a lot of small districts, so we have what we call singleton teachers. So you might have one teacher teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth grade English.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Wow.

Uvonda Mitchell:

So they have no one to collaborate, and it could be that for each subject, so, especially in middle and high school. So, we think that we're helping teachers to understand that by participating in your RESA, you can participate face-to-face or however with other teachers, that there is support out there. And so, I think that word is getting around and it's appreciated.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Use the supportive arm of your RESA and you're going to tell us about that today. Specifically, you're here to talk about personalized learning. Why is this work of proliferating PL from coaches to teachers to students important to you? Why do you believe in it?

Uvonda Mitchell:

I believe in it because I've been working with PL, or personalized learning, for the last two and a half years. And over that time, I've just seen the impact of PL through students, teachers and coaches. And so, because I see the power of it, I see the impact of it. Part of my job is to spread the good news because I'm a middleman. And so, because I've seen it in a small pocket and the power that it has, I want to spread the joy.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Spread the joy,

Uvonda Mitchell:

I want to spread it. So, that's why I love it and that's part of my mission.

Ashley Mengwasser:

You mentioned part of your job, I want to hear about the rest of your job. What are your duties as personalized learning RESA leader?

Uvonda Mitchell:

You want to hear about my jobs or specifically about personalized learning?

Ashley Mengwasser:

Let's start with your job. Let's go broad and then drill down.

Uvonda Mitchell:

So broadly, I am a literacy specialist, as you said. So I work with standards, curriculum and instruction, supporting teachers, schools, driving the work. But I also am a TAPP coach, so that is working with teachers with pursuing certification through an alternative route. So they have a college education, but they aren't certified, so they go through the TAPP program to become certified. Those have been my main hats this year.

I've also worked with GOSA, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Achievement.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes, I went blank, but GOSA. We partner with GOSA, RESA's partnered through GOSA, and so through GOSA I've worked with induction teachers. So those are teachers in their first three years of teaching. So just to give them that support, that key word to provide support to those teachers so that they stay in the profession. At Chattahoochee-Flint RESA, we are the only RESA in Georgia to have a student advisory board.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Oh, cool.

Uvonda Mitchell:

So our student advisory board has student leaders from each of our districts and they come and basically they learn leadership skills, they learn public speaking skills, collaboration tools, collaborative tools. And for the past two years, we visited the State Capitol so that they can see lawmaking in action. The first year they were able to meet with Superintendent Richard Woods, he spoke with them. They were so engaged and had great questions. And then both years, we've been able to take pictures with the Governor, but they've been able to sit in on sessions and to see how it actually works. And I just think that's powerful because then you take it back to the local level and you use what you've seen.

Ashley Mengwasser:

It is powerful.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes, so.

Ashley Mengwasser:

And in terms of personalized learning you said you've been working with academic coaches on PL. So, let's jump into this partnership with GRE4T and Chattahoochee-Flint RESA. Why did GRE4T partner with your RESA to train academic coaches on PL?

Uvonda Mitchell:

We're here to serve, so we have professional learning communities for all of the entities that we support. All of the adults, all of the educators, and academic coaches are a part of that entity. So we've had collaboratives before, but we were trying to find something that would appeal to academic coaches no matter where they were in their journey, because we had a mixture of new coaches, coaches with no experience. It was their first year, mid-level, and then coaches with 10 plus experience. So, I was an academic coach before working at RESA, I embraced the task.

And so, one of the things that we decided to do was to partner with GRE4T, because this was new learning for those academic coaches. Personalized learning wasn't something that was on our radar, and so we embraced it. We figured, what better audience than academic coaches, hey, to embark on this journey? So, that's how we partnered with GRE4T.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Okay, and I want to talk about how this was set up. You said it was half-day sessions twice a month, so coaches would have an option.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes.

Ashley Mengwasser:

So, how did they receive this training?

Uvonda Mitchell:

The first two years or the year and a half, it was once a month, two options, which I think was helpful in coaches embracing it because you don't have to be out of classroom or out of the building rather, for a full day. It was options, choice, because our schedules dictate whether we can leave the building or not. And I think it was just enough information, but not overwhelming.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Not inundating, right. Enough where they could actually take it back to their schools. Exactly.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes, and so that time they had just enough new learning and also practice with the strategies to take it back and execute. So, yes.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Yes, and that's the part we're interested in today. As a result of that partnership, how is your RESA now able to assist districts in implementing personalized learning and what they've picked up on so far?

Uvonda Mitchell:

All right, so this last year we went from two half days to one full day. So, we dug into it a little bit more, and part of that process was coaches were tasked with setting smart goals around personalized learning. So they could choose one of the 10 personalized learning standards. And they had to, and it was probably one that was tied to the work that they were already doing. Again, we don't want to add to.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Easily integrate it.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes, we want to integrate, we want to show the connection. And so they had to create a smart goal, implement or come up with action steps, monitor those action steps, revise those action steps, and then of course, implement. And then at the end of the year, they reported out on it. So, we got to the point where we had fabulous feedback. The learning between the academic coaches and the teachers was phenomenal. It gave me goosebumps. And I say all that to say, we had a very successful year. So, the work going forward is to build off of that.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Build the success.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Build the success.

Ashley Mengwasser:

And we're going to talk about that today. What you're describing right now, so much about training and growth. And that speaks to the 10th and final PLE standard, which is lifelong professional learning. And it states that educators should view their own learning as a lifelong pursuit and participate in PL communities. Is this coach-teacher pairing an ideal way to keep up with PL strategies? Have your coaches taken it back to your teachers, work alongside and dig in? Are there other ways you can think of that teachers can make themselves lifelong professional learners?

Uvonda Mitchell:

Oh, there are plenty of ways, but since we're talking about personalized learning, I do feel like this is the perfect way to do it.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Nice.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Because I think with academic coaching, sometimes what gets frustrating is they're teachers at heart, and as a coach you aren't in the classroom as much. You are more on the theory side of it and helping other people execute. And so, this gave them an opportunity to co-plan with the teacher to be in the classroom and working with students to talk about what was working, what wasn't working, to regroup. And to see just the sparkle from teachers as they were seeing the success because they could slow down and really pay attention to the learning, to the success of their student, that was fulfilling for both the coaches and us. The coaches were able to see immediately their impact, which they don't always get to see. And then teachers could see it in their students, because a lot of them focused on goal setting, choice boards, those kinds of things that gave students personalized options.

And then the students, I think that they realize, okay, teachers care. It's not just about teaching. They want to see how it works best for me.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Me.

Uvonda Mitchell:

And so, that's just so powerful.

Ashley Mengwasser:

And what you just described for your academic coaches and your teachers is they get with this pairing, they get a built-in teammate, Ted Lasso style.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes.

Ashley Mengwasser:

He needs assistant coaches because you really go and you debrief those strategies and you reassess, in collaboration. It definitely offers that. I want to hear what the academic coaches and the teachers that they worked with shared about their experience with this PL partnership. What did they say?

Uvonda Mitchell:

Well, I've had a couple of coaches, more so the veteran coaches who said, "We've tried a lot of coaching protocols," and this one wasn't exact protocol, but it allowed them to do the work that they really wanted to do so they could appreciate that. So they loved that there was actionable feedback. All of the coaches were tasked with determining whether they were going to adopt, adapt, or abandon the goal and the standard.

Ashley Mengwasser:

I love that.

Uvonda Mitchell:

I do too. And all of them chose to adapt or adopt-

Ashley Mengwasser:

Or adopt.

Uvonda Mitchell:

... going forward. So to me, that in itself-

Ashley Mengwasser:

What more do you need to know?

Uvonda Mitchell:

What more do you need to know or what more could you say? And so, I'm just excited about that because like I said earlier, we're going to build off of that. And so coaches worked with one, maybe two teachers, and of course next year they're going to widen that net. They're going to work with more teachers. And now, it's not just them saying, "Well, when I was in the classroom, I did this," or, "I've learned this, so let's try it." Now they have a teacher who can attest to the work and say, "It really works," and you're going to love working with the coach in this capacity, so, just great things.

Ashley Mengwasser:

That is the best feedback. I mean, I want to say something about that mantra that you have. It's just brilliant, adapt, adopt or abandon. You can use that within teaching personalized learning too, because you might give your students choices that aren't working and so we can adapt.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes.

Ashley Mengwasser:

That's a great mantra.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes. But I love that too, because when we're teaching, it's also about outside of the walls of the classroom. It's about life. It's okay if you have to change course sometimes and adapt, adopt or abandon. That's part of life.

Ashley Mengwasser:

That is so powerful. I think we need T-shirts. Should we start a business?

Uvonda Mitchell:

We'll have to give credit to GRE4T because I did-

Ashley Mengwasser:

We will, absolutely. Thank you, GRE4T. I want to invoke another personalized learning standard, standard four, which I know you're familiar with all these. But growth and mastery mindset, which requires that we shift thinking from the binary of success and failure in favor of growth and perseverance toward mastery instead. So, isn't this standard for learners the very same mindset shift that your coaches and teachers are learning through this partnership? That they have to grow and persevere toward mastery, and it's not about you fail or you succeed. It's about evolving, meaning they haven't arrived.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Yes, and isn't that the beauty? I'm going to say, I'm constantly learning. Participating in GRE4T and PL has led to me growing with growth mindset and mastery. But yes, the beauty of, we're learning this to take it back to students, but first we have to do it ourselves before we can take it to the students. So, I think about the four components of standard four, which is monitor the pace and the progress and embrace mistakes. Okay, if you want students to do it, you have to be able to do that as an adult. And so, this process allowed them to do that. The next step was identify causes of the struggle, prescribe solutions, and co-plan for short and long-term goals or short-term growth. There's that word again.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Growth.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Growth. So, the coaches and the teachers had to do this in order to take it to the students and help them to do it for their goals or their choice board or wherever they were going with it. And then the third element is design and implement tools, strategies and learning experiences to support growth. So there it is. Really, that's that coaching cycle, that's that plan, do, study, act cycle, it's embedded in the work.

And so again, why do I love personalized learning? Because there are so many elements that I can implement as I continue to support academic coaches. And it can just apply to anything that we're doing at RESA, but let's just start with academic coaches and personalized learning.

Ashley Mengwasser:

It's a great starting point. And you said all areas of the spectrum seem to love it. Academic coaches love it because they're getting to co-teach in ways, they're getting to see the real effects of their training. Teachers love it because they're feeling more empowered, their students are giving more positive feedback. Students are excelling in ways they never had. And I love that you care about this one piece of it, which is even as the experts, the experts, the teachers, the coaches, we can still learn. And you say that that is exactly modeling for students' real life and the trajectory of learning and growth.

Any tips for other RESA leaders out there who are listening to you and they're thinking, hey, I want to support my schools and the districts that we serve in the shift to personalized learning, how do they do that?

Uvonda Mitchell:

Okay, so unfortunately GRE4T, which was the arm that we worked with, it was a grant. And so June 30th, there is no more grant, but there are personalized endorsements out there. So, RESAs can offer personalized learning endorsements or they can partner with other RESAs who already have those endorsements so that they can support their teachers in doing that. If they've had personalized learning in their RESA, they can continue to support sustainability. RESAs are tasked with creating collaborative groups for our teachers, and so that's a group that we continue to support. It doesn't have to just be coaches and teachers. Anyone that has started the work of personalized learning, we can continue that support. And by working with them, we can spread the love.

So, personalized learning endorsements, sustaining the work by supporting those who are doing it. And the Georgia Department of Education offers PL or professional learning on personalized learning, yes, on PL. And so, we get the catalog, we know where to go look for those sources. They are there. They are there to support us and to keep the work going.

I didn't realize how long personalized learning has been around, but I'm glad that it found its way to Chattahoochee-Flint RESA. It is one of the reasons that I love my job. Going back to lifelong learning, six years, I have learned so much in these six years. Yes, people think of you as a specialist or an expert, but the key to staying an expert is continued learning. You have to keep learning, you have to keep growing.

Ashley Mengwasser:

And even that is expertly said, thank you for that. And you're right that the GRE4T grant has completed, but the sustaining work of personalized learning dissemination is still afoot, and that's what you're doing with your coaches. As you continue to expand personalized learning, because I know you're looking mountains high, aren't you? In the Chatt-Flint region, who's the next rung you want to engage on this ladder? Who's next?

Uvonda Mitchell:

So, administrators, you are next on my radar.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Oh, admins.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Because to expand, to broaden our horizon, we have to bring in those decision makers. And so, we have some coaches who have strong relationships with their administrators who are right there in the work, who stayed abreast of what was going on. And then we have some that we need to bring abroad, bring along so that we continue this work. So again, I saw the impact on teachers, students, and coaches. I want administrators to see that impact and see how it will move students and teachers in schools.

Ashley Mengwasser:

Yes. Uvonda, you've been a great guest and my twin. You have done our educators listening today a tremendous service though, because you're offering this huge morale boost from educators already on board that Chattahoochee-Flint's RESAs coaches and teachers are reporting so positively adopt or adapt, unanimously. So when you have support for PL, when you have that buy-in, it just spreads like wildfire, it sounds like. Yeah. What is next for your next cohort of coaches who are working on PL training? Is that group growing?

Uvonda Mitchell:

That is the goal, for it to grow. The first year and a half, we had maybe three districts, which might've been 12 coaches. This last group, we had seven districts with 14 coaches. So, the goal is to bring on more coaches or teacher-leaders because not all school districts have coaches, but the work has to be done, and we have some strong leaders. So to bring on more coaches and teacher-leaders and to continue the work with those who have had the training. So those who have participated in it will help us. Help me, because I'll be doing it all next year. But again, have me having coaches that can speak to the work will do more marketing than I could ever do because they can attest to the actual work, so.

Ashley Mengwasser:

They've been there and they've seen it with their own eyes. I have so enjoyed talking with a RESA specialist. Uvonda, thank you for being here, and I hope you enjoy that Reese's.

Uvonda Mitchell:

Thank you, I will.

Ashley Mengwasser:

You've earned that.

To all of our educators listening today, you're a great teacher. As you ready to wholeheartedly adopt a great initiative, personalized learning, we're here to help. And as you've heard today, the greatness has been pretty well proven from this program. You've heard it from coaches, you've heard it from educators, you've heard it from students, adopt or adapt. Get on board with personalized learning and don't miss out. For more reinforcement, you can keep tuning in next week as we continue the rest of these 10 episodes about PL. Until then, I'm Ashley, goodbye for now.

The personalized learning series of Classroom Conversations is funded by the GRE4T Initiative. In the fall of 2020, the Georgia Department of Education made a commitment to student-centered approaches through Georgia's ReStart, Embrace, Engage, Expand, and Enhance Learning with Technology initiative.