Hey Teachers!

Learning targets and success criteria shouldn’t just live on the board.

If students are going to use them, we have to do more than post them at the beginning of class and hope students make the connection. The real work is helping students understand what they are learning, what success looks like, and how they can use that information throughout the lesson.

In Part 2 of this Instructional Spotlight, we move from creating learning targets and success criteria to actually using them as part of instruction.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

• Why posting a learning target is only the beginning
• Ways to bring the learning target into the lesson instead of mentioning it once
• How success criteria can help students recognize quality work
• The difference between using learning targets for compliance and using them for clarity
• How we can help students take more ownership of where they are in their learning

Because posting is visibility. Using them is clarity.

And, as always, you’ll leave with a 30-Minute Prep Challenge you can try in your classroom.

Ready to put this into practice? The Creating Clarity Lesson Planner is a free resource designed to help you think through how your learning target and success criteria will actually show up throughout your lesson.

You can find it on The Hayes Learning Collective website.

We’re wrapping up this Instructional Spotlight with Part 3: Common Mistakes with Learning Targets & Success Criteria. We’ll look at some of the ways good intentions can get in the way of clarity and, more importantly, what we can do differently.

🎙️ Follow The 30 Minute PD so you don’t miss the final installment, and if this episode made you think of a teacher, coach, or educator you work with, share it with a colleague and keep the conversation going.

Instructional Spotlight: Creating Clarity for Students Through Learning Targets and Success Criteria — Part 1: Creating Clarity Begins with the Learning

Hey Teachers! Learning targets and success criteria are posted in classrooms everywhere—but are students actually clear about what they’re learning?

In the first episode of Instructional Spotlight, we’re going beyond posting an “I can” statement on the board and getting clear about what learning targets and success criteria are actually designed to do.

We’ll break down the difference between a standard, learning target, success criteria, and activity, explore why a learning target isn’t simply a standard rewritten in student-friendly language, and look at how each piece works together to create clarity and coherence for students.

Because just because we know where students are supposed to go doesn’t mean they do.

In this episode, you’ll explore:

• The difference between standards, learning targets, success criteria, and activities

• Why learning targets should reflect the learning progression

• How success criteria make successful learning visible

• Why completing an activity isn’t the same as demonstrating learning

• How creating clarity connects to accomplished teaching

Plus, take on the 30-Minute Prep Challenge by looking at one upcoming lesson through a new lens.

The big idea: Accomplished teaching begins by creating clarity.

Because the goal isn’t to rewrite the standard. The goal is to create clarity.

🎙️Next Episode: Instructional Spotlight: Creating Clarity for Students Through Learning Targets and Success Criteria— Part 2: Making Learning Visible Throughout the LessonEnjoying Instructional Spotlight?? Follow The 30 Minute PD so you never miss an episode, and share this conversation with a colleague or teaching partner who could use a little encouragement as they begin the school year.

Back-to-School You: Five Questions For A More Intentional Year.

Episode 5 of 5: What Will Back-to-School You Thank You For?

The first day of school isn't the finish line.

It's the beginning of the story you'll write all year long.

In the final episode of the Back to School You series, we reflect on one last question:

What will Backt o School You thank you for?

Every intentional decision you make today becomes a gift to the educator you'll be tomorrow. Before students walk through your classroom doors—or as you settle into a new school year—you have an opportunity to create habits, systems, and mindsets that will continue to support you long after the excitement of back-to-school season fades.

In this episode, we'll discuss:

Why small, intentional decisions have a lasting impact throughout the school year.

The importance of giving yourself grace while staying committed to your goals.

How to create a simple plan that your future self will genuinely appreciate.

Whether you've listened to one episode or all five, I hope this series reminds you that accomplished teaching isn't about perfection—it's about making intentional decisions, reflecting often, and continuing to grow.

30-Minute Prep Challenge: Write a short letter to your future self. What commitments are you making today? What do you hope you'll remember when the school year becomes busy? Save it somewhere you'll revisit during the first month of school.

Thank you for joining me for the Back-to-School You series!

If these conversations encouraged you, I'd love for you to follow The 30 Minute PD, leave a review, and share the series with a colleague who could use a little encouragement as the school year begins.

And don't forget to come back for our next Season 3 series, First Month You, because preparing for the school year is only the beginning. Our Season 3 journey continues in First Month You.

Back to School You: Five Questions For A More Intentional Year

Episode 4 of 5: What Instructional Habits and Practices Do I Want to Build?

Great teaching isn't built on one amazing lesson.

It's built on the habits and instructional practices we commit to using consistently.

In Episode 4 of the Back-to-School You series, we'll explore the difference between instructional habits and instructional practices—and why both are essential for student success.

Instead of trying to implement every new strategy at once, we'll focus on intentionally choosing the routines and practices that align with your students' needs and your instructional goals.

In this episode, we'll discuss:

The difference between instructional habits and instructional practices.Examples of high-impact practices you can begin using immediately.

How consistency helps create stronger learning experiences and better outcomes for students.

Whether you're a new teacher or a veteran educator refining your craft, this episode will help you focus on the practices that matter most.

30-Minute Prep Challenge: Choose one instructional habit and one instructional practice you want to intentionally strengthen this school year. Write down one specific action you'll take during the first two weeks of school to make each one part of your routine.

🎙️ Next Episode: What Will Back-to-School You Thank You For?

Enjoying the series? Follow The 30 Minute PD so you never miss an episode, and share this conversation with a colleague or teaching partner who could use a little encouragement as they begin the school year.

Back to School You: Five Questions For A More Intentional Year.

Episode 3 of 5: What Do My Students Need From Me?

Before students can learn from us, they need to know we're paying attention to who they are and what they need.

In Episode 3 of the Back-to-School You series, we ask one of the most important questions an educator can ask:

What do my students need from me?

Every group of students is different. While we can't control everything they bring into our classrooms, we can intentionally decide how we'll respond to their needs. This episode explores how knowing our students helps us make better instructional decisions and build stronger classroom communities.

In this episode, we'll discuss:

• Why understanding your students is the foundation of accomplished teaching.
• The difference between teaching content and teaching the students in front of you.
• Practical ways to learn about your students before—and while—you teach them.

Whether you're meeting your students for the first time or getting to know a new group, this episode will help you begin with curiosity, empathy, and purpose.

30-Minute Prep Challenge: Create five questions you'll ask your students during the first week of school, and decide how you'll use their responses to shape your instruction and classroom community.

🎙️ Next Episode: What Instructional Habits and Practices Do I Want to Build?

Enjoying the series? Follow The 30 Minute PD so you never miss an episode, and share this conversation with a colleague or teaching partner who could use a little encouragement as they begin the school year.

Back to School You: Five Questions For A More Intentional Year.

Episode 2 of 5: What Do I Want My Students to Experience?

Every decision we make in the classroom creates an experience for students.

The question is...

Are we creating those experiences intentionally?

In Episode 2 of the Back-to-School You series, we shift our focus from ourselves to our students by asking:

What do I want my students to experience?

Instead of starting with classroom rules or procedures, we'll explore how to intentionally design learning environments where students feel safe, challenged, respected, and inspired to grow.

In this episode, we'll discuss:

• Why student experiences shape learning long after lessons are forgotten.
• How intentional decisions build belonging, curiosity, and trust.
• Practical ways to align your daily choices with the classroom experience you want students to have.

Whether you're welcoming students for the first time or looking for a fresh start, this episode will encourage you to think beyond what students do and focus on what they experience.

30-Minute Prep Challenge: Identify three experiences you want every student to have in your classroom this year and choose one intentional action that will help make each experience a reality.

🎙️ Next Episode: What Do My Students Need From Me?

Enjoying the series? Follow The 30 Minute PD so you never miss an episode, and share this conversation with a colleague or teaching partner who could use a little encouragement as they begin the school year.

Back to School You: Five Questions For a More Intentional School Year.

Episode 1 of 5: Who Do I Want to Be This Year?

Before you prepare your classroom, prepare yourself.

In the first episode of the Back-to-School You series, we're starting with the most important question of all:

Who do I want to be this year?

It's easy to spend hours thinking about classroom decorations, lesson plans, and to-do lists. But accomplished teaching begins with something much deeper—being intentional about the educator you want to become.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• Why your identity as an educator matters more than your classroom aesthetic.
• How your values influence the decisions you make every day.
• A simple reflection activity to help you begin the school year with purpose.

Whether you're a classroom teacher, instructional coach, or school leader, this episode will help you start the year with greater clarity and confidence.

30-Minute Prep Challenge: Write a one-paragraph vision describing the educator you want to be this year.

🎙️ Next Episode: What Do I Want My Students to Experience?

Enjoying the series? Follow The 30 Minute PD so you never miss an episode, and share this conversation with a colleague or teaching partner who could use a little encouragement as they begin the school year.

Hey Teachers!

Summer is coming to an end, and before we jump into back-to-school mode, let's pause.

In this final episode of the Helping Future You: A Summer Series , we're reflecting on the small decisions that make a big difference. Together, we'll revisit the lessons from the series, celebrate the progress you've already made, and discover the greatest gift Summer You can give Back-to-School You: confidence.

You'll also complete one simple reflection that will remind you just how prepared you really are.

Whether you're already back at school, setting up your classroom, or squeezing every last drop out of summer, this episode is for you.

✨ Try This Reflection: What are three things Summer You did that Back-to-School You will appreciate?

Because Future You isn't looking for perfection.

Future You is grateful for preparation.

Let's stay in contact! Email me at The30MinutePD@gmail.com and follow on Instagram @The30MinutePD