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Let's Quit Teaching

A How-To Approach to
Designing Learning

CLICK HERE TO ORDER!

My Book from

Routledge Press

Available Now!

We have been teaching for years now, but how often is learning taking place in the classroom? What does transforming teaching into learning look like at the classroom level? How can we make what evidence says maximizes learning easily applicable in the classroom?

The goal of this site is to provide real world, relevant and teacher-friendly guidance, resources and examples of what active learning can look like for our students. It is a combination of reflection on mindsets, transformation of our methods and a collaboration with fellow educators.

If you would like to be a part of changing your classroom from one centered in teaching to one focused on learning, join us!

Look What Educators Are Saying:

5

Great discussion and practical guide to making the most out of time with our students at the tier 1 instructional level!

Donny S.

Principal

One of the best educational books I have read in a long time.

Michael K.

Assistant Principal

This is the perfect book to read if you want to advance the instructional practices occurring in your classroom and/or school.

Tara F.

Principal

Finally got the book in the mail today and read it cover to cover. Great work. Exciting work. Let’s quit teaching! And start learning!

Robert K.

Principal

What I did not expect to love about this book is that Jason writes it in order of DESIGN. I never thought about articulating and coaching that.

Meghan H.

Instructional Coach

Started reading and couldn't quit. Sharing quotes with whomever would listen.

Jan R.

Teacher

A must read for all educators, including principals and administrators.

Kelly B.

District Administrator

This is exactly the book we need our staff to read.

Laura M.

Instructional Coach

I am going to keep tweeting about this book. It speaks to me. Fills my heart with hope and fire to lead "learning engineers" and learners. All educators need to read this.

Jimmy B.

Assistant Principal

One of the ideas that really stood out to me was about what we need to do to shift from teaching to designing. In the section, it mentioned that one of the necessary components for this to happen is to believe that ALL students can learn and want to learn. I think this is a statement that if you polled teachers on, many would say this is not true. I believe any teacher would be lying if they said that they have never said or thought a student just “didn’t want to learn.” I know that I have thought this about some students. It’s easy to make the excuse of “that student just doesn’t care.”

I loved Jason Kennedy's practical guide so much! In his introduction, he apologized to former students for the lessons he used to teach them. I felt the same way. The more we are educated as educators, the more changes we should make to the education of our students. As Maya Angelou so eloquently said, "Do the best you can when you know better. Then when you know better, do better."

One line from the reading that stuck with me was, "We cannot point at students, point at their ability, point at their home life, point at their poverty, point at their trauma or point at anything else and lay the blame of a lack of learning. We cannot teach labels; we teach learners" (p. 28).

This book brings everything into consideration from relationships with students to the lesson design to communicating everything we know about learning to students. He talks about the importance of stressing learning and the learning processes. He even discussed the importance of helping students with emotion regulation when the learning process gets difficult. Love this! :)

Another takeaway is when the author talked about "Fun without the function." This ties in with engagement because we sometimes plan a fun activity that doesn't actually contribute to the learning or allow students to practice what they've been taught. If a "fun" activity is not directly tied to a learning target, it is essentially a waste of time.

One thing I would like to share with a colleague is the idea of analyzing our design choices and how they impact learning, because we do not always look at the influences that have the highest impact on learning. Do we actually look at what has low impact on learning and determining if they are worth the time and energy that we put into them.

One of the ideas that really stood out to me was about what we need to do to shift from teaching to designing. In the section, it mentioned that one of the necessary components for this to happen is to believe that ALL students can learn and want to learn. I think this is a statement that if you polled teachers on, many would say this is not true. I believe any teacher would be lying if they said that they have never said or thought a student just “didn’t want to learn.” I know that I have thought this about some students. It’s easy to make the excuse of “that student just doesn’t care.”

I loved Jason Kennedy's practical guide so much! In his introduction, he apologized to former students for the lessons he used to teach them. I felt the same way. The more we are educated as educators, the more changes we should make to the education of our students. As Maya Angelou so eloquently said, "Do the best you can when you know better. Then when you know better, do better."

About Jason

Jason Kennedy is a 24 year educator, author, school administrator, district curriculum and professional learning director, instructional coach and presenter with experience at all levels of education, elementary through college. He has been a part of Cognia review teams, statewide professional learning and local curriculum design teams, making the intentional designing of instruction for learning his goal.

His passion lies in taking the evidence of effective learning and being successful in sharing it in ways that are accessible to the everyday teacher. He knows the challenges facing educators and wants to be a part of a revolution of learning that not only benefits the students, but gives so much back to our fellow teachers as well.

Most importantly, he wants to work along side other teachers to reimagine and redesign what happens daily in the classroom to provide the best learning possible for all learners everywhere.

What I Can Bring to Your School/District to Collaborate & Improve Learning:

Tier 1 Learning

We can't spend, program, or intervene our way out of a sub-par Tier 1. Let's collaborate to define & dedicate what we do in the classroom around the collective commitments that work best for the learning for ALL learners.

Teacher/Learner Relationships

There's MULTIPLE years of learning potential in relationships. Make these work for learning to improve achievement, increase morale & increase learning.

Instructional Frameworks

I love helping schools & districts define & establish the basic elements of teaching & learning in their buildings. Commitment to what we know works!

Science of Learning

There IS a science behind how we learn & we need to use that knowledge to work for us in the classroom. I love helping teachers make this discovery and put it to use!

PLCs & Collaborative Teams

Let's work together to establish a collaborative culture, design learning & support staff. Whether just beginning or wanting to recommit to the process, we can easily find all the answers in the building.

AI and Education

AI is going to change everything. AI won't replace you, but someone who knows how to use AI will. Let's discover how we can use it for our work and for our learners.

Tier 1 Learning

We can't spend, program, or intervene our way out of a sub-par Tier 1. Let's collaborate to define & dedicate what we do in the classroom around the collective commitments that work best for the learning for ALL learners.

Teacher/Learner Relationships

There's MULTIPLE years of learning potential in relationships. Make these work for learning to improve achievement, increase morale & increase learning.

Instructional Frameworks

I love helping schools & districts define & establish the basic elements of teaching & learning in their buildings. Commitment to what we know works!

Science of Learning

There IS a science behind how we learn & we need to use that knowledge to work for us in the classroom. I love helping teachers make this discovery and put it to use!

PLCs & Collaborative Teams

Let's work together to establish a collaborative culture, design learning & support staff. Whether just beginning or wanting to recommit to the process, we can easily find all the answers in the building.

AI and Education

AI is going to change everything. AI won't replace you, but someone who knows how to use AI will. Let's discover how we can use it for our work and for our learners.

Tier 1 Learning

We can't spend, program, or intervene our way out of a sub-par Tier 1. Let's collaborate to define & dedicate what we do in the classroom around the collective commitments that work best for the learning for ALL learners.

Teacher/Learner Relationships

There's MULTIPLE years of learning potential in relationships. Make these work for learning to improve achievement, increase morale & increase learning.

Instructional Frameworks

I love helping schools & districts define & establish the basic elements of teaching & learning in their buildings. Commitment to what we know works!

Science of Learning

There IS a science behind how we learn & we need to use that knowledge to work for us in the classroom. I love helping teachers make this discovery and put it to use!

PLCs & Collaborative Teams

Let's work together to establish a collaborative culture, design learning & support staff. Whether just beginning or wanting to recommit to the process, we can easily find all the answers in the building.

AI and Education

AI is going to change everything. AI won't replace you, but someone who knows how to use AI will. Let's discover how we can use it for our work and for our learners.

Let's Collaborate

Contact me for any type of collaboration from keynote speaking to school/district professional development centering on any of the areas above or anything learning related. Learning IS the job.

REACH OUT!

Email about your needs and start the conversation on how we can work together to make learning better for staff and learners!

Click Here

Designing Learning Blog Posts

Come here for thoughts on how we can work
to quit teaching and design learning.

Past Post You Don’t Want to Miss…

Past Post You Don’t Want to Miss…

From “Lots” to “Less”: Building a Foundation for All Learners

Picture this: a classroom buzzing with energy. One learner rattling...

letsquitteachingApril 2, 2025

Reflecting on RCA: Unpacking the Magic

Last week, I was fortunate enough to visit Ron Clark...

letsquitteachingMarch 24, 2025

Are They Working or Learning?

Let’s be honest. For decades, classrooms have been filled with...

letsquitteachingMarch 17, 2025

Building Assessment-Capable Learners: The Real Key to Growth

What if assessments weren’t just something learners had to endure...

letsquitteachingMarch 6, 2025

Are We Teaching & Designing for Independent Learners—Or Just Hoping They Show Up That Way?

Educators love to talk about learner ownership. We want our...

letsquitteachingFebruary 26, 2025

The Invisible Hand That Lifts Learners: How Academic Press and Collective Teacher Efficacy Shape Success

Imagine walking into a gym for the first time, determined...

letsquitteachingFebruary 13, 2025

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Email Me @ letsquitteaching@gmail.com