Professional Learning

Instructional Excellence Academy

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Monthly expert-led sessions that close the gap between educational research and what happens in your classroom every day.

Join the 2026–2027 Cohort

Most professional development gives you information.

Very little of it gives you what you actually need: time, practice, community, and a structured way to build the skills that make a real difference for students.

That's what the AHA Instructional Excellence Academy is designed to do.

The AHA Instructional Excellence Academy is a year-long learning experience for educators who are ready to move beyond one-and-done workshops and build lasting instructional expertise.

Over ten monthly sessions, you'll explore evidence-based practices that have the greatest impact on student learning, from the Science of Reading and explicit instruction to teacher clarity, vocabulary development, and effective intervention.

Each 90-minute session is designed to bridge research and practice, so you leave with strategies you can actually use — not just concepts you understand.

Learn alongside a community of educators committed to growing together, with ongoing support from Angela and Gretchen throughout the entire year.

This Academy was designed for:

Classroom teachers looking to strengthen their instructional practice

Instructional coaches supporting teachers across grade levels or content areas

Interventionists working to accelerate growth for students who are behind

School leaders committed to building instructional capacity in their building

New and veteran educators ready to deepen their understanding of how students learn

What we'll cover together

Ten sessions, held on the first Wednesday of each month from 5:00–6:30 PM EST.

August 5, 2026

Starting the Year Strong: Instructional Routines, Expectations, and Classroom Systems

Strong instruction begins with strong systems. This session focuses on the routines, procedures, and classroom structures that maximize learning and build a positive classroom culture from day one.

September 2, 2026

Teacher Clarity: Learning Intentions & Success Criteria

Clear learning intentions and well-defined success criteria are among the highest-impact practices in education. This session explores how to align instruction, assessment, and communication so students always know what they're learning and why it matters.

October 7, 2026

Explicit Instruction: Lesson Design

Explore the architecture of a highly effective lesson. You'll learn how to design instruction using evidence-based components including modeling, guided practice, scaffolding, pacing, and alignment.

November 4, 2026

Explicit Instruction: Lesson Delivery & Eliciting Frequent Student Responses

Great lesson design only works if delivery is strong. This session focuses on engagement techniques, checking for understanding, and the strategies that keep students actively participating throughout a lesson.

December 2, 2026

Scarborough's Reading Rope & The Science of Reading

Develop a deeper, more practical understanding of Scarborough's Reading Rope and the essential components of skilled reading — and learn how to connect that research directly to your classroom instruction and intervention.

January 6, 2027

Explicit Vocabulary Instruction & Building Background Knowledge

Vocabulary and background knowledge are critical for comprehension and academic success across every content area. This session explores intentional approaches to language development and knowledge-building that work for all students.

February 3, 2027

Fluency & Comprehension: Moving Students From Word Reading to Meaning

Examine the connection between fluency and comprehension and explore the evidence-based practices that help students become accurate, fluent, and thoughtful readers.

March 3, 2027

Writing Instruction That Works

Writing is one of the most complex tasks we ask students to do. This session covers explicit writing instruction, sentence-level work, scaffolding, and organizational strategies that improve outcomes across grade levels and content areas.

April 7, 2027

Interventions & Small Group Instruction

Learn how to design effective intervention systems and make the most of small group time. We'll cover using data to group students, identifying skill deficits, and delivering instruction that accelerates growth.

May 5, 2027

Evidence-Based Practices That Transform Learning

The final session highlights high-impact strategies — including Reciprocal Teaching, retrieval practice, structured discussion, and collaborative learning — and gives participants space to reflect on their growth and plan their next steps.

Each session features guest experts and nationally recognized speakers, including Dr. Molly Ness, Justin Browning, Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, Dr. Pam Kastner, and additional literacy and instructional leaders.

Your Facilitators

Angela Hanlin

Literacy Consultant and Founder of Angela Hanlin & Associates

Gretchen Goettl

Educator and Co-Host of Grit and Grace Podcast

Together, Angela and Gretchen bring decades of classroom and coaching experience to every session — along with a deep commitment to making research accessible, practical, and immediately useful for the educators they serve.

What you'll walk away with

Every session is designed to send you back to your classroom with something you can use. Throughout the year, you'll build:

Practical instructional strategies grounded in current research

Ready-to-implement ideas for your specific classroom context

A deeper understanding of how students learn to read, write, and engage

Greater instructional clarity — so your planning, delivery, and assessment all work together

Tools to improve student engagement and academic achievement

A growing library of research-based resources to return to all year long

Investment

Full Academy — $1,500

Access to all ten monthly sessions, guest expert presentations, and the full year of community and support.

Individual Sessions — $197

Prefer to choose your own focus? Select the sessions that are most relevant to your current work.

Browse Individual Sessions

More than professional development

The AHA Instructional Excellence Academy is a community of educators who believe that growing as a teacher is some of the most important work there is.

Whether you're a first-year teacher trying to find your footing or a veteran educator ready to go deeper, you'll find encouragement, clarity, and practical support here.

Every student deserves a teacher who keeps growing. This is how you do that.

Join the 2026–2027 Cohort