Are Your Teachers Stuck on the PD Hamster Wheel?
By Dr. Nicole Teyechea
After 28 years in education, I've seen the same frustrating pattern in schools serving multilingual populations: disconnected strategies, language-focused PD that doesn't transfer to classrooms, and teachers struggling to integrate language and content objectives. The result? A "PD hamster wheel" where English Learner achievement remains stagnant despite everyone's best efforts.
What's worse, EL specialists and teacher leaders are left wondering: "Is any of this working? Am I making a difference for my multilingual students?"
The Conversation That Changed Everything
I still remember observing a coach giving feedback to a third-year teacher with a classroom full of multilingual students. Both were committed professionals dedicated to language learners, yet they might as well have been speaking different languages themselves.
"Your lesson needs more language scaffolds," the coach said.
"I thought my scaffolds were fine," the teacher responded, confusion evident. "Last month you said my vocabulary instruction was the issue."
This wasn't about effort or intention, it was about system failure. Neither had clarity about where this teacher was in her journey to support multilingual learners nor what specific step would move both language development and content mastery forward.
A Different Approach: The Instructional Growth Arc™
What if we could see both teacher growth in supporting language acquisition and the impact of teacher leaders or coaches in one visual? This question led me to develop the Instructional Growth Arc™, a dual-purpose learning map at the heart of our Catalyst for Learning™ system.
The Arc isn't just a diagram, it's a dynamic tool that plots each teacher's position based on two critical dimensions: Knowledge of language development principles and Application of effective strategies. By mapping these dimensions against each other, we create a clear picture of where teachers are in supporting MLEs and the specific pathway to advance language instruction.
The map reveals exactly where each teacher stands in their development as an educator of multilingual learners:
🟥 Exploring: Building foundational knowledge of teaching content and language (Low Knowledge/Low Application)
🟦 Practicing: Using instinctive strategies that support MLEs but lack structured pedagogy (Low Knowledge/High Application)
🟨 Integrating: Understanding language acquisition theory but struggling with classroom application (High Knowledge/Low Application)
🟩 Sustaining: Seamlessly integrating language and content for multilingual access (High Knowledge/High Application)
But most importantly, the Arc shows two critical pathways:
How individual teachers move from one quadrant to another in their ability to support language learners
How multilingual specialists and teacher leaders impact this movement through their support
This transforms language development instruction into a visible journey with clear milestones—not just for classroom teachers, but for the specialists guiding them. When teachers move from Exploring to Practicing or from Integrating to Sustaining, that movement becomes measurable evidence of effective multilingual leadership.
When principals see this visual map, they immediately understand not just where their teachers cluster, but how effectively their teacher leaders are moving teachers forward. Coaches can pinpoint exactly what kind of support each teacher needs based on their quadrant, while also tracking their own impact. And teacher leaders gain something invaluable, visible evidence of their effectiveness that in non-evaluative.
Real Results
Since 2023, we've been implementing C4L™ with four cohorts in Littleton Elementary School District in Avondale, Arizona. The results have validated what I've believed for 28 years: The problem isn't our teachers. It's our systems.
The quantitative data is compelling:
Teachers consistently rate our workshops as "Excellent" with an average rating of 4.73 out of 5
Over 95% of educators report that the C4L™ approach immediately improves their teaching
Participants specifically highlight our strategies as practical, classroom-ready tools
But what moves me most are the actual words from teachers:
"I learned how to quickly and correctly make a lesson plan... — Educator applying C4L™ tools directly
"I learned a lot about how to maximize learning through positive connections." — Teacher using SKS™ and TWRLS™ strategies
"Thank you so much—I learned new techniques to engage and connect with students. This is helping me grow into a stronger educator!" — Participant experiencing professional growth
The feedback consistently shows that C4L™ is simplifying instructional strategies, making teaching more impactful and accessible.
The Beauty of Simplicity for Multilingual Instruction
C4L™ isn't another language program to purchase or another EL initiative to stack on your plate. It's a framework that organizes what you already have—your curriculum, your EL specialists, your dual language PLCs—into a coherent system that works for all students, especially your multilingual learners.
No new curriculum purchases. No extended PD hours. No additional staffing required.
What makes our approach uniquely effective for multilingual populations is how it bridges the gap between language development theory and classroom practice, ensuring that every teacher—not just EL specialists—has the capacity to support language acquisition alongside content mastery.
Ready to Break the Cycle?
If your school faces:
Teacher retention challenges
Stagnant student achievement despite multiple initiatives
Coaches without clear direction
Decreasing collective teacher efficacy
...then let's talk. I'm looking for additional schools to join our pilot program for the coming year.
Every educator deserves clarity. Every learner deserves access. And you, as a teacher leader, deserve a system that makes your hard work actually work.
Ready to break the PD hamster wheel? Email me at drnicole@finita.org to learn more about bringing the Catalyst for Learning™ system to your school.
