Learning Labs: Plan, Implement, Reflect

If you’ve ever looked for a practical way to create meaningful change and make professional learning stick for teachers, I’d love to share something I’ve found to be incredibly powerful: Learning Labs. They are a wonderful way to engage in job-embedded learning that feels low-stakes, supportive, and grounded in real teacher experience.

In this post, I want to share a bit about what a Learning Lab actually is, why they make such an impact, and how you might start setting them up in your own school or classroom. I’ve been lucky enough to do these with many schools over the last few years, and I’ve certainly learned a thing or two through trial and error along the way!

Why Learning Labs?

To understand why I’m such a proponent of this model, I want to share a couple stories with you - one from nineteen years ago, and one from just this year while I was consulting.

Nineteen years ago, I was a first-year teacher still trying to figure things out. We were gathered for a school-wide professional development session on math tasks, led by a university professor. The session back then was rooted in a "Lesson Study" approach. The rules were simple: everyone had an equal chance of being selected to teach the live lesson - whether you were the university professor, the veteran teacher with thirty years of experience, the principal, or the wide-eyed first-year teacher (me).

We were told, "It’s about the lesson, not the teacher," but as a novice, that felt really hard to believe. The "What ifs" were loud:

• What if I’m the one selected?

• What if I don't teach it "right"?

• What if my students choose that exact moment to misbehave in front of these more experienced observers?

While the intent was to democratize the process, the reality for a new teacher was a lot of anxiety that overshadowed the math and the purpose of the professional development experience.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Now working as a consultant, I found myself back in a school-wide PD session on math tasks, but the atmosphere was worlds apart. We utilized a "Learning Lab" model, and as the consultant, I took the lead at the front of the classroom.

The shift in energy was palpable. By stepping into the teaching role myself, the "What ifs" of the teachers present were replaced by a sense of collective relief and curiosity. Instead of fearing judgment, they felt empowered. I heard comments like:

• "I actually get to watch an expert teach my class."

• "I’ve prepared my students for a guest, so I can just focus on the learning."

• "I finally have the headspace to take notes on both student thinking and teacher moves."

Even though the goal within both scenarios was the same - understanding how students grapple with mathematics - over my time working with professionals, I’ve learned that when we remove the "performance" anxiety for teachers through Learning Labs, we open the door for genuine observation and growth.

It’s incredible what happens when we move from a space of "What if I fail?" to a space of "Look what we can discover together."

What Exactly is a Learning Lab?

At their heart, Learning Labs are a meaningful form of professional learning and a deep way to approach mathematics coaching. In Proactive Mathematics Coaching: Bridging Content, Context, and Practice, Baker and Knapp explain that:

“Effective coaching of mathematics brings together groups of teachers, administrators, and/or instructional specialists... one or more cycles may include coplanning a lesson, observing the implemented lesson, gathering student evidence, analyzing student data, and reflecting on the enactment and outcomes.”

When I read that, five "action" words jump out: coplanning, observing, gathering, analyzing, and reflecting. Learning Labs create the deliberate space to do exactly that. During a lab, we plan together, observe together, and really look at student thinking as a team. It’s a simple but powerful cycle: plan, implement, and reflect, all with the goal of making our teaching and learning even stronger.

There are a few things that make Learning Labs feel different from the "luck of the draw" models of the past. Primarily, they are led by a facilitator—a consultant, coach, or teacher leader. This structure takes the performance stress off the participating teachers, letting everyone focus fully on the mathematics. Another difference is that we put a huge emphasis on "careful noticing” by asking teachers to focus on student thinking AND teacher moves during the process.

Below, I break down what actually happens during each of the three phases: plan, implement and reflect.

The Structure: Plan, Implement, Reflect

Learning Labs are structured around three key stages: planning, implementing, and reflecting. I typically recommend a half-day block for the full cycle: one hour for planning, one hour for implementing, and one hour for reflecting. Of course, you can always adjust this based on your school’s specific schedule!

Plan

The planning phase is designed as a focused, one-hour session with the entire team. While we know teachers don’t typically get to plan this extensively for every single lesson, the depth of this session is exactly what makes the Learning Lab so powerful—it gives us the rare space to truly reflect on the what and the why of our instruction.

We begin by working together to identify a specific standard, lesson, or task for the cycle. From there, we lean into the math, anticipating the various ways students might respond and crafting the specific questions that will guide them toward the learning goal.

Before we head into the classroom, the team selects a specific teaching practice to keep in the spotlight. This ensures our observation remains grounded in both student thinking and teacher moves, ultimately deepening our own understanding of the mathematics while giving us a meaningful chance to refine our pedagogy.

Implement

The implementation phase typically lasts about an hour and begins with selecting both a classroom and a facilitator—usually a consultant or an instructional coach. That facilitator then brings the planned lesson to life with a real group of students. While the lesson is being taught, the observing teachers are free to take active notes on both the specific teacher moves and the unfolding student thinking.

Depending on the team's specific learning goals, observers might interact directly with students or remain quiet and just watch; the key is simply deciding on that focus together beforehand so that everyone—including the students—feels comfortable and prepared.

Reflect

To round out the cycle, the reflection phase provides a dedicated hour for the team to process what they’ve just experienced. We begin by giving everyone a few quiet moments to gather their thoughts and organize their notes on the lesson’s implementation.

From there, the conversation opens up—first, we discuss the nuances of student thinking, and then we look at the specific teacher moves that shaped the learning (always focusing on the impact of the move rather than evaluating the person). We close the session by looking ahead to our next steps, whether that’s another teacher implementing the same task, selecting a new focus, or refining our approach for the next cycle. It’s the perfect way to ensure the day's learning translates into long-term growth.

Teacher Experiences

How do Learning Labs impact real teachers? Let me show you with some real teacher experiences that I’ve had over the last few years as a consultant.

I recently worked with a wonderful Kindergarten team that was a bit hesitant about tool management. Their rule of thumb had always been to use manipulatives OR whiteboards, but never both at the same time. They were concerned that for five-year-olds, managing multiple tools would be too distracting and that using both would turn math time into a management nightmare.

During our Learning Lab, we decided to try using both simultaneously to see how the students would respond. Because the teachers were in the role of "careful noticers," they could truly focus on the students' thinking without the stress of managing the room.

The result was a total shift in perspective. They watched as their students used the manipulatives and whiteboards simultaneously to demonstrate models of their thinking. The team walked away saying, “Wow! They really can handle both!” Seeing the use of both manipulatives and whiteboards in action together created a lasting change in their practice; now, those tools are consistently used together almost every day in their classrooms, empowering their students to continually make deeper mathematical connections.

In addition to these breakthroughs, I recently had the opportunity to work with several teams at a local school. This school specifically wanted to focus on the teacher move for discourse. Following our Learning Lab, we asked the teachers to reflect on what they noticed about specific teacher moves and student thinking, as well as their planned next steps. What is most striking in their responses is the incredible variety of takeaways— each educator, all at different stages of their career, found a unique insight to bring back to their own practice.

Besides this, one teacher commented to me: “I love being able to see this taught in my own classroom with my own students instead of just seeing the ‘perfect’ teaching channel videos. It makes it feel more real and applicable and like I can do it.”

Setting up Learning Labs in Your School

Where to Begin

If you’re sitting there thinking, "This is exactly what my teachers need," you might be wondering how to actually get the wheels in motion. The beauty of the Learning Lab is that it doesn't require a massive overhaul of your professional development calendar—it just requires a shift in how you use your existing time. Here are a few ways to start setting them up in your own building:

• Audit Your Schedule: Look for a three-hour window where a grade-level team can be together. Many schools use a half-day sub rotation or leverage a particularly long planning block to make the "Plan, Implement, Reflect" cycle happen in one go.

  
  

• Start Small and Invitation-Only: You don’t have to launch this school-wide on day one. Find a "pilot" team—those teachers who are always curious about new ideas—and invite them to try a cycle with you. Their success will be the best advertisement for the rest of the staff.

• Identify Your Facilitator: Decide who will take the lead in the classroom. Whether it’s you, a local instructional coach, or an outside consultant, having a designated "learning leader" is what keeps the stakes low and the observation high for everyone else.

• Focus on the "Wait and See": When you pitch this to your staff, emphasize that this isn't an evaluation. It’s a lab. It’s a place to experiment, to watch student thinking unfold, and to wonder together. When teachers know the pressure is off, they’ll be much more likely to pull up a chair and lean in.

Tips, Considerations, Do’s, & Don’ts

Another thing to consider as you set up learning labs are tips, considerations, do’s and don’ts. I’ve had the privilege of walking through this process with many different schools and I’ve certainly learned a thing or two through trial and error! Here are a few ‘lessons learned’ I’d love to pass on to help make your first cycle as smooth and supportive as possible.

Setting the Stage for Success

The most important thing I’ve discovered is that the environment matters just as much as the math. When you’re starting out, try to work with an open and willing team first—their enthusiasm will naturally help build momentum for the rest of the building. To keep the focus on "careful noticing" rather than "performance," I often suggest selecting a lesson that none of the team members have taught recently. It also helps to have all your supplies—whiteboards, manipulatives, or sorts—ready to go before you even sit down to plan. If your schedule allows, try to keep the planning, implementation, and reflection all on the same day. There is a special kind of energy that comes from staying in that "flow" from start to finish, though doing the planning the afternoon before can also work beautifully if you’re tight on time.

Navigating the Day Together

As the facilitator, clarity is your best friend. Be sure to communicate the purpose and the schedule early on, including the small but important details like expectations for sub plans. I always invite the team to collaboratively select the lesson based on their upcoming pacing or a topic they find particularly challenging. And, as we talked about earlier, having a coach or consultant teach that first lesson is a powerful way to lower the stakes for everyone else. During the implementation itself, remember that the goal isn't a "perfect" model lesson—it’s a chance to learn together. Make sure to establish clear roles for the observers beforehand; decide if they should quietly take notes or if they have permission to ask students clarifying questions. One small tip: if you have a substitute for the "host" classroom, it’s usually best if they step out during the lesson and complete a pre-planned task. Having an extra adult in the room who hasn't been part of the planning can sometimes lead to them "helping" students in ways that might unintentionally interrupt the thinking you’re trying to observe.

Keeping it Realistic

Finally, remember to be kind to yourself and the team regarding what can actually be accomplished in a three-hour window. If a full lesson feels too daunting, consider starting with just a single math activity or a "number talk." The beauty of the Learning Lab is its flexibility. Whether it’s a coach facilitating or a teacher leader stepping up, the focus remains the same: observing student thinking and deciding what to implement next. It’s about progress, not perfection, and finding those small "Aha!" moments that change how we see our students every day.

Creating Meaningful Change, Together

My goal in sharing this was to pull back the curtain on what a Learning Lab actually is, why this model makes such a profound impact on school culture, and how you can begin setting them up in your own building. At the end of the day, professional growth shouldn't feel like a high-stakes performance; it should feel like a shared discovery.

I am so excited for you to try this and see how your own practice—and the practice of your colleagues—evolves when you start using Learning Labs. To help you hit the ground running, I’m sharing my Learning Lab Planning Guides with you for free so you can use them as a roadmap for your own instruction. Just enter your email at the link belwo, and they’ll be sent straight to your inbox.

Get the Learning Lab Planning Forms Here!

If you’re ready to try this in your building and want a partner to help navigate those first few cycles, I would love to join you. I’m currently booking dates to facilitate Learning Labs and support coaching teams and I’d be honored to help you create these "Aha!" moments for your teachers. Please email shannon@shannonolson.com for us to chat about bringing Learning Labs to your school!

References:

Baker, C., & Knapp, M. (2023). Proactive mathematics coaching: Bridging content, context, and practice. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (Link)