Why Great Professional Learning Isn't Enough

This morning I woke up to a lovely message from one of the teachers in the JapanEasyReads Hub. ❣️ She had shared an Instagram post by Jared Cooney Horvath, saying that it "encapsulates the mentoring approach" that I offer.

 

As I read the post, I found myself nodding along.

It resonated with her, and it certainly resonated with me.

While I am currently (mostly) out of the classroom, I have certainly not forgotten how physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding teaching can be. The pace is relentless. There is always another lesson to plan, another assessment to mark, meeting to attend, another email to answer, another student who needs your attention.

In that environment, time becomes one of our most precious commodities.

And time and energy to process and implement new ideas? They are even harder to come by.

This is something I have reflected on often over the years. Teachers regularly attend professional learning workshops, conferences, webinars, and training sessions. They leave feeling inspired and motivated. Their notebooks are full of ideas. They can see the potential impact on their students and genuinely want to make positive changes in their classrooms.

Yet weeks or months later, many of those ideas have never made it into regular practice.

Not because the ideas were poor.

Not because the teachers lacked motivation.

And certainly not because they didn't care.

As Jared pointed out in his post, one of the biggest reasons professional learning doesn't lead to lasting change is that change requires far more than inspiration.

It requires:

✅ Time
✅ Practice
✅ Feedback
✅ Collaboration
✅ Ongoing support

The post introduced me to a term I hadn't encountered before: the Implementation Dip.

TheImplementation Dip refers to the gap between learning something new and consistently applying it in practice.

The more I reflected on the idea of the Implementation Dip, the more I realised that it also helps explain why one of our newest initiatives in the JapanEasyReads Hub has been so well received.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the inspiration behind our Beginner Reader Book Club.

The idea grew out of my own experience as a long-time member of a local book club. When I reflected on why that group has remained such an important part of my life for nearly fifteen years, I realised it wasn't simply about reading books. It was about the conversations, the connections, the shared experiences, and the collective desire to learn and grow together.

Books + conversation + connection.

That combination is powerful.

As I explored the idea further, I began wondering whether we could create something similar for Japanese teachers who wanted to help their students experience reading success.

What followed was the creation of the Beginner Reader Book Club. A practical, supportive space where teachers could explore strategies together, trial ideas in their classrooms, reflect on their experiences, and learn from one another.

Looking back, I can see that the Book Club isn't really about a particular book.

It's actually about implementation.

It's about creating the conditions that help teachers move from "That's a great idea" to "I tried it with my students this week."

The structure intentionally includes many of the ingredients that research tells us support lasting change:

✅ Time to process new ideas

✅ Opportunities to practise and experiment

✅ Feedback and discussion

✅ Collaboration with like-minded colleagues

✅ Ongoing support over time

In other words, it is designed to help bridge the gap between learning and doing.

To provide a buffer against the Implementation Dip.

Because while resources and professional learning can spark change, it is community that often sustains it.

The more I think about it, the more convinced I become that this community aspect is the golden ticket.

And it's not because anyone has all the answers.

But because teaching can sometimes feel like a solitary endeavour, and meaningful change becomes much easier when you're surrounded by people who are asking similar questions, facing similar challenges, and cheering each other on along the way.

That is certainly what I hoped to create when we launched the Beginner Reader Book Club.

And it is what I hope teachers experience every time they participate in the JapanEasyReads Hub.🌸