Owning Your Own Learning

At the beginning of every school year, educators face a rush of new responsibilities: tools to explore, systems to understand, strategies to apply, and new teams to navigate. Many of us identify as lifelong learners, and (at least for me) it’s usually energizing to read, listen, tinker, or experiment to build new skills.

But when deadlines loom or last-minute tasks pile up, we often want to take in information as quickly as possible and move on. In a world overflowing with resources (and AI tools that can summarize and synthesize in seconds), we no longer have to wait for a course or workshop to grow as a learning leader. Often, we can learn what we need when we need it.

One key to managing the overwhelming amounts of information? Knowing how you learn best.

Reflecting on Preferences

When we understand our own learning preferences, we can navigate the flood of information more efficiently and more effectively. If you haven’t considered your preferences recently, this post is an invitation to reflect and make more intentional decisions about your learning experiences. I’ll also touch on how this awareness can have a ripple effect on how you design learning for others, but the heart of this post is about your own growth.

Elements of Powerful Learning Design

Dr. Gayle Allen’s book The New Pillars of Modern Teaching transformed the way I think about teaching and how I design learning for others. She introduces three pillars for modern teaching, and the first, Design, includes four elements that can shape how we learn: time, place, medium, and socialness. Reflecting on these elements empowers us to choose the tools, formats, and environments that best support our growth.

If we want to own our learning, we need to understand what works best for us. Take a moment to reflect on how time, place, medium, and socialness play a role in your best learning experiences.

• Time: Do you prefer short, focused bursts of learning like TikToks, quick blog posts, or fast-paced chats? Or do you enjoy deep dives into conferences, long-form reads, or extended courses? Are you an early bird or a night owl?

• Place: Do you learn best in a classroom, coffee shop, or curled up on your couch? In-person or online?

• Medium: Do you gravitate toward audio, video, text, or visuals? Do you want to hold physical items in your hand, or is a mobile device the way to go?

• Socialness: Do you prefer to reflect on your own first, or learn by talking it out? Do you like working with a small group or in a big room of new faces? Do you prefer synchronous discussions or asynchronous chats in forums?

These elements aren’t just helpful for reflection. They give us a framework for making learning decisions that align with our needs and preferences.

Putting Preferences Into Action

Understanding my preferences helps me make better decisions when choosing learning opportunities. Personally, I reach for ebooks first (I love being able to highlight and annotate), but podcasts also work well for me. I rarely attend live “content delivery” webinars because I’d rather watch a replay later at 2x speed.

For social interaction, I love chatting about books and ideas with trusted colleagues. Face-to-face conversations over coffee are the best, but online meetups work well for me, too. And I’m an early riser, so some of my best learning can happen before the sun comes up.

Owning Your Learning Through Choice

Reflecting on your preferences is about more than comfort—it’s about choice. In The New Pillars of Modern Teaching, Dr. Allen describes how today’s learning landscape is shaped by abundance: of content, tools, and access. In this context, knowing how we learn best allows us to make more intentional decisions about when, where, and how we grow.

For me, understanding my learning preferences has made it easier to say no to formats that don’t serve me. That’s not being inflexible; it’s being strategic. When time and energy are limited, aligning learning opportunities with our preferences helps us stay focused, engaged, and more likely to follow through.

Why This Matters

If you’re familiar with Carol Ann Tomlinson’s work on differentiation, you might remember that designing according to learner profiles (essentially, learner preferences) can improve efficiency. The same is true for adult learners.

When you’re managing a long to-do list and making decisions in a fast-paced environment, knowing how you prefer to learn helps you save time, avoid frustration, and stay focused. For example, I know I don’t get much from a fast-paced, 30-minute Twitter chat, but invite me to a book club, and I’m all in.

Learning preferences aren’t just about comfort; they’re about conserving mental energy and making space for meaningful growth. In a school year filled with nonstop decisions and shifting priorities, being intentional about how you learn can make professional growth feel more manageable.

This kind of intentionality aligns with Learning Forward’s standard for Professional Expertise, which emphasizes the importance of ongoing development. According to the standard, “Educators continually develop and deepen the expertise essential to the roles they fill throughout their careers.” To meet the complex demands of our profession, we must engage in continuous learning practices that are sustainable and aligned to our goals. And one of the best ways to make continuous learning more sustainable is by recognizing and honoring how we learn best.

Designing Beyond Yourself

And this insight isn’t just for us. When we design learning experiences for others, considering the same learning preferences (time, place, medium, and socialness) can lead to sessions that are more responsive, respectful, and sustainable for adult learners. 

For a long time, I designed learning based on my own preferences. I created the kinds of sessions I would want to attend.

But collaborating with colleagues who learn differently helped me realize that one size doesn’t fit all. I might prefer to sit and chat with a small group, but others thrive when they’re up, moving, and connecting with everyone in the room. I love written text; others prefer visual models or hands-on practice. I’m comfortable clicking around and experimenting with digital tools, while others appreciate step-by-step scaffolds and clear directions.

Understanding this range of preferences deepens my awareness of my own learning and strengthens how I design for others.

By recognizing our preferences and making choices that fit, we take ownership of our own learning and build a more sustainable path forward. When we take time to reflect and make intentional choices, we’re not just learning more efficiently; we’re developing the habits that make continuous growth possible. And when we’re aware of and responsive to the preferences of others? That’s when learning design becomes truly transformative.

Resources:

Allen, Gayle. The New Pillars of Modern Teaching. Solution Tree Press, 2016.

Tomlinson, Carol Ann. The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners. 2nd ed., ASCD, 2014.

🎧 Listen to Gayle Allen’s podcast, Curious Minds at Work, where she interviews thought leaders from all industries.

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Kathryn Laster brings over 30 years of education expertise as a math teacher, instructional coach, and digital learning consultant. Now, as an independent consultant, Kathryn creates and facilitates transformative learning experiences through intentional, human-centered, tech-infused design. Learn more about how ideas from The New Pillars of Modern Teaching continue to influence her work in this post, and listen to an interview her former team recorded with Gayle Allen back in 2017, which is still one of Kathryn’s favorite conversations.

Connect with Kathryn here and at Refined Learning Design.