We all encounter struggle in our lives – struggle is inevitable. Our students are no exception to these inevitable pressure points in life. But how does this play out in teaching and learning? There is significant uncertainty about the nature and impact of struggle on student’s growth and achievement in schools and classrooms. What is quite certain is that learners will encounter struggle somewhere in their learning journey. Research highlights the value of learners engaging in the right level of challenge (ES = 0.60). Yet, this research leaves us, well, struggling with what this looks like, sounds like, and feels like in our classrooms.

Join us as we unpack the role of struggle in teaching and learning. Building on the latest research in neuroscience, psychology, and education, we will work together to address three key questions:

1. What is struggle, really?
2. Is struggle required for learning?
3. How do we leverage struggle when it happens in our own classrooms?

Much attention has been given to the concept of productive struggle. As it turns out, this attention may be misguided and the concept wrong. How’s that for a teaser? Find out more in this captivating learning experience that seeks to build our learners capacity, as well as our own capacity to thrive under pressure.

You will leave this engaging day with actionable ideas that will foster, nurture, and sustain the right level of challenge in your schools and classrooms. The struggle is real – we just need to find ways to grapple with that reality.

Learning Intention:
We are learning about struggle and how it influences teaching and learning in our schools and classrooms.

Success Criteria:
We will know we have learned about struggle when:

1. We can describe what we mean when our learners or we say “struggle”.
2. We can identify the essential characteristics of struggle.
3. We can explain the relationship between struggle and learning.
4. We can design tasks that are responsive to struggle.
5. We can compare different types of failure.
6. We can recognize take-over behaviors in our schools and classrooms.

Recertification Certificates (6 points) will be given at the end of the PD workshop series after completion of an electronic exit survey.

Teachers: Grades K-8, Special Education Teachers, Instructional Coaches, & Administrators

The workshop fee is $160 for each participant who is a member of a school division that is a member of VaSCL. You can check here for member divisions.

The registration fee for participants from Non-Member school divisions is $199.

If you would like to pay now by credit card or through a PayPal/credit account, you will be given an opportunity to do so below.

If payment is not made by credit card/PayPal account at registration, the person whom you identified as the Billing Contact will be sent an invoice for payment of your registration fee.

VaSCL has a no refund policy for workshop registrations.

If a participant is unable to attend the workshop please let Alison Dwier-Selden (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) know as soon as possible.

We are happy to allow a substitute to attend in your place. Allison will need to know the person’s name and email address for confirmation.

In the registration form below, required fields are indicated with a red asterisk. Once you have submitted the registration, the person or people whom you have registered will receive a confirmation email (with registration information included) within 24 hours.

In the next 24 hours you will receive a confirmation email. Be sure to check for this email as this is what guarantees that you have a spot in this workshop or webinar. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your junk/spam folder. It is also possible that your division technology department blocks some emails from outside organizations.

If you do not receive a confirmation AND it is not in your junk/spam folder, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let her know.  You can also ask your technology department to unblock emails with addresses that end in vascl.org. That will ensure that participants get the communication emails sent to them before the event. 

If you have questions or concerns, or would like to receive more information about this workshop, please contact our Professional Learning Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..