Without a doubt, understanding accessibility principles via Universal Design for Learning has greatly impacted my work as an instructional designer. I apply it regularly in suggestions to team members while developing resources.
One of the most impactful things we've done at Legacy wasn't some formal training or big workshop—it was simply asking our teachers to spend a day as a student. We had them log in, take live lessons, do homework, and experience everything just like our students. The feedback we got was candid and uncensored. Some were overwhelmed, some pointed out things that were confusing or clunky. But across the board, it gave them a whole new level of sympathy for the student experience. They also started to make tiny but meaningful changes. Lessons became clearer, support became more proactive, and the tone became more human. It was a reminder that great teaching has nothing to do with what you know—it has to do with whether you can see through the eyes of the learner. And sometimes the best PD is just walking in their shoes, ifonly for a day.
When I started using games in my Spanish classes, everything changed. Students became more engaged, and the energy shifted. It helped me build stronger connections and made learning feel fun and natural. Like Franklin said, "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn." That's exactly what happened.
As a teacher, my experience navigating the school system as a SEAC (Special Education Advisory Committee) representative, helping families advocate for their children with special needs, has deeply shaped me. It opened my eyes to the disparities in our education system and the exhausting struggles families and students face just to access the support they need. This experience has made me a much more patient educator. It has also changed the way and frequency I communicate with families, ensuring they feel informed, heard, and supported. I now recognize that collaboration with families is not just beneficial; it is essential to truly support each child's success.
I was hired to teach a class on Lean Transformation which I had developed for a hybrid delivery model. The university had just moved to asynchronous classes which needed to be 100% online and available 24/7. For my professional development, I was assigned a coach to help me develop and execute a plan to convert the hybrid class into a 100% online version. I also learned how to add a number of wonderful features available in the online learning management system (LMS). This coach was not an expert at the class topic or the LMS. They were an expert at holding me accountable for modifying the course and making it better. The coach and I made a great team. I got things completed faster than I thought possible. I was pushed to look at new ideas and immediately made numerous changes which leveraged the features available in the LMS. These features included the use of discussion forums, assignments which asked for creative thinking from students, and project work promoting teamwork and critical thinking. I learned how to balance the weekly workload for the students and provide them a variety of learning tools which allowed them to meet the course learning objectives. The success was tremendous. I completed the work on time. Feedback from students was overwhelming and registrations soared for future sessions. To top it all off, the university was audited by one of those organizations which ranks university programs. My class on Lean Transformation was recognized as the best class at the school.