Michelle Gross, KY Teacher of the Year

Michelle Gross, KY Teacher of the Year

If you’ve ever met Michelle Gross, you know: her brilliance shows up quietly, in the deep relationships she builds, the authentic learning experiences she designs, and the humility she carries into every room. Now named Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Michelle still does what she’s always done, use math to empower, connect, and inspire.

Her 7th graders don’t just calculate square footage, they design dream homes. They research floor plans, draw to scale, estimate mortgage payments, and present their blueprints to real architects and designers. In her Ratios Recipe Project, they scale recipes to feed a crowd (or just one) and bring their math to life in the kitchen. Every unit in Michelle’s classroom is a chance to do something meaningful with math, and that meaning sticks. As one student shared, “I’ll look back at this when I build my actual house.” That’s what happens when learning is personal, real-world, and learner-owned.

Michelle, one of our longtime Teacher Navigators, is a master of the quiet shift. Her classroom hums with the kind of learning we want more of: joyful, rigorous, relevant, and real. She reminds us that when we trust students with the good stuff, work that matters to them, the math (and everything else) lands deeper.

Want to learn more about Michelle’s Dream House Project?

📎 Read the full story here.



Strategy Spotlight: Make it Real (literally)

Michelle’s Dream House project didn’t end with a test, it ended with blueprints, physical models, and presentations to real architects. That’s the Real-World Transformation in action.

This week, we’re pulling two go-to strategies from the Real-World section of our Transformation Strategy Deck to help you bring that same energy into your own classroom:

These are just two of the 60+ vibrant learning strategies in our deck.

Want a deeper look? Let’s talk.

We partner with schools to bring these moves to life, in PLCs, faculty meetings, co-teaching cycles, and custom PD sessions. If you’re ready to make learning more real, we’re here for it.

Your Fall Learning Flight Plan

✈️ November 5 – COACHING FOR VIBRANT LEARNING (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS: 

You spend your days feeding others…but who’s feeding you? This session is your refill. We will spend the day exploring: 

• What’s fueling, and draining, your current coaching cycles
• What kind of nourishment those you serve might need
• How to create low-lift, high-impact moves that energize both you and your team

🔗 sign up here

✈️ December 9 – Designing Defenses of Learning (9am–3pm)

COACHES + BUILDING & DISTRICT LEADERS: 



Whether you’re launching defenses for the first time or ready to reimagine the ones you have, this session is your design lab. We’ll spend the day exploring:

• What makes a defense truly learner-centered
• How to design prompts, artifacts, and reflection arcs that spotlight growth
• Ways to bring students, staff, and the community into the experience

You’ll leave with a defense model that’s bold, doable, and ready to showcase the strengths and journeys of your learners.

🔗 sign up here