Summary

Designing Inclusive Learning through Executive Functioning, Universal Design, and Learning Style Supports

This fellowship focused on developing an executive functioning curriculum for 9th grade students, studying Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and identifying resources that support varied learning styles.

Over the course of the fellowship, I dedicated time to researching adolescent development and executive functioning, studying instructional practices grounded in UDL, and curating practical strategies and resources for auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and tactile learners. I attended professional workshops, completed self-paced courses, and collaborated with educators who specialize in differentiated instruction. I also dedicated reflective time to thinking through how these approaches could be integrated into my own school community.

In the short term, this experience has given me a strong framework for teaching students how to build critical executive functioning skills—such as organization, planning, focus, and self-regulation—while ensuring that my lessons are accessible to all learners. In the long term, I expect this work to create a consistent structure for incoming 9th grade students to transition more smoothly into high school, while supporting teachers in applying UDL principles and using resources tailored to different learning styles.

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Questions

How have your knowledge, skills, and capabilities grown?
Through this fellowship, I deepened my understanding of how executive functioning skills underpin student success in high school and beyond. I gained practical strategies for teaching organization, time management, and self-advocacy explicitly, rather than assuming students arrive with these skills. I also developed confidence in designing lessons through the lens of UDL, ensuring multiple entry points and means of engagement, representation, and expression. Finally, I expanded my knowledge of resources to support different learning preferences, from visual organizers and tactile manipulatives to auditory tools and kinesthetic learning strategies.

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As a result, in what ways will your instructional (or other) practice change?
I will implement a 9th grade executive functioning curriculum that integrates lessons on organization, prioritization, and self-monitoring into advisory and core content areas. My instructional design will now be filtered through UDL principles, ensuring that all students can access content in ways that suit their needs. I will also provide students with opportunities to discover their learning preferences and use resources that align with them, fostering both independence and confidence.

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What is the greatest personal accomplishment of your fellowship?
My greatest accomplishment was building a comprehensive, practical framework for executive functioning instruction that directly addresses the needs of my incoming 9th grade students. This framework not only supports academic growth but also helps students build life skills such as planning, persistence, and adaptability.

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How will your experience positively impact student learning in new ways?
Students will now have structured opportunities to practice and reflect on executive functioning skills as part of their learning. Lessons designed with UDL principles will help remove barriers and allow all students to engage more meaningfully with the curriculum. Additionally, by explicitly acknowledging and supporting different learning styles, students will feel seen and empowered to use strategies that work best for them.

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What are your plans to work collaboratively with colleagues?
I plan to share the executive functioning curriculum with colleagues teaching 9th grade and offer professional development workshops on applying UDL to lesson design. By collaborating across subject areas, we can ensure consistent strategies and expectations that reinforce students’ skills. I also hope to co-develop a shared resource bank of learning-style supports that all teachers can access.

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Are there issues or challenges in your school, community, or the world that you feel better prepared to address with your students?
Many students enter high school without the organizational skills and self-regulation strategies necessary to manage increased academic and personal demands. This fellowship prepared me to address this gap directly. Additionally, as educational equity remains a pressing issue, I feel better equipped to dismantle barriers to learning by applying UDL and creating lessons that respect the diverse strengths and needs of students.

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How would you describe to a friend the most fundamental ways in which your fellowship has changed your personal and/or professional perspective?
This fellowship reframed the way I think about teaching: rather than viewing executive functioning, lesson design, and learning preferences as separate considerations, I now see them as interconnected elements of inclusive, student-centered education. Personally, I feel more energized and purposeful in my role as an educator, knowing I can help students not only succeed academically but also grow into confident, self-aware learners.