Stile’s 3-step guide to embedding a culture of continuous professional growth with Stile Academy

Step 1: Lay the foundations for success

If we want to see real improvements in science classrooms, we need to move beyond one-off workshops and surface-level PD. Stile Academy offers something different: an embedded approach to professional learning that fits into the everyday rhythm of teaching.

With flexible, evidence-based modules designed specifically for science educators, Stile Academy gives your team practical strategies they can use immediately – supported by video demonstrations, reflective prompts, and a real-life Stile coach. 

Stile Academy is designed to be flexible. Teachers can engage individually or collectively, at a pace that fits into and supports existing PD structures, making it easy to integrate without overwhelming your team.

As a school leader, you play a critical role in translating this resource into meaningful impact. Step 1 focuses on establishing a strong foundation – building your familiarity with Stile Academy, aligning it with your school’s professional learning goals, and preparing the conditions for successful, sustained implementation.

☑️ Define success and how you’ll measure it

☑️ Choose a roll-out model

☑️ Embed into existing PD structures

☑️ Define your goals

☑️ Explore the modules

Explore the modules

Log into Stile and visit the Professional Learning Hub. 

Begin by completing the Introduction to Stile Academy module to understand how it works and the value it offers your team. This super short module will help you to understand the evidence-based approach underpinning Stile Academy’s design, and an overview of the innovative Stile Sprint Cycle.

Skim through other modules to identify those that align with your department's challenges or priorities.

Reflection prompts: 

• Which modules align with your school’s current priorities or challenges?
• Which ones might resonate most with your team?
• What are the key features you want to highlight when you introduce it to your wider staff?

Define your goals

Set 2–3 clear goals for implementation. Are you aiming to strengthen differentiation? Support new teachers? Build questioning strategies? Aligning these with school or district priorities builds credibility and relevance.

Reflection prompts:

• What are the top three goals you want to achieve through Stile Academy?
• What are your school-wide and/or district priorities?
• Which modules best align with those goals?

Embed into existing PD structures

Stile Academy integrates best when it complements – not competes with – your current PD systems. 

Here’s how:

• PLCs: Use a module as a termly focus and facilitate reflection across the cycle.
• Department meetings: Dedicate 10–15 minutes for strategy sharing, quick wins, or discussion prompts.
• Coaching cycles and professional development plans: Use the Stile Academy resources to support coaching cycles and personal development plans.
• Unit planning sessions: Align modules with curriculum priorities (e.g. use the questioning module before a new chemistry unit).
• PD days: Structure time for shared or self-directed module completion followed by classroom planning.

 Choose a rollout model

 Select the approach that best suits your context:

• Faculty-wide model: Build shared language and consistency with a common focus module and individualised Teaching Tweaks.
• Self-paced model: Empower teachers with choice and autonomy to drive their own learning, allowing them to select their own module/area of focus, allowing for more diverse learning opportunities across your department.

Regardless of the model, we recommend a structured rollout over time:1 module per term30 minutes a week5 weeksEmbedded in PLCs, meetings, or coaching cycles.

Reflection prompts: 

What factors influence your rollout model choice – staff needs, time, priorities?

Which rollout model is likely to be most effective at your school?

Define success and how you’ll measure it

Define what success will look like for your team. This could include:

• 90% module completion across your department
• At least one teaching strategy shared in each PLC
• Evidence of impact captured through reflection or observation

Final thoughts

Step 1 is all about setting your team up for meaningful professional growth. With thoughtful preparation and strategic planning, Stile Academy can become a valuable part of your department’s professional learning culture, and support you to build sustainable, subject-specific professional learning that directly impacts teaching and learning.

Stay tuned for Step 2: Launch with clarity, confidence and purpose, where we’ll share strategies to boost uptake and enthusiasm!