Posted by: Emily DesJardins, M.A., SpED, UDL Content Lead, Open Access
This month, I finally had the chance to visit a school I’ve been collaborating with virtually all year. While other members of our Open Access team have visited in person many times, this was my first opportunity to see firsthand the impact of their UDL implementation. What I experienced left me energized and more inspired than ever by the power of UDL in action—and I can’t wait to share that excitement with you. Of course, this is just one example of how UDL can take shape at a school site. Because variability is the norm, there are endless ways to implement UDL in ways that meet the unique needs of each school and classroom.
I arrived at Redwood Preparatory Charter School on Monday morning and was greeted by an enthusiastic group of three middle school students. They introduced themselves and provided a school tour while their principal finished up a morning meeting. Their excitement around introducing me to their school was a clear indication of the deep connection they have to their school community. The details they shared with me included the layout of the school, the location of bathrooms and water fountains for my convenience, but also the details they clearly found special and important: the hand-painted benches across the campus that students were responsible for designing, the outdoor spaces where they eat lunch with their friends, the cafeteria where their food service staff makes meals with their input and consideration.
At the end of the tour, I asked them a few questions about what they loved about their school and about how their teachers support their learning. The first thing I felt with all of their answers was the pride and joy they felt for their school. They were excited to tell me about the ways their teachers made learning fun and engaging. They were proud to tell me about the ways they were involved in their school community and it was clear how valued this made them feel.
After meeting with the Principal and the Humboldt County Office of Education Program Manager, we began our school wide tour into each classroom. Across the school campus, I saw so many rich learning experiences but at the heart of all of it was the Learner Agency for students, true Engagement (not just compliance) and a value and understanding that all students learn differently.
Some of the ways these principles came to life were small and simple, while others were more elaborate. But the most striking piece was the shared mindset of the staff—a collective commitment to designing a learning community that provides multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression for all students.
Flexible Seating: A Small Detail with a Big Impact
One of the first universal pieces of this school that struck me was the flexible seating across all classrooms and grade levels. Across all classrooms, TK through 8th grade, there were a variety of options for how students could sit during their learning throughout their day. As I watched this unfold during my tour throughout every classroom, I could not help but smirk to myself over the variability I saw in how each teacher executed this in their classroom. Of course everyone had a different way of making this work in their classroom, because they were truly embracing the most important piece of UDL: Variability!
All classrooms featured a mix of floor seating, tables, couches, beanbags, and unique seating options—some chairs had wheels, others lacked backs, some wobbled, and others were stools. One lower elementary classroom even had a loft-style structure, where students could climb up and sit on cushions for reading, while others sat below in a cozy nook.
Recognizing learner variability in seating preferences may seem like a small detail, but it sends a powerful message: "I value your individuality and trust you to make decisions that work best for you." When students are given choices, they develop a sense of agency—empowering them to take ownership of their learning environment. With agency comes responsibility, and time and time again, students rise to the occasion when given meaningful choices within clear expectations.
Collaboration and Connection: The Heart of Joyful Learning
Another universal trend that I witnessed in all classrooms was collaboration with peers. In last month’s blog, we discussed the science behind Joy in Learning and the impact that collaboration with peers can have on joy! In every classroom on the Redwood Prep campus, students had time to interact with their peers. In some classrooms, they were working on a group assignment. In other classrooms, they were in Centers and had opportunities to collaborate on their independent work.
In one classroom, I witnessed a teacher's quick thinking transform a challenge into a meaningful opportunity for collaboration. After returning from five days away, this teacher sensed her students’ need to communicate and responded to that need. As she led the class in a whole-group lesson, students repeatedly blurted out comments, despite her efforts to reinforce their PBIS strategies and systems. It was clear—they were simply eager to talk and quick to attempt to derail the focus on the assignment. Her solution was simple yet brilliant: instead of resisting their need for engagement, she embraced it. She posed a question related to the lesson and invited them to turn and talk within their groups. By recognizing and honoring their need for student voice, she kept them on topic while allowing for meaningful discussion. As I listened, I noticed that at least 90% of their conversations remained focused—frog genetics had sparked genuine excitement! What could have been a disruptive challenge was transformed into a powerful learning opportunity. This teacher’s quick thinking is a perfect example of assessing student needs in the moment and providing opportunities for collaboration when they matter most.
In the TK classroom, I had the joy of participating in their morning meeting, and I was filled with excitement as I witnessed the connections these young children were building with one another. Their day began with exploration at choice centers, after which a bell signaled them to gather on the carpet for morning meeting time. During this gathering, attendance was called in a manner that not only allowed the teacher to track who was present but also fostered connections among the students. As each student’s name was called, they responded, and the entire circle echoed, “Good morning ___,” incorporating their names. This simple yet meaningful act of recognition made the children feel seen and acknowledged by their peers, emphasizing the importance of looking each other in the eye and affirming their presence.
Next, the designated Breath Monitor led the class in a deep breathing exercise. He chose the Snowflake Breathing technique, where students inhaled deeply with their hands raised above their heads, and then sprinkled their fingers down like falling snow as they exhaled. The Breath Monitor also decided whether they would repeat this exercise 4, 5, or 6 times—a small yet significant choice that empowered a 5-year-old to take on a leadership role.
Following their breathing exercise, the class had time to check in with one another. They passed a fun, squishy toy as a talking stick, giving each student the choice to share a high or low moment from their lives or to pass their turn. Most students opted to share, recounting various experiences: some spoke about exciting weekend adventures, while others mentioned smaller incidents like stubbing a toe or upcoming activities they were looking forward to. This check-in, even among a group of lively 5-year-olds, was conducted in under 15 minutes, and actually captured their attention, as they listened to each other’s stories. It provided me with a beautiful glimpse into the strong connections these children share within their classroom community.
In the 6th-grade classroom, students were actively engaged in collaborative groups, each deeply focused on their assignments, which offered a variety of choices. The teacher facilitated a small group session where students set personal goals, emphasizing the importance of growth mindset principles such as persistence, effort, and problem-solving as key components of success. Using the powerful imagery of an iceberg, students explored the concept that much of the hard work, perseverance, and grit necessary for achievement lies beneath the surface, unseen by others. This visual support not only deepened their understanding but also fostered a strong sense of community as students shared their insights and experiences. The classroom environment was rich with encouragement, where every student felt valued and empowered to take ownership of their learning journey.
The 8th grade English teacher was apologetic when we entered the classroom because her students were watching a movie. I immediately told her there was nothing to apologize for and immediately saw the deep engagement and excitement in her students. They had just finished reading The Hunger Games. A tradition in the class is that once a book is finished, the class watches the movie together and completes an assignment comparing and contrasting the book and the movie. This classroom tradition of watching the movie after completing the book serves multiple purposes aligned with the UDL framework. It provides multiple means of engagement, as students are able to connect their reading experience with a visual interpretation, reinforcing comprehension and interest. The assignment that follows, which involves comparing and contrasting the book and the movie, promotes multiple means of expression, allowing students to articulate their thoughts in various formats. Additionally, this practice nurtures a sense of community, by fostering collaborative discussions where students can share their insights and perspectives about the differences and similarities between the two narratives. During the morning tour, one of the middle school students shared this tradition with me excitedly, which further emphasizes the positive impact of these engaging learning experiences.
Choice Matters: Fostering Engagement through Options and Variety
Throughout every classroom, I observed numerous examples of student choice, whether it involved selecting topics, completing projects, or choosing from activities on weekly checklists. While the presence of choice was consistent across the board, it manifested uniquely in each classroom. A key aspect of this approach was the clear procedures, structure, and routines that provided a framework for students to exercise their choices. For example, during Centers in one classroom, students were offered two distinct options for completing activities at each center. In an upper elementary writing lesson, students received a menu of activities to select from, ensuring that elements of choice were integrated throughout the task.
In addition to the emphasis on choice, I observed a rich variety of methods and materials being utilized in classrooms. Specifically, in a middle school math classroom, center activities were in full swing. Each student was expected to complete all centers by the end of the week, and the diversity within these centers offered a well-rounded approach to learning. The centers included a puzzle-based activity, a building-focused station, a review center, and a digital task. This array of options not only fostered student engagement but also encouraged them to explore activities that might not typically align with their preferences, broadening their learning experiences.
Celebrating Student Voice: Inclusion in Decision Making
The community and collaboration across the campus was also connected to a sense of Learner Agency that was consistent throughout the campus. Within every classroom, students knew what they were working on, why they were working on it, and how to complete that task. They all had access to materials they needed and had the agency to be able to access and manage those materials. This might seem like a small way to implement agency for students, but it’s so powerful to feel confident and capable of managing materials, especially for students in the younger grades.
One of the teachers shared with me that a student had been on her hiring committee and how powerful that was for her. This act of including students in the decision making process on campus is such a powerful way to say “your opinion, thoughts, and feelings matter.” As I passed through the school cafeteria, I did a double take when I saw that they had an actual kitchen with food being cooked, rather than warmed up. The meal for that particular day was homemade ramen and the decision for that meal choice had come from a student request. Another teacher shared with me that the cafeteria manager would sometimes change the meal signs to reflect student favorites such as “Johnny’s Favorite Pancakes.” This recognition of student favorites and creating opportunities to highlight their interests is such a beautiful way of connecting to them and showing them how important they are.
Throughout the campus, I saw a community feeling that really allowed students to have the agency to make choices in their learning, allowed students to be a part of the decision making process, and also had opportunities to collaborate with their peers. That is UDL.
One of the most common concerns I hear from teachers interested in implementing UDL is the feeling of anxiety over the complexity of the guidelines. And I completely understand—thirty-six considerations are a lot for anyone to take in! However, I want to ease those fears with a simple truth: many educators are already incorporating elements of Universal Design for Learning without even realizing it. For example, if your school or classroom fosters an environment where students feel safe, have voice and choice, and collaborate with their peers—that’s UDL. If students have multiple ways to engage with their learning and opportunities to make decisions about how they learn best—that’s UDL. In reality, UDL is happening at some level on every campus.
The goal is to identify what’s working best, understand why it’s effective, and continue refining our practices to ensure that all students have meaningful access to learning while becoming more aware of how they learn best. I hope this article has offered practical examples—both big and small—of how you can integrate UDL into your teaching.
Photo by Emily DesJardins