Joanne McEachen
Founder of The Learner First

"This is the start of an incredible partnership of learning
with a strong focus on self-understanding to
ensure we are geared for success."

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Global expertise
empowering
local agency.

Professional Development for K-12 leaders and teachers that is blended, personalized, student centered, and manageable.

Our systemic professional development approach strengthens everyday teaching and leading so that students, educators, families, and communities thrive.

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Joanne McEachen

Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe, and Ngāi Tahu
Founder

We want to guide every student and educator to lifelong success and well–being through their discovery of how they can contribute to the world.

“By reflecting students’ identities and aspirations in what, how, and where they learn, teachers and their students can create positive environments that are rooted in the process of Contributive Learning—in discovering who they are, connecting with others, developing knowledge and competency, and, as a result of their learning, adding meaning and joy to the world in their ways.”

We teach the “how to” for transformational growth.

Our K-12 professional development approach weaves learning and well-being in a sequence of leadership and teacher workshops designed to strengthen academic learning through:

- Self-Understanding
- Connection
- Knowledge
- Competency

Our research-driven process utilizes your school’s or district’s strengths and needs, using built-in measurement and assessment tools to track progress and inform your next steps.

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“I’m constantly thinking now… I’m trying to be a lot more intentional about how I design lessons. I want to make sure that they’re purposeful, that they’re engaging.”

Middle School Teacher

“It’s making me much more aware of my classroom, and therefore the needs of the kids… It’s also made me a much calmer teacher, much more thoughtful and a much calmer person in the classroom.”

High School Teacher

“It’s been so powerful to see the change in attitude of the teachers. Seeing another side of the students has really ignited the souls of my staff.”

High School Principal

“What is it that makes these students tick, what are their barriers, what are their strengths, and how can we use that to deliver really engaging curriculum? It’s a deeper dive into the student as a whole.”

High School Department Head

“We have a lot more discourse and dialogue now about being intentional and considering the needs of students.”

Middle School Teacher

“Teacher conversations and allowing them to learn from each other has really helped. You can see their eyes just light up… Just having them share those stories of their kids, their faces change, their voices change.”

Principal

“By staff getting to know students, learning something about them, and doing something positive with that information, we are gaining momentum for change.”

District Superintendent