The Education Table with Katie Novak, EdD

In this episode of The Education Table, Dr. Katie Novak focuses on how faculty meeting time is often used for logistics, announcements, and information that could be shared asynchronously, rather than for the kind of collaborative learning that supports instructional improvement. The episode invites leaders to reconsider how this limited and valuable time is structured.
Dr. Novak explains how faculty meetings can be intentionally designed to support adult learning by clarifying instructional goals, engaging educators in shared problem-solving, and creating space for reflection and alignment. Drawing on principles of Universal Design for Learning, she highlights how the same design choices that support student learning such as clear purpose, meaningful engagement, and intentional use of time, also apply to adults.
Rather than adding more to educators’ plates, this episode emphasizes making better use of time leaders already have. When faculty meetings are aligned to instructional priorities and designed with intention, they can become a powerful lever for coherence, trust, and improved practice.
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In this episode of The Education Table, Dr. Katie Novak reframes the commonly cited “80% rule” in MTSS. Rather than treating it as a hard benchmark or accountability threshold, she positions it as a temperature check - one data point that helps leaders pause and ask better questions about Tier 1 instruction.
Dr. Novak explains that when a large percentage of students require intervention, the response should not automatically be to pull more students, add more programs, or intensify supports. Instead, it is an opportunity to examine how Tier 1 instruction is designed, how clearly goals are communicated, and how accessible learning is for students from the start. The focus shifts from fixing students to understanding instructional conditions.
The episode highlights how Universal Design for Learning focus areas support leaders and instructional coaches in noticing patterns across classrooms through non-evaluative, supportive walkthroughs. Used well, these tools help teams reflect, build shared understanding, and strengthen core instruction, creating conditions where fewer students need intervention because Tier 1 is doing more of the work.
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In this episode of The Education Table, Dr. Katie Novak speaks directly to school and district leaders and instructional coaches who want to better understand how Universal Design for Learning is showing up across classrooms. She introduces the UDL focus areas as a tool for noticing, naming, and supporting instructional practices that educators are already building, while also clarifying where intentional shifts can deepen impact.
Drawing on classroom examples and implementation research, Dr. Novak explores how non-evaluative, supportive observations and walkthroughs help leaders strengthen Tier 1 instruction without positioning UDL as a checklist or compliance task. Rather than using observations to judge practice, this episode emphasizes how focus areas can guide coaching conversations, professional learning, and systems-level coherence in ways that support teachers and improve student outcomes.
In this episode, you will learn:
What UDL focus areas are and why they matter
How to use the focus areas to help support teacher growth
Why depth of practice leads to greater impact than breadth

Additional resources to explore:
UDL Focus Areas Blog & Tool
Episode transcript

In this episode of The Education Table, Dr. Katie Novak examines a common concern with choice: students gravitating toward what is perceived as the “easy” option. She explains that this often happens for two reasons. Either the options are not truly aligned to grade-level standards, or students have not been explicitly taught how to use the options or supported with appropriate scaffolds.Drawing on research and real-world examples, Dr. Novak explores why students often choose pathways that feel predictable or manageable, particularly when uncertainty is high. Rather than offering choice and hoping students make good decisions, she emphasizes the importance of teaching the options, clarifying the goal, modeling workflows, and offering scaffolds that support learning without becoming requirements. When goals, success criteria, and reflection are made explicit, students are better positioned to choose options that provide the right balance of support and challenge.

In this episode, you will learn:
How to scaffold choice so students don't choose the "easiest" option
The importance of aligning choice to grade-level standards
How
Additional resources to explore:
Episode transcript
Related blog

In this episode of The Education Table, Dr. Katie Novak explores how Universal Design for Learning extends far beyond whole-class teaching. She emphasizes that UDL is a mindset for every interaction, regardless of whether you are a teacher, paraeducator, specialist, or counselor. Katie shares practical ways adults can create emotionally safe, predictable, and flexible interactions that honor learner identity and reduce barriers while still meeting firm goals, no matter the setting. Her message is clear: UDL isn’t just for classrooms: it’s for life.

In this episode, you will learn:
Why UDL matters just as much in small groups, mentoring, and 1:1 interactions as it does in structured lessons

Simple shifts adults can make to reduce stress, offer choice, and honor learner identity
Practical ways to design interactions with variability in mind, even outside the classroom

Additional resources to explore:
View episode transcript
Read corresponding blog