Build just-in-time coaching

Introduction

We might often receive feedback that our staff meetings and professional learning communities (PLCs) are often the things our teachers don't have time for. This input makes sense when we ask our teachers to differentiate for their students every day, yet our own professional development is often the opposite—a one-size-fits-all session that doesn't account for the unique challenges of a first-year kindergarten teacher versus a seasoned 8th-grade science teacher.

This creates knowledge fragmentation. Our best resources—our strategic plans, our research-based rubrics, and our success stories—stay trapped in siloed PDFs and buried shared drives.

Our goal in this session is to change that. We’re going to learn how to build a professional development resource that serves as a just-in-time coach. We will use AI to curate a single source of truth—a persistent, digital workspace that respects your time by giving you instant, expert-level answers grounded specifically in your school’s goals and data.

This will ensure that every teacher, regardless of their schedule or experience level, has 24/7 access to high-level coaching and the 'why' behind our school's mission.

Before we dive in, let’s learn a little more about you.

• What is one thing you’re hoping to learn that would give your teachers even ten minutes of their time back this week?

• How are you hoping to apply this to make your leadership more impactful and less task or logistical-focused?

Today, we aren't just looking at a new tool; we’re looking at a new way to empower our own professional learning.

As an educator, you know the importance of receiving support when and where you need it. When a first-year teacher is struggling with classroom management, they shouldn't have to wait for the next scheduled professional development session to get help.

We are going to use NotebookLM to bridge this gap. By the end of this session, you’ll be able to turn those siloed PDF resource documents into a 24/7 AI coaching partner

Demo

Let’s try out how this works. Instead of using the Gemini app, I'm going to use NotebookLM so it's grounded only in my school's policies and content rather than also creating content and answering questions based on broader information from the internet.

I’m going to upload our district’s strategic plan and a recent research article we’ve been studying on student agency.

[below are the district’s strategic plan and research article to use in the demo]

Step 1: In order to do this, I’m going to open NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google.com

• Show the interface of the tool

Step 2: Then, I’m going to create a new notebook

• Complete this step slowly, so everyone can see where this option is located

Step 3: Now, I need to add my content. This is where you’ll upload the district’s strategic plan and research article.

• Show the different options for uploading content. Once you’ve done so, select Drive and choose the district’s strategic plan and research article.

Step 4: Review the interface. NotebookLM creates a source guide with the article we uploaded.

• Show the interface of the notebook.

• Point out the sources section—where the documents we uploaded are.

• In the middle is the Chat section—where NotebookLM created a summary of all the sources we uploaded; and where we can ask questions.

• On the right is the Studio section—where we can ask NotebookLM to create various resources from the sources we provided.

• Ask if anyone has any questions

Instead of a general chat, I’m using my documents as the source for training the AI tool.

Step 5: Let’s enter a prompt rooted in our content:

Based on our Strategic Plan, how might the Three-Pillar approach help solve the Guidance Gap mentioned in the research article?

Step 6: Now, let’s try creating an audio overview of one of our sources.

• In the Sources section, uncheck all but one source.

• In the Studio section, click “Audio Overview”.

• In minutes, it creates a 5-minute, podcast-style deep dive between two AI experts. Instead of reading through a lengthy document, your teachers can listen to a conversation.

• Alternatively, you can generate an audio overview of all your sources by leaving all sources checked in the Sources section.

Step 7: We can try out one more prompt:

Create a 15-minute PLC activity for 3rd-grade teachers that helps them meet KPI B by using Choice-Based Assessments in their next science unit.

By generating a 15-minute activity grounded in the school's approved research, you can support a more impactful use of the teachers’ time by having them focus on analyzing student evidence and fine-tuning classroom strategies.

Practice

Now, it’s your turn!

We’ve discussed knowledge fragmentation—that frustrating reality where, for example, your strategic plan is in one folder, your research on student agency is in another, and your teachers are searching various websites for answers.

Your task:

You are going to build a bridge connecting key resources using NotebookLM.

If you have a school document available, like a handbook, or goal sheet, you can use it to upload. If not, you can use the district strategic plan and research article from the demo to try this out.

Step 1:  Open NotebookLM on your device.

Step 2:  Create a prompt about a question specific to a teacher's struggle. For example:

Based on our definition of Student Agency, what are three specific ways a 4th-grade team can give students more voice in a math lesson without losing academic rigor?

Step 3: Examine the output.

• Does it cite the specific goals in the documents you uploaded?

• Does it catch the nuances of your school’s policy?

• If a teacher read this, would they have a clear idea of how to fine-tune their classroom strategies tomorrow?

By grounding the PLC in these sources, you’ve just eliminated the need for a 20-minute unpacking of how the district defines Student Agency. You’ve moved your teachers straight into action.

How might receiving research-backed answers to “what” and “how” from this notebook change your approach to your professional development.

Reflection

As we wrap-up, let’s reflect.

We didn’t just explore a new app; we started building a way to solve knowledge fragmentation in your schools.

• If you teachers had 24/7 access to the knowledge base you made, how much of your own time would be repurposed?

• What is one thing you’ve learned today that you will put into practice by the end of the week?

Remember, the goal isn't for us to work faster; it's to create a school environment where the 'why' is always accessible, so our teachers can focus on the 'who'—the students in their classroom.