Starting Strong: Advice for Schools New to Project Based Learning (PBL)

A student-created exhibit on tools used by paleontologists.

Adopting project based learning schoolwide is exciting work - and it is also a long game. Schools that sustain PBL over time tend to start the same way: thoughtfully, incrementally, and with their eyes on the learning rather than the logistics.

Windsor Elementary in the Des Moines Public Schools wrapped up its first school year of PBL implementation this spring. Their principal and instructional leadership team have a good perspective on what it takes to get started well.

Here is what they would tell you.

Start with quality, not quantity. Associate Principal Claudia Lorentzen is direct on this point: one well-designed project that is thoughtfully executed and publicly showcased will do more for your school's PBL momentum than five projects done halfway. Early adopters who do the work well create models. And models create enthusiasm. Let those exemplary units do the recruiting for you.

Anchor everything in your existing curriculum and standards. This is not the time to start from scratch. The most sustainable PBL units are built on the curriculum and grade-level standards that teachers already know well. Strong content knowledge gives teachers the confidence to flex the scope and sequence, make student-centered adjustments, and trust that the learning is grade-level and rigorous.

1st graders at Windsor Elementary engaged in project-based learning aligned to their literacy unit centered on tools and work.

Break it down. Principal Carrie Johnson advises introducing the full vision of PBL first, so teachers understand what they are working toward. Then support its implementation in pieces. Start with the launch. Then build in investigation cycles. Identify one or two student behaviors you want to develop, whether that is collaborative discussion, academic writing, or oral presentation, and let the planning process serve those goals intentionally.

Celebrate small wins. The shifts that matter most in Year 1 are often subtle: a better aligned driving question, a teacher who embeds student voice and choice, a classroom that feels more alive than it did before. Make space to notice those moments and name them. Reflection on what is changing for students is what keeps a team motivated through the harder parts of the work.

4th graders at Windsor Elementary provide feedback to each other on math games they created related to fractions and decimals.

Get support and keep it going. PBL implementation does not sustain itself on inspiration alone. Ongoing coaching, collaborative planning time, and professional learning are what keep the vision alive and the work moving forward. Schools that invest in that infrastructure in Year 1 are the ones still going strong in Year 3.

The first year is about building belief - a belief in the pedagogy, a belief in your students, and a belief in your teachers' capacity to do something new. Start small, do it well, and let the work speak for itself.

Applied Coaching for Projects partners with schools and districts to support the implementation of high-quality project-based learning. Learn more.

Please note: All images in this blog are shared with permission from the school and participants. These images may not be reused or reproduced without written consent.

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