Published by: Leaders for Learning
By October, you don’t need a reminder of how heavy the work feels.
New initiatives arrived over the summer from the district office—some promising, some overwhelming. By now, the shine has worn off. Teachers are buried under grading, assessment windows are opening, and you’re left managing multiple instructional programs, trying to translate big central office decisions into something that works for your staff.
It’s a familiar story: too many programs, not enough time, and the responsibility to make it all work.
The October Slip: Why It Hits Schools Hard
Implementation science tells us that most programs experience an “installation dip” in the fall. And if you’re managing an instructional program right now, you’ve probably seen it yourself:
Teachers improvising around new curriculum because pacing guides don’t fit real schedules.
Tutoring and MTSS supports inconsistent because staffing is stretched thin.
Tech tools underused because teachers haven’t had time to integrate them.
Frustration from staff on one side and accountability pressures from district leaders on the other.
The result? You carry the weight of implementation while knowing you don’t always control the bigger system decisions.
Manage Instructional Programs
You may not choose which programs get purchased, but you do influence how they live in your building. Here are three strategies leaders managing instructional programs are using right now to steady implementation and sustain momentum:
1. Prioritize for Your People
You can’t ask teachers to implement everything with equal weight. Use October to identify the “must-do” pieces of a program and give staff explicit permission to focus there.
This move communicates: We value your time, and we want to focus on what matters most.
Think about where you can create clarity for teachers by naming the top priorities. This can go a long way in building buyin and clarifying expectations. Furthermore, this sends a clear message that you value teacher well being and recognize that lack of clarity can contribute to burnout.
2. Create a Fast Feedback Loop
District leaders need data, but your staff needs to know their voices matter. Build a rhythm of quick, practical feedback:
A two-question survey in PLCs.
A standing agenda item at staff meetings: What’s working? What’s blocking us?
Informal check-ins with grade-level leads or department chairs.
Leaders who elevate teacher voice not only gather better data, they also build the trust that sustains implementation.
How are you capturing and responding to teacher input this fall?
3. Set a 90-Day Checkpoint for Your Building
District timelines often stretch across semesters, but your staff needs nearer-term wins. Identify three measurable goals to achieve by December—whether that’s consistent small-group instruction, tutoring coverage, or teacher confidence with a new tool.
A 90-day checkpoint helps your team celebrate progress and gives you evidence to share back with the district.
What short-term goals could your staff rally around before winter break?
Why This Matters
You may not control what gets bought, but you do influence whether those programs take root. That’s where implementation either succeeds or collapses.
The ConnectED Framework offers a structure leaders can adapt to their reality:
Audit & Align → Make sense of competing demands handed down from the district.
Implement & Support → Equip teachers with clarity, coaching, and practical systems.
Reflect & Evolve → Create cycles of adjustment that sustain progress without burning people out.
Districts and schools using this approach have seen 69% higher teacher adoption and double-digit student gains.
So the real October reflection is this: even if you didn’t buy it, how will you implement it in a way that helps teachers thrive and students succeed?
If you want space to think this through, a 60-minute Implementation Call can serve as a reset—a chance to clarify priorities, streamline what’s on your plate, and build a short-term plan you can act on immediately.
October doesn’t have to be the month when momentum unravels. It can be the month when you reclaim clarity—for yourself, for your staff, and for your students.
Dr. Anecca Robinson is the founder of Leaders for Learning, a consulting firm dedicated to helping K–12 educators implement academic programs with clarity and consistency. By aligning resources, strengthening professional learning, and supporting every student’s success, Leaders for Learning partners with schools to innovate with intention and teach with heart. Ready to design instructional programs that create lasting impact? Let’s make it happen—together.
Innovate with Intention. Teach with Heart.