Bringing Everyone to the Table: How The Teachers Table Is Transforming Teacher Support
Today, I am joined by the brilliant and beloved Elise Lovejoy, author of Express Readers, creator of high-quality decodables, longtime classroom teacher, and founder of The Teachers Table — a growing professional learning platform designed to give every educator access to vetted, practical, research-based literacy support.
In this episode, Elise shares her journey from classroom teacher to curriculum creator to entrepreneur, and opens up about the moment she realized teachers needed more than scattered resources and social media tips — they needed a trusted, community-centered space where research meets real classrooms.
This conversation is a must-listen for teachers, coaches, and leaders who feel the weight of trying to “figure it all out” alone. Elise brings a refreshing blend of honesty, practicality, and heart to the topic of professional learning and what it should look like.
In This Episode, We Cover:
1. Elise’s Story: From Teacher to Decodable Author to Founding The Teachers Table
Elise reflects on:
Spending 15+ years in the classroom
Writing decodables long before decodables were “popular”
Seeing teachers struggle without access to quality PD
Working in schools and noticing inequities around who gets trained
The moment she realized: “If teachers don’t have the knowledge, kids don’t get what they need.”
Her solution: Create one place where teachers can access the research, see it modeled, and get real answers.
2. Why The Teachers Table Exists
Elise shares the gap she saw:
Teachers want to do what’s best — they just need time, clarity, and support.
Many don’t have access to conferences, coaching, or reliable PD.
Social media isn’t vetted, and teachers don’t always know what’s credible.
Her mission: Make vetted, research-aligned literacy learning accessible for every teacher, everywhere.
3. The Research, Simplified: “Simply Served”
Inside The Teachers Table, educators get:
“Simply Served” summaries that break down research in teacher-friendly language
Direct links to the studies
Clear guidance on what’s more effective, what’s less effective, and what research actually does and doesn’t say
Coverage across all literacy domains — phonics, morphology, vocabulary, comprehension, PA, and more
As Elise says:
“I want to know what I need to do tomorrow — in my language — not in research jargon.”
4. PD That Works for the Way Teachers Actually Learn
Elise explains why traditional PD often falls flat:
People retain only a tiny percentage of long, one-day trainings
Teachers need short, digestible, actionable learning
Real classrooms aren’t Pinterest-perfect — PD should reflect real life
Professional learning should follow teachers all year, not dump information once
This is why The Teachers Table includes:
Short videos
Modeling clips
Podcasts
Articles
Printables
Bite-sized learning that teachers can apply immediately
5. Bins: The Feature Teachers & Coaches LOVE
Amie and Elise talk about the “bins” — one of the platform’s most helpful tools.
Teachers and coaches can:
Save any article, video, workshop, printable, or podcast
Organize content into categories
Share an entire bin with a teammate or staff
Use bins for PLCs, coaching cycles, or schoolwide PD
Pull from a growing bin library curated by content creators
Perfect for literacy coaches juggling 16+ teachers who can’t be in every room at once.
6. What “Coming to the Table” Really Means
Elise shares the heart behind the platform:
Everyone is invited.
Every teacher deserves access — not just the ones who get funded for conferences.
Equity includes teachers, not just students.
No one should learn alone or feel isolated in their classroom silo.
Questions are welcome, and support is constant.
“If we care about all kids, we must care about all their teachers.”
7. Rethinking PD in Schools
If Elise could change one thing?
Engagement.
She explains:
Teachers crave fresh voices.
PD should reflect real classrooms.
Educators should hear from teachers across the country and around the world.
Content must be trustworthy and research-aligned.
8. How Coaches and Leaders Can Use The Teachers Table
Elise offers specific ways instructional leaders can use the platform:
Curate bins for teams
Send out modeling videos and short trainings
Track teacher engagement (via learning guides)
Provide continuous support instead of one-time PD
Give teachers the tools they need for tomorrow morning, not months from now
9. Final Message: When Teachers Come to the Table…
Elise closes with this beautiful thought:
“Teachers will find answers.
They will trust what they’re reading and watching.
And they won’t be alone in their silo while trying to help the kids they care about most.”
Learn More About The Teachers Table
Visit: teacherstable.org
✔ 7-day free trial
✔ Growing library of vetted content
✔ Courses, videos, articles, modeling clips, bins, and more
✔ Built by teachers and content creators who deeply care about classroom practice
Want More?
Explore more Science of Reading PD, decodables, small-group planning tools, coaching sessions, and literacy resources at Route2Reading inside the Literacy Edventures Membership.
