At a meeting of the Auburn School Committee, teachers and students from Bryn Mawr School demonstrated classroom lessons that use Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, to give students multiple ways to access texts, engage in activities and show what they know.

The presentation, led by first-grade teacher and UDL coach Jessica Rourke and reading specialist and UDL coach Dawn Fanucchio, described the district’s fourth year of UDL work. Rourke said the framework is a way “to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on the science of how we learn.” The teachers showed a first-grade lesson using the Wonders reading program in which students chose whether to draw, write with a word bank, act out a scene, or work with a partner to demonstrate comprehension.

Student presenters Brady Hamilton and Lila Powell described what the choices meant for them. “I like acting out the story. It makes me happy and the other kids enjoy it,” Lila told the committee. Brady said he prefers partner work because “two sets of eyes are better than one” and that when he gets stuck he can “ask a friend for help or I can join the teacher's group.”

Rourke and Fanucchio said the lessons emphasize learner agency—helping students select how they will learn and show mastery—and practical supports such as visual “what you need now” cues and QR codes to listen to text. The teachers described options offered in the lesson: rereading by scanning a QR code, reading with a buddy, small-group teacher support, using a word bank, or acting out a play adapted from the story.

Committee members praised the presentation and invited the teachers to bring more classroom visits. One member said the combination of UDL and restorative practices has been “transformational for kids’ learning.” The committee did not take any formal action on the presentation.

The demonstration was followed by applause and brief comments from the committee inviting the students to come forward and shake hands.