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The Power of Learning Unlocked, an Impact on Education: Meet Dr. John Almarode, Author, Professor, and Academic Unit Head at James Madison University
We are honored to feature John Almarode as part of our August Education Series, celebrating educators shaping the future of learning. Driven by the belief that education is more than academics, John Almarode creates classrooms where students feel seen, challenged, and empowered to succeed.
Tell us about your personal journey into education, beginning with that pivotal moment in Room 30 with Ms. Cross. How has that experience continued to shape your approach to teaching and leadership?
My journey began in sixth grade, walking into Room 30 and meeting Ms. Cross—a teacher whose warmth, curiosity, and belief in each student was transformative. That day made me realize I wanted not just to teach, but to be the kind of teacher who makes learners feel seen and inspired. Ms. Cross’s classroom was safe, welcoming, and vibrant—qualities that have shaped my teaching and leadership ever since. I strive to create environments where every learner feels they matter, is challenged, and discovers joy in learning. To this day, her influence grounds my belief that teaching is about human connection, high expectations, and helping learners recognize their own potential.
The pivotal moment in Room 30 with Ms. Cross shaped my instructional beliefs in profoundways. Meeting Ms. Cross as my sixth-grade science teacher made me realize that teaching is not simply about delivering content, but about connecting with students and making them feel seen, inspired, and valued. Ms. Cross created a classroom where curiosity thrived, expectations were high, and every student felt they belonged. That formative experience taught me that teaching, at its core, is about designing learning environments in which every student can succeed—not by chance, but by intentional, thoughtful practice.
Ms. Cross’s influence still fuels my drive to be the kind of teacher who creates safe, welcoming, and vibrant spaces for learning. I believe that every classroom should be a place where students know they matter, are challenged, and are supported in discovering their own potential. Her example shaped my conviction that great teaching is rooted in human connection, clarity of purpose, and the relentless pursuit of equity—ensuring all learners have access to meaningful learning experiences and are empowered to reach their best, not by happenstance, but by design.
You’ve worked with educators and leaders across the globe—what pivotal experiences have most influenced your perspective on what works best in teaching and learning?
Collaborating with educators on almost every continent has shown me there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but successful classrooms share key qualities: clarity, meaningful feedback, and purposeful design. Seeing the impact of evidence-based practices in so many diverse contexts reinforced that what matters most is how well we connect research on learning to students’ real experiences. Working in classrooms from Australia to Saudi Arabia, I’ve learned that the best teaching empowers students to become their own teachers, fosters lifelong learning, and adapts to the ever-changing world around us.
What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from translating the science of learning into practice in real classrooms?
No matter how robust the research, it matters only if it improves students’ daily lives. Translating the science of learning isn’t about overwhelming teachers with theory, but about using clear, actionable principles—like attention, retrieval, and effective feedback—in ways that fit the realities of every classroom. I’ve found that focusing on clarity of learning intentions, measuring real impact, and inviting students into the process—so they know what they’re learning, why, and how they’ll demonstrate it—creates powerful results. Ultimately, it’s the everyday instructional decisions, made with intention, that drive deeper, lasting learning.
Some of the main barriers I face applying the science of learning in schools are:
- Adapting research to context: Scientific principles need to be adapted to fit the unique culture, student backgrounds, and realities of each classroom or school. What works well in one setting might require significant adjustment elsewhere to be truly effective.
- Motivation and engagement: Even with evidence-based strategies, learning can’t move forward unless students are motivated. Building and sustaining that motivation—tapping into interests, building self-efficacy, linking effort to outcomes—remains a persistent challenge.
- Cognitive load: Students’ ability to process new learning is limited by cognitive load. Managing this “pressure” means being mindful of how much, and when, new information is introduced, and scaffolding accordingly.
- Struggle vs. frustration: Designing tasks that offer sufficient challenge for growth without overwhelming students is a delicate balance. Productive struggle should be encouraged, but unproductive frustration must be avoided.
- Feedback integration: Research shows feedback is crucial—but only if it’s received, understood, and used by students. Delivering effective, actionable feedback that truly aids learning can be surprisingly difficult, given demands on time and attention for both teachers and students.
- Systemic constraints: Schedules, testing, curriculum mandates, and competing initiatives can make it difficult to consistently implement best practices from the science of learning.
Despite these barriers, remaining focused on clarity, adaptation, and evidence of impact helps move learning forward.
Your books and frameworks emphasize clarity, feedback, and design. What drives your passion for ensuring that every learner has access to a great education “not by chance, but by design”?
I believe every child deserves an excellent education—regardless of background or circumstance. It can’t be left to chance; it must be the outcome of deliberate, thoughtful design rooted in evidence and driven by a belief in students’ capacity. Clarity, feedback, and purposeful lesson design are the vehicles that help students see what’s possible and empower them to reach it. This commitment is fueled by the educators who shaped me—and by the students and teachers I see thriving when given both high expectations and the tools to meet them. It’s about building systems where excellence is intentional, equitable, and sustainable for all learners.
I want to say a bit more about feedback. This one can be a tough one to navigate in today’s classrooms. To design feedback systems that reliably boost student growth, I focus on several key practices:
- Clarity of Learning Goals: Feedback begins with making sure students understand what they are learning and what success looks like. Clear targets and success criteria provide the foundation for meaningful feedback.
- Diagnosis/Discovery: Begin by assessing where each student is in their learning journey—identifying prior knowledge, skills, motivations, and misconceptions. Feedback must be tailored to this starting point.
- Actionable and Timely Feedback: Ensure feedback is specific, actionable, and delivered when students can use it—ideally during the learning process, not just after assessment.
- Student Engagement with Feedback: Foster classroom routines where students reflect on, discuss, and act on feedback. Encourage students to see feedback as a tool for growth, not just evaluation.
- Iterative Design and Evaluation: Use the DIIE model—diagnosis, intervention, implementation, and evaluation—to continuously improve feedback systems. Monitor the impact of feedback, adjust as needed, and keep student growth as the central measure of success.
- Student Agency: Engage students in self-assessment and peer feedback. Empowering learners to give and receive feedback makes them active participants in their own growth.
Ultimately, feedback systems must be intentionally designed and context-driven, constantly refined based on evidence of impact in order to maximize student growth—not by chance, but by design.
With your work spanning from local classrooms to international contexts, what do you see as the greatest opportunities and challenges for educators today?
The greatest opportunity is the wealth of knowledge we now have about how people learn best, plus new technologies that can connect and empower learners. But challenges such as equity gaps, changing societal needs, and supporting diverse learning journeys remain significant. The real challenge—and opportunity—is to adapt core principles so every student, in every classroom, benefits from what science and experience say works, while honoring differences in culture, context, and need.
How can organizations like GlobalMindED support leaders like yourself—and the next generation of educators—in advancing these goals and building more equitable, impactful learning environments?
Organizations like GlobalMindED are essential in amplifying diverse voices, fostering professional networks, and providing access to the latest research and practical tools. By supporting educator development, championing equity, and building communities of practice, they help ensure that knowledge translates into effective, inclusive action. Advancing these goals relies on cross-sector collaboration, so we can keep learning from each other and ensure every student’s experience is equitable, inspiring, and designed for success—not left to chance.
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