How Do I Teach Confidently When Each Year I Feel Like I'm Starting Over? 🌿 The Rekla Framework

vanessa speigle
Aug 26
4 min read

You walk into class, and within minutes you know: what worked with last year’s group isn’t working here. The grade level is different, the energy is different, and

Illustration of diverse students and teachers in a classroom under a banner that reads “One Framework, Any Grade Level,” symbolizing Rekla’s adaptability. — Teach Confidently with The Rekla Framework

suddenly CBC feels like starting over again.

That’s exactly why we built the Rekla Framework, it grows with your students instead of making you reinvent yourself every year.

💡 Whether you’re teaching early learners in Grade 1 or guiding young adults in Grade 12, the Rekla Framework adapts because it’s rooted in human development and student agency.

🌿 5 Reasons the Rekla Framework Fits Every Classroom and helps to teach confidently.

Five standing banners labeled Trust, Inquiry, Play, Collaboration, Reflection, each with an icon and short explanation of how it supports learning.

1. Trust at Every Age

For younger learners: trust means safety and belonging.
For older learners: trust means responsibility and voice.
Rekla makes trust the foundation in both cases.

2. Inquiry That Scales

In Grade 2, inquiry might be, “Why does the sun move?”
In Grade 11, inquiry might be, “How is climate change shaping my community?”
The framework doesn’t dictate content, it cultivates curiosity.

3. Play as Serious Learning

With little ones, play is imaginative and hands-on.
With teens, play is creative problem-solving and innovation.
Rekla redefines play for every stage.

4. Collaboration that Matures

Younger students learn turn-taking and teamwork.
Older students practice peer leadership and project ownership.
Collaboration evolves, but it always stays central.

5. Reflection as a Lifelong Habit

Reflection begins as simple sharing: “What did you like today?”
It grows into self-assessment, peer feedback, and goal-setting.
The Rekla Framework ensures reflection is not an add-on, it’s a habit that sticks.

🌍 Why This Matters

CBC teachers often ask, “Can one framework really work across such different grade levels?” The Rekla answer is yes, because it isn’t about scripted lessons. It’s about anchoring classrooms in five timeless pillars: Trust, Inquiry, Play, Collaboration, Reflection.

That’s what makes Rekla both universal and flexible.

💡 Policy and politics may be for school leaders, and curriculum may be for teachers but Rekla is for leaders, teachers, and students alike. Why?

Because Rekla is about agency and support, not hierarchy. It works no matter your position in school, because every role can lean on the same pillars.

🌟

Illustration of a bright, student-centered classroom where children are engaged in small group activities and discussions, supported by teachers.

And when a classroom fully adopts Rekla, something extraordinary happens:

The environment changes — it feels safer, more hopeful, and alive with curiosity.
Students change — they step into agency, take risks, and grow in confidence.
Teachers change — they shift from managing chaos to facilitating growth.
Even the school changes — trust and collaboration ripple beyond one room into the wider culture.

There is a different feeling when Rekla values are alive. It’s hopeful. It’s exciting. It’s engaging. It’s a kind of support that frees everyone, students and teachers alike, to explore anything.

📘 The Rekla Framework Guide is Here!

The Rekla Framework Guide is now available in the Rekla Store and teachers are already using it. One teacher downloaded it earlier this week and shared that it gave them a new sense of clarity for their classroom.

👉 https://www.reklalearningstudios.com/product-page/the-rekla-framework-guide

Inside, you’ll find:

Practical strategies for every grade level
Sample classroom tools and adaptations
Real teacher stories that bring the pillars to life

❓ Questions About the Rekla Framework

Q1. Why would I want to follow the Rekla Framework when I can’t even figure out CBC?

Because Rekla isn’t another thing on top of CBC, it’s the lens that makes CBC clearer. The framework anchors you in five simple pillars: Trust, Inquiry, Play, Collaboration, Reflection. These give you a clear starting point and help you connect CBC competencies to real classroom practice.

Q2. Will this work in a crowded classroom?

Yes. The Rekla Framework was tested in both small groups and large, crowded classes. The pillars don’t require extra resources, they’re about how you structure learning.

Q3. Do I have to abandon the strategies I already use?

Not at all. Rekla is flexible. It doesn’t erase what works in your classroom, it helps you organize and strengthen it. Many teachers find that their favorite methods naturally connect to Rekla’s pillars.

Q4. Isn’t this just another theory?

No, this is practice. Rekla comes from Finnish pedagogy applied in real CBC classrooms. It’s not about lofty ideas, it’s about concrete strategies you can try tomorrow: a reflection leader, a student-led question, or a collaborative project.

Q5. How much do I have to change to use the Rekla Framework?

Not as much as you think. You don’t have to throw out your lesson plans or start from scratch. The Rekla Framework gives you a structure for weaving agency, reflection, and belonging into what you’re already teaching. It’s about shifting how learning happens, not reinventing everything.

🌱 Final Reflection

The real test of any teaching approach is this: does it grow with your students?

The Rekla Framework was designed to meet learners where they are and walk with them as they grow.

🌟 If you could strengthen just one pillar: Trust, Inquiry, Play, Collaboration, or Reflection in your classroom this week, which one would you choose?

Let’s build classrooms that last, together.

Want to learn more about Rekla and how it can help you implement this framework into your classroom? Check out our weekly podcast: https://www.reklalearningstudios.com/reklareflectionspodcast also on Spotify.