Many professional development (PD) initiatives lean heavily on outside “expertise,” often overlooking the cultural and contextual insights that local educators bring to their classrooms. This proposal introduces “Humble Conviction,” a guiding principle for designing and delivering PD that keeps teacher agency at the forefront while honoring research-based pedagogical practices. Grounded in Mathkind’s Learn-Apply-Lead (LAL) model, the approach begins by engaging teachers in dialogue about their lived experiences, community values, and linguistic realities. From there, new methods for student-centered mathematics are explored collaboratively, with repeated cycles of feedback and adaptation to ensure local relevance. Ultimately, as teachers refine these strategies and witness positive outcomes, they emerge as mentors for their peers—sustaining a culture of innovation well beyond any single workshop.

Drawing on examples from Guatemala, Ecuador, Zimbabwe, Nepal, and U.S. school districts, we illustrate how teachers’ voices and communal practices can amplify, rather than contradict, global best practices. By reframing “expert-led” training into a co-creative endeavor, “Humble Conviction” fosters teacher leadership, reflects local identity, and promotes deeper learning. Attendees will gain insight into structuring PD that strikes a balance between proven instructional approaches and community-driven adaptation, ultimately leading to lasting improvements in mathematics classrooms. This blend of humility and conviction serves as a sustainable blueprint for honoring both pedagogical rigor and the richness of local contexts.

Keywords: “Humble Conviction”, Local Expertise, Teacher Agency, Community-Driven PD, Culturally Responsive Practice.