Megan Kruse

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Student learning and the profession

The Shrubbery of Instruction

May 14, 2023 by megankruse

On Saturday, I was on a mission.  I was bound and determined to trim the shrubs that adorn the front of our house.   This is an annual task, one that was skipped last year, and I was committed to making sure that didn’t happen again. I approached the job with little to no plan.  I … [Read more…]

Posted in: Assessments and data, Collaborative culture, Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning, Personal Learning, Professional learning for continuous improvement, Student learning and the profession, Teacher Leader Model Standards, Uncategorized Tagged: analogy, Black and Decker, bowling, collaboration, data, Elton Kruse, Emmett Kruse, evidence-based instruction, intentional planning, Madelyn Swigart, multiple means of action & expression, multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, Owen Kruse, progress monitoring, results, Shelley Moore, shrubbery, the 7-10 split, Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, Universal Design for Learning

Language of Instruction

April 30, 2023 by megankruse

Words matter.  Routines and procedures matter.  The more we can simplify each in our educational systems, the more likely we are to reach high levels of success. At the risk of sounding like I desire robotic teaching, where we all do the exact same thing, I’m going to make the following statement:  I think we … [Read more…]

Posted in: Collaborative culture, Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning, Personal Learning, Professional learning for continuous improvement, Research, Student learning and the profession, Teacher Leader Model Standards, Uncategorized Tagged: acronyms, cognitive capacity, cognitive energy, cognitive load theory, common language, curriculum matters, Dr. Anita Archer, Dylan Wiliam, el education, EL Module topics, FMCSD, Forbes, foundational reading skills, foundational skills block, high-quality curriculum, Module lessons, modules, Natalie Wexler, proficiency, protocols, staircase of complexity, Student Achievement Partners, systematic and explicit instruction

Reading by the Numbers

April 23, 2023 by megankruse

100% This post was 100% inspired by the three literacy leaders I affectionately call “The Trifecta,”  Stacy Hurst, Lindsay Kemeny, and Donell Pons, hosts of Reading Horizons’ Literacy Talks podcast.  In Episode 6 of Season 3, Reading:  The Numbers Help Tell the Stories, The Trifecta focuses on the irony of how many numbers are involved … [Read more…]

Posted in: Assessments and data, Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning, Outreach and collaboration with families and community, Personal Learning, Professional learning for continuous improvement, Research, Student learning and the profession, Teacher Leader Model Standards, Uncategorized Tagged: 1, 100, 15, 18, 2, 200, 26, 3, 44, 52, 95, Angie Hanlin, Brita Oyen, Donell Pons, dyslexia, early childhood, George Couros, GPAEA, graphemes, intervention, it takes a village, Jason Kennedy, Jennifer Lamm, LETRS, Lindsay Kemeny, Literacy Talks, Louisa Moats, Mme Lockhart, numbers, one, phonemes, phonemic awareness, predictive indicators, preschool, Reading Horizons, Reading Rockets, Solution Tree, Stacy Hurst, systematic and explicit instruction, Teaching Reading is Rocket Science, the trifecta, Tier 1, tiers

It Takes a Village

April 18, 2023 by megankruse

The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” rings true each and every day.  In fact, I would add, it takes a village to accomplish many, many tasks of worth. There are times when a crazy thought crosses my mind:  “Maybe I should teach preschool, kindergarten or first grade.”  This is a … [Read more…]

Posted in: Assessments and data, Collaborative culture, Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning, Personal Learning, Professional learning for continuous improvement, Student learning and the profession, Teacher Leader Model Standards, Uncategorized Tagged: Cassie Leiby, collaboration, differentiation, el education, Esmeralda Rivera, flexible grouping, FMCSD, intentional planning, Justin Payne, Lacey Robinson, Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, Open Up Resources, Pamela Snow, Quincy Reed Richardson, Right to Read Project, scaffolding, Sue Haeger, UnboundEd, village

The Truth About A Lot of Things

April 2, 2023 by megankruse

The Truth About Reading The truth about reading is that we have been failing to teach kids how to read for years.  According to The Truth About Reading website, “Illiteracy and sub-literacy in America (and around the world) is a growing issue.  Awareness is important, but so is action.”  Action is happening in the state … [Read more…]

Posted in: Assessments and data, Collaborative culture, Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning, Outreach and collaboration with families and community, Personal Learning, Professional learning for continuous improvement, Research, Student learning and the profession, Teacher Leader Model Standards, Uncategorized Tagged: Angie Hanlin, Charles Hughes, David Chalk, documentary, Dr. Anita Archer, Emily Hanford, fluency, Fort Madison High School, George Couros, Jenny Steffensmeier, John Hattie, Katie Dailey, Lisa Williams, Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, Mme Lockhart, Natalie Wexler, Nora Chahbazi, Papae Wymore, relationships, repetition, Stephanie Edgren, Sue Haeger, The Reading League, The Truth About Reading, Visible Learning

It’s a Mindset Thing

March 26, 2023 by megankruse

After a week of tough meetings, I’m recognizing a common theme in the mindsets of educators:  we want a quick fix.  As the last third of the school year is well underway, we are operating in and out of “I can’t wait for this school year to be over,” and “There is so much left … [Read more…]

Posted in: Collaborative culture, Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning, Personal Learning, Professional learning for continuous improvement, Student learning and the profession, Teacher Leader Model Standards, Uncategorized Tagged: Amplify Science of Reading Podcast, comfortable, David Chalk, Dr. Julie Washington, expectations, Mark C. Perna, mindset, power of positive, self-reflection, The Mythical Silver Bullet, The Truth About Reading, Todd Collins

Sustaining Change

March 19, 2023 by megankruse

Change is all the things:  tough, inevitable, great, unnecessary at times, and hard to sustain.  Change is both meaningful and worthwhile when it makes something better.  Two quotes from George Couros ring loud and true here: Bill and I are in the throes of planning for a house remodel.  This remodel was supposed to be … [Read more…]

Posted in: Assessments and data, Collaborative culture, Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning, Personal Learning, Professional learning for continuous improvement, Research, Student learning and the profession, Teacher Leader Model Standards, Uncategorized Tagged: AIM Institute, Amplify Science of Reading Podcast, Bill Kruse, change, el education, FMCSD, George Couros, house remodel, innovation, Kari Kurto, knowledge construction, Kristen Wynn, Mississippi, Susan Lambert, The Reading League, Todd Collins

Mirror, Mirror

March 5, 2023 by megankruse

Spring break is right around the corner for Fort Madison Community School District.  We have one week until we get that much-needed week away from school.  This is the time of year when our “windows of tolerance” can be nearly closed.  We are frustrated with escalating student behaviors, data that is not moving in the … [Read more…]

Posted in: Collaborative culture, Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning, Personal Learning, Professional learning for continuous improvement, Research, Student learning and the profession, Teacher Leader Model Standards, Uncategorized Tagged: Angie Hanlin, Brittney Bills, Casey Jergens, Charlotte Nagel, Corrine Swigart, Debra Ridgway, Dr. Lori Desautels, FMCSD, Jackie Woolever, Jennifer LaFrenz, John Hattie, Katey Bowen, Kim Mendez, Kristy Woodley, Maddie Lemek, Mary Hellige, Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, Nita Carlson, Olivia Johnson, Sarah Bothell, self-deprecation, self-reflection, Shana Jannusch, Thomas Carlyle, Visible Learning, Wendy Boeding, window of tolerance

It Takes Time, Growth Mindsets, and Intentional Planning

February 26, 2023 by megankruse

It takes time.  This a phrase uttered in multiple educational arenas when talking about student proficiency.  It takes time.  I have been reminded of this over and over again in my work as a teacher and as an instructional coach.  Most recently, I have been reminded of this with three exceptional learning opportunities:  1)  Episode … [Read more…]

Posted in: Assessments and data, Collaborative culture, Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning, Outreach and collaboration with families and community, Personal Learning, Professional learning for continuous improvement, Research, Student learning and the profession, Teacher Leader Model Standards, Uncategorized Tagged: Angie Hanlin, coaching cycles, data, Dr. Anita Archer, Dr. Ernie Ortiz, edWeb, FAST screener, FMCSD, growth mindset, higher-order thinking, instructional expectations, intentional planning, it takes time, John Hattie, Kevin Hansford, Kimberly Cano, Laura Beaver, Learning Cubed, Matthews Elementary, Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, New Madrid Missouri, Pati Montgomery, Persida & Bill Himmele, Reading Horizons, science of reading, Solution Tree, Thorp Wisconsin, total participation techniques, TPT Cognitive Engagement Model

All in a Day’s Work

February 20, 2023 by megankruse

In February of 2022, I wrote about staying grounded.  Part of that post was dedicated to staying grounded in the classroom.  A year later, to the day, I find myself writing about the very same topic.  Last week, I was asked to serve as a substitute teacher on four different days:  I was able to … [Read more…]

Posted in: Assessments and data, Collaborative culture, Facilitating improvements in instruction and student learning, Personal Learning, Professional learning for continuous improvement, Student learning and the profession, Teacher Leader Model Standards, Uncategorized Tagged: Bob the Bookworm, el education, kindergarten, knowledge building, Kortney Algrim, literacy coach, Queen of Books, second grade, Stacey Dixon, staying grounded, substitute teaching, systematic and explicit instruction
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Recent Posts

  • The Shrubbery of Instruction
  • A Few Proud Moments
  • Language of Instruction
  • Reading by the Numbers
  • It Takes a Village

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Goodreads

Megan's bookshelf: read

The Flight Attendant
really liked it
The Flight Attendant
by Chris Bohjalian
Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts
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Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts
by Jennie Allen
Half Broke Horses
it was amazing
Half Broke Horses
by Jeannette Walls
Ground Zero
it was amazing
Ground Zero
by Alan Gratz
The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia
really liked it
The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia
by Emma Copley Eisenberg

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