I am fortunate to be the benefactor of others’ generosity with a fair amount of frequency. Recognizing this is likely a result of years of practicing positive thinking. Yes, years and yes, practicing. Positive thinking is not necessarily something that comes naturally to me. The practice of positive thinking, captured partially in my Power of … [Read more…]
I am keenly aware of the fact that I am far from perfect in my role as an educator. As a teacher, I am good on many days, but very rarely great. As an instructional coach, I am good on many days, but very rarely great. However, I often feel pressured to be better – … [Read more…]
Before beginning this post, I scanned old posts to see what I have already written about explicit instruction. I was surprised to see just a few, with these two rising to the top: A Formula for Reading Success and A Trifecta in the Sciences. It was a quick scan, so perhaps there are a few … [Read more…]
In last week’s post, The Times They Are A-Changin’, I referenced a blogpost written by Margaret Goldberg, literacy coach and cofounder of The Right to Read Project. In her post, Goldberg expressed her frustration in a lack of clarity in a literacy coach’s role. As I digest her writing for the third or fourth time, … [Read more…]
There are many common themes that I return to in my weekly blog. One of those themes is centered around change. As evidenced by the list below, change and all that comes with it, is often on my mind: Choice and Change (9-21-25) Navigating Change (9-22-24) Sustaining Change (3-19-23) The Choices That Come with Change … [Read more…]
Last night, I was part of a conversation with a group of 20-somethings who are, God willing, approaching parenthood in the next couple of years. The conversation turned to school choice: where they will likely send their children to school when the time comes. This led to dialogue, not debate, about our local school systems. … [Read more…]
There is a quote about “eating the frog” that touches on the idea of taking care of the worst task of your day, first, so that you avoid procrastinating and get that worst-task out of the way. There is a piece of this idea that influences my daily routines. Exercise, an often undesirable activity, is … [Read more…]
This quote is a fairly common one in education circles. I’ve heard it before, but it hit me like a ton of bricks this week. I’ve been working with Zach, an amazing high school special education teacher, around a goal of improving reading outcomes for his students with reading goals. I have run diagnostic assessments … [Read more…]
Writing is difficult. It is difficult for children, and it is difficult for adults. It certainly proves to be difficult for the very adult writing the words on this page. 😉 As Natalie Wexler recently reminded 200+ Iowa educators at Amplify’s Science of Writing Summit on Thursday of this past week, “Writing skills never become … [Read more…]
I have every intention of updating embedded pages on this website. For over a year, I’ve had plans to update the Science of Reading Resource page and add a “Science of Learning” and a “Science of Teaching” page. Intentions are no good without action, as folks like Marie Forleo and George Couros would remind us. … [Read more…]