My last two posts have been about effective leadership and listening to understand. Earlier this week, I was catching up on podcasts while doing yard work (best way to listen to those podcasts!) and caught a 2-part episode by the One and Only Brené Brown. Her topic tied in so perfectly with my thinking around … [Read more…]
As I observe leaders in different capacities and reflect on my own role as a teacher leader, I have been thinking about what it takes to be an effective leader. There are loads of books on the topic of leadership, written by folks with far greater knowledge than I have, but this post is my … [Read more…]
When May rolls around, a recurring question pops up in many conversations that I have with non-educators and educators alike: “How many days left?” Of course, they are asking about how many days left until the school year ends, and the implication is that we/I can’t wait for that to happen. In the last several … [Read more…]
Our students will give us what we expect, every time. Well… kind of. Maintaining high expectations for our students (or our children, or employees, or ourselves…) is not rocket science, but it is vitally important. Maintaining high expectations does not magically create high quality results, either. We can carry those high expectations, but the transfer … [Read more…]
I spend a good deal of time reading about, watching, and listening to resources that address effective literacy instruction. Almost every one of these resources has a strong connection to the Science of Reading, “…a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based* research about reading and issues related to reading and writing,” as defined by The Reading … [Read more…]
In my role as a literacy instructional coach, I am fortunate to have access to more professional development than I did when I was teaching in the classroom. Some of that access is available during the school day; much is available outside the school day. When I was in the classroom, I rarely took advantage … [Read more…]
In February, I wrote about beginning with the end in mind in relation to lesson planning and curriculum design. Today’s post will take a different spin on the same concept. I’ve just spent five days in Billings, Montana, celebrating the life of my aunt, Sister Kathleen Hanley. Funerals and Celebrations of Life afford us the … [Read more…]
Seeking Transparency and Clarity Around Learning Using learning targets in classrooms is not a new concept. Teachers have been doing some form of this for years. When I reflect on my own use of learning targets, it has evolved from: not using (or identifying) learning targets at all, to posting a page number or topic … [Read more…]
Adopting the Mindset Gratitude is something I exercise daily, in a variety of ways. I wish I had arrived at a “gratitude mindset” on my own, but I did not. My first step into adopting the mindset came with a professional development session provided by our school district nearly 15 years ago. At that session, … [Read more…]
The Science of Reading The Science of Reading is gaining momentum, thanks in large part to folks like APM journalist Emily Hanford. The funny thing is, it’s not a new concept; knowledge about the Science of Reading has been around for upwards of five decades. According to The Science of Reading, A Defining Movement, “The … [Read more…]