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…]
Foundational Reading Skills As the science of reading movement continues to evolve, some much-needed attention is being drawn to adolescent literacy and the Language Comprehension side of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. In our work with special education teachers and students in our 7th – 12th grade building this year, we have uncovered significant foundational skill gaps … [Read more…]
George Couros has done it again – he has provided the just-in-time, just-right motivation I need. In his most recent blogpost, “The Power of Consistency: Do What You Say and Deliver More Than Expected,” he reminds readers of staying true to your word. He reminds us to keep the promises we make to ourselves and … [Read more…]
There is a great deal of pride in reflecting on the work being done in our 7th – 12th grade building around literacy interventions and support for our special education staff and students. Our teachers, coaches, and administrators are working incredibly hard to rectify an unfortunate reality: 34% of our students are not proficient … [Read more…]
As mentioned in recent posts, I am primarily working with 7th – 12th grade teachers and students in the world of special education. This is not a job I had asked for, but one that arose out of necessity. As it turns out, I’m loving the work. There are times when we seek change, and … [Read more…]
The needs in our district’s special education system are vast… and I’m quite certain the needs are not unique to our district or our state. It would be easy to point the finger of blame in many directions, but at the end of the day it boils down to this: there are many cogs in … [Read more…]
I almost didn’t write a post today. I had given myself a free pass, of sorts, when I wrote my last post two weeks ago, ending with, “As summer is quickly coming to an end, and with our oldest son’s wedding in less than a week… I will take a planned break from writing. I … [Read more…]
When it comes to planning, there are times when I am a master and times when I am a novice. As it relates to planning for this blog, I am more of a novice than I’d like to admit. I have a goal of posting each week by Sunday at 1:00 p.m. I have a … [Read more…]
The phrase, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint” has meaning in many different contexts. When it comes to instructional coaching, this phrase holds great meaning. In the systems coaching model that our district currently employs, we are assigned to teacher teams based on student data. A level of proficiency has been defined that deems instructional … [Read more…]