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…]
It is nearing the end of September, and the work remains difficult. As I’ve written several times since the start of this school year, our district is implementing lots of change. Lots. via GIPHY We have gone from a four-building district to a two-building district, meaning new grade levels and new staff are housed under … [Read more…]
In Daniel Willingham‘s book, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning is Hard and How You Can Make it Easy, he explains: “‘Knowing’ doesn’t mean being able to understand an explanation; it means being able to explain to others.” True evidence of learning is having the ability to restate, coherently, what you “know.” We want to “evaluate … [Read more…]
Everything is Figuroutable, and most things worth figuring out take time, hard work, perseverance, and collaboration. Proof of this very concept has come to light over and over again, including this past week. Collaborating with Coaches Our FMCSD instructional coaching staff was tasked with refining our district’s work around identifying essential standards for social emotional … [Read more…]
Everything is Figuroutable, by Marie Forleo landed in my lap at an interesting time, as opposed to “at just the right time.” Interesting because I’m not necessarily pursuing a specific personal goal… or maybe I am; my perception of the book up to this point is that it is written for those who have an … [Read more…]
via GIPHY THE System: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support My brain is on fire after listening to Stephanie Stollar on Melissa and Lori Love Literacy podcast, Episode 193. I followed up the listen by reading and rereading the episode’s script and reading Stollar’s May 4 Same as it Ever Was blogpost. I know she is saying … [Read more…]
There’s nothing better than spending time with people who make you feel good about life. You know the type: they are always smiling, they make you feel like you’re the most important person in the world, and they have a way of talking about others that shines a light on everybody. These folks have it … [Read more…]
As our school district embarks on “Systems Coaching 2.0” (not the official name, but rather one given by our instructional coaching staff), I am recognizing inevitable resistance. The resistance is showing up in multiple forms, including passive resistance, outright “This is ridiculous,” comments, refusal to participate in conversations, angry looks and angry exchanges. While I … [Read more…]
I usually avoid reading the plethora of blogs that I subscribe to on the day that I plan to post my latest writing. I do this to avoid straying from the original idea for my own post that usually comes earlier in the week. I like to let ideas “marinate” before adding more to the … [Read more…]