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…]
I’ve been extra in-tune to the actions and reactions of others as the beginning of the school year ensues. I have found myself in awe of (and trying to emulate) many who not only do not buckle under pressure, but seem to thrive under pressure. They settle in, listen, maintain neutral facial expressions and body … [Read more…]
In a situation that I was trying to understand and help problem-solve, I quickly became frustrated and ultimately felt incompetent. Upon further reflection, I recognized that this situation was a perfect illustration of a quote from Solution Tree’s Learning By Doing: Clarity precedes competence. It is difficult to display competence, much less feel competent when … [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…]
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…]
I’ve been wrestling with this blogpost for several days now, and am late in posting it according to my self-imposed Sunday, 1:00 p.m. deadline. I’m not sure that I can pinpoint the struggle with getting coherent words on the screen, but perhaps the struggle is evidence of the internal struggle I’m experiencing. The Internal Struggle … [Read more…]
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…]
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…]