Content Category: Lead Literacy
Results
Teaching from the Heart
I was thrilled when I got a new job teaching preservice teachers at the local university. As I anticipated my new role, I had visions of students huddled together, engrossed...
The Gift of Time
Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters. —Margaret Peters It could almost snow, I thought as I got out of my car. It’s that time of...
Bridging the Gap (Session 2): Finding Your Footing
Science of Reading versus curriculum—that was the buzz. The Sold a Story podcast was the heart of the chatter, and teachers were choosing a side of the fence. As the...
The Digital Declutter: Developing a Life Beyond Distractions
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is...
When Coaching Fails: How to Help Educators Who Resist Help
It’s Year 5 in my tenure as principal at a previous school, and a teacher continues to use worksheet packets for literacy instruction. This, in spite of the fact that...
Why Don’t School Leaders Give More Feedback?
What's the toughest part of our jobs as instructional leaders? In a sea of many challenges, communicating feedback to faculty members rises to the top. We see opportunities for improvement,...
The Importance of Visibility
Dana Murphy shares the importance of high visibility for reading interventionists and other instructional influencers in non-classroom positions.
Overcorrecting
Hey Suzy, Thanks for spending time with me and my kiddos today. I agree that they’re starting to understand how to “go back to the text” to support an opinion....
Planning for PD in the Company of Teachers
Continuously thinking about what new information to share with teachers, and how to share it, often puts planning professional development at the heart of a literacy coach’s role. But what...
Navigating Curricular Change
My son pounded the couch with both of his fists, and I looked up from where I was reading while he was doing his homework. “I can’t do this!” he...
Professional Development Guide: A Template for Building a Year-Long PD Plan
A new school year brings with it excitement about all the possibilities ahead. I’ve always enjoyed those end-of-summer-almost-back-to-school meetings with principals. Everyone arrives feeling rested and with fun summer stories...
Coaching Minute: Get Out of Your Office
David Pittman encourages instructional coaches to get out of the office in the early days of the school year. He offers several practical suggestions for how to set the tone...
When Harsh Words Are Said: Ways to Move Forward
When an experienced coach was hired for a maternity leave position, I (Kate) began to experience what I can only describe as impostor syndrome. I became hyper-aware in every PLC...
Coaching Minute: Six-Week Coaching Cycle
Jean Russell explains the expectations for a six-week coaching cycle.
Coaching Minute: Supporting New Teachers
Principal Lee Snider talks about the challenges new teachers face and how principals can support them.
Teacher Booklist
Over the past 23 years, I have amassed quite a collection of books full of educational research, ways to help students read, strategies for developing writers, and inspiration for writing...
Pedagogical Clarity in a Time of Changes
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. —James Baldwin Many songs, phrases, and quotes have been written on the subject...
Hope
Hope is not an emotion; it’s a way of thinking or a cognitive process. —Brené Brown What is hope? This word is woven into my day-to-day conversation: “I hope you...
Coaching Minute: Assisting Struggling Teachers by Being Focused
Principal Lee Snider talks about how principals can support struggling teachers by keeping the focus on instruction.
Benefits and Challenges of Using AI as a Coach
When our dog, Millie, was young, we enrolled her in puppy school. She was one of two golden retrievers in this doggy behavior class. The two dogs' "retriever-ness" came out...
Building on Success and Maintaining Momentum
It’s somewhat known what happens when a school is deemed as failing. After posting dismal test scores, the state department of education comes in and provides more resources along with...
