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Lead Literacy Articles & Videos (formerly leadliteracy.com)

Our lounge is your home for exploring hundreds of articles and videos for literacy coaches and school leaders. Our contributors share their best advice for working one-on-one with teachers in coaching cycles, hosting professional development sessions, and designing demonstration lessons and study groups.

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Defining Standards Before a Demonstration Lesson

In this video from a third-grade lesson study, Jason DiCarlo works with teachers and specialists to define standards before a demonstration lesson.

Coaching Minute: New Coaches and Principals

Principal Lee Snider talks about the importance of being intentional in integrating new coaches into the school community.

Student Moves

Students move from our school districts to ones next door all the time. How can school leaders ensure the moves are as seamless as possible, especially in the realm of literacy? Jen Schwanke shares a case study of how a meeting and transfer of files made all the difference for one struggling learner.

There You Are

Suzy Kaback uses the “My Life in Seven Stories” exercise from Jennifer Allen to coax teachers to write, share drafts, and connect their learning to crafting writing in classrooms.

Book Talks Go Digital

Stephanie Affinito creates a simple template to help teachers move book talks online in remote learning settings.

Crafting Action Plans with Teachers

Stella Villalba shares her process for developing plans with teachers for intervening and supporting individual students. Stella works with multilingual learners, and the principles are applicable to any child.

Coaching Minute: Good Communication Between Coaches and Principals

Principal Lee Snider talks with literacy coach Lora Bieghler about developing a rapport when a coach is new to the building.

How Do Literacy Leaders Supervise and Support Online Instruction?

Supervising and supporting instruction is never easy for literacy leaders, and remote settings compound the challenges. Matt Renwick shares his best advice for providing assistance in virtual learning environments.

Establishing Trust

David Pittman is stunned when he offers help and teachers are hesitant to take it. He realizes he has lost their trust, and sets out to regain it.

Prioritizing Presence

David Pittman realizes he can’t begin a coaching cycle until he “prioritizes presence,” becoming a welcome and trusted addition to a teacher’s classroom community.

Developing Literacy Traditions and Rituals

Matt Renwick reflects on the traditions and rituals that strengthen a school-wide literacy community.

Coaching Minute: Cycle Forms

Jean Russell explains the importance of establishing norms and a framework for coaching cycles.

Home Language Is Love Language

Our names are such a big part of who we are. Jen Schwanke reassures a teacher who struggles with student names, and at the same time gives her practical tips for making sure her pronunciations are correct.

Demonstration Small Group: Nathan Hale and Point of View

Tammy Mulligan leads a demonstration small group for fifth graders using a graphic novel to teach point of view.

Writing Realistic Fiction

Melanie Meehan explains how she takes students step-by-step through the process of creating realistic fiction.

Coaching Minute: Sharing Individual Learning with Teaching Teams

Jean Russell explains how she leverages one-on-one coaching for learning with entire grade-level teams.

Increasing the Stickiness of Minilessons

Coaches often hear the same question from teachers: How can we get ideas from the minilesson to stick in workshops? Tara Barnett and Kate Mills share some of their best strategies for making minilessons “sticky.”

Finding Themes in Graphic Novels

Tammy Mulligan leads a demonstration small group on finding themes in graphic novels. The lesson includes a prebrief and debrief with the teacher.

Rethinking Retelling

Heather Fisher helps a group of teachers to dig deeper into why retelling is an essential skill, working together to find examples of retelling beyond classrooms.

Classroom Library Reflection

Ruth Ayres offers reflection questions for teachers to consider the way their classroom libraries can be updated to continue growing readers.

Priming the Pump

David Pittman explains the importance of beginning summer work with teachers by creating collective visions through images and quotes.

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