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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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Shopping in Your Own House: Searching Our Own Teaching Practice for New Ideas 

Heather Fisher explains how to lead colleagues to look for what they need within their own teaching practices before turning to Google or other sites for the answers.

Coaching Minute: The Risk of Vulnerability

Instructional coach Jenn Ross explains the importance of being vulnerable. By modeling the expectations for phonics minilessons, she risked failure in front of her colleagues and was reminded of a powerful way to build strong relationships.

Coaching Minute: Encouraging Teacher Leaders

Instructional coach Jonathan Winslow shares how he intentionally creates leadership opportunities for the teachers he works alongside.

Feedback Is Overrated: Focus First on Building Positive, Trusting Relationships

Matt Renwick gives three tips to build relationships that will open doors to receive feedback.

Five Classroom Design Ideas for Supporting Readers and Writers with ADHD

Matt Renwick encourages five classroom design ideas for supporting readers and writers with ADHD.

Coaching Minute: Taking Time to Plan

David Pittman encourages the importance of instructional coaches taking the time to plan.

Creating a Culture Where Everyone Leads

Ruth Metcalfe shares four ways to develop shared efficacy and leadership.

Coaching Minute: Creating a Sign-Up for Coaching

Kate Mills and Tara Barnett streamline the sign-up system for working with a coach.

Capturing Classroom Currents

David Pittman shares how to capture the current of energy from teacher to student and student to teacher in this guide to make the classroom currents visible to teachers.

Give Yourself Time to Prepare

David Pittman encourages instructional coaches to take time to prepare for the day and then to reflect at the end of the day.

A PLC Planning Template to Help Focus Work with Teachers

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills share a PLC planning template they created to help focus their meetings to be relevant and clear. Included are links to download the template plus two completed templates to see how they worked in action.

Stay Sharp with Professional Reading

Kate Mills and Tara Barnett share ways to stay sharp with professional reading.

Yes, and . . . A Collaborative Philosophy

David Pittman explains the improv roots of the phrase “Yes, and . . .” and applies it to a coaching conversation that will lift professional conversations to a new level.

Let’s Upskill: How to Revive and Transform Instruction to Serve Today’s Learners

Jen Schwanke offers clear and practical steps teachers can take to modernize how to meet the needs of today’s students. Following these steps will help ward off the risk of being too comfortable in old routines.

Coaching Minute: Creating Conversations to Anchor Professional Relationships

Instructional coach Jen Court takes advantage of the early days of a school year to be present with classroom teachers and create conversations that begin to anchor meaningful professional relationships.

Remaining Connected as a Coach

David Pittman offers practical advice and inspiration for instructional leaders to intentionally connect to students on a school-wide scale.

Coaching Minute: Set-Up Coaching Plans

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills share an important first step for instructional coaches to help teachers feel invited into the coaching relationship: Make shared coaching plans.

Coaching Toward Independence: Using an Instructional Framework to Guide a Principal-Teacher Conversation

Matt Renwick shares how leaders can use an instructional framework to bridge discussions that will honor teachers’ professional learning journeys.

Coaching Minute: Welcoming Students as an Instructional Coach

David Pittman reflects on ways instructional coaches can help create an atmosphere of belonging for students.

How to Respond When Books and Curriculum Resources Are Challenged

Jen Schwanke addresses the fact that educators, books, and curriculum resources are under increased scrutiny. She offers practical and wise steps to take when resources are questioned by concerned stakeholders.

Changing Positions? How to Rethink Your Community (Download)

Cathy Mere offers practical steps to finding a new community when you switch positions. Download a copy of a guided reflection to intentionally seek a new community.

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