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Guiding Teachers

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Coaching Conversations: Easing Your Way into Positive Relationships

Sharon Thompson shares some of the highs (growing interest in getting help, via word of mouth) and lows (tutoring in an unheated closet?!) of her first year of coaching in this brief audio interview.

Leadership 101: Knowing When to Step Back

Jennifer Schwanke prepares to lead a book study group among colleagues, and finds teachers are balking at the idea of adding one more responsibility. She asks herself an essential leadership question: Should I pull back or push?

Picture It: Mentoring Organization

How are you helping new teachers reorganize their classrooms now that the school year is well under way and issues are emerging? Sharing snapshots of how other teachers work through organization issues can help. Here is one example from Mandy Robek's kindergarten classroom.

Writing Conference Role-Plays: Learning to Listen In

Ruth Shagoury uses role-plays in professional development to help veteran and novice teachers hone their conferring skills.

Classroom Visits for Professional Development Insight

Jennifer Vincent finds that classroom visits are a good alternative to surveys when analyzing teachers' professional development needs.

Learning from Students

What makes a great teacher? Jennifer Schwanke asks students, and the provocative responses are wonderful food for thought.

Coaching Minute: Listen and Be Brave

Deb Gaby has wise advice about the coach's role with teachers in this brief video.

Reflection and Growth with New Teachers

Jennifer Vincent helps two new teachers look critically at their work with families, using research and practical tools to encourage them to grow.

Find the Common Ground

Ruth Ayres is set up to fail in a toxic environment, yet finds a surprising way to build community among a middle school teaching team.

Picture It: Mirroring

See what mirroring looks like in a professional development context.

Coaching Conference Early in the Year

Melanie Quinn meets with kindergarten teacher Neisha in this brief conference, asking her to share her goals for the year in changing writing workshop, as well as how Melanie can assist her as a coach.

Coaching Minute: Notes

Heather Rader explains how she uses the “notes” section in organizers to build rapport with teachers in this quick video tip.

Compass Points and Collaboration

Jennifer Vincent uses “compass points” to help colleagues understand differences in learning and collaborative styles.

Match-and-Move in Coaching

Prompted by a rude clerk, Heather Rader reflects on the use of matching-and-moving while coaching.
 

Pits and Peaks

Jennifer Vincent mines a truly unlikely source for inspiration, and creates a document many teachers can use to express triumphs and struggles with technology.

Coaching Conversations: Defining Your Role

Brenda Power chats with Kathleen Collaro about the challenges of carving out time for coaching when teachers are clamoring for additional instruction support for struggling learners.

Picture It: Live Demonstration

This photo captures the power of live demonstrations in professional development.

Coaching Minute: Personal Story Barometer

Are you sharing too many anecdotes in your coaching? In this quick video tip, Heather Rader explains the “personal story barometer” she uses to gauge whether a story should be shared.

A Secret to Successful Teacher-Coach Relationships

Ruth Ayres shares a secret of the most successful coaching relationships.

Pushing the Pause Button for Reflection: Literacy Chats

Principal Karen Szymusiak finds "literacy chats" are an effective structure for fostering ongoing discussions across grades about reading and writing instruction.

Systems Thinking and Educational Change

Julie Wright shares some tips for using systems thinking in developing plans for instructional change in schools and districts.

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