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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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Learning Land

Jennifer Schwanke considers what she and her district learned when they adopted an online digital skill and drill program that promised more than it delivered (don't they all?). The name of the program has been changed to protect the guilty.

Six Ways to Empower Teachers to Write

Is there anything riskier for teachers than writing and sharing your writing? Ruth Ayres has tips for helping teachers take this essential leap.

Where the Magic Happens

Suzy Kaback considers her own history as a learner and the needs of her teenage daughter as she mulls over the best ways to help the new teachers she leads take risks in their teaching.

Building Background Knowledge with QR Codes

In this demonstration small group, Tammy Mulligan works with sixth graders to show them how to build background knowledge with QR codes. The video includes prebrief and debrief sessions with their teacher.

Talking Too Much

In this brief video excerpt from a meeting about colleague visits, teachers consider the thorny issue of why they talk so much when they want to listen more.

Assessing Reading in Sixth Grade

Tammy Mulligan confers with sixth grader Jordyn, assessing her reading before summer break. The conference includes a prebrief and debrief with Jordyn's teacher.

Go-To Texts for Demonstration Lessons

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan share some of their favorite mentor texts for demonstration lessons, and how to use them.

Tracking Characters in Fourth Grade

Kathy Provost leads a collaborative demonstration lesson on tracking characters with fourth graders. The lesson includes prebrief and debrief sessions with their teacher Jaime Leger.

After the Demonstration: Modeling Healthy, Sustainable Reflection

Gretchen Taylor considers the role of reflection in learning after demonstration lessons, with specific examples from her work with a teacher.

The Habit of Reflection

In this quick video excerpt from a teacher meeting on peer observations, the participants talk about why developing the habit of reflection after instruction (either alone or with colleagues) is crucial for professional growth.

New Year Resolutions

Melanie Quinn begins the new school year with a list of habits she plans to develop, from spending more time with new teachers to greeting every child in the building by name.

Making Classroom Visits a Habit

Matt Renwick examines the cues, routines, and rewards that are necessary for making classroom visits a regular part of his daily routine.

Erasing the Lines in the Sand

Gretchen Taylor finds that many of us are more opinionated than ever, but literacy coaches will never find a home in classrooms without suspending judgment.

First Days of Reading Support

Cathy Mere explains why it’s important as a reading support teacher to avoid assessments in the first days of school, and instead focus on getting into classrooms to observe and share resources. Download the initial questions to ask readers to take along with you to first reading conferences.

Helping Struggling Writers in Second Grade

Melanie Meehan chats with second-grade teacher Nadia Egan about creative strategies for helping struggling writers.

Making Coaching Meaningful: Establishing Goals and Roles

Gretchen Taylor finds that her coaching cycles are much more rewarding for everyone when goals and roles are defined at the start of the process.

Planning a Coaching Cycle

Kathy Provost works with a third-grade teacher to plan long-term and daily goals in a coaching cycle in this video.

Defining Your Role as a Coach

Dana Murphy finds that coaching is a lot like marriage: it succeeds only when there is a lot of hard work, and actions mirror beliefs.

Learning from a Lesson Study

In this video excerpt from a lesson study group, Jason DiCarlo leads a group of third-grade teachers in a discussion of changes they have made to their teaching based on learning from the previous month's demonstration and discussion.

Getting PD Feedback

Stella Villalba shares ideas for getting ongoing feedback after professional development offerings.

Using Wait Time in Professional Development

Dana Murphy shares suggestions for both embracing and powering through those awkward silences during professional development sessions.

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