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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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The View from a Principal’s Window

Jennifer Schwanke writes about professional insecurities, and connects her experiences to building confidence in young readers and writers.

From Bootcamp to School: Building Enthusiasm for New Initiatives

Jason DiCarlo finds there are parallels between the initial unenthusiastic response of participants at his gym to a new challenge and the process of initiating change in schools.

Picture It: Just in Time Writing Resources

Heather Sisson mixes high-tech computer alerts with low-tech book baskets to help teachers gather the mentor texts they need to prepare for assessments in this “Picture It” feature.

Incorporating Kids into Professional Development for Adults

“My students aren’t like those in the video!” Heather Rader and her colleagues Linda Karamatic and Amanda Adrian tackle their colleagues concerns by using children as live models for professional development.

Going Public with Study Groups

A cancelled meeting is the mother of invention for Jennifer Allen, leading to a new way for teachers to share and display their learning from study groups.

High Schools, Scale, and Reluctance: A Podcast with Diane Sweeney

In this 18-minute podcast, Diane Sweeney talks about the challenges of coaching at the secondary level, and shares advice for working with reluctant teachers.

Time In/Time Out Conference: Andrew

In this "time in/time out" conference, Ruth Ayres and Cathy Laker meet with second grader Andrew, who is working on a "versus" story in writing workshop.

Virtually Coaching a Lesson

Coaching cycles look different depending on teachers' needs. Via email and phone, Heather Rader has professional conversations with a teacher as he plans and designs a lesson for observation.

Collecting PLC Data with Google Forms

Bill Bass uses Google Forms as a tool for assessing the learning in Professional Learning Communities (PLC), and refining his role in supporting teachers.

Quick Check-ins: Touching Base Before Coaching Sessions

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan describe the art of the three- to five-minute check-in before collaborating with teachers in classrooms.

The Power of the Spoken Word

Heather Sisson helps a fourth-grade teacher apply speaking and listening standards from the Common Core in his classroom, and collect data to analyze students' oral skills at the same time.

High Expectations? Looking for Evidence

Melanie Quinn reflects on the profound implications of the high or low expectations teachers have for students, and the coach's role in changing them.

Coaching Minute: Venting and Rant Ruts

Heather Rader explains in this one-minute video the difference between healthy venting and "rant ruts," with advice for how to help colleagues move beyond unhealthy talk patterns.

There’s a Lot More There Than Just a Share

How do you gauge the progress a teacher is making when working on a goal with a coach? Heather Rader assists a teacher who is trying to improve her whole-class writing share sessions, and develops a scale to monitor progress. The scale Heather creates can be adapted for use in almost any coaching situation.

A Small Group Coaching Cycle in Action

Kristin Houser explains how group coaching can be a useful structure for helping teachers make changes in their classrooms with this case study of two kindergarten teachers.

Coaching Minute: Working with Principals

Ruth Ayres has advice for how literacy coaches can work effectively with principals in this one-minute video.

Why I Hate Homework

Tell us how you really feel! Jennifer Schwanke shares her passionate views about homework as a principal and parent. When is the last time you’ve talked with teachers about homework demands? This is an article you might use to open up some lively discussions.

Something to Talk (and Write) About

Are too many guided reading groups in the primary grades focused on print processing? Shari Frost discovers that teachers may focus little on helping children make meaning from emergent texts because there is so little to talk about in them. In this book list, she suggest texts that can spark lively discussions among even the youngest readers.

Picture It: Demonstrating Observation Skills

Observation skills are tricky to demonstrate to teachers. In this photo, you can see what it looks like when Linda Karamatic confers with a student and Amanda Adrian takes notes as part of a live demonstration for teachers during a professional development session.

Coaching Minute: Different Philosophies

What do you do when the teacher you are coaching has a different philosophy? Ruth Ayres advises you to find common ground in this coaching minute video.

Time In/Time Out Conference: Ava

The Time In/Time Out Conference is a terrific way for coaches to maximize time and reflection in classrooms. Literacy Coach Ruth Ayres and Cathy Laker confer with Ava, a second grader in Cathy's classroom. They use timeouts to share conferring responsibilities and reflection in the midst of the conference.

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