Leaders Lounge

The Gift of Time

Mary Brower offers a practical and thoughtful way to honor busy teachers—she gives them the gift of time. If you’re an instructional coach, you may want to snag this idea to strengthen your relationship with teachers.

Bridging the Gap (Session 2): Finding Your Footing

Mary Brower provides a second professional learning session to help ease the tension between teachers who have opposing views about literacy instruction. Mary provides a protocol for creating a school-wide document of foundational literacy beliefs.

The Digital Declutter: Developing a Life Beyond Distractions

Matt Renwick offers a no-nonsense approach to a digital declutter in an effort to manage his time. Inspired by the book Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport, Matt shares practical ways for educators to consider a digital declutter.

When Coaching Fails: How to Help Educators Who Resist Help

Matt Renwick dives into the reasons why coaching sometimes fails and what we can do when we encounter colleagues who are “help resistant.”

Why Don’t School Leaders Give More Feedback? 

Matt Renwick insists that school leaders don’t have to forfeit their identities as supervisors to engage in coaching conversations with faculty members.  He offers five tips to build relational trust today.

The Importance of Visibility

Dana Murphy shares the importance of high visibility for reading interventionists and other instructional influencers in non-classroom positions.

Overcorrecting

“Did I do anything right?” Suzy Kaback receives a note from a gifted teacher that gives her pause. Suzy wonders if avoiding praise is damaging her relationships with teachers. She decides to give more feedback for continuation, which is praise’s smarter cousin for coaches.

Planning for PD in the Company of Teachers

Heather Fisher brainstorms with teachers to get the “big picture” of what makes a professional development experience exceptional.

Coaching Minute: Get Out of Your Office

David Pittman encourages instructional coaches to get out of the office in the early days of the school year. H offers several practical suggestions for how to set the tone for healthy relationships.

When Harsh Words Are Said: Ways to Move Forward

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills offer sound advice and practical actions to maintain collaborative relationships when harsh words are spoken in professional settings.

Coaching Minute: Six-Week Coaching Cycle

Jean Russell explains the expectations for a six-week coaching cycle.

Coaching Minute: Supporting New Teachers

Principal Lee Snider talks about the challenges new teachers face and how principals can support them.

Teacher Booklist

Julie Cox offers a unique booklist compiled of non-education books that strengthened her literacy leadership skills.

Pedagogical Clarity in a Time of Changes

Stella Villalba encourages us to reflect on our core beliefs about teaching. She offers a list of reflection questions to encourage brave and meaningful consideration.

Coaching Minute: Assisting Struggling Teachers by Being Focused

Principal Lee Snider talks about how principals can support struggling teachers by keeping the focus on instruction.

Benefits and Challenges of Using AI as a Coach

Matt Renwick offers three ways ChatGPT can support the work of instructional coaches.

Building on Success and Maintaining Momentum

Coaching Minute: Wearing (Too) Many Hats

Inga Omondi encourages instructional coaches to consider the many hats they wear and to remove the ones that are not serving the greater good.

When Coaching Fails: How to Help Educators Who Resist Help

Matt Renwick digs into the reasons educators are resistant to change and offers advice for next steps when it seems like coaching has failed.

Coaching Through a New Program

Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills compare embarking on a new curriculum program to a journey to a new country. Their “travel tips” and encouragement will position instructional coaches to navigate the new program.

Coaching Minute: Establishing Expertise

Principal Lee Snider talks about how principals can support struggling teachers by establishing their expertise and visiting classrooms often.