Leaders Lounge

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.

Navigating Curricular Change

Julie Cox is candid about the struggles of navigating a new curriculum. She is also hopeful, and offers three approaches to help teachers adjust to new curricular expectations.

Professional Development Guide: A Template for Building a Year-Long PD Plan

Hannah Tills outlines a process to ensure that professional learning is connected, consistent, and communicated throughout the entire school year.

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.

Hope

Hannah Tills digs into the science of hope and offers practical ways to use hope to uplift our professional learning.

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.

Tapping Novelty for What Teachers Need

Suzy Kaback engages in the power of novelty to uproot dissatisfaction during curriculum meetings. It begins by asking, “What do teachers need?” and then providing time to meet their needs.

Opening Moments

Suzy Kaback transfers an instructional practice from her elementary classroom to her college classrooms for preservice teachers. Read about the variety of ways Opening Moments can engage, teach, and build community with students of all ages.

Coaching Minute: Clarifying a Vision

Inga Omondi encourages asking questions during meetings to determine how a vision needs to be clarified.

Cultivating a Habit of Reading Children’s Literature as Part of Our Professional Growth

Stella Villalba is committed to having teachers share picture books during professional development sessions to deepen their reading identities and enhance their choices of picture books to use in their classrooms.