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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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Leading Literacy: What to Expect the First 5+ Years

Matt Renwick has compiled a guide for new principals to follow to intentionally become effective literacy leaders.

Books for Literacy Leaders

Jen Schwanke suggests five books that will enrich a leader’s skills by solidifying their approach to the important work of evolving our instructional practices.

Professional Books that Make an Impact

Stella Villalba shares her top professional book recommendations. These titles will make an impact and widen your lens for meeting the needs of students.

A PLC Idea: Planning Scaffolds for Upcoming Units of Study 

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills create space for teachers to think about charts more strategically in a PLC meeting. The reality is that thinking about charts can feel like one more thing, especially when premade charts feel like they get the job done. Kate and Tara make chart-making valuable and collaborative.

Combating Leadership Loneliness

Gwen Blumberg addresses the issue of loneliness in literacy leadership. She offers a variety of ways to create connections that will nurture and sustain leaders.

Professional Learning Accountability Partners

Jen Court offers a strategic way to create and support professional learning accountability partners in schools.

Five Books to End the Year Coaching Strong

Stephanie Affinito offers five picture books to end the year coaching strong. Each offers an opportunity for teachers to enjoy a book together, reflect on the year, and walk away with a book to share with their students. 

Research and Learn

Brian Sepe offers a protocol and downloadable tool for teachers and coaches to research student writers. It is good for the soul to bear witness to the good that students bring to the classroom.

Mini (But Mighty) Ways to Connect with Teachers

Gigi McAllister gives tips to help maintain consistent communication and connections with teachers in a way that respects their time when sharing information.

 

Coaching Connections: Morning Rounds

In this second installment of a three-part series, Gigi McAllister explores ways morning rounds will help instructional coaches stay accessible and connected to teachers.

Coaching Connections: Drop-In Visits

In this first installment of a three-part series, Gigi McAllister explores ways instructional coaches can make strong connections through drop-in visits. Download the Drop-In Visit note sheet and add drop-in visits to your schedule today.

Using Photographs for Coaching Conversations

Jen Court shares ways in which she uses photos to support conversations to help teachers achieve their instructional goals.

Slicing Up the Pie

Matt Renwick masterfully outlines a complexity of public education: We are constantly making decisions on behalf of our students, and they rarely fully meet every kid’s needs. Knowing these limits and keeping students at the center of decision making (as opposed to the loudest calls to action from parents) ensures a more equitable educational experience for all.

Coaching Minute: Keep the Focus on Students

Inga Omondi suggests keeping the focus on students in order to entice apprehensive teachers into a coaching relationship.

Growing Professional Learning Communities

Cathy Mere encourages instructional coaches to take the best parts of workshop practice and apply it to coaching.

Building a Schoolwide Coaching Culture

Matt Renwick offers three contexts in which a coaching culture is deliberately built and supported in school.

Using a Filtering Process to Make Data-Driven Intervention Decisions

Gwen Blumberg describes a five-step filtering process of student assessment data designed to help make true data-driven decisions in an efficient amount of time. Download a visual guide of the data-filtering process.

Coaching Minute: Navigating Tough Conversations

Instructional coach Holly Wenning shares advice for navigating tough conversations.

What Happens When Teachers Receive Conflicting Advice?

Josie Stewart and Hannah Tills help navigate the tricky situation coaches can find themselves in when their advice to a new teacher may conflict with other voices. By emphasizing the value of different voices, we can empower educators to do the work that best aligns with their beliefs and suits their learners.

Coaching Minute: The Gift of Time

Instructional coach Mary Brower shares an idea to give the gift of time to teachers.

Words of Reflection for New Coaches

Stella Villalba reflects on her journey as an instructional coach and offers advice to new coaches in a question-and-answer format.

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