Lead Lit Article Type: Read It
Results
Coaching from Teachers’ Strengths
As a principal for the last 16 years, I have had many opportunities to sit in classrooms to learn with teachers and students. One question I ask myself when observing...
Balancing Ambition with Humility
It’s hard to imagine an instructional leader or a coach who isn’t passionate about change. We like to call them agents of change. What these agents are aware of is...
Empowering Teachers and Building Relationships
My first days as a traveling coach were filled with excitement. What a new adventure this would be, moving between the five buildings in the district. I was really looking...
Navigating the Science of Reading: How to Hold a Professional Conversation About Teaching Readers
A popular and contentious topic in education is the science of reading. It’s hard to miss the stress-inducing debates about the best way to teach readers. It is healthy to...
A Richer Picture: Assessing Our Students as Readers (And Not Just in Reading)
Independent reading is not merely the ability to decode a text with minimal errors. Nor is it simply the ability to answer correctly the teacher's questions. Independent reading is the...
Crafting a Vision of Teaching and Learning Rooted in the Strength of Multilingual Learners (Part II)
In part 1 of this article, which can be found here, I wrote about spending time as educators thinking and reflecting on the following questions regarding teaching and learning with...
The True Test of Leadership
Please note: Tornado drill changes don't belong on the Instructional Leadership Team agenda. I left this comment on the Google Doc teacher leaders were using to discuss instruction. As principal,...
Uplifting Students’ “Ordinary” Stories with Mentor Texts
As I scroll through social media at the end of each summer, I see pictures of friends in beautiful places—European landmarks, families in a glee-filled heap in front of...
Coaching to Empower
I always have a soft spot for new teachers. I remember my own first few weeks of teaching and the dizzying reorientation of my brain with new details and nuances...
Play to Your Strengths
When I taught freshman English, we had a brand-new freshman social studies teacher next door. Right away, it felt like we were total opposites. I was an introvert, and he...
Constantly Evolving Toward a Stronger Practice
When Serena Williams was interviewed by Vogue magazine about leaving the game of tennis, she commented, “Maybe the best word to describe what I'm up to is evolution. I'm here...
How to Respond When Books and Curriculum Resources Are Challenged
In the past few months, many literacy leaders have been facing challenges from parents or community members related to classroom library books, school library books, and supplemental materials that support...
Reshaping Personal Narratives with Awareness, Reflection, and Support
People do not reconsider what they mindlessly accepted as true. — Ellen Langer At the age of 45, I was given a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It was a...
Five Books to Launch Discussion About the Coaching Role
The role of an instructional coach is complex, varied, and responsive to the teachers and students within a single building. Each position can look drastically different from the next, and...
Ridiculously Amazing Schools
How does your school improvement team focus their work for the coming school year? In the past few years the school improvement team at my school has used a book...
Books for Literacy Leaders
Not long ago, I attended a training that started with a familiar icebreaker. “Go around the room,” the presenter told us, “and say your name, your job title, and something...
Professional Books that Make an Impact
Without taking the time to fine-tune your skills, your efforts will be built on a foundation that is bound to crumble once it is put to the test. —Quincy Jones...
Combating Leadership Loneliness
Several years ago when the literacy coordinator position opened up in my district, I decided to apply. I had been an interventionist/coach for seven years, and although I loved the...
Slicing Up the Pie
I had just sent my email response to a parent when the phone call came in. “Are you still able to step in for Sarah’s classroom? Her students are coming...
Building a Schoolwide Coaching Culture
Anytime I ask for qualitative feedback about my performance as a school leader, I risk a negative response. This is especially true when I create a space for open comments....
What Happens When Teachers Receive Conflicting Advice?
As we sat across from a brand-new teacher and listened to him share the writing lessons his team was using, a million questions and thoughts flitted through our heads. Does...
