Jennifer Abrams

As educators, we must always recognize the need to continue to develop ourselves in a multitude of ways, including becoming ever more culturally aware, equity focused, and justice seeking in our work. We live in a society and work in school cultures shaped by colonialism and rife with systemic and […]

Many of us adults have said that it would be terribly hard to be a young person these days, with wildfires and floods, political polarization, violence in our streets, war in Ukraine, civil rights being questioned and denied to many citizens, and one medical challenge on the heels of another. […]

New teacher support is a common part of professional learning, but it varies across states, provinces, and regions. When I was a new teacher coach in California for 16 years, I followed the California Standards for the Teaching Profession, which were applied across my district and the state. As I […]

Educators know how important it is to establish clarity before expecting accountability. Clarity about purpose and goals is necessary for having humane, growth-producing conversations and taking effective steps toward any new initiative or practice, including high-quality professional learning. Learning Forward’s newly revised Standards for Professional Learning are an essential piece […]

When I work with school leaders and their teams, I always share this belief: Growing into who we can become is a lifelong journey that never ends. Usually, there is pushback. Some will ask, “Shouldn’t education leaders be there already? That’s why we got the job, right?” Others will say, […]

Collaboration is one of the most frequently used words in education and, in some ways, the least taught. Over two decades as a teacher, coach, and professional development facilitator in a California school district, I learned that I had a credential in my subject, but I didn’t have a credential […]

Five key facets can help us become more socially aware, psychologically mature, and cognitively capable. While the concept of being a professional prominently features in teaching standards worldwide, as a profession we don’t devote much time to the study of what it takes to be one. In schools, the idea […]

Teachers, to get advice on having hard conversations with your veteran administrator, read this previous blog post. Principals often tell me their entire workday is filled with fires to extinguish, a few challenging parent interactions, and a load of hard conversations. Some feel those communications are routine and don’t find them […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBp70_CZZxk[/embedyt] I have a restauranteur friend, Lynn. Although we come from different industries and perspectives, we both believe a restaurant needs to have a “strong door”: the good feeling you get when you walk through the door and immediately feel welcomed. Within the first moments of your arrival, the strong door hostess […]

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqlgy9zAmjI[/embedyt] We want to enthusiastically recognize those of you who have joined us in the field. Welcome! We have some amazing millennial teachers (born between 1980-2000) in our schools. Many of you are replacing our baby boomer teachers, who are quickly approaching retirement. As millennials, you have a valuable […]