Joellen Killion
Joellen Killion is a senior advisor to Learning Forward and previously served as the organization’s deputy executive director. She supports school systems, schools, regional, state, and national agencies within the U.S. and abroad as a consultant and learning facilitator. Killion has over 30 years of experience in planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of professional learning at the school, system, and state/provincial levels.
All Articles
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Standards are the bedrock of a comprehensive learning system
I think of professional learning like the engine of an automobile. It powers movement forward and propels the whole automobile toward the desired destination. Periodically, we tune up that engine. We provide maintenance so that the engine keeps running smoothly, effectively, and efficiently and reliably delivers its drivers and passengers […] -
How ‘tugboat coaching’ propels one district forward
The instructional coaches in Kildeer Countryside School District 96 (KCSD 96), outside Chicago, are like tugboats, a key part of a maritime navigation system. Just as tugboats nudge and guide barges and ships that need steering assistance to navigate tricky waters, the coaches nudge and guide educators to navigate toward […] -
Help your coaching program achieve its potential
While coaching programs have expanded and become a common approach to continuous learning for strengthening professional practice and student success, their infrastructures still need work. For coaching to deeply transform practice and push through to results for students, school system leaders must build, remodel, and maintain a foundation that ensures […] -
Professional learning while hunkering down
Educators today have a heightened sense of urgency and stress during this unusual time. While they first worry about their own family and loved ones, they next worry about their students’ social, emotional, and academic well-being and success. Educators, like other adults, are asking questions about their lives, social interactions, […] -
Learning from coaches: End strong, begin stronger!
As the school year closes, instructional coaches are still hard at work. They are taking the many lessons learned in the last quarter of this school year and using those lessons to plan for a strong, if uncertain, year ahead. Join us for an exploration of how coaches are traversing […] -
Assessing the Impact of Professional Learning
To make informed decisions about professional learning, educators use data gathered from formative and summative evaluations. In an era of rapid-cycle change as is common with continuous improvement within communities of practice, school improvement, or cycles of inquiry, evaluation becomes a core part of the process. Assessing the impact of […] -
Learning from coaches: Supporting educators in a virtual world
The role of coaches at the district and school levels is multifaceted and complex. Among their many roles, coaches support and facilitate educator learning teams; model and co-teach lessons; provide feedback and reflection opportunities for teachers; research curricular materials to support instruction, and collaborate with the leadership team on strategic […] -
On the path to 'becoming'
Coaches make hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions that affect the daily work of teaching and learning. These decisions are not arbitrary; they are guided by the mental models coaches hold. Mental models comprise our assumptions, beliefs, and generalizations, and they shape how we see the world and act in […] -
Effective Coaching for School Improvement with Joellen Killion
Joellen Killion of Learning Forward, Sophia Thwaites of PCG Education, and Christine Lucas and Joseph Cahill of Fort Bend ISD explain how the Effective Coaching to Strengthen Instruction online course addresses the need for professional learning that is designed specifically for coaches, which is lacking in many districts nationwide. -
Taking the Lead: Roles for Teachers and Teacher Leaders
Joellen Killion and Cindy Harrison of Learning Forward discuss the 10 roles described in the second edition of Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-based Coaches, how the roles contribute to teaching quality and student learning, and the overview of the knowledge, skills, and practices associated with each […]
