By Laura Baecher Observation and reflection are essential for improving teaching practice, even now that most teaching is occurring online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, with the increasing popularity of video observation and coaching, we already have a tool that can be used for this purpose during distance learning. When video-based observation is successfully…

By Ebony Flott and Courtney Simpson With many schools closed for the rest of the academic year, instructional coaches and other leaders have wondered how to support teachers remotely. In an April 23rd webinar hosted by Learning Forward, Ebony Flott and Courtney Simpson, instructional coaches in Gwinnett (Georgia) County Public Schools, explained how they are…

Learning online is different from learning face-to-face, and that’s true whether you’re 15 or 50. Just as teachers are adjusting their methods to work for students in a virtual context, those of us who lead professional learning need to adjust so that our efforts are beneficial for the educators we support. We must pay special…

On May 1, Learning Forward and featured guests Nader Twal, Amy Pendray, and Jennifer Crockett of Long Beach Unified School District led a conversation on how to boost learning with podcasts. This chat was based on an article from the April issue of The Learning Professional that discussed the Long Beach district’s approach that enables…

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 well-designed professional learning as well…

In the unprecedented crisis we’re all facing, educators need culturally responsive competencies more than ever. In situations of urgency, it’s human nature to default to old patterns and drop hard-won awareness practices. We can keep that from happening, and through this crisis become even more effective as culturally responsive practitioners. Who we are as individuals…

Learning Forward has long worked to ensure that all educators, particularly those serving students with the highest needs, have access to high-quality professional learning that aligns to the Learning Forward Standards for Professional Learning. Because of our efforts to educate the field about what works, professional learning is shifting away from workshops and one-off sessions…

A note from Denise Glyn Borders and Steve Cardwell In a typical year, most schools would be looking at spring break in the rear-view mirror and heading toward the final lessons and celebrations that mark the satisfying and busy end to the school year. As we all know, 2020 is anything but typical. First and…

My daughter is an assistant elementary principal in a large elementary school. Due to COVID-19, like so many of you, she now spends her days in front of the computer in a variety of one-on-one and team meetings. She has a number of concerns about how this disruption will impact her students, her teachers, the…