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, and work and they seek…
Professional learning while hunkering down
Teachers, here’s how to have hard conversations with your veteran administrator
[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 perspective to contribute to our…
Does your professional learning experience have a ‘strong door’?
[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 greets you, positively manages your…
Learning conversations
Nine conversation frameworks can help PLCs turn reflection into public dialogue.
What students can tell us
Student perception surveys give teachers valuable data to change their practices.
Learn to listen
Using student interviews to drive professional learning can improve instructional practice.
Tips for leading professional learning online
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…
Mirror, Mirror, In The Lab
Susan Herll and Liz Briggs huddle at a table in the center of a nearly empty classroom in a middle school in Colorado. The room is clearly unused for student instruction. Tables are pushed against a wall, chairs are stacked, the bulletin boards are bare. It is a quiet place in the heart of a…
Use Book Studies To Generate Frank Talk About Beliefs And Practices
Ensuring high achievement for all students requires more than technical solutions.
Community Events Offer Cultural Learning Opportunities
Culturally proficient schools have carefully developed an awareness of the communities they serve. The teachers and leaders know who lives in the community, value and build upon the assets students and families bring, and recognize the challenges in the local environment that affect both school and community. Therefore, developing strong relationships with the community is…