Becoming a literacy leader is a journey, not a certificate or a class to take. That means engaging in continuous professional learning: Reading professional articles to inform beliefs Talking with teachers about their practice Examining resources to see where there is alignment On this journey, I’ve noticed 4 mistakes most…

Many educators take a binary approach to reading instruction. Teaching skills, i.e. phonics Teaching strategies for comprehension Too often, the debate is around which approach to emphasize more. The general consensus is a balance of each in the literacy block. …

School leaders and educators in general are hard wired to solve problems. The culture of our profession encourages it. We are so busy and have high expectations, that it’s almost easier to do it ourselves. …

Having a toolbox of coaching skills to support instructional improvement is essential for leaders in every position. And all of the coaching skills, I believe the most underrated (and underutilized) one is: Pausing Here are three reasons why pausing is so powerful: #1 — You give teachers time to think. In a coaching conversation, what we often say first…

It’s taken me a while to improve the professional learning offered. Here’s what I’ve learned, a simple shift you can make in 30 minutes or less. Think about the goal and the plan you have for your next professional learning session with faculty. Ask a few teachers what would make…

I often think about how to best utilize my time. But lately, one question I’ve been asking myself is this: Am I being productive, or am I just busy? For a few reasons: Reason #1: Having time doesn’t ensure I am using it well. Reason #2: My actions aren’t always aligned with our goals. Reason #3: Anyone can be…

As a school leader, I used to let email drive my day. I have been doing this for years, and once in a while I still fall into that trap. Rock bottom for me was when I realized I spent hours within one day replying to message after message. While…

The educational system focuses a lot on skills and content. Knowledge and strategies are fine, and they are only a start. What we should know and be able to do has evolved as the world becomes more complex. …