A teacher in a differentiated classroom does not classify herself as someone who ‘already differentiates instruction.’ Rather that teacher is fully aware that every hour of teaching, every day in the classroom can reveal one more way to make the classroom a better match for
Classrooms can feel like private spaces. And as coaches, we may find ourselves lingering on the threshold of classroom doors, unsure about how to proceed. We know that a significant amount of our time ought to be spent where the action is, with students and
"I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable." —John Russell, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson Europe
Collaboration. It’s a word we have a lot about, and often believe we do it, but it seems to be more about getting it done than getting it done right. Why? As leaders, we want teachers to collaborate with each other or around our ideas,
Coaching is booming. There are life coaches, executive coaches, and performance coaches. There are coactive coaches, empathic coaches, and solution-focused coaches. There are image coaches, dating coaches, even Twitter coaches. In other words, if you want to learn how to do something, you can find
Coaching is the ultimate form of personalized professional learning. There is no better way to help teachers refine their craft then to work with a coach. And better yet, what if coaching helps the students grow too? That’s what student-centered coaching is about, increasing student
The beginning of the new school year starts another cycle of learning and growth for students. Just as importantly, this time marks a new cycle of professional growth and development for classroom teachers; but will the growth that educators realize by June match beginning-of-the-year expectations? This
“Our schools are only as good as the conversations within them.” In Monday night's webinar, Jim Knight discussed our capacity for improving our schools by improving our communication. We've all experienced the feeling of walking away from a conversation, sensing it could have been more productive, but at
In the fifteen years since I’ve been a professional coach, I am delighted to observe that quality coaching is alive and well in schools. It is beginning to expand outside the initial concept of coach as instructional coach, to administrators and teachers learning to use
Thoughts on Jim Knight’s keynote at the International Visible Learning Conference in Carlsbad, CA. Contributed by Jeffrey Spanier, English and AVID teacher, Carlsbad High School, CA Mr. Knight’s closing presentation focused on the teacher and student learning. This may seem inane to point out, but as a