I was born on my mother’s birthday, yet we approach problems and decisions very differently. We joke that instead of me being “the apple that didn’t fall far from the tree,” I somehow dropped down as a cantaloupe. I’m a hyper-analytical “head” person, and she
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have been around since the 1970s and show great promise in improving student outcomes. Educator collaboration, collective responsibility, and collective learning have become increasingly necessary in the dynamic landscape of education. However, less-than-ideal implementation of effective PLCs is far too common.
Take Stock of Your Classroom Culture by Serena Pariser Every teacher and student want and deserve a positive classroom culture where learning can thrive. Now is a great time to check in with how your classroom culture is going. A good rule of thumb to remember is
Use Self-Reflection to Empower Learners By Paul Emerich France Differentiation and personalization can be a shared responsibility between learners and teachers. In fact, when we engage students in the process of personalizing their own learning, it becomes more sustainable for teachers. In order to make learners partners
Navigating the Chaos—Hope is Changing Fake Work into Real Work. Coming out of the chaos of the last two years, educators are spinning. Now is the time to find common purpose, to align teams to work, and to ensure every team member is working on the
It would be safe to assume that the declaration “we should have more meetings” would not be met with ringing endorsements in most schools! But we can likely all agree that meetings are a necessity to respond to the diverse needs of students. It not only
For decades, educators and industry leaders have been strategizing about how best to prepare students for the complex challenges of a rapidly changing world. And almost overnight, this theoretical future has become a reality. Rapid change and complex challenges have been daily events in the
Years ago, when my Boston law firm hired me, Bob, the hiring partner, gave me a piece of advice: Return phone calls the same day, even if just to say that you got the call and will be in touch later. It was excellent advice. Why?
Welcome back! In the previous blog post, we unpacked the first two phases of the Discovery (DIIE) model: discovery and interventions. The first post highlighted the importance of understanding both our learners and the standards in our classroom prior to selecting appropriate interventions. Ultimately undertaking both
The world of professional learning for educators, leaders and coaches has reached a level of unprecedented accessibility. Although we tend to groan when thinking about *another* meeting on Zoom, there have definitely been some pros for those of us who may not have been able to travel