A district office recently asked me to spend a day with principals and instructional coaches to examine their current coaching practices and establish a new job description and focus for their coaching program. Process: I began by having each coach or coaching pair (elementary schools had two coaches) interviewed by an administrator other than the […]

I have been asked by a new district client to make some suggestions regarding what to “look for” as they begin interviewing candidates for instructional coaching positions for their elementary schools next year. Here are the first elements/characteristics I suggested: A Growth Mindset: Defined by Carol Dweck (earlier blog) Coaches need to believe that ALL […]

In an earlier blog on inquiry I posted my thoughts on the struggle that teachers often find themselves in as they focus on Teaching and Learning. Several pieces that I read this week provide ways to look at the teacher’s role in facilitating learning. I was back into Phil Schelechty’s book, Leading for Learning: How […]

I have recently had the opportunity to present and facilitate several sessions with teachers examining the importance of developing students’ creative thinking skills. Here are some of the resources I used and the questions that guided teachers’ conversations and thinking. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills lists the following skill sets to define Creativity and […]

In my work with advisories and student effort, I am continuously identifying the need to KNOW students: from students needs for survival, belonging, power, freedom and fun to students’ learning styles to students’ five year plans. I am currently reading Never Work Harder Than Your Students and Other Principals of Great Teaching by Robyn R. […]