Effective evaluations provide meaningful feedback, highlighting strengths teachers should continue building on while also identifying areas for growth. When approached with the right mindset, evaluations become less about judgment and more about professional learning.

Here are three ways teachers can better understand evaluations and use them to grow and thrive in their practice.

Know the Rubric like a Roadmap 

Much of the anxiety surrounding teacher evaluations comes from not fully understanding what the evaluator is looking for. When teachers become familiar with the categories, indicators, and language of the rubric, they can teach with purpose rather than guesswork.

Think of the rubric as a roadmap for high-quality instruction. It communicates the expectations for effective teaching and learning that should occur every day in the classroom. However, a rubric is not simply a checklist of tasks to complete. Instead, it represents a continuum of practice that focuses not only on what teachers do, but how well they do it.

During observation debriefs, administrators can help teachers interpret rubric indicators and identify specific actions that can move their practice forward. When expectations are clear, teachers are empowered to intentionally align their instruction with those expectations.

Clarity turns evaluation from a mystery into a guide.

Treat Observations as a Snapshot; not a Final Judgement

One lesson does not define a teacher. Observations provide data, information about what happened in a particular moment in time. Instead of viewing an observation as a verdict, it is more helpful to view it as evidence that can answer three simple questions:

• What did students do?

• What did I do as the teacher?

• What might my next step be?

When teachers adopt this mindset, feedback becomes fuel rather than fear.

Administrators can reinforce this perspective by framing feedback around the specific moment observed. For example, saying “During this lesson…” rather than “You are teaching at this level.” This language keeps the focus on practice rather than personal identity.

Teachers and students are human, which means every classroom has both strong days and challenging ones. An observation captures only a single snapshot. However, if multiple observations reveal consistent patterns, then additional support and coaching may be needed to help a teacher meet expectations.

One snapshot alone should never be the final judgment.

Use Feedback to Set One Actionable Goal

After an evaluation, the most successful teachers resist the urge to fix everything at once. Instead, they identify one specific, measurable improvement to focus on next.

This goal might involve tightening classroom transitions, refining questioning strategies, or improving clarity of directions. Small adjustments in these areas can often lead to meaningful improvements in student learning.

Administrators play an important role in helping teachers prioritize. While several rubric indicators may show room for growth, leaders can help identify the one change that would produce the greatest positive impact.

This focused approach has several benefits:

• It narrows the teacher’s attention

• Reduces feelings of overwhelm

• Builds confidence through achievable progress

In professional growth, the most powerful progress often comes from doing less, but doing it better.

Final Thoughts

Teacher evaluations should never feel like a compliance exercise or a judgment day. At their best, they function as a feedback loop that supports continuous growth.

When teachers understand the rubric, view observations as learning opportunities, and focus on one actionable improvement at a time, evaluations become a tool for strengthening practice rather than a source of stress.

Growth in teaching is a process and evaluations are simply one of the tools that can help guide the journey.

Recommended Resources

• Blog Posts:
  • Summative Evaluations for Educators
  • Teacher Evaluation
• Printable Guides:
  • Teacher Evaluation Rubric
  • Peer Observations

GO BE GREAT!

The post 3 Ways to Understand Teacher Evaluations (and How to Thrive in Them) appeared first on Always A Lesson.

What happens when students take the lead in the classroom? In this episode, we explore the concept of a student-run classroom and how shifting ownership of learning to students can transform engagement, responsibility, and classroom culture. Instead of the teacher doing all the directing, students help manage routines, lead discussions, take on leadership roles, and become active participants in their own learning journey.

We discuss how empowering students to take ownership not only builds independence and confidence, but also strengthens collaboration, problem-solving, and accountability within the classroom community.

Quotables

• “Administrative tasks take up a lot of teaching time.”
• “Start small and be strategic.”
• “Consistency creates freedom.”

Links from this Episode

Dr. Lundy Swift Podcast Episode

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The post 366: Stop Doing What Students Can Do appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Lead from Right Here

Leadership doesn’t begin with a title—it begins with intentional action. Teachers can start leading from exactly where they are, even in their first years in the classroom. Early-career teachers can take small but meaningful steps such as sharing a successful instructional strategy, supporting a teammate during planning, or volunteering for a committee. These actions quietly build credibility and signal readiness for greater responsibility. When you consistently do the small things well, others begin to trust you with bigger opportunities. New teachers can also be proactive by meeting with their principal to express interest in future leadership, asking to be considered when opportunities arise. Sharing long-term goals with school leadership plants a seed that allows a teacher to grow intentionally into a mentor role when the timing is right.

Develop One Signature Strength

New teachers grow faster—and lead sooner—when they identify one strength and intentionally refine it. This might be classroom management, technology integration, literacy routines, assessment practices, or family communication. Rather than trying to be excellent at everything, focus on becoming exceptionally strong in one area. Read, observe, ask questions, and experiment to deepen your expertise. Then, share what you’re learning with others. Over time, colleagues will begin seeking you out for guidance in that area, positioning you as a trusted resource. Becoming “the go-to person” is often the first visible step toward mentorship.

Seek Micro Mentorship Opportunities

Mentorship develops through action, not appointment. Teachers build leadership capacity by intentionally supporting others—co-planning with a peer, modeling a classroom routine, or helping a colleague navigate school systems. These small, informal coaching moments are the foundation for formal leadership roles later on. When teachers have already shared their leadership goals with administrators, volunteered for committees, and established a signature strength, the groundwork for mentorship is in place. From there, it’s time to move beyond sharing ideas to demonstrating them. Instead of describing a strategy, model it. Share student work, photos, or short videos during team or staff meetings to show the impact in action. As teachers consistently lead in visible ways, their mentorship skills sharpen and their audience grows ready to follow—confident in a track record that has been building all along.

Recommended Resources

If you are interested in additional support to grow from new to mentor, browse the suggestions below:

• Book: Always A Lesson- Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success
• Mentor Kit
• Instructional Coaching
• Peer Observations

These podcast episodes and blog posts may also be helpful to you.

GO BE GREAT!

The post From New Teacher to Trusted Mentor: Growing into a Leadership Role appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Dr. Swift brings decades of experience across public education, higher education, and educational organizations to a conversation centered on one powerful idea: learning isn’t meant to be still.

Dr. Swift shares why engaging the whole body in the learning process can transform literacy development, increase student engagement, and support deeper understanding—especially for young learners. From movement-based strategies to rethinking traditional classroom expectations, this episode challenges the idea that effective learning only happens when students sit quietly at a desk.

If you’ve ever wondered how movement, multisensory strategies, and intentional instruction can unlock learning potential, this conversation will leave you inspired and ready to try something new in your classroom.

Quotables

All quotes are from the interviewee

• “Success breeds success.”
• “Who wants to show up to something boring?”
• “The idea that writing starts with being still is not quite where we need to go.”

About Dr. Lundy Swift

Connect with Dr. Lundy Swift

• https://www.lwtears.com/,
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-lundy-swift/

Resources from this episode:

Hidden Potential- The Science of Achieving Greater Things

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The post 365: Whole-Body Learning with Dr. Cheryl Lundy Swift appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will cover 3 ways in which instructional coaches can adjust their support strategies for career-changers (also known as alternative pathway teachers).

Start with Skill Translation, not Skill Deficit

Career changers bring strong skills to the game of teaching, such as problem solving, communication, and project management. However, alternative pathway teachers do not always see how those skills apply to teaching.  Effective coaches help them connect the dots with skills from the previous setting into the new one. This is done in a way that makes career changing teachers feel ahead instead of instead of behind. A coach should meet with each alternative pathway teacher individually and better understand the skillset they bring the table. Together, they will brainstorm how to leverage those same skills in the classroom. Throughout the first three years (typical of teacher support plans), the coach will help the teacher utilize those previously mentioned skill strengths and strengthen new ones. When teachers are supported in a personalized way from the beginning, teacher retention increases.  

Prioritize Pedagogy in Bite-Sized/Practice-First Doses

Alternative pathway teachers don’t need lectures on theory; they need immediate, usable strategies. Much of teacher prep programs in college focus on the history of education, famous educators and their contributions to the field, educational theory and more. Although these courses are interesting and help paint a picture, they are best used on the journey to teaching and not once teaching has started. Coaches can help career changing teachers by offering quick wins, such as modeling, co-teaching, scripts, checklists and rehearsal based practice. These best practices are strategies teachers can easily mimic from their coach and immediately implement into their lessons with students. This will enhance instruction and teacher practice. The coach can then help the teacher reflect on how they planned to use the strategy, how it went live with students and what to try differently the next day. Begin with 1-3 strategies to keep things simple and realistic. Additional strategies can be added on as the teacher is ready. 

Teach the Hidden Curriculum of Schools

The hardest part for career-changers isn’t instruction—it’s the unwritten rules like school culture, grading norms, hierarchy, communication expectations, and kid behavior patterns. These are rarely spelled out, yet they shape how successful and confident a new teacher feels. Coaches should help smooth the transition by making the invisible rules visible, from how to word an email to families, to when it’s appropriate to involve administration, to what “good classroom management” looks like in that specific building. This support can occur alongside an initial meet-and-greet between teacher and coach where transferrable skills are discussed and contextualized for the school setting. Quickly getting a lay of the land—through explicit conversations, checklists, or even shadowing opportunities—helps new teachers operate successfully within the school while honoring its unspoken boundaries. When logistics and norms are clarified early, career-changers are freed to focus their energy on teaching, building relationships, and developing a true sense of belonging rather than second-guessing every move.

Additional Resources

The following resources are recommended to provide support to alternative pathway teachers:

• Book: Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success 
• Just for teachers:
  • Peer Observations
  • Teacher Leadership Professional Development
• Just for coaches:
  • Instructional Best Practices
  • Instructional Coaching Forms
  • Teacher Mentorship Kit

Continue reading more in the Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers series on the blog:

• Becoming a Teacher Without Any Student Teacher Experience
• Changing Careers: Making the Transition for Future Teachers
• Bridging the Instructional Gap: Must-Know Pedagogy for Non Traditional Teachers

GO BE GREAT!

The post 3 Things Coaches Need to Know About Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Teaching is more than a profession — it’s a calling. But in today’s educational climate, staying in the classroom requires intention, boundaries, and support. In this episode, we’re talking honestly about teacher retention: why educators leave, why some stay, and how we can create conditions where teachers don’t just survive — they thrive.

Quotables

• “Know when to take yourself out of the game before your team suffers.”
• “Some part of finding your balance and happiness is just changing up the scenery.”
• “Every time I switched it up, I grew something I didn’t know I needed or wanted.”

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The post 364: Teacher Retention – Strategies for Staying & Thriving appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the biggest tools transforming education right now: ChatGPT. We’re switching it up where Gretchen asks ChatGPT questions about herself and the future of education.

Quotables

• “Focus on growth without shame.”
• “Change happens when people feel empowered, not managed.”
• “You’re not behind, you just need the right lense.”

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The post Bonus: ChatGPT & Me appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Reframe your Experience

Late-career educators bring a wealth of professional and life experience that transfers directly into the classroom. Rather than viewing a nontraditional path as a liability, reframe it as a powerful asset. Skills such as communication, leadership, organization, problem-solving, and relationship-building are foundational to effective teaching. Years spent navigating workplaces, managing projects, collaborating with diverse teams, or mentoring others provide an edge that many early-career teachers are still developing.

Additionally, real-world experience allows you to offer authentic examples that bring learning to life. Students benefit from hearing how content connects to careers, everyday decisions, and the world beyond school walls. That big-picture perspective helps students see relevance and purpose in their learning—something younger educators may not yet have the lived experience to provide.

Small, Daily Wins

Confidence grows through momentum, and momentum is built one small win at a time. Instead of waiting for a perfect lesson or a flawless observation, focus on daily progress. Maybe today you nailed the flow of a lesson, successfully redirected off-task behavior, connected with a hesitant student, or figured out a new piece of technology. These moments matter.

Celebrate progress over perfection. Teaching is complex work, and mastery comes through repetition and reflection. Consider keeping a “wins list” at the end of each day—write down one thing that went well, no matter how small. Over time, those small victories add up, creating tangible evidence that you are learning, growing, and becoming more confident in your role.

Create your Circle

Teaching was never meant to be a solo endeavor. Designing a personal support circle can dramatically impact both your growth and your well-being. This circle might include mentors, PLC teammates, instructional coaches, or trusted colleagues who offer encouragement and honest feedback. Be intentional about choosing people you admire for their expertise, mindset, and perspective.

Having a strong circle provides a safe space to ask questions, share struggles, and celebrate successes. It also helps normalize the challenges of teaching—especially in the early years. Surrounding yourself with supportive professionals reminds you that you are not alone and that confidence is something everyone continues to build throughout their career.

Additional Resources

Classroom confidence doesn’t come from having all the answers; it comes from trusting yourself to learn, adapt, and grow. By reframing your experience, celebrating small daily wins, and building a supportive circle, late-career educators can move past imposter syndrome and step fully into the impactful teachers they are becoming.

This blog series on supporting alternative pathway teachers provided tips and strategies to make the adjustment easier and make the impact immense. Catch up on the other blog posts in the series:

• Teaching Without Student Teaching: What You Need to Know
• Changing Careers: Making the Transition for Future Teachers
• Bridging the Instructional Gap: Must-Know Pedagogy for Non-Traditional Teachers

If you are in need of tangible, instructional strategies to make an impact in the classroom read my latest book “Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.”

GO BE GREAT!

The post Building Classroom Confidence as a Late-Career Educator appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this episode, we dive into the heart of culturally responsive teaching and what it really means to meet the diverse needs of today’s students. From honoring students’ backgrounds and lived experiences to creating inclusive, engaging classroom environments, this conversation is all about teaching with intention, empathy, and impact. Whether you’re new to culturally responsive practices or looking to deepen your approach, this episode offers practical strategies you can use right away.

Quotables

• “You gotta make a connection.”
• “When curriculum is inclusive and representative, it deepens understanding.”
• “When students feel seen, heard, and valued, they are more likely to take academic risks, collaborate with their peers, and develop a strong sense of belonging in the classroom—and that’s the point.”

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The post 363: Culturally Responsive Teaching – Meeting Diverse Student Needs appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This can be quite concerning if non-traditional teachers do not learn and implement that learning quickly and correctly. However, if an adult is passionate about learning new skills, attending their alternate route certification classes as prescribed, applying new skills in their daily teaching, then they can develop competency with limited negative impact on students’ academic achievement.

This post will cover four core instructional strategies every new teacher needs, even without formal education training.

A. I Do, We Do, You Do Model

This model describes the flow of a lesson from start to finish. Teachers begin by introducing the new skill or concept to students. This portion utilizing modeling and is all teacher directed which is why it is referred to as “I Do.” Explicit modeling helps students understand expectations, following sequential steps, and seeing the big picture. After 10 minutes or so, teachers transition to doing the skill with students in a supported practice referred to as “we do” since they are doing it together. Guided practice prevents student frustrations and off-task behavior as the teacher leaders the students through the process in a slow, steady pace. After multiple rounds of group practice, it is time for students to complete the skill on their own- “you do.” Following this lesson flow allows students to learn new information, make sense of it, store it in short-term and long-term memory in order to apply it in future tasks. The official description of this instructional flow is called “gradual release” since the process of passing the learning ownership to students is gradual throughout the lesson.

B. Check for Understanding

Creating multiple stopping points in a lesson to check the level of student understanding of the topic being taught is essential. If teachers can catch misunderstanding early, they can be corrected and more students will be successful mastering the skill by the end of the lesson. Check for understanding can be quick (ie. 5-7 min) to informally assess student comprehension like:

• thumbs up/thumbs down for true or false questions
• stop and jot to explain a concept in their own words
• turn and talk to chat with a peer exchanging main points, opinions, and real-life connections
• mini whiteboards where students write down their answers to rapid fire questions
• color cards indicating level of understanding (red is confused, yellow is still have questions and green is full understanding)

Based on percentage of students accurately responding to checks for understanding determines how quickly the teacher moves on in the lesson. For example, if the majority of students understand the “I do,” then the teacher can transition to the “we do” portion of the lesson while working 1:1 or in a small group with students who need more modeling before moving into practice. This helps teachers adjust pace in real time based on the quality and depth of student answers.

C. Scaffolded Learning

Teachers should break down tasks into smaller portions adding in support as needed. Ways to do this include providing sentence starters, anchor charts or visuals, graphic organizers, examples of thinking and doing, etc. As students gain proficiency with a skill, teachers can remove supports gradually until they are no longer needed. This means teachers are responsible to the data they are collecting about the level to which students understand a concept. They can do that through checks for understanding, observations, student work, etc.

Teachers should be careful to not fall into these common pitfalls when scaffolding learning for students:

• Doing the work for students – The goal of teaching is to ensure students are able to learn the material and demonstrate mastery of those concepts. If teachers continuously model for students, then they will never reach mastery on their own.

• Slowing instruction for everyone- Not every student needs a scaffold. Watching students closely as they learn will provide insight into who needs scaffold and what type would best suit them.

• Permanent supports that never fade- If students constantly need assistance and never become independent then the supports are not successful. Using them for a short period of time and providing feedback to the student to make adjustments will increase understanding in time. Permanent supports are not the answer.

D. Clear Directions and Expectations

Strong directions and clear expectations make instruction run smoothly. Pedagogy is rooted in clarity. When teachers are clear on what to do and how to do it, it reduces misunderstandings and misbehaviors. The scaffolding just discussed will ensure teachers structure lessons so that students are doing the cognitive heavy lifting resulting in mastered learning stored in long-term memory for future use. As a result, students are on task engaging in multiple rounds of practice gaining proficiency much more quickly. 

Teachers should plan their directions in their lesson plan, post them in the classroom, share them with students, and hold students accountable for following the directions. When students know what is expected of them, they can be successful. When teachers are consistent in establishing expectations and holding students to high standards of learning, students have a greater chance at reaching mastery.

Additional Resources

The following resources will help non-traditional teachers grow in capacity quickly.

• Book
  • Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials to Classroom and Career Success
  • EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach you in College
• Blog Posts
  • Lesson Design
    • 5 Myths of Lesson Design 
    • 5 Ways to Improve the Lesson Design Process
  • Classroom Management
    • 5 Myths of Classroom Management
    • 5 Ways to Reinvent you Classroom Management System
    • 3 Ways to Improve your Classroom Management Practices in the Classroom
    • Classroom Management: Moving Beyond Compliance
    • Classroom Management: How to Plan & Prepare a System
    • Crack the Classroom Management Code

• • Student Engagement
    • 5 Myths of Student Engagement
    • 4 Ways to Improve Student Engagement
    • 3 Tips to Maximize Student Engagement
  • Student Choice and Ownership
    • 5 Myths of Student Choice and Ownership 
    • 5 Benefits of Increasing Student Choice and Ownership 
    • 5 Myths of Student Choice and Ownership
• Podcast Episodes
  • 356: Beyond the Lesson Plan and How to Get Students to Care
  • 127: Classroom Management like PB & J
  • 47: Nuts and Bolts of Effective Classroom Management
  • 137: Quality Engagement is a Dance
  • 314: Incorporating Student Voice

Continue reading more in the Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers series on the blog:

• Becoming a Teacher Without Any Student Teacher Experience
• Changing Careers: Making the Transition for Future Teachers

GO BE GREAT!

The post Bridging the Instructional Gap: Must-Know Pedagogy for Non Traditional Teachers appeared first on Always A Lesson.

What does leadership look like beyond the classroom—and how do educators take the next step without leaving teaching behind? In this episode, we explore the many pathways educators can take to grow their influence, expand their impact, and step into leadership roles that align with their strengths and values. From instructional coaching to administration and teacher-leader roles, this conversation unpacks what it really means to advance your teaching career. Whether you’re early in your career, feeling ready for a change, or quietly wondering “what’s next?”, this episode offers clarity, encouragement, and practical next steps.

Quotables

• “Leadership isn’t the loudest voice in the room, it’s the clearest one.”
• “Leadership isn’t about having it all figured out from day one.”
• “Leadership isn’t a single leap. It’s a series of steps.“

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The post 362: Pathways to Leadership – Advancing Your Teaching Career appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will share 5 ways to transfer skills from a previous careers into effective teaching practices.

Identify Transferrable Skills

Recognize that corporate, service-industry, military, or nonprofit experience naturally translates into classroom strengths. To better exemplify what skills might transfer from the old setting into the new one, review the samples below:

• Project management is similar to the process of lesson planning in that both require organization, including setting goals, managing timelines, and allocating resources.
• Customer service relates to communicating effectively with parents because both require empathy, respect, and clear communication to build relationships.
• Team leadership mirrors managing a classroom in that both require setting clear expectations, establishing procedures and routines, motivating individuals towards common goals and fostering a positive environment.
• Data analysis is a very common task for teachers as they progress monitor students since both require collecting information to track growth over time in efforts to make more informed decisions.

Leverage Real World Experience

Leverage your real world experience to bring lessons to life: use real world examples, stories and scenarios to make content more meaningful . As children grow in age, connecting to the material becomes even more important so a secondary school teacher would want to emphasize these in daily lessons. A benefit of having other career experience is being able to show students how learning connects to real careers (using your former career as an example). It is important to offer authentic problem solving tools from your field to demonstrate skills learned into school turn into superpowers at work. 

Shift from Adult Focus to Kid Focus

One major difference when moving into education from another field is that who you manage will be very different. Working with adults is different than working with children. What works with adults (emails, autonomy, extended deadlines, etc.) does not translate well to the classroom. Kids need explicit modeling, step by step directions and constant reinforcement. However, a lot of alternatively licensed staff underestimate that the same leadership skills still apply- just scaled down, simplified and more structured.

Build an Instructional Toolbox

This task will have to be done quickly and intentionally as you are literally learning on the job. Do less and get really good at it. As you gain traction, you can diversify your teaching strategies and approaches. 

• • Keep routines and procedures for students simple and consistent
  • Master 1-2 classroom management frameworks instead of trying to master a million 
    • 3 C’s: content, community, and choice
    • 5 R’s: relationships, rights, rules, routines, and responsibilities
    • Four Square:  organization, discipline, instruction, and assessment. 
  • Study a few high yield instructional strategies
    • Checks for understanding
    • Modeling
    • Guided practice
  • Use district supports, mentor teachers, and PD intentionally

Embrace the Learning Curve

It’s normal to feel like an expert in your old field and like a mess as a beginning teacher. This isn’t starting over; it’s leveling up. The shift is monumental, but the transition is smoother when you ask questions early and often. The skills that made you successful in your old role (resilience, communication, problem solving, etc.) are exactly what make you a great teacher now. And we all know, teaching is the most noble of all professions! 

Recommended Resources

The following resources will increase your preparedness for a role in education:

• Digital Downloads:
  • Instructional Best Practices
  • PD On Demand: Micro Learning Opportunities 
• Books:
  • EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College
  • Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success

Continue reading more in the Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers series on the blog:

• Becoming A Teacher Without Student Teaching Experience
• Bridge the Instructional Gap: Must Know Pedagogy for Non Traditional Teachers

GO BE GREAT!

The post Changing Careers: Making the Transition for Future Teachers appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this energizing episode, we dive into what it really takes to ignite a classroom—where students are curious, teachers are confident, and learning feels alive. If you’ve ever wondered how to make your students lean in instead of zone out, this is the episode for you.

Quotables

Resources from this Episode:

Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success:  https://amzn.to/409AUCt

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

The post 361: Ignite the Room – Strategies that Make Students Lean In appeared first on Always A Lesson.

As a result, many states are allowing non-certified individuals to teach. To become eligible under these crisis conditions, individuals would have to hold a bachelor’s degree of any type and professional experience. Oftentimes, transferrable skills exist between careers so having experience in the working world is advantageous. The one stipulation if a non-certified individual chooses to teach is that they must enroll in an certification program within the stated timeframe set by the district or school.

Since emergency certification is growing in popularity, its important to outline essential classroom skills for teachers who didn’t complete a traditional student teaching experience. As part of the Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers series on the blog, this post will explore 6 tips to help individuals gaining an emergency teaching certificate without traditional training such as student teaching.

Routines and Procedures Matter 

Strong routines and procedures form the backbone of effective instruction. They create an environment where students know what to expect, how to behave, and how to move from one task to the next without constant teacher direction. When routines are tight, teachers spend less time managing and more time teaching. In fact, many highly effective classrooms look “calm” not because students are naturally compliant, but because routines make expectations automatic.

Don’t Miss the Behind-the-Scenes Modeling 

Student teaching gives educators a front-row seat to the flow of a classroom—the tiny, often invisible systems that make everything run. New teachers who skip this experience may not realize how much intentional planning sits underneath a smooth day. They don’t see the hundreds of micro-decisions: where materials live, how students move, how transitions are cued, or how procedures are retaught. As a result, they may assume a routine should “just work” without understanding the level of practice and modeling required.

The Power of Predictable Systems 

Predictability creates safety and confidence for students. When entry routines, exit routines, supply systems, and transitions run the same way every day, cognitive load drops—and academic engagement rises.

• Entry routines help students shift into learning mode immediately.

• Exit routines reinforce reflection, organization, and closure.

• Supply routines eliminate time-wasters and arguments.

• Transition routines keep momentum high and reduce the noisy drift between tasks.

Predictable Systems aren’t about Rigidity —they’re about freeing the brain to do the harder work of thinking, problem-solving, and collaborating.

Routines Reduce Behavior Issues 

A huge percentage of behavior challenges come from uncertainty, downtime, or unclear expectations. Well-taught routines eliminate those variables. Research commonly cited in classroom-management literature notes that strong routines can reduce off-task behavior by up to 80% (exact stat varies by source, but the pattern is consistent across studies). When students know exactly what to do and how to do it, they don’t have to “guess”—and guessing is where misbehavior happens.

Teaching a Routine is as Important as Teaching Content

Teaching a routine is teaching content—it’s instructional design. Routines are skills students must learn, practice, and master just like reading strategies or math processes. A routine that is taught explicitly, modeled clearly, and practiced repeatedly becomes part of the learning system for the entire year. Investing time upfront pays off exponentially because every later lesson runs more smoothly, efficiently, and effectively.

A Simple Script for Teaching and Practicing Procedures

You can teach any procedure using a simple three-step script:

1. Explain
“Here’s what we do when it’s time to transition to the carpet. You will push in your chair, walk quietly, sit criss-cross in your assigned spot, and track the speaker.”

2. Model
“Watch as I show you exactly how it looks.” (Teacher models.)
“Now watch again as a student volunteer models.” (Student models.)

3. Practice & Feedback
“Your turn. Let’s practice together. Ready… go.”
Give quick, specific feedback:
“I noticed several of you pushed in your chairs quietly. Let’s try it again and focus on getting to the carpet within 10 seconds.”
Re-practice until the routine meets expectations.

This cycle mirrors any high-quality instructional method: clear explanation, modeling, guided practice, and feedback.

Resource Recommendations

After reading this blog post, non-certified teachers can become successful in the classroom while simultaneously earning their certification.

• Digital Downloads:
  • Instructional Best Practices
  • PD On Demand: Micro Learning Opportunities 
• Books:
  • EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College
  • Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success

Continue reading more in the Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers series on the blog:

• Changing Careers: Making the Transition for Future Teachers
• Bridge the Instructional Gap: Must Know Pedagogy for Non Traditional Teachers

These blog posts may also be helpful to you as well.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Becoming A Teacher Without Student Teaching Experience appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this special role-reversal episode, the mic is flipped—and the interviewer becomes the interviewee. Known for asking powerful questions, today’s guest steps into the hot seat to share a deep-rooted passion for high-quality instruction and why it’s the foundation of meaningful learning.

From lesson design to classroom culture, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what really moves the needle for student engagement and teacher confidence. It’s an honest, reflective look at why being “obsessed” with instruction isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention, impact, and growth.

Quotables

Resources from this Episode:

Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success:  https://amzn.to/409AUCt

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

The post Bonus: Obsessed with High Quality Instruction appeared first on Always A Lesson.

What really happens behind the scenes of great teaching? In this episode, we pull back the curtain with educator Craig Randall to talk about the realities of the classroom that don’t always make it into lesson plans or professional development sessions. From the behind-the-scenes decisions teachers make every day to the mindset shifts that help sustain energy and passion, Craig shares honest insights, practical wisdom, and relatable moments that every educator will recognize.

Quotables

*All quotes are from the interviewee*

• “It takes focus on one thing to really really grow. “
• “Choice matters so much.”
• “We have to model what we want with kids.“

Resources from the Episode:

• Episode 240: Trust Based Observations with Craig Randall
• Trust Based Observations Book: https://amzn.to/4oXEoTz
• Website: https://trustbased.com/
• Email: craig@trustbased.com

The post 360: Behind the Teaching Scenes with Craig Randall appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this energizing New Year episode, we dive into how teachers can hit reset, refocus their mindset, and walk into the classroom feeling refreshed and ready. Whether the first semester felt chaotic, inspiring, exhausting, or all of the above, this episode offers practical strategies for creating a smoother, more intentional second half of the school year.

Quotables

The post 359: New Year New Energy – Setting Yourself Up for a Fresh Start appeared first on Always A Lesson.

But while the pre-break buzz is inevitable, it doesn’t have to derail your classroom. With the right mix of structure, flexibility, and connection, you can finish the year feeling calm, not chaotic.

Here are practical classroom management strategies to help you make the most of the most energetic time of year.

1. Keep Routines Sacred (Even When It’s Hard)

It’s tempting to toss out your normal routine and fill the days with “fun stuff.” But routine is what keeps students feeling safe and grounded — especially during an unpredictable season.

Stick with your daily schedule as much as possible. Start with your regular morning meeting, reading block, or math warm-up, even if the rest of the day looks different. Those familiar structures send the message: “We’re still learning, and we’re still a team.”

•  Pro tip: Use consistent transition cues (like a bell, chime, or call-and-response) to help students reset between activities.

2. Channel the Energy — Don’t Fight It

Students are going to be full of energy, so meet them where they are! Instead of demanding stillness, find ways to move with their excitement. Some things to try are:

• Brain breaks that match the mood — snowball tosses (crumpled paper), “freeze like a snowman,” or GoNoodle dance-offs.

• Movement-based learning — scavenger hunts, gallery walks, or review games that get kids up and moving.

• Voice and choice — let students choose between two review activities or share ideas for how to “celebrate learning.”

Redirecting energy is easier than suppressing it — and it keeps the classroom joyful and productive.

3. Plan Engaging, Low-Stress Lessons

December isn’t the time for starting brand-new units or piling on complex projects. Instead, focus on review, creativity, and collaboration. Here are some tried-and-true favorites:

• “12 Days of Learning” — highlight one skill or topic each day leading up to break.

• “Winter STEM Challenges” — build a sled, design a snow shelter, or test paper snowflake symmetry.

• “Kindness Campaigns” — small daily acts of kindness with a classroom display to track progress.

Keep lessons meaningful, but design them so you’re not juggling extra prep or grading while wrapping up the semester.

If you are in need of ways to level up your instruction, dive into effective strategies surrounding topics like routines and procedures, student engagement, increasing student talk, and generating active response.

4. Make Space for Feelings (All of Them)

The holidays aren’t joyful for everyone. Some students feel anxious, sad, or uncertain about time away from school. Create room for emotions by checking in with your class daily. Try simple reflection prompts like:

• “How are you feeling about the upcoming break?”

• “What’s something you’re looking forward to — or something you’ll miss?”

• “What can we do to support each other this week?”

A few minutes of honest conversation can ease anxiety and remind students that they belong — even during big transitions.

5. Celebrate Progress, Not Just the Calendar

Instead of counting down days until break, count up to the growth your students have made.

Display “12 Days of Learning,” “10 Things We’ve Mastered,” or a “Gratitude Wall” where students share something they’re proud of. Shifting the focus from “almost done!” to “look how far we’ve come!” builds reflection and positivity.

6. Protect Your Own Energy

Let’s be honest — the pre-break buzz affects teachers, too. Between report cards, class parties, and personal holiday prep, it’s easy to run on fumes.

Give yourself permission to simplify. Use anchor activities, independent centers, or buddy reading when you need a breather. Keep a few “quiet moments” on the schedule — a read-aloud, mindfulness activity, or journaling time — to help everyone (including you) reset.

And remember: calm is contagious. When students see you staying grounded, they’ll follow your lead.

What’s the Lesson?

The days before break will never be perfectly calm — and that’s okay. They’re supposed to be full of energy, laughter, and a little extra sparkle. The key is to harness that energy instead of fighting it.

By holding onto structure, connection, and joy, you help your students end the year on a high note — not just ready for a break, but proud of what they’ve accomplished.

So take a deep breath, turn on the twinkle lights (metaphorically or literally), and enjoy the buzz. You’ve earned it!

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog—and don’t miss my latest book: Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Managing the Pre-Break Buzz: Practical Classroom Strategies for the Most Energetic Time of Year appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Here’s why I stopped using them in my classroom — and what I now help teachers do instead.

1. Not Every Student Is Counting Down With Joy

While many students can’t wait for holidays, some aren’t looking forward to the time away from school.
For children who experience food insecurity, unstable home situations, or complicated family dynamics, breaks can feel long and lonely. A daily reminder that the break is getting closer can unintentionally heighten anxiety instead of excitement.

Instead:

Focus on making every day in the classroom something to look forward to. Build small daily traditions — morning meetings, read-aloud time, or kindness challenges — that give students consistency and a sense of belonging, no matter the time of year.

2. Countdowns Shift the Focus Away From Learning

Once the countdown starts, students (and let’s be honest, teachers too) mentally check out.
When every day becomes “one day closer to break,” it’s hard to keep motivation and engagement strong. Learning shouldn’t feel like something we just have to “get through” until the fun starts again.

Instead:

Reframe the time before a break as a chance to celebrate growth and connection. Try a “12 Days of Learning” series, where each day you can highlight a skill students have mastered or share something everyone is proud of from the semester. It keeps energy high — and focused on learning.

If you’re looking for instructional ideas centered around the holidays, browse through these holiday-themed activities.

3. Count Up to Gratitude, Kindness, or Joy

If you love the idea of marking the days in a visual way, consider changing the focus of your countdown.
Instead of counting down to something external (like a holiday), count up to something internal — community, gratitude, or kindness.

Ideas to try:

• Kindness Chain- Add a paper link for every kind act you see in the classroom. Watch it grow!

• Gratitude Calendar- Each day, students add one thing they’re thankful for to a wall display.

• Learning Reflection Jar- Every day, add a slip of paper with one new thing your class learned or accomplished.

By shifting the focus, you build anticipation for connection rather than escape.

4. Anchor Students in Routine and Safety

Transitions can be tough for kids. A visual countdown reminds them that change is coming — which can feel unsettling. Instead of counting down, spend time previewing and preparing for the transition in gentle ways.

Instead:

• Talk about what stays the same during breaks (like friendships, routines, or support systems)

• Give students space to share their feelings about the upcoming break

• Create a plan for staying connected to reading, learning, or classroom community over the break

What’s the LESSON here?

At Always A Lesson, we strive to observe what is happening around us and compile the clues to learn valuable lessons that transform classrooms across the globe. By kicking the classroom holiday countdown to the curb, you unlock a new way to impact students.

For many, holidays are wonderful. But they’re not wonderful for everyone in the same way. When we step back from holiday countdown and step into connection, we create classrooms that feel safe, inclusive, and joyful all year long.

You don’t need a countdown to make the days before a break special — just a focus on what truly matters: community, care, and curiosity.

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog—and don’t miss my latest book: Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Kick the Holiday Countdown to the Curb and Do this Instead! appeared first on Always A Lesson.

We’ve hit the midpoint of the school year—congratulations! In this episode, we’re taking a breath and reflecting on what’s working, what’s not, and how to finish the year strong without burning out. From classroom engagement hacks to managing mid-year chaos, we’ll unpack practical ways to keep your students motivated and protect your own energy.

Quotables

• “Let student’s present. However you go about, let them present what they know.”
• “Don’t forget to communicate and celebrate.”
• “Kids really want to talk, and kids really want to move—so use it to your benefit.”

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The post 358: Mid Year Reflection – How to Finish the Year Strong appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Attend during Specials or Planning Time

The most simple way to logistically make learning walks work within the parameters of a jam packed teaching schedule is to use off-time during contractual hours to engage in learning walks. For example, when students are at specials or you have an additional planning block without students, use a portion of that time to complete the learning walk. Being organized for the learning walk ahead of time will ensure efficient time usage for the experience.

Instructional Coach Becomes Coverage

Sometimes, you cannot complete a learning walk (or enough rounds of peer observations to be worth it) during free time so needing someone to provide classroom coverage is necessary. Using a member of the leadership team, like an instructional coach, allows teachers to engage in a thorough learning walk experience while students are taught by a certified staff member. This coach could help multiple grade levels over several days so that all staff could participate. However, leaving time in the day for the instructional coach to complete their daily activities is important so that they aren’t left scrambling to meet the expectations of their day-to-day job.

Hire Substitute Teachers

The first two suggestions are free which is why they are the most popular solution among schools. However, sometimes those options are unavailable to schools. In that case, using school funds to hire substitute teachers allows them to manage learning walks. For example, a principal might have a substitute teacher come for an entire day but hop around classes providing coverage while grade levels take turns engaging in a learning walk. This requires school-wide planning and orchestration; however, it is the best use of time and funds when hiring a substitute teacher for coverage.

Blend Classes

A solution that is less popular because it is not what is best for teachers and students is to blend classes together. For example, a single teacher would disperse their students among the rest of the grade level classes so that each class only had an additional 3-4 students during the learning walk time frame. This requires a collaborative effort with the helping teachers so that it is a seamless transition of instruction for students. The teacher would work quickly to see a different grade level of teachers that did not have additional students in their classes. This solution is time bound and often bare bones just to get in a quick peer observation.

Do it Virtually

If all else fails, allow teachers to watch their peers teach via video tape. It lacks authenticity because you cannot feel what is happening in the room and it limits your line of sight. However, it still allows colleagues to watch each other teach, reflect on their own practice, and improve their teaching skill for the benefit of students.

Resources

Below are additional resources to help you successfully implement learning walks in your school building.

• Blog Posts:
  • How to Set Up Learning Walks in your Building
  • 3 Tips to Get the Most Out of Learning Walks
  • The Secret to the Most Effective PD
• Downloadable Material:
  • Learning Walks: Effective Peer Observations

Don’t let obstacles get in your way of teachers seeing each other teach. Learning walks are a powerful and transformative professional development tool.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Ways to Overcome Coverage Challenges During Learning Walks appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this episode, we dive into what makes classroom conversations truly meaningful and how to move beyond surface-level participation to create powerful, high-impact discussions. From establishing a safe classroom culture to teaching students how to listen actively and respond thoughtfully, we unpack practical ways to elevate dialogue and deepen learning.

Quotables

• “Great questions don’t just test students knowledge. They actually ignite them to want to know more or go deeper.”
• “Think time is powerful.”
• “Let the dang kids talk. That’s the message.”

Resources from this Episode:

Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success:  https://amzn.to/409AUCt

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The post 357: Classroom Conversations That Matter – The Secret to High Impact Discussions appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The Teacher Growth and Development Process

The following process is ongoing between the leader and teacher. Although the focus for improvement may change throughout the year, the process remains the same. This provides structure to all stakeholders. The goal of this process is to assist the teacher in growing their skillset. Students improve their performance in the classroom as a result.

• Pre- Conference – Teachers can submit lesson plans for an upcoming announced observation or they can co-create a lesson plan with a leader (ie. mentor, instructional coach, assistant principal. This insures a high quality lesson is formed from the start. Feedback is provided to the teacher to make final tweaks before teaching the lesson live in front of students with the leader observing.
• Observation – A leader observes the teacher deliver the lesson to students (ideally this would be the same leader present in the pre-conference, but it does not have to be). No interaction between the teacher and leader should occur as if they are simply a fly on the wall. The teacher teaches the lesson as planned in the pre-conference. This includes any changes due to feedback.
• Post- Conference – Hosting a debrief with the leader and teacher allows for a productive discussion about high quality teaching. The teacher comes to the post-conference after completing their reflection of the effectiveness of the lesson. During this time, professional goals are discussed in addition to the goal for the lesson taught. Strengths are highlighted and weaknesses are prioritized (1-2 areas only). The teacher uses this conversation to gain clarity on teaching expectations, feedback on the lesson itself, and next steps for how to continue to improve their instructional skill.

Collect Evidence of Teacher Proficiency

Teacher proficiency is a term used to describe the level of effectiveness of a teacher’s instruction. Classroom observations alone do not share the whole picture of a teacher’s development. Therefore, leaders need to collect a variety of data to showcase the many ways a teacher has grown.

• Professional Development [PD] Records – Knowing what PD teachers have attended enlightens the leader on what topics they have learned about and should be implementing. Finding patterns within the records will provide clues for next steps
• Communication with Parents– Knowing how often and the methods used by the teacher to communicate with students’ parents is helpful in knowing what feedback to provide to build strong, personable relationships with stakeholders. This also gives credit for going above and beyond requirements to keep parents informed and leverage their assistance in the growth of the child
• Use of Student Data– Understanding how teachers collect, analyze and use data to inform their instruction showcases the level of their skill. If teachers encourage students to chart their own growth, set goals, and advocate for their own learning needs then the teacher is going above-and-beyond the requirement to collect, analyze and use data in their classroom.
• Participation in Growth Opportunities– Teachers should meet with leaders to share their professional goals at the beginning of the year. This helps the leader support growth in that area of interest. Noting what additional opportunities teachers have engaged in to continue to grow in their area of expertise or interest demonstrates a self-motivated, dedicated professional.

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Summative Evaluations for Educators appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this episode we dive into one of the biggest challenges teachers face—getting students to actually care about what they’re learning. Great lesson planning isn’t just about standards and objectives—it’s about connection, relevance, and engagement.

Join us as we explore how intentional planning can transform your lessons from “just another class” into experiences that matter to your students.

Quotables

• “Personal growth over grades. ”
• “That classroom environment has to be a place where they want to take risks.”
• “When students feel known, they feel respected, and their more likely to find meaning in what their working on. “

Resources from this Episode:

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The post 356: Beyond the Lesson Plan & How to Get Students to Care appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Live coaching made such a difference for me as a leader because I was able to help teachers grow stronger in the moment. We didn’t have to wait until our debrief meeting a week later to discuss changes to instructional design, classroom management, student engagement or student ownership. The impact was immediate and the results followed suit.

Lay of the Land

To kick things off successfully, provide a lay of the land. Teachers need to understand what it is, why they should engage in it, how it will help, as well as where and when it will take place.

The post Live Coaching: Tips, Strategies & Advice appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Listen in as Jennifer Burns tells about the importance of being open to learning, and reflecting on the craft of teaching for all students. Having experience in a variety of different avenues in the teaching profession, Jennifer brings a perspective and a tool in this episode that will help teachers in their upcoming lessons.

Quotables

• “Everywhere you go, there is something to be learned.”
• “Finding the ability to be open and receptive to what others can offer you is the biggest lesson. “
• “It’s okay to be where you are.”

About Jennifer Burns

Jennifer is a literacy trainer, consultant and author working with schools and districts to help teachers and leaders make reading joyful to teach and learn from the earliest of ages. As teachers, we go through observe, reflect and create cycles in teaching. This applies to daily lesson planning and teacher professional growth. We are learning to observe and take notes better. We are learning to reflect on what our notes mean. And we are learning how to create impactful lessons. That is what Jennifer has created in the book Building Readers From The Playground to Print for the youngest of readers and what she work with schools to do with all readers.

Resources from this Episode:

The post 355: Open to Learning with Jennifer Burns appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Students are not ready for choice and ownership in the classroom if they currently cannot learn well under the teacher’s instructional style, follow behavior expectations, or engage at deep levels with the content and with their peers.  If both the teacher and students have progressed through the phases of lesson design, classroom management and student engagement, then they are ready for more freedom in learning.

This post will share 5 myths related to student choice and ownership. If teachers are able to bust these myths in their own classrooms, they along with their students will be enjoying the thrills of authentic autonomy!

Myth #1

Every student should have access to choice and increased ownership. 

False. As mentioned above, students have to demonstrate responsibility as learners to earn additional choice and ownership. When teachers differentiate instruction for students, choice and ownership can be options for students who are ready for that freedom. Sometimes, the class as a whole is not ready for choice or ownership (maybe even all year) and teachers will have to reserve the urge to provide it. If students are given instructional freedom before they are ready for it, misbehaviors escalate and learning outcomes plummet. The goal is that every student has access to choice and ownership when they are ready, but that doesn’t mean it happens for every child every year.

Myth #2

Offering choice and ownership in the classroom takes a lot of work.

False. If teachers have planned well, executed their plans in a consistent manner, provided boundaries for meeting expectations academically and behaviorally, designed a variety of engaging activities that students successfully participated then, then the choice and ownership are easy to implement. This is because the teacher has created systems and consistency leading up to this point and when students are exposed to choice and allowed more ownership, they follow suit with the path the teacher has been paving all year. Systems and expectations don’t change just because students are taking over and leading the way. It’s a simple pass of the baton that has been slowly occurring all year. When teachers solidify lesson design, classroom management and student engagement, then moving on to choice and ownership is seamless.

Myth #3

Providing choices to students means differing levels of effort.

False. It can happen that a teacher offers choice in assignments that differ in level of complexity. This may mean a child finds one activity easier than another. However, if the teacher designs instruction well, then all the choices are of the same rigor level. For example, some students may prefer artistic expression while others desire to show off their comedy skills in a quick sketch. It may feel easy by selecting choice assignments in alignment with student interests, but the actual demonstration of learning is the same level of difficulty for each possible choice assignment. What students demonstrate should be the same level of rigor where how they demonstrate it can feel different. The teacher should spend time explaining expectations for quality of work regardless of which choice option they select.

Myth #4

You can have choice without ownership and vice versa.

False. Choice allows students to take ownership of their learning journey instead of being told what to do. Ownership allows students to choose how to lead in and around their classroom. These two elements are interwoven and work best in tandem. As a reminder, this is an earned perk only to be used when students have demonstrated they can adhere to content, behavior and emotional expectations in the classroom. Being clear with students about this privilege is essential to the longevity of the freedom. If students cannot be successful with more freedom, then choice and ownership go away until earned again.

Myth #5

Students are not interested in freedom and autonomy in the classroom.

False. Humans have a fundamental desire for autonomy. This psychological need is linked to motivation and growth. Having free will to make decisions in alignment with your own needs and wants is fulfilling. Therefore, not just students, but adults too desire freedom in learning and their lives. It can be comforting to be told what to do when you are first learning, but as you grow in skill you are ready for more freedom. When students experience autonomy in the classroom, they are motivated to perform well so as not to lose the freedom. Autonomy brings satisfaction, even when the task is hard.

Additional Resources

If you’d like to learn more about student choice and ownership, check out the additional resources listed below:

• Blog Posts
  • 5 Benefits if Increasing Student Choice and Ownership
  • 7 Ways the Most Successful Teachers Strengthen Student Voice
  • Student-Led Writing Conferences
• Downloadable PDF
  • Increasing Student Ownership in the Classroom 
• Book
  • Teacher Essentials for Classroom & Career Success

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Myths of Student Choice & Ownership appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this weeks episode, we’re diving into the power of consistency in the classroom. Routines don’t just happen overnight — they’re built overtime with patience, practice, and persistence. Gretchen will talk about how setting clear expectations and sticking to them helps create a classroom flow that feels natural and structured for students. Whether you’re a new teacher or a seasoned pro looking to refine your classroom management strategies, this episode will leave you with practical takeaways for building routines that practically run themselves.

Quotables

• “Everyone had ownership in the space, and their option mattered.”
• “When they [students] reflect, it really opens up that door for that ownership to come later.”
• “It [routines] allows you to do what matters, and it allows them to run the classroom.”

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The post 354: Routines That Run Themselves appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will share five myths in regards to student engagement so that teachers can be successful in reaching their students year after year.

Myth #1

Behavior engagement requires control. 

False. Moving away from compliance habits by replacing them with interactive opportunities allows students to meet behavior expectations without requiring them to. We cannot control people, but we can put boundaries in place for the learning environment. If the behavior expectations are clear and the engagement task is of interest, getting students to comply will be by choice not by force. When students know why they must act a particular way during the learning experience, behavior engagement comes naturally.

Myth #2

Students don’t need to emotionally engage in a lesson. 

False. Students want to feel a sense of belonging in the classroom. They want to know their teacher cares about their needs and wants. When students do not feel welcome, they will disengage from their peers and their own learning. In order to prime students for academic growth, they need to feel safe, valued, heard and seen. This emotional engagement leads to an open mind to learn new information while also increasing their motivation to behaviorally engage in the activity.

Myth #3

Critical thinking happens without meaningful content.

False. Cognitive engagement is the most important way students can grow their skillsets. When content is meaningful and relevant, critical thinking is no longer a chore. Students engage their minds authentically because they see the value in learning the information and maybe even find it interesting. When teachers do not take the time to show the connection between the new learning and past learning, or how new learning is important to their future career or aspirations, students lose interest. They stop consuming the information which leads to a lack of skill and knowledge. They will not be prepared for the following grade or the work force. It is imperative content is meaningful to students so they can exercise their critical thinking muscle with ease.

Myth #4

Inclusion has no bearing on student engagement.

False. Including students of varying learning abilities and cultural backgrounds into class discourse has a profound impact on student engagement. When students feel included even when they are different from the what they perceive to be the “norm,” they receive the benefits of collaboration and communication with their peers and teacher.  If students need sentence starters, vocabulary wall, or think time in order to successfully engage in discussion, it should be provided. The teacher must support all learners so that they can be successful in the classroom. Student discord allows information in the brain to be processed and stored for later retrieval. If we want new knowledge to stick, students need to talk. In order for students to talk, teachers must provide a safe environment and learning supports for everyone to participate. Inclusion done well opens to the doors to high levels of student engagement.

Myth #5

Creativity and choice are just extras.

False. When teachers are creative in how students can engage during a lesson as well as allow students to share their own creativity in demonstrating learning, achievement outcomes improve. Building in choice honors student interests and strengths causing motivation to participate to deeply increase. Therefore, creativity and choice are not extra’s that teachers can sprinkle into lessons when they desire. Creativity and choice are part of building strong, authentic engagement in the classroom.

Additional Resources

If you’d like to go deeper on the topic of student engagement, additional resources are listed below.

• Blog Posts:
  • 4 Ways to Improve Student Engagement
  • 3 Tips to Maximize Student Engagement
  • Coach Focus: How to Help Teachers Engage Students
• Podcast Episodes:
  • 137: Quality Engagement is a Dance
• Book:
  • Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog—and don’t miss my latest book: Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Myths of Student Engagement appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Burnout isn’t just “being tired” — It’s an emotional, physical, and mental crash that can leave you feeling stuck, unmotivated, and overwhelmed. In this weeks episode, Gretchen discusses the real struggle of burnout and how it can be avoided.

Quotables

• “Life is going to get hard, so get yourself in action to prepare for the hard.”
• “Boundaries and self-care are interconnected.”
• “We are not meant to do life alone.”

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The post 353: Survival Guide to Teacher Burnout appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will bust 5 myths in regards to classroom management as well as share additional resources to be successful in the classroom.

Myth #1:

Classroom management is the same as behavior management

False. Classroom management manages the space for the people, not to manage people for the space. We cannot control people. However, we can control the environment for learning (ie. lighting, sound, transition routes, material access and utility, etc.). When the systems are in place it makes it more difficult for undesired behaviors to crop up.

Myth #2:

Classroom management is something you do one time

False. Classroom management is executed all day, every day. If you plan a system or routine and explain it to students it most likely iwll not be effective. Even if you add the element of practice during your role out of expectations, it most likely will not be effective. Managing a classroom requires expectations, rationale for expectations, practice, feedback, and the opportunity for revision when necessary. This occurs every day to ensure the classroom management plan is personalize for the learners operating in the space.

Myth #3:

Classroom management is often where the root of the problem resides

False. Although classroom management reveals problems and makes them more obvious, in order to solve the problem at the root of the issue you must go back to lesson design. How you plan to prevent misunderstandings and misbehaviors (lesson design) impacts how you react in the moment when those things pop up (classroom management).

Myth #4:

There is a simple fix to solving classroom management issues

False. It’s a complicated web of interwoven aspects that affect one another. Attacking classroom management issues with the 3 R’s (relationships, routines and roping students in) is a recipe for success. Build relationships with students so they know they can make mistakes, make amends, and start over fresh. Having established routines in the classroom provides structure and predictability for how to operate in the space. Roping students in with interesting content (or atleast delivering boring content in an interesting way) keeps misbehaviors at bay.

Myth #5:

Classroom management systems work best when they change often

False. Keep it simple and keep it consistent. Students need to know what is expected of them. Reusing systems across subject areas brings familiarity and decreases anxiety of the unknown. If you switch up expectations and begin to manage the classroom differently each day, misbehaviors and misunderstandings take over.

Additional Resources

• Blog Posts
  • Classroom Management: How to Plan & Prepare a System
  • Classroom Management: Moving Beyond Compliance
  • 5 Ways to Reinvent your Classroom Management Strategy
  • 3 Ways to Improve Classroom Management Practices
  • Crack the Classroom Management Code
  • Virtual Classroom Management
• Podcast Episodes
  • 47: Nuts & Bolts of Effective Classroom Management
  • 127: Classroom Management like PB & J
  • Clubhouse Bonus: Coaching with a Classroom Management Lens
• Book
  • Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success

    Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog.

    GO BE GEAT! 

    

     

The post 5 Myths of Classroom Management appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The school year starts off strong — students are excited, routines are fresh, and momentum is high. But as September rolls on, many classrooms experience what we call the September Slump. In this episode, we talk about why student engagement can dip during this time, why it’s important to address it early, and practical tips for keeping your classroom energized and focused.

Quotables

• “When your providing feedback, we want it to be timely so that they can do something with it, but we also want it to be specific enough they know what to do differently going forward.”
• “When students actively participate in setting their own goals, they feel a sense of ownership.”
• “Acknowledge that things are stressful.”

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The post 352: The September Slump appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The purpose of this post is not to discuss how to effectively implement lesson design, although resources to do that are linked at the bottom of the post. Uncovering 5 myths of lesson design will help teachers better understand the value of the process required to deliver high quality instruction to their students.

Myth #1

If you write a detailed lesson plan, you are a great teacher.

False. Just because you can write a strong lesson plan on paper does not mean you can deliver a quality lesson. Remember, lesson design is not just the lesson plan itself. It thinks about all the obstacles a student might face during the learning experience and puts strategies in place to prevent those from occurring. Writing a lesson plan is only one piece of lesson design. Other important steps in the lesson design process are just as impactful like collaborating with colleagues to raise the rigor of the plan, designing an assessment that aligns to the standards and objective of the lesson, preparing physical learning materials, planning the transition routes for students to move about the classroom safely and efficiently and so much more. Great lesson plan writers do not always translate to great teachers. Design the lesson, don’t just plan it.

Myth #2

Designing a lesson by yourself is better than doing it with others.

False. When you are completing a task by yourself, you are limited to your own skillset and intelligence. When you complete a task together as a group, you put your brains and talents together elevating the limit to which you can accomplish the task. Therefore, it is always better to meet as a team to brainstorm ideas, push each other’s thinking, and bring alternative ideas to the table. The discussion begins with the standard to be covered and flushing that out to daily objectives that can be taught during the subject area time frame. Now the hard work begins of designing the learning experience.Everyone has a different strength that when they are combined during a collaboration session, a lesson grows in effectiveness and impact. Don’t limit your teaching by planning by yourself. Tap into your professional learning network!

Myth #3

You must create everything from scratch.

False. Many teachers have taught for years and have instructional materials that can be repurposed for upcoming lessons. Part of the responsibility of those in the collaboration are to bring related items to the planning session so they can be reviewed and suggested for use. If you create everything from scratch you are putting more time into the item creation than on the lesson itself. Although support materials enhance a lesson, if the majority of time is spent making instructional materials the actual lesson never reaches it potential because time was spent elsewhere. Leverage what you have and spend the bulk of your time on lesson design.

Myth #4

Every lesson has different procedures and expectations.

False. If you continue to change up procedures and expectations, students will spend their brain power relearning those things instead of learning new content. Put the emphasis on the actual learning of information instead of on the how to go about the learning. This means procedures can remain the same from lesson to lesson. This creates familiarity which then leads to efficiency. When expectations shift every lesson, students are confused as to what is expected of them. This slows down the learning process as they have questions or the teacher is busy redirecting and correcting misbehaviors due to the misunderstanding. All of this distracts from the learning experience. Save time, reuse procedures and expectations.

Myth #5

Your lesson will go exactly as planned.

Even if you follow a thorough lesson design process, the execution of the lesson could do awry. Teachers not in control of every factor in their classroom, such as early dismissal, fire drill, AC going out, or technology not working. Understanding that even the best plan doesn’t mean the lesson will go off without a hitch will save sanity. As the famous show “Big Brother” says every episode, “Expect the unexpected.” This is a great motto for teachers as well. Plan thoroughly because it just might come out exactly as planned, but also expect a hiccup or two. When you expect an obstacle, you are better able to pivot efficiently in the moment instead of getting upset which leads to a clouded brain to make decisions.

Helpful Resources

• Blog Posts
  • Powerful Lesson Planning
  • 5 Tips for Designing a Memorable Learning Experience
  • 5 Ways to Improve the Lesson Design Process
  • Lesson Design PD Options
  • Coach Focus: How to Help Teachers Design Lessons
• Podcast Episodes
  • 59: The Lesson Plan Vortex
• Book
  • Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success (Brick #1)

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Myths of Lesson Design appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this episode, we dive into how educators can intentionally reset their classroom culture at the start of the school year. Whether you’re teaching brand-new students or welcoming back familiar faces, the first weeks are the perfect time to establish the norms, routines, and relationships that will shape the months ahead. We’ll discuss practical strategies to create a safe, engaging, and inclusive environment where every student feels seen and supported.

Quotables

• “The one thing that made me a really strong teacher, wasn’t that I knew how to build culture, it was that I knew how to sustain culture.”
• “Prioritize routines, procedures, and expectations that are the most important.”
• “Be comfortable with the reset.”

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The post 351: Classroom Culture Reset appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will outline 5 ways in which an educator can become a teacher leader.

Make your Intentions Known

The best way to ensure your future becomes what you dream it to be, is to let others know your desires. When they know what you want to do or become, they will encourage you to get there. Share your ideas for leadership with your colleagues and administrative team. As opportunities arise, your name will be top of mind and they will recommend you. If you keep your dream to yourself, no one will be able to support that dream coming to fruition.

Do your Homework

Learn as much as you can prior to opportunities coming to pass. Read as many educational books on leadership, subscribe to online newsletters from current leaders, and attend conferences about teacher leadership to grow your skillset while also allowing you to create relationships with others who are where you want to be. The more you learn now, the easier the transition into leadership will be later down the road.

Lead Without a Title

Just because you don’t have an official leadership title, doesn’t mean you can’t support the growth of teachers. Have an open door policy with your colleagues, inviting them in to brainstorm teaching ideas or talk through obstacles. Follow up with others you help to see if they were successful and continue supporting them if needed. When a leadership job opens up, not only will others think to recommend you for it because they know you want to be a leader, but they now have first hand experience of how much you have helped them.

Shadow Teacher Leaders

Find colleagues who are leading with and without a title. Watch them in action. Take note of their leadership style and results. This will help you develop your own skillset tailoring your approach to your personality and leadership style. Watching someone lead live gives you a more realistic view of what the role may entail. When you shadow a variety of teacher leaders you will be exposed to the numerous ways in which teachers can be supported. This will help you nail down the role that may be the perfect fit for you in terms of alignment to your goals.

Interview, Interview, Interview

It may take numerous interviews before landing a job. Don’t take that personally. Sometimes a district has a requirement to interview a certain number of candidates before extending an offer to a candidate, even when they already know how they plan to hire. Other times, you may not be a fit for their current needs and they may not be a good fit for the environment you wish to work in. The more times you interview, the more practice you get answering hard questions off the cuff, supporting your answers with evidence (ie. specific ways you helped teachers and the results of those interactions), and exuding confidence to showcase your capability in the role. Interview for a variety of teacher leadership roles because even if you do not land your ideal role at first, it will help you gain experience and exposure that will be advantageous next time you interview.

Resources

Below are resources that will help you begin preparing for you teacher leadership role.

• Download Now:
  • Teacher Leader Interview Questions
  • PD on Demand (high leverage topics to help other teachers with)
• Blog Posts:
  • 10 Ways to Learn Over Summer Break as a Teacher Leader
  • Core Coaching Moves for Teacher Leaders
• Podcast Episodes:
  • Teacher Leadership with Sahur Augsteen
  • Teacher Leadership with John Schembari

Once you land your job, enroll in my Teacher Leadership Mastermind! We meet virtually every other week in a fall or spring cohort model. You’ll connect with other teacher leaders across the nation, set personalized goals and track your progress, as well as celebrate your wins in a supportive environment.

Best of luck to you on your journey…

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Ways to Become A Teacher Leader appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Dr. LaKimbre Brown, an experienced educational leader and advocate for equity in schools, to explore the ever-changing landscape of education. Dr. Brown shares her insights on how schools are evolving to meet the diverse needs of today’s students, from shifting curriculums to addressing representation in both classrooms and leadership.

We discuss what it means to truly serve “different students with different needs,” how curriculum must adapt to be more inclusive and relevant, and why having educators and materials that reflect the identities of all students matters more than ever. Dr. Brown brings real-world examples, deep wisdom, and a clear call to action for educators, leaders, and communities alike.

Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or school leader, this episode will challenge you to rethink what equitable and responsive education should look like in today’s world.

Quotables

** Quotes are from the interviewee **

• “If you want to have systemic change at district level you need to really think about coherence and how all the systems work together.”
• “I believe in the child or student sitting in front of me and I believe they can do this hard thing.”
• “Representation matters.”

About Dr. LaKimbre Brown

Dr. LaKimbre Brown is Chief Program Officer at Leading Educators and has more than 22 years of experience as an educator. As Chief of Schools for Lorain City Schools, she led 12 of 15 schools to state assessment gains and tripled access to high-quality Pre-K. Previously, she coached principals at dual-language campuses as Instructional Superintendent at DC Public Schools.

Connect with Dr. LaKimbre Brown

• http://www.leadingeducators.org

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The post 350: Evolving Classrooms with Dr. LaKimbre Brown appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will outline 5 steps teachers can implement consistent to run effective small group instruction in their classrooms.

Step 1: Determine your Data Source

Before you begin to pull a small group, you have to decide which piece of data you will be using to formulate groups. Common data sources are formative assessments (formal and graded tests) or informal assessments (student observations, classwork, homework, etc.). Think about which assessment is the most recent reflection of current student learning and use that one. If you use an older assessment, you might group students who no longer need the attention.

Step 2: Make your Flexible Student Groups

Review the data and highlight low performers. Then group together students struggling with the same skill. For example, if a few students all missed question #4 that dealt with two-step word problems, create a group tackling that skill with only the students needing help in that area. Depending on how long your instructional block is will determine how many small groups you can pull. Usually small groups last 15-20 minutes with an -re-introduction to the skill, guided practice together, and independent practice with feedback. Plan out your skill groups for the week.

You may have students attend multiple skill groups a week because they require additional time and attention to master skills. If you notice this, add an additional layer of support during whole group instruction. Otherwise, these groups are meant to be flexible and the students visiting should change based on the skill being covered.

Step 3: Plan Skill Based Mini Lessons

Now that you know what skill you are focusing on and which students need to attend the small group, its time to plan the mini lesson.

• Select your instructional materials
• Write your objective
• Draft or choose an example
• Practice how you will demonstrate the skill
• Draft or choose 2-3 guided practice activities to complete together
• Draft or choose 1-2 independent practice activities for students to do on their own
• Allot time for reviewing student work, providing feedback, and allowing them to make the appropriate changes

Once a student has demonstrated mastery of the skill (ie. they can complete the independent activities with accuracy), they are excused back with the rest of the class to complete whatever assignment everyone else is working on. If after instruction and feedback, students continue to struggle, make note and send them off to the whole class activity after the 20 minute mark. You will likely have to pull those students again another day for that same skill, but do not extend your small group lesson in the moment as it throws off the pace and plan of instruction for the rest of the lesson.

Step 4: Deliver Targeted Instruction

Be sure to teach a skill in isolation. If you add in too many skills or erroneous details, it could add to the confusion that the student is experiencing. In Reading, if you are using a text to practice be sure to focus your teaching on the skill instead of on the storyline of the text. In Math, if you are working on two-step word problems and there is a secondary skill available to teach (ie. cross out irrelevant information or using multiple strategies to check work), do not address it at this time. You can use the same word problem again in a future skill group when teaching a different skill, but keep each group to one skill at a time.

Step 5: Collect & Review Fresh Data

After you have completed the planned small groups for the selected skills, its time to repeat the cycle with new fresh data. Fresh data means the student performance information you are going to use is the most recent data you have access to. As a reminder, if you wait weeks before pulling groups based on a data report, the students may have mastered skills by this time and therefore it is considered “dead data.” Continue to collect recent data and teach small skill groups throughout the year.

This 5 step small group instruction protocol will help ensure every teacher provides high quality differentiated support to students on an ongoing basis. This will lead to an increase in teacher proficiency (skill level) and student achievement (grades, scores, etc.). The domino effect of transforming this one sliver of instruction has tremendous impact on everyone involved.

Practice the steps and if you find yourself needing feedback, reach out for help to instructional leaders (ie. facilitators, coaches, administration, etc.).

Additional Resources:

• Literacy Effectiveness PD
• Novel Study Guides
• Reteaching for Mastery PD

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog—and don’t miss my latest book: Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Steps for Running Small Group Instruction appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with school psychologist Kay Kelly to explore her unique journey within the educational system and how she’s thinking outside the box to create real-world opportunities for students. Kay shares stories from her experiences in various school settings and how those shaped her passion for integrating mental health support with practical, hands-on learning.

This episode is a powerful look at the intersection of mental health, education, and innovation, and how one educator is helping schools create opportunities that last far beyond the classroom.

Quotables

**All quotes are from the interviewee**

• “I think connecting with kids… It does feel different, but in some ways you still do the same things we want to have genuine connections with them, actively listen… I think theres a lot to hear in their lived experience.”
• “The foundations haven’t really changed that much, but the way we engaged with them might be a little different.”
• “There’s a lot of benefit in having those virtual communities where you can be a sounding board and provide those resources.”

About Kay Kelly

Contact Kay Kelly:

The post 349: Driving Change with Kay Kelly appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will cover 5 of those commonalities in efforts to make a smoother transition for a new teacher.

Be Comfortable Learning as you Go

You will not be able to know every thing about everything. Set the expectation for yourself that there will be things you know, things you don’t know and things you’ll forget that you know. All of that is part of the learning process. You don’t expect your students to be perfect, so don’t expect that of yourself.

Thrive in Chaos

Until you figure out your style of teaching and routines or structure for students to operate in the classroom, chaos will be the norm. Control what you can control, make adjustments in the moment and get better every day. Thriving in chaos is possible as long as you continue to solidify your expectations and hold students accountable to meeting them every day. Slow progress wins the race.

Being New is Helpful Too

Never apologize for being a new teacher. New teachers bring energy and excitement that has diminished for veteran colleagues over the years. Just because you are new doesn’t mean you don’t have great ideas or contributions. Speak up, own your newness, and allow your true self to be seen. It’s a two-way street- your colleagues will grow because of your influence too.

Advocate for Yourself

You might think someone should know what you need or want, but many times there are so many factors at play during the school day that your confusion or lack of knowledge may go unnoticed. Let others know what you need or want, even if you feel like it is a silly request or something you’ve been told before and can’t remember the answer. Many times what is obvious to someone in the profession for a long time is not even on the radar for a new teacher. Colleagues and other staff members want to help you and want you to be successful, so don’t wait for clarity- advocate for it!

It will all Come Together

In the beginning, you might feel like you’ll never get the hang of the curriculum, friendship circles, timing of the copier machine availability, engagement strategies, or even classroom management techniques. Your path may be up and down with a upside down curly q mixed in, but overall you will grow and strengthen every month. By the end of the year, you’ll look back and remember how overwhelmed you were and how hard everything felt at once. But you’ll have found your flow and ways to manage your workload. It will all come together in the end, as long as you keep moving forward.

Additional Reading Recommendations

The following blogs and books will further set you up for success by sharing more tips in greater detail.

Blogs:

• Cultivating Capacity: Nurturing New Teachers into Impactful Educators 
• New Teacher Words of Wisdom
• New Teachers Change Lives Too – Part 1
• New Teachers Change Lives Too- Part 2
• Advice from a New Teacher for a New Teacher
• Advice for New Teachers
• 3rd Grade Only: What to Expect When Teaching Third Graders

Books:

• Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach you in College
• Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success

And if you love a good swag option, grab the #newteacherlife cozy t-shirt– great for dress down Fridays at school!

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog.

GO BE GREAT!

The post What to Expect as a New Teacher appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this inspiring episode, we dive into the heart of literacy and its life-changing impact with renowned literacy advocate, educator, and CEO Pam Allyn. Pam shares powerful insights into why reading is not just a fundamental skill, but a gateway to equity, empowerment, and lifelong success.

Quotables

** All quotes are from the interviewee **

• “I really want the world to be a better place for children and young adults to be able to be comfortable learning to read and write.”

• “Reading a story to a child isn’t just something you do on the side…It’s actually something that can be central to who I am as an educator. ”

• “Reading is breathing in and writing is breathing out.”

About Pam Allyn

Pam Allyn is the founder and CEO of Dewey, a groundbreaking learning platform designed to support the wellbeing of families and caregivers at the powerful intersection of home, work, and learning.

A lifelong educator, curriculum developer, and literacy advocate — and a proud grandparent — Pam has dedicated her career to helping young children learn to read and develop a lasting love for reading and writing. Through Dewey, she’s on a mission to make learning joyful and accessible by introducing playful, engaging tools that ease the fear and anxiety often associated with school. Since its launch, Dewey has positively impacted over 100,000 children, offering a wide range of educational products for parents, caregivers, and educators in both English and Spanish, with more languages on the way.

Connect with Pam Allyn

• https://www.deweycommunity.com
• https://pamallyn.com/
• https://medium.com/@pam_90412
• https://www.instagram.com/deweycommunity/

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https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/your-way

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The post 348: Opening Worlds Through Words with Pam Allyn appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will provide 10 tips to secure a position in education due to being a stand out in an interview.

Before the Interview

1. Engage with all staff – From the moment you pull into the parking lot, begin engaging with everyone you come into contact with because the impression to leave on al staff can impact a hiring decision
2. Arrive ahead of schedule– Prepare to wait when you arrive early, but showing up early shows your dedication to the position as well as demonstrates being respectful of time for the leadership team
3. Let style reflect your personality- Although you want to look professional, add personality to pieces of your outfit to showcase personality (ie. jewelry, shoes, hair, makeup, etc.)

During the Interview

1. Let your passion shine– Don’t just talk about how much you love teaching, let them feel your passion through your words, energy, and stories
2.  Weave in school details – Show that you did your research by adding in details about the hiring school in your conversation and pair that with why that piece of information made you interested in teaching there
3. Focus on students, not yourself– Showcase your strength as an educator by sharing anecdotes about the success of your students
4. Share stories– When explaining your experience or giving an example, share a quick story as this is more memorable to the interview panel members
5. Admit your shortcomings– No one expects perfection, so when asked about a weakness, highlight what it is and how you are already taking steps to work towards strengthening that area as this shows a growth mindset and willingness to persevere during hardship

Closing the Interview + After

1. End with an impressive question– You may want to ask about next steps for logistical reasons, but its far more impactful to end the interview with a powerful question like “how might I thrive working here at this school?” or “what makes you the most proud of the teachers and students at this school?”
2. Follow-up afterwards– Not many interview candidates follow-up, so send a thank you card in the mail, make a personalized video email or try some other creative way to thank the leadership team for spending time with you and reiterate your interest in the position

Resources

Below are blog posts you can read that provide even more tips for being a stand out during an interview:

• Tips for Nailing an Interview
• 3 Tips to Prepare for a Demo Lesson
• “Please DO NOT Do that” Interview Advice

If you’d like printable resources to help with the interview process, you can download them below:

• Interview questions, rationale and practice prompts

Being a stand out in an interview will surely land you your dream job!

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog—and don’t miss my latest book: Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post How to Stand Out in an Interview as an Educator appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this powerful episode, Superintendent Dr. Brandi Kelly joins us to share the story behind her transformative system of H.O.P.E. She breaks down what H.O.P.E. stands for, how it came to be, and how it’s changing the way educators and leaders approach their work in schools and communities.

Dr. Kelly dives into the importance of strong, uplifting relationships—connecting with the right people who challenge and support you—as a foundation for authentic leadership. She also shares how her system not only supports teachers and leaders, but also empowers students to rise and thrive.

Whether you’re in education or leadership in any form, this conversation will leave you with practical tools, heartfelt encouragement, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Quotables

• “We need community and we need to lift each other up.”
• “My mission is just to help those leaders and educators create systems that support thriving communities rooted in my system of H.O.P.E.”
• “Change starts from the inside out.”

About Dr. Brandi Kelly

Dr. Brandi Kelly is an accomplished author, speaker, and consultant with over 20 years of experience dedicated to empowering leaders to inspire growth, drive positive change, and cultivate environments where success thrives. Known for her passion and purpose, Dr. Kelly believes in the transformational power of hope—and the courage it takes to lead with it. Dr. Kelly’s mission is simple yet powerful: to spark hope in every individual and organization she serves. Through her signature System of H.O.P.E., she equips others to foster strong leadership, build supportive cultures, and achieve sustainable, hope-driven success.

Resources from this Episode

www.sparkhopeedu.com

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The post 347: H.O.P.E. with Superintendent Dr. Brandi Kelly appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will reveal a three prong method for cultivating quality teaching and learning in k-12 classrooms across the globe.

Hire

Hiring is an intentional process leaders engage in to ensure they attract and hire qualified candidates aligned to their school mission. A thorough hiring process will uncover red flags that could be a risk if that potential candidate was hired. This process could include an application, phone interview, in-person interview or teaching a demo lesson, ending with talking with references.

An application should gather basic information, a career summary, and responses to carefully chosen writing prompts. These prompts should highlight the candidate’s professionalism, experience, passion, and ability to think critically and connect with others. This helps school leaders find candidates who match their school’s goals and fill specific grade-level needs.

The interview process has two parts. First is a phone interview. This allows the interviewer to expand on the application and ask deeper questions. It focuses on the candidate’s interest in the role, why they’re a good fit, and how they think under pressure. This step helps predict how they might respond to challenges or conflict on the job.

Next is the demo lesson. This gives leaders a chance to see the candidate teach in real time. It also shows whether their teaching matches what they shared in the application and interview.

A thorough hiring protocol ensures quality candidates get hired.

Helpful resources include:

• Cultivating Capacity- Nurturing new teachers into impactul educators
• Preparing for an Interview (Print + Video)

Train

Once hired, we must train the new employee (whether brand new to the profession or new to the school). Training consists of onboarding and professional development. The onboarding process allows a colleague to walk the new employee through how to be successful while working at that specific school- everything from a campus map to getting a substitute teacher for an absence.

Professional development is an ongoing process where leaders guide new hires towards mastery in curriculum initiatives, school and district goals, instructional best practices and more. This ensures a quality candidate continues to grow in their proficiency which then allows students to grow in their capacity as well.

Helpful resources include:

• The Importance of Providing Onboarding for Educators
• Onboarding: How to Support a New Hire at your School
• Professional Development Training Options

Support

There are a variety of ways to support a new hire beyond the professional development workshops. Assigning a mentor to meet monthly about current needs, upcoming events, and trouble shooting common obstacles allows the new hire to receive a more systematic support from a high performing mentor.

Utilizing an instructional coach is another way to add a layer of support for the new hire. This coach will conduct coaching cycles focusing on areas of need aligned to high quality teaching in areas such as lesson design, classroom management, student engagement and student ownership. These cycles could last six to nine weeks honing in on high leverage areas one at a time.

Professional learning communities [PLC’s] is a final way to support a new hire. PLC’s are a collaborative  structure where colleagues work together weekly to plan lessons, design assessments, brainstorm differentiation strategies and more.

When you support a new hire in this way, your retention rate for quality teachers skyrockets and so does student achievement.

Helpful resources include:

• Success Secrets of Colleague Mentorship
• Characteristics of an Effective Teacher Mentor
• Mentor Kit
• Coaching Printables
• PLC Guides
• 5 Ways to Enhance your PLC Meetings

Wishing you a fantastic year as you cultivate quality teaching and learning!

GO BE GREAT!

The post 3 Ways to Cultivate Quality Teaching and Learning appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this episode, we sit down with educational leader Pablo Munoz to explore the heart of effective teaching and leadership. Pablo emphasizes that loving children is the foundation of successful teaching, sharing how genuine care and connection pave the way for impactful learning. He dives into what true educational leadership looks like—leading with purpose, integrity, and a deep belief in student potential. Throughout the conversation, Pablo reflects on how great teaching isn’t just about strategy, but about showing up with compassion, commitment, and the drive to help every child thrive. Whether you’re a new teacher or a seasoned leader, this episode offers powerful reminders of why we teach and how love and leadership go hand-in-hand for lasting success.

Quotables

**All quotes are from the interviewee**

• “You really have to be intentional when you start moving up to get into schools.”
• “Task predicts performance.”
• “The most important part about a leader is that your actions actually match your written and spoken words.”

About Pablo Munoz

Pablo Muñoz is the managing director of Muñoz & Company, an educational and leadership consulting organization. He is a leadership coach, teacher, trainer, and speaker with the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team; the author of The Leader’s Algorithm; and the host and producer of Latino Leaders podcast. Pablo has 30 years of public education experience as a teacher and administrator, including 16 years as a superintendent of schools. He was recognized as the 2008 Union County School Superintendent of the Year by the Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce in New Jersey and named as one of the George Lucas Educational Foundation’s 2008 Daring Dozen – a prestigious group of twelve educators “who are reshaping the future of education.” Pablo graduated from Yale University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and Ivy League pitching honors. A lifelong athlete and sports fan, he has coached baseball at all levels from little league to professional, having been a minor league pitching coach with the Chicago Cubs. After Yale, Pablo continued his education at Teachers College, Columbia University where he earned a Master of Arts in educational administration in 1996.

Resources from this episode:

• https://www.themunozcompany.com/
• linkedin.com/in/pablo-muñoz-b30b2ab1
• https://www.themunozcompany.com/the-leaders-algorithm https://www.themunozcompany.com/latino-leaders-podcast

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The post 346: Teach and Lead with Pablo Munoz appeared first on Always A Lesson.

1. Podcast: Always a Lesson Podcast

This podcast offers a collection of simple strategies to help teachers bring mindfulness into the classroom. Each episode is short and designed to be easily digestible. Perfect for relaxing moments when you need a quick burst of inspiration. Listen here

2. Article: “10 Creative Ways to Better Engage Your Students”

Explore a list of quick and easy tips to shake up your teaching routine and inject some energy into your classroom. These ideas are low-pressure and fun, making them perfect for summer reading when you’re looking for light inspiration. Read here

3. Video: “How to Create Healthy Boundaries as a Teacher”

In this video, a teacher burnout coach discusses how to set healthy boundaries between work and personal life. Watch during a quiet moment to learn simple but powerful ways to ensure you’re recharging, both during the summer and throughout the school year. She will discuss 4 boundary types and provides some boundary prompts to help you communicate your needs. Watch here

4. Podcast Guest: “Student Language with Michael Grande” 
Join us as we dive into the importance of understanding student language and how beneficial it can be in the classroom with Michael Grande. With his expertise in coaching, he has touched the lives of many educators across the world. He says, “I finally found someone who taught me how I wanted to be taught and found my learning language which is what interested me. If we could do that with our students, we’d have a whole new universe.” Listen here

5. Blog Post: How to Implement PD on Demand at your School Site 

“PD on Demand” has become a new, engaging way for teachers to learn at their own pace and on their own timetable. Professional Development [PD] usually occurs in-person as an onsite meeting among staff. Teaching best practices or new instructional initiatives are introduced and expectations for implementation are described. Read More Here

This Summer Learning Playlist is designed to give you meaningful, yet casual learning opportunities that don’t require deep dives or long commitments. Enjoy these bite-sized pieces of inspiration at your own pace, and feel free to return to them whenever you want to reflect, recharge, or simply unwind. Happy listening and reading!

If you want more ideas to get you thinking, be sure to visit the Always a Lesson website and social media pages for inspiration! Browse these printable and digital options for more resources to get you prepped for a new year!

GO BE GREAT!

The post Summer Learning Playlist for Educators appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Let’s celebrate together as Always a Lesson’s Empowering Educators Podcast turns 10! Tune in on this live recording in celebration of all things over the past ten years. Throughout the episode, Gretchen talks past and present about the experience, the fun, and the amazing educators she’s been able to meet along the way.

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The post Bonus: Empowering Educators Podcast 10th Birthday appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Step into the world of STEM when you listen to this weeks episode! Learn all about the benefits, different tips to take back to your own classroom, and how you can get involved yourself.

Quotables

** All quotes are by the interviewee **

• “A setback is when you learn from the mistake and you continue on.”
• “Find role models and mentors.”
• “We need to be more collaborative together as teaching teams.”

About Nichole Austion

Nichole Austion, MBA, has over 20 years of marketing success and has served as VP of public affairs for the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) since 2022. She leads government affairs, fostering relationships with federal and state entities. Nichole holds a B.S. in computer science and engineering from Howard University and an MBA from Texas McCombs (1995). An active member of the National Black MBA Association, she was named Innovator of the Year by the Women’s Empowerment Ministry in 2024. A passionate STEM advocate, she published Miles and the Math Monsters in 2024, a children’s book designed to make math fun and accessible.

Resources from the Episode

• www.nms.org
• www.linkedin.com/in/nichole-austion/
• www.nicholeaustionbooks.com/
• National Math and Science Initiative website: nms.org

• Nichole’s email: naustion@nms.org
• Nichole’s author website: Nicholeaustionbooks.com

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The post 345: Stepping into STEM with Nichole Austion appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Every child deserves a high-quality education, no matter which teacher they have. To fix this issue, school leaders are now setting aside time to focus on consistent, high-quality teaching. When all leaders do this, every student gets a fair chance to succeed.

This post explains what causes these differences and shares a simple plan school leaders can use to fix them.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Inconsistent Quality of Teaching & How to Overcome It appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Often times teachers want to do what is comfortable for them, but what if the best way to help your students was to step out of your comfort zone and teach differently? Listen in as Robert Barnett tells his story about how he shifted his teaching style and stepped out of the norm for his students.

Quotables

** All quotes are by the interviewee **

About Robert Barnett

Resources from this episode:

The post 344: Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone with Robert Barnett appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Know Your Purpose

Define the goal of the survey. In order to get the information you are seeking, you have to be clear on what the survey is about. Every question should be aligned to that single purpose. If not, it belongs in a different survey. Examples of purpose could be to seek feedback on one particular thing ( curriculum implementation, coaching cycles, staff duties, etc.), or to gather intel so that you can make an informed decision (upcoming schoolwide event, staff requirements, climate check, etc.).

Ask the Right Questions

Use clear, focused, and actionable questions to get useful insights. If your questions are too open-ended, you’ll receive answers that are all over the place. Just like your survey needs one clear purpose, your questions need to be clear as well. Reread your questions to ensure they do not lead the survey taker to respond in a particular way because you want to collect unbiased information. For example, instead of saying “what are your thoughts on our new curriculum?,” you could say, “What are 2 ways the new curriculum has made lesson planning easier?” Asking the right questions, ensure the answers given can be used to make the type of decision you intended when creating the survey.

Keep It Short & Anonymous

Respect staff time and encourage honest responses. If you want quality of information, prioritize your questions and limit the length of the survey. Decide what your most important questions will be and reserve the others for a later date. Staff have limited time to read and respond to emails, let alone surveys, so keeping it short will encourage more staff to complete it. If you allow staff to answer anonymously if they wish, then you get more honest responses due to a lack of negative consequences for sharing their thoughts. This makes it hard to follow up with data outliers but looking for trends from the responses should be the goal here.

Follow Up on Findings

Communicate results and how feedback will be used to drive change. Remember not to ask for feedback unless you intend to do something with it. This encourages staff to take time to be thoughtful in their responses knowing you will be using the information to make adjustments. Following up reveals your dedication to finding favorable solutions to common problems as well as creating opportunities of interest for staff. Transparency in the use of the data collected builds a sense of community and holds everyone to a higher standard.

Make It a Two-Way Conversation

Offer opportunities for discussion or clarification after survey results are shared. Once the data is in, engaging in open dialogue ensure additional details are shared and more questions can be asked. This is now the appropriate time to ask questions you kept off of the survey that were related but would have made the survey too arduous. This continues to build on the safe space you created while allowing staff to feel their opinions are valued and heard. Offer to continue the conversation by other means (ie. email, appointment, future surveys) if staff desires.

Next Steps & Resources

Follow the tips provided in this blog post to create a staff survey. Continue to make improvements and adjustments with future surveys to ensure they provide the information you desire to make quality decisions that impact your staff.

If you are in need of survey resources, items for teachers and leaders are below:

• Surveys for teachers:
  • Free Parent Survey- Holiday Themed Instruction in the Classroom
  • Free Back to School Learner Survey
  • Free Rate My Teacher Student Survey
  • Teacher Report Card
• Surveys for leaders:
  • Sunshine Committee- Teacher’s Favorite Things
  • PD Session Feedback Survey
  • Instructional Coaching Coach Feedback Survey
  • Instructional Coaching Staff Survey

If you need more resources to help you become an even stronger teacher or coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out other helpful blog posts here. Be sure to also check out my latest book, Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Tips for Creating Effective Staff Surveys appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Quotables

** All quotes are by the interviewee **

• “Show up for yourself the way you want to show up.”
• “Pause, listen, question, and avoid making assumptions.”
• “Clarity precedes capacity every single time.”

About Casey Watts

The post 343: Clarity in Schools with Casey Watts appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Although an entire week of celebration is appreciated (and well deserved), it occurs towards the end of the school year. This means the entire year teachers are not feeling appreciated when the job is the most challenging. To clarify, teachers do not need things to be purchased in their honor all throughout the year. But, there are things the school can do along the way to appreciate each and every teacher. The goal of ongoing, year-long appreciation is that it will empower, motivate and sustain teachers to push through the challenges they experience at various points during the school year.

This post will outline five simple ways schools can shower their teachers with thanks throughout the year instead of waiting until the official Teacher Appreciation Week in May.

Make Recognition a Habit

Create a simple system for celebrating teachers consistently. Having a teacher appreciation committee made up of administrators and non-teaching staff allows the idea brainstorming and execution to be shared. Administration may or may not have a budget so that needs to be decided ahead of time so the committee knows particular boundaries. Attacking appreciation methods monthly creates a consistent support strategy teachers will appreciate.

Personalized Appreciation Matters

Tailor recognition to individual preferences (public praise, handwritten notes, small gifts). Send a survey to teachers asking them their preferences so that when you do show appreciation it is in a way that they will best receive it. When appreciation is personalized, teachers view the gesture as genuine and therefore place more value on it. This is what teachers will remember and cherish most.

Empower Peer Recognition

Encourage staff to acknowledge and uplift one another. Teachers collaborate often with their peers and know even more specifics of what makes an educator great. Creating avenues for teachers to recognize their own kind with specificity, highlights the amazing work teachers do daily. For example, a shout out wall in the staff lounge is an easy way to encourage teachers to write a quick note and post it on the board for their peer. Teachers can keep those appreciation notes for years to come and reference them on the roughest of days.

Celebrate More Than Just Big Wins

Recognize effort, creativity, and perseverance throughout the year. Some years are tougher than others, so if we only focus on major milestones of achievement, some teachers may never feel appreciation. Therefore, we have to make celebration of baby steps just as important as the big ones. When teachers are putting forth excessive efforts regardless of results, they should be recognized. Making celebration a piece of the culture, staff will be excited to shout out progress over perfection.

Incorporate Appreciation into Staff Meetings

Start with shoutouts or gratitude moments to build a culture of recognition. When staff meetings aren’t just a place to get down to business, teachers will look forward to showing up to engage. Building in staff appreciation into the staff meeting agenda consistently, teachers will get refueled for the days to come. Creating a recognition habit ensures your culture celebrates more than just the big wins, as said before. This is another way to open the floor for peers to recognize each other, breeding a healthy culture of appreciation.

Next Steps

Consistency is the key, not the actual act. When we give thanks to teachers often, they are willing to continue to work hard knowing their efforts are appreciated and recognized publicly. This will also model to students how to celebrate progress over perfection, habits they will soon build in themselves.

If you need additional ideas for teacher appreciation, browse below:

• Teacher Appreciation- Notes from Students
• World Teacher Day- Celebration Slips
• Sunshine Committee Cart Request Form
• Sunshine Committee- Teacher’s Favorite Things Survey
• Valentine’s Day Cups of Appreciation
• Teacher Appreciation Cups of Gratitude 
• Teacher Appreciation Week Toolkit
• 30+ Teacher Appreciation Ideas

If you want more ideas on hosting teacher appreciation events, click here. For more ideas hosting committee’s that promote positive school culture, click here.

GO BE GREAT!

The post The Importance of Year-Round Teacher Appreciation appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Peer collaboration in education is so important and can bring so much growth to you as a professional. Listen in to this weeks episode as Gretchen dives deep into how peer collaboration can be beneficial, rewarding, and valuable.

Quotables

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The post 342: Achieving Growth Through Peer Collaboration appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Set Boundaries & Stick to Them

Prioritize non-negotiable personal time to recharge. It is better to have a consistent small amount of time to disconnect than try to wait for a large chunk of time that may never come. For example, you may protect Tuesday afternoons from 4:00- 4:30 pm to walk your dog and listen to music because you know Monday is chaotic and you’ll need a breather by the next day. You create a sacred time to unwind and you work around that consistent, small time. You prioritize you and have higher output at work due to the break. What would this look like for you?

Streamline & Simplify

Reduce unnecessary tasks by focusing on what truly impacts student learning. Take a daily or weekly audit to see where your time was spent. You’ll notice common tasks you can complete in one chunk of time instead of spacing out throughout the week. Likely, you’ll find a lot of tasks that don’t move the needle in helping you improve in your practice or push student learning forward. Think about how to reduce those tasks, advocate for alternate requirements from your boss, or eliminate them altogether. Creating a weekly cycle checklist where you complete necessary tasks in efficient, pre-determined bunches allows you to work efficiently. For example, every Monday you write lessons plans for the following week (or review them if you are a leader). When you do similar tasks together, your brain is able to produce more and in a quicker time frame because you’re not switching tasks requiring different parts of your brain to fire. 

Foster a Culture of Support  

Encourage staff to check in on each other and normalize asking for help. When the possibility of burn out occurring to staff is no longer kept a secret, it brings everyone together to avoid feelings of depression, anxiety and displeasure. Share strategies for how you yourself decrease feelings of burn out and encourage staff to share theirs as well. A sense of community will be built around a common obstacle everyone wants to avoid.

Celebrate Small Wins

Acknowledge progress and successes regularly to maintain motivation. When all you hear is bad news and experience negativity in your work environment, its hard to stay interested in your current task or role. Acknowledging forward progress keeps the focus on improvement rather than perfection. Students will mirror this behavior and begin to celebrate their own small wins, embracing a growth mindset in their own life. 

Practice Intentional Self-Care

Build routines that support physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Being able to pinpoint the origin of feelings leading to burn out allows you to create a system of support to battle it. For example, if Wednesdays are full of meetings causing you to get behind on your daily tasks, carve out thirty minutes after dinner to catch up knowing Thursday after school will be spent enjoying your favorite self-care activity (ie. grabbing coffee and walking around the local pond, grabbing dinner with a friend, visiting a nail or hair salon etc.). Knowing the triggers and scheduling relief helps you push through the stress that leads to burn out. 

Next Steps & Additional Resources

Creating a self- care plan that is realistic and revitalizing is key to avoiding burnout. There will be days and weeks that you are unable to implement one of the steps above, but getting back on track with implementing preventative measures will ensure you experience fulfillment in your career.

If you are looking for additional resources on this topic, browse below:

• Blog Post
  • Beat Student Burnout- 5 Strategies to Enhance Student Psyche 
• Podcast Episodes
  • Burnout with Rebekah Shoaf
  • 5 Ways to Combat Burnout
  • Supporting Teachers in Burnout
  • Burnout with Kitty Boitnott
• Printable Guide
  • Monthly Morale Boosters: Creative Staff Meeting Activities for Building a Connected School Culture

If you need more resources to help you become an even stronger teacher leader or coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out other helpful blog posts here. Be sure to also check out my latest book, Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Burnout in Education: How To Avoid It appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Are you a mentor? Are you a beginning teacher? Listen in as Gretchen speaks on the importance of a successful mentor and mentee partnership. This partnership is highly important for beginning teachers as they navigate the profession. Throughout this episode, Gretchen shares a story and gives quality tips to help things run smoothly.

Quotables

• “When we can name what makes something successful, we can repeat it. “
• “We want to grow the mindset and the skill set of educators.”
• “Implement the feedback you’re given. ”

Resources from this Episode:

Blog Posts:

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

The post 341: Success Secrets of Colleague Mentorship in Education appeared first on Always A Lesson.

However, there is a more effective way to design and deliver an ice breaker during a professional development session. This post will provide insight into 5 ways to upgrade the ice breaker activities you provide during professional development so that they are meaningful, practical and applicable to the learning session topic.

Use Icebreakers as a Warm-Up

Beginning the learning session with an engaging activity sets the tone and expectation that attendees should continue to engage at high levels throughout the learning experience. By weaving engagement strategies throughout PD, it keeps the momentum going. When attendees are connected to each other and willing to engage, they are more likely to comprehend and apply their new learning after the experience.

Go Beyond the Basics

Choose icebreakers that build connection and trust, not just surface-level fun. Being intentional about what you choose sets the tone for the upcoming learning session. When you pick an activity that allows the attendees to come together around a common goal (ie. gain skills in the learning session) and find commonalities among one another, a relationship begins to form. This will prove fruitful during the learning because a foundation has already been created where people feel connected allowing vulnerabilities to surface. Trust starts to form as bonding solidifies.

Make It Meaningful

Align activities with professional learning goals to set the tone for the session. Just because an ice breaker can be fun and relatable to build relationships doesn’t mean it can’t also be meaningful to the topic attendees will be learning during the session. It will take time to find or create the right activity to fit the topic, but in the end it helps the learning stick. Without knowing it, attendees are warming up their brains for the upcoming learning topic while focusing instead of building relationships with those around them. Keep it light, keep it fun. But, make it meaningful.

Encourage Collaboration

Use team-based challenges that foster discussion and problem-solving. When we work towards a collective goal, we can rely on the expertise of each other. This continues to build trust and relationship while strengthening knowledge and skills. Attendees need to be doing the majority of the problem solving work in order to process, sort and save learning for quick retrieval later on down the road. Collaboration allows attendees to find their own language to explain the new learning to a peer. This deepens comprehension of everyone in the collaborative discussion. Hearing peers share newly learned information with their own perspective and expertise sprinkled on top, allows peers to make additional connections to solidify learning.

Respect Time & Comfort Levels

Provide options for participation so all staff feel included. Not everyone is going to enjoy the same type of ice breaker activities. For example, gregarious personalities might enjoy talking to new peers they don’t know whereas more shy personalities prefer silent, solo options. You can survey teachers at the beginning of the year to find out their preferences and comfort levels for ice breaker activities. No matter what option you decide to use, be respectful of attendee’s time. We don’t want to take away from the learning, we just want to kick start it.

Do you need options for ways to engage staff during PD? Download monthly morale boosters or buzzword bingo for increased staff engagement during PD sessions.

If you need more resources to help you become an even stronger teacher leader or coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out other helpful blog posts here. Be sure to also check out my latest book, Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Effective Ice Breaker Activities for Professional Development appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Quotables

• “Happy teachers make for happy kids which makes happy parents.”
• “It’s a funny little thing when your passion lines up with what you can do to help others.”
• “If it doesn’t work one time, that’s not an excuse to not try again.”

About Christina Hidek

Christina Hidek is a recovering attorney turned Professional Organizer and certified PTO volunteer nerd. She founded PTO Answers 7 years ago to boost family engagement in schools and empower parents to improve their child’s educational experience and school community through PTA/PTO involvement. She’s been an active PTO leader for the past 14 years and hosts the vibrant 8000 plus member Super Star PTO Leaders Facebook Group. When she’s not volunteering, you can find her in her garden, listening to the latest Katherine Center audiobook or walking the family dogs.

Connect with Christina Hidek

The post 340: School Partnerships with Christina Hidek appeared first on Always A Lesson.

School safety has become top priority for schools as of late due to the many tragedies our country has endured recently. This has caused many school districts to review their safety procedures so that all students are protected while learning at school.

This post will cover 4 ways to strengthen school safety for all students. As you browse the post, think about which of the four ways could benefit your students and implement the changes at your school site immediately.

Emergency Response Plan

All schools should have a written emergency response plan. The following information should be included:

• types of emergencies (ie. natural disasters, active shooter, power outage, etc.)
• evacuation procedures with building map (ie. exit routes and meeting points)
• designated staff members to contact for various emergencies
• communication tree to notify staff, students and parents
• special needs care (ie. assisting students with mental or physical disabilities)

Once it is created, it is time to communicate the emergency response plan to staff. As this plan is implemented on site, make note of what changes need to be made. It’s important to update and revise immediately and as often as needed.

Threat Assessment

Now that the emergency response system is designed and communicated, it’s time to conduct a threat assessment. This means a team of appointed personnel (administrator, school counselor, law enforcement etc.) think through potential threats to student safety while walking the physical spaces of the school. You want to ensure the building is free of hazards, eliminating poor lighting, placing security in secluded locations, making sure locks on doors and windows are in working condition and evaluating student behavior on and off school grounds.

This team will also create clear criteria for potential threats, outlining steps to take once a threat is identified. This allows for a proactive and urgent response to suspicious behavior or activity. If a threat is reported, this same personnel team gathers together again to analyze the details of the event. They can interview witnesses and staff, and collaborate with all stakeholders to devise an appropriate intervention to ensure safety and health of everyone involved. Keeping detailed records are essential as well as following mandatory reporting protocols by law.

Training

Once all the protocols are put in place, all staff and students should be appropriately trained. The training is comprised of two phases: inform and practice. Informing staff on the emergency response plan ensures they know when to reach out for help and who specifically to contact. Sharing the results of the threat assessment as well as upgrades made on campus to further safety will alert staff to using the new additions (and reporting when the new additions need attention). Staff will then share only the pertinent details with students to encourage their participation in making the campus safe while also alerting them to how to reporting suspicious activity, bullying or personal safety threats.

Now that staff and students are on the same page, it is time to execute what they learned. Instead of waiting for an incident to occur, administrators with the help of the crisis management personnel can run practice drills like evacuations, lockdowns, active assailant response, and mental health and medical emergencies. This will help everyone feel comfortable with protocols so when a safety threat arises, everyone can respond quickly and calmly as planned.

Recovery Plan

After a crisis occurs on campus, a recovery plan should be set in motion. But before that can happen, it needs to be designed. In the past, natural disasters were the only thing on our radar to recover from and those were rare. Nowadays, sick outbreaks (ie. Covid-19) and school shootings occur much more regularly. Planning what to do after a crisis is just as important as having a plan for during the actual crisis. (ie. Employ criss management team to secure the site, provide medical attention and emotional support via health professionals. There may be a need to provide flexible learning options for as long as needed.)

One of the biggest stressors in schools is when an incident occurs, parents tend to find out on social media or via their child’s text. This causes chaos to erupt in the community. So notifying parents of what occurred as quickly as possible allows them to support you in implementing the appropriate recovery plan until students can be safely returned to their homes. Principals should share pertinent details like date, time, type of incident, current state of safety on site and recover plan next steps.

Next Steps

After reading these four options for increasing the safety of students at school, you should be thinking about which step is most necessary for you to implement at your site. Even if you have completed all four steps in the past, its essential to review these protocols often so they themselves are up-to-date and that everyone executing the plans remain informed and equipped to keep students safe.

As you can see from this post, devising a thorough plan with the assistance of the community, informing staff and students of safety protocols and providing ongoing support ensure students can remain focused on learning while at school. All schools should remain the safest place for children and this four part post will ensure that is reality of every child.

There are two resources that could be of benefit to consume in relation to school safety:

• You can listen in on a candid discussion that occurred around the Covid-19 outbreak that discusses how to create calm among the chaos, which continues to remain relevant due to the crisis that continue to occur in our schools. Tune in here.
• I spoke about the Crisis Response in Education on the Empowering Educators Podcast sharing what you can do to make it better. I discuss resources and tangible action steps to make your school more prepared in a crisis situation.

The post 4 Ways to Strengthen School Safety for all Students appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Coaching can be seen differently depending on your school and district, but it doesn’t have to be negative. By working side by side, the coach and the teacher can turn into a successful partnership where growth happens all around. Listen in as Gretchen explains different steps, tips, and tricks to make an instructional coaching partnership in your own school.

• Quotables
• “We create the vision with where we’re wanting to go, so that all the behavior that follows matches that. “
• “The coaching partnership is a tremendous support tool when implemented as it is intended. “
• “The role of a coach is originally designed to support the growth of a teacher.”

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Instagram: Always.A.Lesson
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Gretchen’s latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon.

Leave a Rating and Review:

This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future.

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The post 339: The Instructional Coaching Partnership appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Because lesson design is an intricate process to master, providing ongoing learning opportunities will help strengthen the skill. Instead of leading a learning workshop on the topic multiple times throughout the year, it is best to offer varied learning opportunities to keep the learning fresh and interesting.

This post will outline multiple ways to provide professional development to teachers on lesson design.

Light Options

There are ways to introduce the concept of lesson design without causing overwhelm to teachers. The following options expose teachers to new ideas in easy to digest pieces:

• Newsletters– Have a dedicated space on your weekly newsletter brief that highlights instructional best practices with tips for how to successfully implement them in the classroom. You can do a series of related topics each month or quarter. You may choose to also hang these newsletters in high traffic areas for teachers to be reminded.
• Podcast Pre-Work– While teachers are commuting to work or cleaning their classroom, they can listen to specific episodes you have hand picked related to lesson design. Providing a quick homework assignment for teachers to turn in after listening, is a way to get the discussion started with this instructional focus.
• Blog Post Reading– Select 1-3 blog posts related to lesson design (like these here), and have teachers compare and contrast their reading. This again gets their wheels spinning about an important topic before coming together to discuss implementation strategies.
• Book Excerpts– Similar to blog post reading, select excerpts from a book (like chapter 2 of this book) related to lesson design to have teachers read. Providing comprehension or reflection questions help the new information begin to percolate in their minds.

Medium Options

Once teachers are primed with an overview of lesson design, they are ready to learn more at a deeper level followed by applying their learning.

• Mini Lesson– There are four main concepts, referred to as bricks, of lesson design. Providing a targeted PD session for each brick, followed by planning for implementation allows all the key points to be collected, reflected and applied.
• Coaching Menu– Design a menu of learning options for teachers in regards to lesson design. Items could be completed individually or as a group. Also, teachers can select as many of the opportunities as they’d like. Each task will have it’s own due date and instructions so be sure to be clear where to locate that information. This builds in choice to the learning experience, increasing the likelihood teachers engage at high levels.
• PD on Demand – Provide mini training to teachers where they can learn on their own and at their own pace. Simply provide the materials and check back a week or so later to discuss implementation and share feedback. A range of topics can be provided to strengthen that specific portion of the lesson design process. Browse options here.

Heavy Options

As teachers begin applying lesson design practices more consistently, its time to fine tune them in a personalized way.

• Book Club– Building in some ownership into the learning experience, allow teachers to read a common text (like this one) and meet regularly to discuss their findings, connections, and plans for execution. It is highly suggested to provide an outline for meetings and/or chapter-by-chapter questions to aid in high level discussion.
• Coaching Cycle– Working 1:1 with teachers allows them to have the most personalized, thorough support. Conducting a coaching cycle that includes a pre-observation, observation, and post-observation debrief will ensure teachers maximize the benefits of lesson design. Teachers can engage in multiple coaching cycles until they reach the highest level of effectiveness.

Key Points to Discuss

Regardless of whether you decide to implement light or heavy PD options for staff, it is important to cover the essential key points of lesson design. For example:

• Standard and content alignment
• Backwards design
• Check for understanding
• Differentiation
• Gradual release
• High value + high meaning
• Pacing
• Technology

To gain more in depth details about strengthening lesson design processes, read my latest book “Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.”

GO BE GREAT!

The post Lesson Design Professional Development Options appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Have you ever wondered if something in our schools should be celebrated more, less or not at all? Join in as Gretchen speaks about the importance of celebrations based on personal tangible performance, and tells personal stories from her own experiences.

• Quotables
• “We have to take that [best performance] into consideration and not just have a generic bar that everyone has to meet .”
• “That [best performance] looks different for everyone.”
• “We want to reward work ethic, but we also want to personalize what is considered best performance.”

Links from today’s episode:

Red Plate LinkJoin the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Instagram: Always.A.Lesson
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Gretchen’s latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon.

Leave a Rating and Review:

This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2

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• Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’
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The post 338: To Celebrate or Not to Celebrate appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In education, adults have to continue learning through professional development [PD] to keep their licenses active. These learning experiences are usually given by experts in the field, leaders in the building or even colleagues who are teaching themselves. Either way, adults are teaching adults.

This post shares tips for making adult-to-adult learning successful.

Adult Learning Theory

When presenting material during PD, learning styles should still be considered to ensure information is retained. However, the nuances of teaching adults requires alternative planning methods than those used to design lessons for kids. Adult learning theory, commonly known as andragogy, is a 5 point framework that outlines how to plan learning experiences for adults. Be sure to explore adult learning theory prior to planning a PD session for adult learners.

Before the PD Session

After exploring adult learning theory, make note of what aspects you plan to include in your PD session. Draft a quick email to the attending teachers explaining the upcoming learning opportunity. In this email be sure to acknowledge their background and expertise, outlining how it will be used during the session to help peers grow their skills as well. When learners feel they bring something to the table to contribute, they show up to the learning session motivated to engage.

Before closing the email, explain the relevancy of the PD session. Adults need to see the value and need for the topic before they can be open to learning it. By sharing this information up front, adults walk into the session on the same page and ready to go.

During the PD Session

Adults do best when they can pour over a problem and collaborate on the solution. They do not enjoy being talked out the whole session. Although there will be a portion of new information shared, the presenter should use professional talk over their teacher persona to avoid the attendees feeling like they are being talked down to. After the new content is shared, do these three things:

• Make space for exploration – Sometimes we learn best by getting busy with what we are learning. Having an activity where adults can explore together brings the content alive and they naturally begin to imagine implementing it in their various roles.
• Allow for input – Open up for the floor to see what thoughts learners are beginning to have about what they just learned. This is a great time for problem solvers to bring solutions to the table. It also provides insight into how well learners understood the new material.
• Build in robust time for discussion – Some might have background to what was shared and can share personal experiences to help their colleagues imagine what the new learning will look like in their saturation. Others might want to share out about what they discovered during the exploration section of the PD session. Either way, allowing colleagues to compare their findings and share ideas is the most important part of the learning experience. Do not short cut this phase.

After the PD session

To ensure learners implement their new learning, a follow-up is required. This could be a quick survey teachers have to fill out that asks questions like:

• What was your biggest takeaway from your recent PD session?
• How did you plan to implement your new learning?
• What results did you notice after implementation?
• What additional support do you need to continue implementing your learning successfully?
• What topics of interest can you share for future learning sessions?

The results of the survey will help the PD session presenter know how to continue the follow-up process. Some teachers might need a quick 1:1 planning session where others might request an observation and feedback. Either way, personalized support ensures the new learning sticks!

Next Steps

Consider how adults learn differently and then plan an amazing learning experience for them. They will appreciate the time you took to understand what they need and want (and you’ll appreciate that the learning experience is full of high engagement!).

If you are in need of various PD options for teachers, browse the options below:

• Learning Walks – a peer observation tool
• Mentor Kit – create a mentorship system at your school
• PD on Demand– mini PD options teachers can learn on the go
• PD Choice Board – provide learning options for teachers based on their interests
• Buzzword Bingo – have fun during PD by highlighting key concepts through Bingo
• PD Huddle – a quick colleague PD huddle up to kick off the day

If you are looking for specific PD content to share with teachers, browse the options below:

• How to Successful Manage a Classroom
• Asking Higher Order Thinking Questions
• Increasing Student Ownership

If you need more resources to help you become an even stronger teacher or coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out other helpful blog posts here. Be sure to also check out my latest book, Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post The Art of Teaching Adults (not Kids) appeared first on Always A Lesson.

You never know when chaos will strike, but it’s always good to have a system in place. Listen in as Gretchen talks about her experience with chaos during holiday break and how she is prepared and ready when it strikes again.

Quotables:

• “Things are going to happen. Chaos is going to come and sometimes it’s for the better.”
• “Recalibrate often and assess needs.”
• “When you don’t overuse your connections, people will move mountains.”

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This post will outline strategies for creating a consistent and effective collaborative planning system. The four P’s will help all schools develop and maintain collaborative planning meetings with teachers.

Purpose

Setting the intention for collaborating planning provides clarity for everyone involved. Pondering the purpose as a leadership team allows for multiple perspectives to be shared. This ensures the purpose is intentional and clear which makes way for impactful results.

Questions to consider are:

• Why do we want teachers to plan together?
• What is the outcome we desire?
• How can teachers effectively plan on a consistent basis?

Promise

Including teachers in the development of collaborative planning increases the chances they engage fully in the process. When fully invested, teachers will experience the power of collaboration in enhancing their ideas for instruction. Asking teachers to make a pledge, or promise, for how they will engage ensures commitment to the goal and adhesion to the plan. Teachers can develop the promise together and then all sign it.

Examples of characteristics teachers should display during collaborative planning are:

• being honest and vulnerable
• including all voices
• showing up prepared and on time.

Protocol

Writing down the plan teachers must follow for collaborative planning keeps clarity front-and-center. It helps teachers develop the intended habits and holds them accountable for engaging at high levels during every planning meeting.

Aspects that should be included in the protocol are:

• Team announcements
• Daily goal
• Reference pacing guide, curriculum, standards, and backwards planning documents
• Hash out content, questioning, differentiation, instructional strategies
• Develop informal assessments
• Reflect on previous lessons to implement changes for subsequent lessons

Productivity check

Although many planning meetings tend to divide up duties to save time, they do not create effective instruction in every classroom. That’s because each teacher is only planning a portion of a lesson without discussing the lesson in detail together with peers. Inadequate planning creates inadequate instructional delivery. As a result, students are unable to master lesson objectives and skills. We must revise our collaborative planning structures so that they remain productive (ie. save time and produce outcomes) without sacrificing content understanding. Taking time every month to conduct a productivity check will keep planning meetings on track.

Questions to ask ourselves:

• Are we following the protocol as intended?
• Are we able to thoroughly plan during our meetings?
• Is everyone pulling their weight?
• Is everyone clearly understanding lesson material prior to teaching?
• Are discussions leading to idea development that is rigorous and aligned?

Additional Resources

If you are in need of additional materials to help you revise your collaborative planning process, consider these resources listed below:

• Professional Learning Community [PLC] printables 
• Lesson Planning printables

If you are looking for other blog posts and podcast episodes about planning, scan these options. Additional planning resources can also be found here. If you’d like to continue to reinvent your instructional effectiveness, read my latest book “Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.”

GO BE GREAT!

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Join Gretchen as she speaks about the Crisis Response in Education and what you can do to make it better. Throughout the episode, Gretchen gives you resources and tangible action steps to make your school more prepared in a crisis situation.

Quotables

• “We can’t just prepare for crisis itself. We have to prepare for what happens after the crisis.”
• “You don’t have to be a leader in the school to have a game plan and bring it to the table. “
• “Develop plans that are thorough enough to handle a lot of things.”

Resources

1. 332: Clear Communication: Effective com w/ Ss and Ps
2. 207: From Crisis to Calm https://alwaysalesson.com/episodes/207-from-crisis-to-calm/
3. Office for victims of crime: https://ovc.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh226/files/publications/bulletins/schoolcrisis/pg3.html
4. Office for victims of crime 2:  https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/School-Crisis-Response-Initiative.pdf
5. PBIS:   https://www.pbis.org/crisis-recovery
6. NEA:   https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/NEA%20School%20Crisis%20Guide%202018.pdf
7. Office of State Superintendent of Education: https://osse.dc.gov/page/responding-school-crisis

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It turns out that micro learning is a win-win solution for teachers and leaders. Teachers prefer a shorter PD session so they can complete the other requirements of the job. And, because learning is in smaller increments teachers are able to recall and successfully implement their new learning. There is no content overwhelm and decision fatigue. Bite-sized learning is easy to consume and execute.

This blog post will outline planning right size PD (resources included) as well as shares the benefits of providing micro learning opportunities for teachers.

Plan Right Size PD

Leaders designing PD for teachers should begin by mapping out the learning journey for the year. It’s essential to know the end goal before planning an individual session. The implementation process is then more of a progression over time, allowing application to grow in accuracy. Similar to utilizing long range planning to reach one cohesive goal, aligning right size PD options to an end goal ensures all efforts produce desired results. This creates momentum, excitement and confidence.

If a topic is extensive to cover, developing multiple bite-sized sessions can be more successful than a single, long, in-depth session. This might mean there is a single area of focus for the entire year. At each session, recapping the previous learning and setting up the future learning bridges the gap of understanding. Teachers understand the pathway of where they have been and where they are going.

When teachers are not engaging in right size PD, they are implementing micro actions that improve student learning incomes. This makes it easier to track and easier to implement. Each subsequent learning session, adds another layer of micro actions to execute, growing the capacity of the teacher and student slowly over time. This is sustainable professional learning.

Benefit of Right Size PD

Teachers embrace right size PD because its a manageable requirement in terms of time commitment and evidence production. The amount of information coming in is not overwhelming, the time it takes to learn it is appropriate, and the next steps to implement learning are realistic. Teachers buy in to the micro learning process as it doesn’t feel like an additional initiative to what they are already doing, rather it is the only initiative. Because this learning process is active with learning and implementing in ongoing cycles, teachers feel success quickly which motivates them to continue showing up to the right size PD opportunities and implementing their learning. Administrators who allow teachers to share input for focus topics, increase teacher investment and commitment to the process long-term. Overall, right size PD is more effective in improving teacher capacity and student achievement than traditional PD methods.

Resources for Right Size PD

The following resources will help you not only gain strategies for planning high quality, micro PD options, but also provides content to provide to teachers during the learning experience.

• Leading PD Bundle 
• Increase Student Ownership
• How to Successfully Manage a Classroom 
• PD on Demand (full list of updated options):
  • Routines & Procedures 
  • Increasing Student Talk
  • Student Engagement
  • Supporting English Language Learners
  • High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities

You are now equipped to ditch learning overwhelm by providing right size PD for teachers! Check out other blog posts on professional development here. My latest book can also be a helpful resource for you in the future!

GO BE GREAT!

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Join us as we listen in to Miriam Plotinsky and all about her teaching perspective. Throughout this episode you will here how Miriam Plotinsky has used he knowledge in and out of the classroom in order to develop tips and tricks for teachers.

Quotables

*All quotes are from interviewee*

• ” The collective expertise that we all share for whatever our advantage point is what can get us the result that we want if we just learned to embrace that.”
• “If you hold yourself to this impossible standard you’re never going to be able to last in teaching.”
• “Anything you do with consistency will work you just have to keep doing it.”

All about Miriam Plotinsky

Miriam Plotinsky is an instructional specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland and the author of several education books: Teach More, Hover Less: How to Stop Micromanaging Your Secondary Classroom, Lead Like a Teacher: How to Elevate Expertise in Your School and Writing Their Future Selves: Instructional Strategies to Affirm Student Identity (W.W. Norton), as well as the forthcoming Small but Mighty: How Everyday Habits Add Up to More Manageable and Confident Teaching (ASCD). She is also a National Board-certified teacher with additional certification in administration and supervision.

Connect with Miriam Plotinsky

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This post will cover building and executing quality professional development while also providing additional tips for success.

Building Quality PD

Building professional development sessions cannot be a haphazard process. It requires forethought and alignment.

• Review district and school goals. Select the goal that if met will make the biggest impact on the success of staff and students.
• Break up that goal into milestones throughout the year (ideally by quarter).
• Place topics related to the goal under each milestone. These will be objectives to cover during the PD session.
• Flush out each milestone topic list so that it fills the required PD time slot. If there is more content than time, select which items can be provided ahead of the meeting. This will be used as a flipped learning model where teachers read about the topic before arriving.
• Offer differentiated tracks so that teachers who are ready to more can dive deeper into the topic and those who need additional support can slow down and review content.
• Include discussion and practice time. Talking about the content helps teachers process their new learning. By implementing practice rounds, teachers get real-time feedback and build muscle memory for the new skills they are acquiring.

Executing Powerful PD

Now that you have planned and prepared a high quality learning experience for teachers, it’s time to deliver it.

• Prep yourself and the space. Review and familiarize yourself with the content and flow of the PD session. There is nothing worse than the presenter stopping the show to review notes or get confused in their language when explaining the content. Run through the talking points and double check all technology is working correctly. Arrive early to ensure all materials are set up and ready for teachers to arrive.
• Manage your time. Since you know your PD session in and out because of the intentionally planning and preparation, you can easily cut out portions if running out of time or add in additional activities if teachers are moving thorough the session quickly. By placing time stamps in your PD during the preparation phase, you’ll be able to keep on track. Highlighting locations where you can add and take away if needed ensure you can adjust quickly in the moment without getting thrown off track. Lastly, always leave buffer time to allow for questions or pause for processing time.
• Be responsive to the needs of staff during the PD session ensures the new information sticks. When you know your content well, your brain is more present when delivering it live in front of staff. You have more mental space to watch for signs that teachers need more or less and can provide that. Just like students need a variety of support while they are learning, adults do too.

Avoiding Common PD Challenges

The following challenges are common for PD presenters. Pay close attention to the strategies shared to overcome these challenges.

• Don’t shy away from challenging/difficult topics that arise. Even the most thorough of presenters, will encounter moments that are uncomfortable that they didn’t see coming. For example,  staff might push back on the effectiveness of the content or reality of the expectations. They might even  share their dislike for the presenter themselves. Have a pre-planned response ready if you have to use it and then get back to the delivery of the learning experience. (Ex. “I appreciate you sharing that with me. I’ll be sure to pass it along to your administrator and they will follow up with you. Let’s dive back into the learning.”)
• Low engagement can occur even with clear directives for participation. Providing sentence stems will allow shy or unsure participants to add value to the discussion. Use follow up prompts to extend participant thoughts when responding. When planning for engagement, create opportunities for multiple responses per question to be shared, allow participants to respond in a variety of ways (verbal, written, through technology, etc.). It’s essential not to allow low level engagement to be the standard, keep holding high expectations and be persistent that participants meet the requirement.
• Leave the “sage on stage” at home. Yes, you are knowledgeable and most likely an expert on the topic you are delivering. However, learning is about the other person, not you. Although you will speak at length when delivering the content, participants needs to discuss and work with the content just as much if not more than you are talking. Every minute you spend talking is one less minute they have to collaborate and implement learning. Be succinct and purposeful and then pass the speaking baton to the learners.
• Follow-up and follow through. A PD session continues long after the actual meeting concludes. Following up with teachers as they implement their new learning, allows them to receive feedback and continue their growth as an educator. Following through on your promises made during the session builds trust and closes the loop, bringing clarity and support to the learning process. For example, if you promised to share resources, answer questions, plan a lesson etc. then be sure to meet with those teachers and deliver on your promise.

PD Resources

The following items will enhance the development of powerful PD at your school site.

• Printable Resources
  • Leading PD Bundle
  • Teacher Leader PD Bundle
  • Instructional Best Practices PD Bundle
  • Literacy Instruction PD Bundle
  • Instructional Coaching Forms Bundle
• Video Resources
  • Teachers Who Lead Course Bundle

Wishing you success as you plan, prepare, and deliver high quality professional development sessions for teachers! If you are looking for resources for PD content, click here. Also, catch up on other posts and podcast episodes about PD here. My latest book can also be a helpful resource for you in the future!

GO BE GREAT!

The post Increasing the Power of PD at your School appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Join in on the conversation about Cultivating Critical Thinking Skills where Gretchen gives you a story, a lesson, and tangible next steps. In today’s episode Gretchen speaks on how our world has changed with modern technology and how important it is to prepare our students to think critically for their future in the workplace.

Quotables:

• “Stay above the robotic curve by developing high level thinking skills.”
• “Staying relevant and flexible in your thinking is your superpower.”
• “Make critical thinking part of your culture.”

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Why do we need micro PD options for teachers?

One thing that seems to be harder and harder to fit in to the schedule is teacher PD. There is so much to get done in classrooms and around the school building, that coming together to learn after school hours is difficult. The sit-and-get PD model isn’t translating to instructional proficiency. Teachers need opportunities to dig into the learning rather than passively sitting and listening. Oftentimes there is no time left for reflection and planning for execution after the teacher PD content is delivered. This is a missed opportunity to increase the likelihood that teachers are able to successfully apply what they just learned.

Intention to grow is there. Time to grow isn’t.

One way we have helped schools pivot their PD delivery is to offer smaller doses more often. Learning in micro form consistently over time allows time for reflection and planning for execution. And, as a result, the impact of PD is sticking. Teachers are growing and students are thriving.

What is PD on Demand?

PD on Demand is small, bite-sized learning opportunities based on a singular topic. Teachers and leaders can select the one offering that best fits with their current focus for improvement. Then, teachers consume the content on their own time. The content could include short video clips, articles to read, activities to try, etc. Over the course of a few weeks, teachers are slowly learning, implementing and noting their progress.

There is a deadline for proof of application for accountability purposes. Items to collect to showcase impact of learning could be pre-planning documents paired with reflection of execution, data samples, coaching cycle participation, student artifacts etc. The goal is not to just consume information, but to use new information to positively impact instruction.

PD on Demand Learning Opportunities

Once teachers start engaging in ongoing, bite-sized PD, they won’t want to go back to lengthy learning ever again! Allow them to grow their skills in a convenient yet productive way. This is how you will be able to transform learning in your building for teachers.

Below are current PD on Demand learning opportunities teachers can dig into:

• Routines & Procedures
• Increasing Student Talk
• Student Engagement
• High Leverage Practice for Students with Disabilities
• Supporting English Language Learners
• Generating Active Responses
• Exemplars for Student Work

Additional Reading

If you found this helpful and are looking for similar topics to consider, two suggestions are shared below:

• One way to warm up to micro PD options is to conduct a PD Huddle at your school site. Give this a try first before diving into more thorough options like PD on Demand.
• Read “Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success” to gain strategies for improving areas of instruction, such as lesson design, classroom management, student engagement and student ownership.

GO BE GREAT!

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What is Buzzword Bingo?

It is a staff engagement resource intended to be used during professional development sessions, faculty meetings, PLC meetings and more.  Use this morale boosting tool to your advantage to engage your staff, solidify new learning and keep their attention when you are speaking.

Staff enter the learning experience and receive a bingo card. Important terms related to the learning topic are placed on Buzzword Bingo cards. The cards are then used throughout the learning experience to solidify the main idea while also having a little fun!

Educators are listening and learning, tracking the buzz words and gathering new information in relation to those buzzword. The goal is this repetitive (and competitive) exercise will help educators implement their new learning when they return to their classrooms (or related roles). The best aspect of this process is that it can be re-used as often as necessary by simply swapping out the buzz words with each new PD topic presented.

Implementing Buzzword Bingo

Below are steps to follow when implementing Buzzword Bingo:

• When attendees arrive, they are given the card as well as directives for how to use it
• Conduct the learning experience as normal
• As learners hear those buzzwords throughout the PD session, they will mark their card
• When an entire row is full (across, down or diagonal), that staff member can receive a prize (ie. jeans pass, early dismissal, duty free lunch, dollar store items, etc.)
• Multiple winners can occur to keep engagement high throughout the entire learning experience

Buzzword Bingo Options

Below are various options for how to use the bingo card templates:

• Print off the ready-to-use cards and design a PD around those buzz words
• Use the editable cards to make your own specific buzzword cards and print off for staff to use
• Print a blank slate card and have teachers think of their own buzzwords that may be used throughout the session for BINGO
• Coaches could also pass out these cards in secret and have the staff play and use silent signals for BINGO during their meetings for a fun admin surprise!

Grab your Buzzword Bingo cards here and watch your PD sessions come alive with engagement!

If you need more resources to help you become an even stronger teacher or coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out other helpful blog posts here. Be sure to also check out my latest book, Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

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There’s so much teachers can learn from one another. From how to engage students to how to enhance lessons, teachers can grow in their craft every day. Listen in as Gretchen tells a story and provides tips and tricks on the importance of collaboration among colleagues.

Quotables

• “How well teachers collaborate has a direct impact on how well they teach and on how well students learn.”
• “When teachers collaborate and support each other, it can create a positive and encouraging school culture.”
• “We’ve got to grow our own skills.”

Links for Today’s Episode

• Time Management Episodes
  • 328: Manage Your Time with Time Blocking
  • 329: Manage Time By Streamlining Administrative Tasks
  • 331: Collaborative Planning and Resource Sharing

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The post 333: Strong Teacher to Teacher Communication appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Rate

Get honest and realistic about the effectiveness of your current classroom management strategy. Rate your strategy on a scale of 0 -10 (0 is ineffective and 10 is highly effective). Use the following rating system below to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy:

• 0-2 = misbehaviors and misunderstandings occur consistently throughout a lesson which limits student time-on-task and diminishes length and depth of learning opportunities
• 3-5 = misbehaviors and misunderstandings occur often during a lesson limiting student time-on-task
• 6-8 = misbehaviors and misunderstandings sometimes occur but the teacher is able to get the class back on track for learning
• 9-10 = misbehaviors and misunderstandings are prevented through intentional planning & the teacher manages the class through relationships, routines and roping students in with engaging content

Reflect

Now that you have your rating, reflect on the root cause for the classroom management strategy not being as effective as it could be.

• Walk through the lesson (or the day), making note of every instance that got the class off track.
• Look for trends, like a certain time of day or subject matter that encouraged students to be off task.
• Are there more misunderstandings or misbehaviors occurring?

Prioritize

Your reflection provided a list of potential hot spots in the classroom management strategy that need to be  reinvented. Prioritizing which area to hone in on first is based on which one if repaired will bring about the most positive change.

• Review the list of moments from your reflection where classroom management went awry
• Write numbers next to the biggest offending instances, labeling them beginning with the number 1
• Highlight your top 3 areas needing revision

Plan

Using the three areas you prioritized, develop a plan of attack. Be sure it includes a detailed description for before, during and after a lesson so that the plan is thorough in prevention.

• What procedures need to be in place?
• How will students practice and be held accountable for the new expectations?
• How will your lesson design process change to ensure your classroom management strategy is the most effective it can be?

Feedback

Allow time for the new classroom management strategy to take affect. There may be push back from students who do not want to comply with the new expectations. Or it might take time for students to build the new habit.

• Make note of positive changes you see no matter how small.
• Periodically, ask for student feedback on how they feel as a learner as it relates to the management of the class. This could be an informal question and answer activity or through an anonymous survey.
• If you have an instructional coach or teacher leader, have them observe the change in how you manage the class. Apply any feedback they provide to continue to improve.

Additional Reading:

If you are wanting more information on effective classroom management, browse the previous blog posts listed below:

• 3 Ways to Improve your Classroom Management Practices
• Crack the Classroom Management Code
• Classroom Management: Moving Beyond Compliance
• How to Plan and Prepare a Classroom Management System

By following the suggestions shared in this blog post, you will be able to reinvent your classroom management strategy so that its best for students.

If you’d like to continue to reinvent your instructional effectiveness, read my latest book “Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.” You’ll be provided a roadmap, called “The Teacher Success Pathway,” so that you can improve in lesson design, classroom management, student engagement and student ownership.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Ways to Reinvent your Classroom Management Strategy appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Communication with students and parents are key in a classroom setting. It is what helps builds trust between the teacher, parents, and students to make the school year that much smoother. Join us as Gretchen tells a story and provides tips and tricks in order to keep effective communication for students and parents.

Quotables

• “Make space in your calendar for ongoing communication.”
• “Communication builds trust which leads to support and understanding.”
• “When you’re available and you’re transparent, relationships pave the way for best results.”

Links from today’s episode

12 apps for better P-T communication https://www.teachthought.com/technology/teacher-parent-communication/

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The California Department of Education says: “Family and community engagement greatly increases the likelihood that students will learn and thrive. Students are more prepared for school, more likely to achieve, and more likely to graduate when they are supported by schools, families, and communities working together in a coordinated manner.”

There are various ways in which schools can incorporate the community into their mission and daily operation. This post will uncover 5 ways and share the benefit of each.

Career Readiness

There are so many jobs in and around the community. Having community members come into the classroom to share information with students about their career builds a strong real world connection. Students are exposed to a variety of work options for their future while also building relationships with key figures in the community. A school-wide career fair or individual class guest presentations will build career readiness in students.

Financial

Schools are always looking for funding sources to purchase curriculum, instructional resource supplements, technology and more. They even use funding to hire additional staff members or bring in guest speakers for in-house field trips or professional development opportunities for teachers. By donating funds, schools are able to enhance their instructional and environmental offerings to students. In turn, these gifts tend to impact current and future students for the long term.

Item Donations

If a financial donation is not an option for community members, donating items for classrooms and office staff are highly recommended. Having a list of common items to share with community members at the ready, ensure partnerships are built in ways that matter. Also, physical donations are helpful because schools can save the financial offerings to purchase bigger ticket items. Common requested donations are office supplies, pencils, erasers, white out, stickers, folders, lined paper, printer paper, rulers, pens, notebooks, stapler, staples, tape, scissors, crayons, markers, glue, construction paper, and reward items for students.

Mentorship

Student mentorship options allow children to build relationships with stable, inspirational adults. Mentors can emotionally support students while also assisting them academically. The goal of these partnerships is to increase academic success, confidence, and emotional stability. As a result, students feel a sense of belonging at the school, gain life skills, improve test scores, and increase attendance rates. By involving the community in a student mentorship program, allows volunteers to use their skills and talents to make a positive impact on the lives of students living in their own hometown.

Parental Collaboration

Inviting parents into the school on a continuous basis builds relationships with the most important stakeholder in the education of the child. Offering learning sessions in regards to teaching methods, specific curriculum and how to support at home create a true partnership. When important decisions are to be made at the school level regarding students, inviting parents into the conversation and allowing their vote ensures their support throughout the year. Utilizing feedback surveys, positive phone calls home, and school-wide event participation allow parent opinions and skillsets to enhance the learning experience for their child(ren) at the school.

Next Steps

1. Continue reading about leveraging community partnership for school success by reading this past blog post entitled “How to Lead Community Partnerships.”
2. Listen to this past bonus podcast episode entitled “The Power of Community.” Hear tips from coaches in the trenches for what aspects meant the most to them in finding an empowering community.
3. Build a strong sense of peer-peer community among teacher teams via professional learning communities by downloading these printable guides.

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves too! Classroom resources are also available here. Also, catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT! 

How do you incorporate the community into your school?

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How I Used Wall Art in the Classroom

As an elementary teacher in grades 2, 3 and 5, I always utilized posters to convey positive messages to students in my classroom. Whether it was a quote or an image, I wanted my students to get inspired while they were in my classroom- even if I wasn’t directly teaching. Some students day dream while others think by looking around the room. It is the perfect time to remind them of important truths- not just content related tips.

When I called students to go to centers to complete work in small groups, I named the groupings based on the poster they were working near. For example, I’d refer to groups as  “Dream Big” or “Keep trying even when its hard.” Students knew exactly where to go in the classroom and began working. By calling out this wall art, the messages started to sink in to students’ brains. They internalized the message and even began using the language with their classmates.

Tips for Using Wall Art in the Classroom

1. Decide what images or phrases align with your goals and vision for a classroom
2. Design custom adhesive wall art  (and use this coupon code to SAVE)
3. Designate a spot for the wall art in your classroom
4. Easily apply, adjust or remove the wall art as needed
5. Call attention to it during lessons and make it a part of the classroom culture
6. Praise students as they live out the wording or image on your word art

One way to personalize wall art is to have current students create a collaborative design so it represents their interests and personalities. You can add to your collection every year displaying each year’s creation around the classroom or retire the previous class design and make a new design with the incoming class. The possibilities are endless!

Key Take-Away

Adhesive wall art is a unique, personalized way to impact students in the classroom. It can inspire, uplift and encourage learners. It is an underrated strategy teachers use to help their students persevere and grow in both knowledge and skill.

If you need more resources to help you become an even stronger teacher or coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out other helpful blog posts here. Be sure to also check out my latest book, Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Inspire Students through Adhesive Wall Art appeared first on Always A Lesson.

There’s so much that goes into a good lesson. Collaborative planning and resource sharing is a must to make sure students are engaged and learning in the best ways possible. Listen in as Gretchen speaks on the topic of collaboration with colleagues, and explains the best practices to make those planning sessions successful for everyone in the room.

Quotables

• “When we come together and brainstorm, hash it out and come prepared everyone having done their research first, now everyone is ready to actually teach the concept rather than dividing it up.”
• “Personalize, differentiate, add your own flare on top of what’s been planned so that when you deliver it to students, it makes sense for who is in the room.”
• Build on each others ideas.”

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The post 331: Collaborative Planning and Resource Sharing appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will share a productivity method to make your large workload more manageable. Learning how to manage it effectively is key to keeping your sanity while also producing quality work.

The Technique

Best-selling author, Oliver Burkeman developed a 3-3-3 model to prioritize tasks and manage his time better. He says you can actually do less every day in efforts to accomplish more in the long run. Workloads become larger because of unexpected tasks that arise as well as delays in deliverables from collaborative projects. Both of which you have little control over. However, if you learn how to manage what is coming in, you can continue to operate at high levels.

In a single day, the 3-3-3 method looks like this:

• 3 hours on important tasks
• 3 urgent tasks
• 3 daily maintenance activities

Applying the Technique

Utilizing time management techniques while also setting realistic expectations ensures you are productive in the areas that matter most. If there are tasks that can be streamlined, then make them more efficient. Or if there are tasks on your workload that are not aligned, they can be delegated to someone else.

If you are a teacher, your 3-3-3 method could look like:

• 3 hours grading students work, analyzing data, or lesson planning
• urgent tasks like replying to reviewing a student’s IEP goals or lesson plan copies for tomorrow’s lesson
• maintenance activities like taking attendance, preparing the front board with objectives and homework or responding to parent emails

If you are a teacher leader, your 3-3-3 method could look like:

• 3 hours developing PD aligned to school goals
• urgent tasks like delivering textbooks to teachers with new students or getting teachers logged in to online portals to review data
• maintenance activities like drafting staff newsletters and responding to teacher emails

Next Steps

The following next steps will help you get organized so that you can begin using the 3-3-3 method. It will get easier with time. Just know, you rarely will get through an entire to-do list. However, you will have made headway on what matters most.

• Make a list of all the tasks you need to complete
• Place them in 3 columns- important, urgent, and daily maintenance
• Use a timer to keep you on task for completing 3 hours in the important column
• Once you’ve completed all 3 columns, begin the cycle all over again until your workday is over

Working on prioritizing your large workload and being intentional with your time will decrease overwhelm and increase productivity. To read more about about the 3-3-3 method, click here. I also offer one-on-one coaching if you want to work on bettering your practice.

If you need more resources to help you become an even stronger teacher or coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out other helpful blog posts here. Be sure to also check out my latest book, Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

How do you plan to utilize the 3-3-3 method?

The post Strategies for Managing a Large Workload appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Connections are so important in education. They are what brings us together and allows us learn from one another. Join us as we listen in on the importance of making connections outside of our comfort zone, and how much those connections can help us through our work. With Ariella Racco’s new program CoLab, it allows collaboration to be that much easier!

Quotables

*All quotes are from the interviewee.

• “It’s okay to not know what you’re doing. Ask for help and put yourself into spaces that are really unfamiliar.”
• “Make connections to the world around you.”
• “Put yourself in rooms and spaces with other passionate people and don’t limit yourself to just other educators.”

About Ariella Racco

Connect with Ariella Racco

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The post 330: Making Connections with Ariella Racco appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In reading the book Impactful Instructional Leadership, a Framework for Success, author Jack Hunter explained six evidence-based practices that are supported by both Hattie and Marzano. Each has large effect sizes signifying their transformative impact in the classroom. (Note– the zone of desired affects begin at an effect size of .40, which equates to one year’s growth during one year’s time. Anything over .40 means more than one year’s growth in one year’s time.)

This blog post will outline each of the six evidence-based practices, noting the effect size next to the strategy name. This will help you prioritize what to try first based on the needs of the school. It is not recommended to try more than one at a time or even more than one in a single year. These strategies take time to teach and implement to experience full results.

Collective Efficacy – 1.57

Collective efficacy means the effectiveness of a group as a whole. This occurs during professional learning communities [PLC’s] where teachers collaborate. These meetings should not focus on “how to teach,” rather the “impact of teaching” through data review and reflection. Having a criteria for success ensures planning for instruction is purposeful and clear. It also makes the data analysis process easier because teachers can reference the success criteria when evaluating student work samples. The talents, ideas, and experience of each teacher enhance the effectiveness of the group, thus positively impacting many classrooms of students.

Read past posts on PLC’s here:

• 5 Ways to Enhance your PLC’s
• Leading a PLC Data Chat
• Making a PLC Productive & Effective

Mastery-Based Learning- 1.79

This method focuses on tracking learning for power standards using a pre and post assessment system. Essentially students can work at their own pace to develop strengths, build confidence, while also receiving remediation and acceleration where appropriate. The goal is to master the standard through repetitive practice and measure growth using similar pre and post tests. Students demonstrate their proficiency before moving on to more complex topics or skills.

Microteaching- .88

Teachers can strengthen their instructional delivery through microteaching. They teach a small group of students for about twenty minutes. By video recording the lesson segment, the teacher is able to rewatch and reflect on the effectiveness of the lesson. They may even elicit feedback from students on the specific skill/process. An instructional coach or peer can also observe and provide one strength and area of focus as feedback for the teacher. At this point, the teacher may decide to reteach the lesson to another small group of students implementing the feedback recently received. When deciding what portion of a lesson to practice and receive feedback on, it is often recommended to focus on the beginning and end of a lesson for the microteaching practice.

Jigsaw – 1.20

Jigsaw allows students to become experts on a portion of a topic and teach it to their peers. It creates deep discussions through transfer of content knowledge. Teachers break students into groups of 5 to 6. They also break the content into sections and assign each student in the group to a particular section. Students leave this group to join a new group that consists of students from other groups who were also assigned the same section to read. Students read and reread together for 5 to 7 minutes. After a quick discussion and debrief on the main points of what they read, students go back to their original group and share out what they learned. Their peers are listening and taking notes. During this time, the teacher is circulating, gathering informal data on student understanding and collaboration. Jigsaw promotes critical thinking and social skills while allowing students of varying ability levels to work together.

Reciprocal Teaching- .74

This is another cooperative learning strategy. It is used specifically to enhance reading comprehension skills but can be used in all subject areas. The teacher provides a grade level passage that is no longer than 2 pages. Students are placed in groups of 5 and each member of the group has a chance to lead the learning. Students preview the passage (ie. title, pictures, captions, headings, etc.), read and reread an assigned section, and stop/jot essential information on a note catcher. Four main skills are practiced: making predictions, asking and answering question, clarifying the text (ie. context clues and decoding), as well as summarizing the passage (ie. main idea, compare/contrast, themes, claims with text evidence).  The teacher can use an informal check list while circulating to determine how well students are comprehending the text using their various strategies learned.

Spiral Review – .82

Spiral review recycles previously learned content into new learning opportunities. This ensures students retain what has been learned in the past while continuing to learn new concepts in the present. Spiral review can also be referred to as spaced practice instead of mass practice. This means that recalling information is spaced out over a period of time instead of learning a specific topic in extravagant amounts during one specific duration, only to never discuss it again. This ongoing reassessment increases transfer of knowledge. The typical flow of spiral review is:

• initial teaching of content
• weekly review during homework or morning work
• test 2 weeks later
• test a month later

The six evidence-based practices will increase teaching ability while also improving student learning outcomes. Learn more about Impactful Instructional Leadership, a Framework for Success written by Jack Hunter.

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves here. Also, catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 6 Evidence-Based Practices to Implement this School Year appeared first on Always A Lesson.

There’s so much that goes on behind-the-scenes when teaching and leading. It can be hard to find time to complete those tasks (let alone do them well). Join Gretchen as she shares her experiences with time management and streamlining administrative tasks. She gives practical tangible next steps that can help you achieve your goals in getting things done.

Quotables

• “Developing systems and then refining them, overtime, is gonna put time back on the clock and that allows you to focus on what matters most.”
• “Start small.”
• “Plan ahead. Prioritize well, and protect your time for what matters most.”

Episode Links

1. David Allen’s Getting Things Done: 5 Steps to a more productive life (https://gettingthingsdone.com/)
2. https://www.thetogethergroup.com/
3. The Together Teacher book
4. The Together Leader book

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Instagram: Always.A.Lesson
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Gretchen’s latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon.

Leave a Rating and Review:

This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2

• Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher.
• Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’
• Under ‘Customer Reviews,’ click on “Write a Review.”
• Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info
• Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best)
• Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast
• Click ‘Send’

The post 329: Manage Time By Streamlining Administrative Tasks appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This blog post will outline 5 benefits of increasing student choice and ownership in the classroom.

Realistic Goal Setting

As students become more in charge of how they learn, they become more in tune with their learning style and pace. When students plan out their workload or project runway, they are able to be more realistic with their timeline. Setting goals is fun but can be discouraging if you cannot paint an accurate picture of what it takes to reach it. The more students pay attention to how they think, learn, and produce, they will begin to goal set with more accuracy. This results in more goals attained, thus increasing student confidence and motivation to continue with the next goal.

Responsible Decision Making

Similar to goal setting, the more students get involved in making decisions in regards to what happens in the classroom, the more realistic and responsible they become. When students are invited into behind-the-scenes conversations about how to run the classroom more effectively, they start to pay attention to the details. They begin to form an opinion and feel rewarded when their opinion is taken into account. This increases their investment into the operations of the classroom. Attendance and motivation to learn increases while misbehaviors and misunderstandings decrease.

Enthusiastic Attitude

Autonomy is a huge motivator for people. Choice and ownership create autonomy. It allows students to experience freedom. When they feel a part of something greater than themselves, but that they have a say in their environment, their mood begins to shift. They feel important, valued and seen. They enjoy the room to operate in an adult-like manner. Choice and ownership bring enthusiastic attitudes, making the whole environment more joyful.

High Personal Accountability

When students are more in control of their learning, they begin to hold themselves accountable in a new way. They put worth greater effort, pay attention to their overall progress, and even report to peers on their achievements. Students track their academic growth and own up to misunderstandings and misbehaviors they have caused in the classroom. They take a high personal accountability for their performance due to the shift in more ownership. This builds their responsibility quickly.

Increased Pride in Work

Students start to see the value of hard work. They care more about their handwriting, work output, pacing to complete assignments, and effort to go above and beyond the initial requirements. Because they have been allowed to have more choice and ownership in their learning journey, they become more invested in how they show up as a learner. Their work habits morph into more responsible ones. Their grades improve as well as their confidence and pride in their work.

Next Steps

Teachers, begin to slowly build in choice and ownership into your classroom. Overtime, you’ll see these five benefits manifest before your eyes!

If you’d like more information on strategies to increase student choice and ownership in the classroom, read my latest book Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

More classroom resources are also available here. Also, catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Benefits for Increasing Student Choice and Ownership appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Have you ever heard of time blocking? Listen in as Gretchen explains what it is, how she uses it, and the tips and tricks that may work for you.

Quotables

• “You don’t want to overbook yourself because even though we’re planning every minute of every day you don’t want to tire yourself out.”

• “Over estimate your pacing so you end up with extra time instead of rushing to finish or getting stressed out.”
• “Time blocking is your key to freedom.”

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Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Instagram: Always.A.Lesson
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Gretchen’s latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon.

Leave a Rating and Review:

This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2

• Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher.
• Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’
• Under ‘Customer Reviews,’ click on “Write a Review.”
• Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info
• Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best)
• Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast
• Click ‘Send’

The post 328: Manage Your Time with Time Blocking appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will cover 4 aspects of student engagement to consider when designing your lessons.

Motivation

Students are not going to be interested in engaging in learning activities in the classroom if the teacher has not taken time to explain how the content relates to their life. When students are motivated to learn, they will not only comply and complete the activity, but they will be willingly engage at a high level. In order to motivate students, teachers must know their students’ interests, hobbies, personalities, etc. This allows the teacher to present the information in an interesting way where students see the benefit for learning the material. Tapping into motivation first, allows students to warm up to the idea of learning and then fully engage during the lesson.

Systems

Engagement can go awry when systems are not in place before the activity begins. Teachers need to plan intentionally, paying close attention to pacing, volume level, movement and expectations for what students are to produce. Once the plan is in place, the teacher must include those details when explaining how students will be engaging with the learning material. Once students engage, the teacher must hold students accountable for meeting the expectations. This ensures the lesson progresses as planned and misbehaviors do not get out of hand. Clear, well planned systems create time time for learning.

Alignment

It can be challenging to pass up on really fun activities shared on social media. The reality is that many activities may be highly engaging but don’t actually align well to the content. This doesn’t mean teachers can’t do interesting activities with students. Alignment doesn’t equate to boring. Teachers can have fun and be creative, but it is only beneficial when it aligns to the content being taught. Carefully choosing engagement opportunities that are aligned mean that the backwards design method is used when planning. Teachers know which standard they are covering, pick a piece of the standard to teach in a single objective, and plan the assessment o determine if students were effectively able to gain the skills taught. Then, it is time to plan activities for engagement. When teachers are clear on “what” they are teaching, the “how” becomes easier to plan. If a fun engagement idea is found but doesn’t align, teachers can save it for another time. It is imperative that how students engage in class allows them to deepen understanding of the concept being taught.

Evergreen

It can be daunting to come up with new and different engagement ideas all year long. The good news is that teachers can use and reuse engagement strategies in all subject areas. The benefit is two-fold. First, teachers save time by reusing an engagement strategy previously used. Secondly, time is saved on the students part because they do not need to learn a new strategy which takes time away from learning. Since students have experience with the engagement strategy, they are more comfortable and confident allowing them to solely focus on learning the content. The new content being taught keeps the engagement strategy feeling fresh!

Next Steps

If you found this post helpful and are wanting to learn more about increasing student engagement in the classroom, read this previous blog post: 3 Tips to Maximize Student Engagement.

You can also learn more about specific student engagement strategies for the classroom in my latest book, Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success. If you are in need of more classroom resources, visit my store here.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 4 Ways to Improve Student Engagement appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Are you in need of more self-care? Listen in as Gretchen talks about her self-care routines, tips, and tricks that might be able to help with just that.

Quotables

• “Don’t wait (to use self-care tactics) until you’re facing burnout.”
• “It’s okay to take a break and fill your time with something unrelated to your role.”
• “No matter how you decide to engage in self-care, it’s an activity that disengages us from the stress of the job.”

Previous Work-Life Balance Series Episodes

324: Reality of Work-Life Balance

326: Supportive School Culture

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Instagram: Always.A.Lesson
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Gretchen’s latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon.

Leave a Rating and Review:

This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2

• Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher.
• Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’
• Under ‘Customer Reviews,’ click on “Write a Review.”
• Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info
• Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best)
• Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast
• Click ‘Send’

The post 327: Disengage with Self-Care appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will explore 3 ways to improve classroom management practices in the classroom.

Relationships

Connecting human-to-human in terms of interests, personality and preferences brings the class together as one. When the teacher invests in their students before delivering content, trust develops. After trust, the student is willing to take more risks and be transparent in the learning process. Now the teacher is able to best help the student because they have formed a deep connection and they know how to best design lessons taking into account the uniqueness of each student. This increases student motivation to comply with class rules, limiting behavior disruptions during class time.

Routines

Routines provide structure to how the classroom operates. It is a road map of sorts, giving direction for what and how. When teachers plan routines ahead of time, they are being proactive in managing their classroom. Instead of waiting for a problem to erupt and then eating up class time remedying that problem, teachers have thought through potential hot spots and put routines in place to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Once a routine has been planned, teachers must teach it in isolation to students. Students then practice and implement the routine, receiving feedback on their performance. This can take days or weeks for a single routine. Routines can be reused for various activities such as details, volume, pace, location, format direction, and more. Learn more about routines with my PD in a Box tool. You may also find this checklist helpful!

Rope Students In

Engagement is key to having students open and motivated to learn. By making learning material appealing, teachers can entice students to engage fully in the learning experience. This is referred to as “roping students in.” Teachers can do this by utilizing pacing that feels just right for various learners (ie. fast lanes for those qho understand quickly and speed bumps for those that need to slow down and try again). Also, by including a plethora of engagement options for student discourse and interaction (ie. turn/talk, gallery walk, socratic seminar), it provides students with choice and voice. When they feel like they are not forced to learn in a specific way, can engage in a way that is interesting to them and allows them to voice their opinion, they lean into learning. Differentiation is key at this stage!

What’s next?

Want to learn more about the three ways to improve classroom management practices plus gain even more strategies to become more effective in the classroom? Read Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success. More classroom resources are also available here. Also, catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

Which classroom management practice are you most excited about trying in your classroom?

The post 3 Ways to Improve Classroom Management Practices in the Classroom appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Are you wondering how to make your school culture better? This episode is for you! Tune in as Gretchen shares a practical story about her experience with a supportive school culture, and the tips and tricks she uses to make it that much better.

Quotables

• “We as the educators had the choice for how we worked, and where. Just the flexibility made all the difference in finding enjoyment and slowing, or avoiding, the burnout that was coming.”
• “The lesson here is the school environment plays a major role in the work-life balance of the people working within its walls.”
• “The leader sets the expectation and the tone for how to navigate the ins and out of teaching so that we aren’t just a great teacher for a single year, but for many years.”

Work Life Balance Series Previous Episodes

Episode 324: Reality of a Work-Life Balance

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Instagram: Always.A.Lesson
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Gretchen’s latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon.

Leave a Rating and Review:

This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2

• Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher.
• Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’
• Under ‘Customer Reviews,’ click on “Write a Review.”
• Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info
• Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best)
• Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast
• Click ‘Send’

The post 326: Supportive School Culture appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This blog post will reveal five ways to improve the lesson design process so that teachers can be more effective in the classroom.

Focus on the design process, not the paper lesson plan.

Turning in lesson plans a month in advance promotes compliance over skillful planning. Requiring all teachers to use a specific lesson plan format emphasizes filling in the requirements instead of relying on teacher personality and expertise to design instruction. The goal of lesson design is to plan effective learning experiences for all students present in the classroom. Breaking out of compliance measures while also providing boundaries, ensures quality planning occurs that produces increases in student outcomes.

Implement a nonnegotiable, quarterly backwards design planning day.

Planning instruction is time consuming, especially if teachers want to do it well. Having a road map for what content to cover, when, and for how long is extremely helpful when sitting down to plan. Dedicating half a day to a full day for a team of teachers to come together to plan the roadmap for the upcoming quarter eliminates the burden of planning being too time consuming to do a thorough job. This needs to be a protected instructional practice for all teachers in every school building during every school year.

Prepare a flexible gradual release lesson delivery format.

Gradual release refers to passing ownership from the teacher to the student during a lesson. Typically a lesson will transition from direct instruction to guided practice and end with independent practice with or without an assessment. Many teachers follow this lesson format religiously; however, it often lacks flexibility. Moving to the next portion of the lesson because pacing says so means students are pushed forward before they are ready, causing lack of understanding and lower performance. Adding flexibility means teachers use pacing in addition to gradual release but build in check for understanding practices to determine when students are ready to move forward in the lesson content. As a result, some lessons will move forward quickly and others will move slowly. Flexibility ensures teachers are using a responsive instruction approach.

Get specific with time management and pacing.

Speaking of pacing, managing time during the planning process aids teachers in successfully executing the learning experience that was designed. Instead of hoping a teacher can get through the content planned in the time allotted, teachers can almost ensure that will happen by properly mapping out the time required for each section of the lesson. (Flexible gradual release can alter this slightly, but within reason.) No more rushing through to finish or allowing students “free time” when a lesson finished too early. This results in better academic outcomes for students.

Highlight both teacher and student actions throughout the lesson.

Being detailed with what both the teacher and students are doing during each portion of the lesson ensures no individual is a sitting duck. Students will misbehave with downtime or unclear expectations. Teachers will revert to administrative duties unrelated to student learning occurring in the moment if no specific action is planned for themselves (ie. pull a small group, 1:1 check ins, confer with teacher assistant or co-teacher, etc.). Deciding teacher and student actions during the design phase maximizes every minute of instruction. This too will positively impact teacher and student performance in the classroom.

What’s next?

Want to learn more about the five ways to improve the lesson design process plus gain even more strategies to become more effective in the classroom? Read Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger teacher or coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

What does your lesson design process look like at your school?

The post 5 Ways to Improve the Lesson Design Process appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Join us as we dive into the important of building trust and relationships with students, and how much of a difference small conversations can make. With Ashley Bendiksen’s expertise in supporting at-risk youth, she has touched many lives of students and adults.

• “Foster every opportunity for conversation for dialogue remind them that you’re there and hopefully they will turn to you. Should they ever need support.”
• “School staff plays such a unique and powerful role in the lives of students because of their proximity.”
• “Foster every opportunity for conversation for dialogue remind them that you’re there and hopefully they will turn to you. Should they ever need support.”

About Ashley Bendiksen

Ashley Bendiksen is an acclaimed speaker, Top Youth Speaker, award-winning activist, and survivor turned subject matter expert in domestic and sexual violence, child and family abuse, adolescent mental health, and supporting at-risk youth. Year-round, Ashley specializes in reaching both students and the adults who serve them. Ashley is also the founder of the Blue Hearts Project, a global storytelling platform for survivors, as well as co-founder of Island Youth Coaching which provides support to at-risk youth as well as consulting and training for youth-serving organizations. Earning her degree in Administration of Justice from Salve Regina University, Ashley graduated, remarkably, as Valedictorian seven years after dropping out with a failing GPA due to abuse.

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The post 325: Trust and Relationships with Ashley Bendiksen appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Teachers often collect data on student learning to make adjustments to their instruction to better meet the needs of their students. Instructional coaches can also utilize data collection methods to improve instruction. Through various tracking tools, coaches can hone in on specific areas of instruction and provide support to the teacher to increase effectiveness. It is recommended to choose ONE AREA to hone in on before entering a classroom as it would be difficult to accurately track everything in live time.

Data Collection Process

The following process allows instructional coaches and leaders to improve classroom instruction through a purposeful ongoing method. It builds in partnership opportunities for the teacher to reflect and the coach to suggest potential next steps for continued growth. The data collection process is inclusive of all teachers and is done with integrity to elicit the most accurate data to inform decision making.

• Get Organized – Locate the trackers you prefer to use, make individual folders (digital of physical) per teacher to store trackers, and create a schedule so that all teachers are observed sufficiently
• Inform Teachers– Let teachers know that you are trying out a new way to observe their instructional progress by honing in on a single area and documenting the improvement over time (ie. provide a modeled example). Remind them it will be an unannounced visit, to teach as normal, and that the area of focus will not be disclosed until the debrief. This ensures data is a true representation of daily instruction.
• Observe & Track– Pop in classrooms to observe only the area of focus for 15-20 minutes. Visit a handful of classrooms at a time to maximize effort.
• Analyze Trends – Review the data of the focus area for all teachers observed and note group trends (ie. what are they doing well or need to improve on in that area). Review data per teacher comparing the same area of focus over a period of time and note trends (ie. improvements and areas of struggle).
• Engage in Debrief Meetings– Share the data collected with teachers ahead of the meeting to allow them time to analyze their own data and reflect on next steps. This increases their accountability and participation in the debrief. During the debrief, keep it brief: Glows, grows & next steps.
• Repeat Area of Focus – You may need to repeat an area of focus during an observation after a predetermined set of time to note progress. Ideal time frames for data points would be initial, monthly, quarterly and end-of-year.

Common Areas of Focus

The following focus areas move the needle of instruction and therefore should be used by a coach to improve teacher proficiency and student achievement. Examples of what to look for are included below.

• Questioning– What rigor level of questions are asked throughout the lessons? How are questions phrased? Are the same students called on?
• Student Engagement– Are students engaging with the content, each other and the teacher? How often and for how long? What tools or activities are used to drive engagement? Did engagement occur in whole group, small group or in pairs?
• Teacher/Student Actions – Did the teacher plan for specific actions throughout the lesson? Are they purposeful? Are students adhering to expectations? Are procedures clear?
• Addressing Misbehaviors– Are appropriate consequences implemented when needed? Is treatment for and reasonable for all students? Did the teacher follow through to get the student back on track? What is the relationship with students before, during and after misbehaviors occur? Was the teacher able to get the student back on track for learning?
• Content Alignment– Is the standard, objective, assessment and activities aligned? How closely do they match? Is there a common thread found throughout the lesson? Is student understanding of content deepening throughout the lesson and through supports offered?
• Feedback– Who is providing feedback (teacher or student)? To what degree is feedback being implemented? How often is feedback occurring? Is feedback personalized to the learner? What method is used most often to deliver feedback? Is feedback well received?
• Pacing – Is the lesson appropriately paced so that the teacher can complete the lesson in entirety? Are there areas where the pace was too slow or too fast? What indicators did the teacher use to adjust pacing in the moment?

Resources for Data Collection

The following resource will allow you to create and personalize data trackers to best suit the needs of your teachers while also giving them an opportunity to reflect on the data before engaging in a debrief meeting:

• Editable, digital and printable teacher data collection trackers

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves too! Classroom resources are also available here. Also, catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

What type of teacher data do you collect?

The post Improve Classroom Instruction with Teacher Data Collection appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Have you ever felt like your work-life balance just isn’t enough? This episode is for you! Tune in as Gretchen shares a practical story about the reality of her work-life balance, and the tips and tricks she uses to make it that much easier.

Quotables

• “Balance means we’re doing enough of work, and enough of life that we actually feel both sides receive time spent equally.”
• “Prevention is EVERYTHING!”
• “Sometimes the pendulum swings on one side a bit, but the good news it’s not gonna stay that way forever so stay focused on that end goal, and push through when you’re out of balance and then recoup as necessary after.”

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Instagram: Always.A.Lesson
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Gretchen’s latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon.

Leave a Rating and Review:

This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2

• Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher.
• Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’
• Under ‘Customer Reviews,’ click on “Write a Review.”
• Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info
• Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best)
• Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast
• Click ‘Send’

The post 324: Reality of Work-Life Balance appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will explore how to add accountability measures to colleague collaborations.

Accountability as a Power Dynamic

Teams often get into a bad habit of coming together to plan instruction and may even delegate aspects of planning. But this leads them to working alone. Although sharing the workload is a big piece of a collaboration, it lacks input from the expertise of others. Educators can add accountability measures to what they are already doing together in collaboration by including:

• Voice – Allow everyone to share ideas before, during and after collaboration
• Iterations– Make revisions a natural part of the collaboration process, understanding the first copy is not the final one
• Task Matching – Leverage the strengths of each colleague by assigning a task to their area of genius
• Shared Ownership– Pass the baton to various colleagues during the goal achievement process so everyone gets a chance to lead and feel connected
• Established Norms– Get clear on what is expected before, during and after collaborative meetings so that everyone can meet the requirements consistently
• Naming What’s At Stake– Understanding the realities of what happens when goals or agreements within the collaboration aren’t met creates natural consequences for each participating colleague

Setting Up Accountable Collaborations

If you are need to reboot collaborations or are starting from scratch, the following 8 steps will ensure a layer of accountability is mixed into the successful partnership.

1. Discuss the power of accountable collaboration – Share the reasoning behind the intentional partnership as well as expectations for how to hold others and themselves accountable in the work
2. Review student and teacher performance data – This information (informal/formal common assessment scores and teacher evaluation rubric score), reveals areas for improvement
3. Brain dump potential goals– All members of the collaboration should place ideas for potential goals based on data findings on a shared white board or chart paper
4. Outline partnership pathway– Take the ideas for potential goals and prioritize them into a long-term work plan and ensure each team member agrees to the end goal and goal milestones
5. Flush out partnership pathway– Create a robust document outlining the details of the pathway (ie. due dates, task leaders, materials required, etc.)
6. Meet monthly to review the partnership pathway– Review the last month’s milestone goal and action items, make adjustments as necessary, and review the upcoming month’s task details
7. Seek feedback– regularly seek feedback from collaborative partners in regards to task completion, quality of work produced, attitude, and ability to work well with others (this could be built into the monthly review meeting)
8. Celebrate milestones– Acknowledge progress towards goals, even if plans diverged from the original pathway

Examples of Accountable Collaboration

If you are wondering what this might look like in action, below are three examples:

• A third grade team sits down during back-to-school planning to design an end of unit project for their first Social Studies unit. Each team member knew this was the focus of their meeting and brought in ideas they found in magazines, on social media and from former colleagues. This is accountability in showing up prepared with ideas to contribute to the team.
• This same team together determined their end of unit goal for students to be able to know and produce. They then backwards planned the sequence of lessons leading up to the final project. One team member was in charge of reviewing last year’s plans to decide what to replicate, change or omit and presented the findings to the team. Another team member reviewed all unit one assessments (formal and informal) and shared a suggested list of focus questions and ideal answers for each teacher to implement in their lessons. And another team member researched latest best practices in regards to differentiation, presenting options to their peers that can be implemented into lessons for students that needed it. (This is accountability in division of tasks.)
• Finally, this team decided next meeting they would come in with a rough outline for the first week of Social Studies lessons. Together, they would check for alignment between objective, assessment and activities. They’d also review questioning techniques and ideal student answers. One team member wants to talk through student pairings for discussion, leaning on the expertise of their peers. As a result, each member of the team agrees to review standards, draft objectives, review curriculum, and arrive ready to design an effective lesson. (This is accountability in planning, identifying teacher needs, and having a clear plan of action for each meeting.)

As you can see, teachers are collaborating in effective ways and utilizing accountability to produce stronger results for instruction.

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves too! Classroom resources are also available here. Also, catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

How have you added accountability into your colleague collaborations?

The post The Power of Accountable Collaboration appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Quotables

• “I finally found someone who taught me how I wanted to be taught and found my learning language which is what interested me. If we could do that with our students, we’d have a whole new universe.”
• “I work with them [students]. I talk to them, not at them.”
• “Every single time something comes to me, I never say no. I think about it and say where is the opportunity? Not the obstacle. Where is the opportunity?”

About Michael Grande

Connect with Michael Grande

http://TheGrandeMan.com

The post 323: Student Language with Michael Grande appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This blog post will provide a plethora of information in regards to successfully getting instructional coaching up and running in your building. You’ll be way ahead of the game by combing through the information shared below. It is organized by themed headings to direct your browsing.

I high suggest keeping two things in mind before diving in:

1. Read what is most pertinent to you and begin planning how to implement what you learned (please do not binge read and forget to apply your new knowledge!).
2. If something resonates with you and you might want to reference it in the future, bookmark it for later.
3. You can be successful without mastering everything mentioned below so consume until you hit your limit.

Happy learning!

Tasks:

1. How to Set Up Your Instructional Coaching Space
2. Get Organized for Coaching!

Coaching Cycles:

1. What is it and How do I Conduct one?
2. Starting Coaching Cycles at your School Site
3. Macro vs Micro Options

Skills:

1. Establishing Teacher Expectations of Instructional Coaching
2. 5 P’s of Meaningful Conversations with Teachers
3. How to Cultivate Trust with Teachers
4. How to Help Teachers Engage Students
5. How to Help Teachers Manage a Classroom
6. How to Provide Models of Expert Teaching
7. Building Relationships with a Large Caseload of Teachers
8. Creating Professional Boundaries with Colleagues
9. Guiding Questions that Move Teacher Performance Forward

Seasons of Coaching:

1. Summer Strategy
2. Fall Strategy
3. Winter Strategy
4. Spring Strategy

Supplies:

1. Must Have Supplies for an Instructional Coach
2. Leading PD: Must Haves for Instructional Coaches
3. Resources to Support your Leadership Growth
4. How a Mastermind can Increase Educator Effectiveness

Coach Life:

1. Not Having a Home Base
2. Wearing all the Hats
3. Being Teacher for the Day 

Tips:

1. 10 Tips for Moving into a Coaching Role as a Teacher
2. Tried-and-True Tips for Coaching
3. What I Wish I Knew About Being an Instructional Coach
4. 6 Tips for Instructional Coaches
5. Leadership Tips- Part 1
6. Leadership Tips- Part 2
7. Leadership Tips- Part 3
8. Leadership Tips- Part 4
9. Top 4 Coaching Fears & the Lessons They Teach Us
10. The Teacher Emotional Cycle with Coaching

I hope you found this compilation blog post helpful. If you prefer a community to learn along with you, join our Teacher Leader Mastermind! Wishing you a wonderful year as an instructional coach!

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves here.

Go Be Great!

What questions do you have about setting the stage as an instructional coach?

The post I am an Instructional Coach, Now What?! appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Quotables

Connect with Dr. Jim: 

• Follow him on all social media @JimVanAllan
• Email him: Jim@JonGordon.com
• The Energy Bus for Schools Book
• The Energy Bus for Schools Program
• The Energy Bus for Schools on You Tube

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

The post 322: Going All In with Dr. Jim Van Allan appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post provides 10 ways to improve instructional coaching practice for the school year.

Pre-Work Phase

These three steps set the groundwork for the planning phase that comes next. You’ll dig into the current information (data) you have so you can make sound decisions for what to do going forward.

1. Evaluate current practices – Look at your current coaching practices and ask yourself:
   • What does coaching currently look like at your school?
   • What are the teacher support options?
   • How effective are these strategies in improving teacher proficiency and student achievement?
2. Review teacher performance ratings – Look at the performance rubric scores of each teacher on your roster for next year. Creating a spreadsheet is most helpful by placing each rubric domain across the top, teacher name down the side and fill in ratings in the middle. This allows you to sort data as needed.
3. Review student learning outcomes – Look at formal and informal data for students by grade level. Be sure to only use common assessments so you can make an accurate comparison rather than pulling random work samples.

Planning Phase

The following four steps utilize the findings in the pre-work phase to plan and prepare for the new instructional coaching practice plan. They are best completed as an administrative team, but feel free to include instructional coaches as well.

1. Set targets – Based on the data collected, set a vision and end goal. This will provide clarity once you start executing your plan. Then establish milestone markers along the way so you can celebrate progress towards the finish line.
2. Design teacher support options  – There are many ways to support the growth of teachers. Reflecting on what options worked previously, what additional supports could be added? Teachers can benefit from  various modes of learning offered. Common learning opportunities are whole or small group professional development, grade level or subject area professional learning communities, 1:1 coaching cycles, and mentor pairings. Knowing teacher and student data allow you to create options that best suit the needs of your school. (Browse instructional coaching materials here to help you plan your teacher support options.)
3. Compile coaching techniques  – Research current best practices through scholarly articles, national newspaper magazines, and published books. (See a recommended reading list here.) Make note of commonalities and suggested techniques to build into your coaching practice.
4. Plan evidence collection intervals – Now that you know where you are going and how you plan to get there, you need to design a plan to collect evidence. Deciding ahead of time what “look for’s” you’ll reference to know whether or not coaching is working ensures effective use of your time and alignment to your goals. Select how often you’ll want to review evidence and make a list of what you plan to collect (ie. student scores, teacher observation data, anecdotal notes, etc.)

Execution Phase

The final phase of 3 steps puts all the pre-work and planning into practice.

1. Train instructional coaches –  Review the teacher support options coaches can implement to support the growth of teachers and students. Discuss what these options look like in detail and create a system to hold them accountable for implementing the strategies as intended. The best way to do this is through mock practice with feedback. Then coaches can perfect their use of techniques prior to working with teachers. Check out these practice scenarios here.
2. Roll out to teachers – Growth requires assistance from all parties. Coaches cannot force teachers to grow. Including teachers in the discussion about the plan for supporting their growth in the coming school year ensures they know all options available to them. Informing them of the accountability measures for growth increases the likelihood that they take advantage of the support options.
3.  Review and revise – Each quarter or semester, review the instructional coaching program strategy and revise as necessary. You can collect and review evidence prior to these points in time, but try not to make adjustments too quickly. Make revisions slowly and intentionally, allowing the process to work.

By following these 10 steps, you will improve your instructional coaching practice and experience tremendous returns on your investment.

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves here. Also, catch up on other help instructional coaching blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

What other ways would you add to improve instructional coaching practices at your school?

The post 10 Ways to Improve Instructional Coaching Practice this Year appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Join us as we immerse in Vicki Davis’s journey as an educator, author, and host.  With over 20+ years of experience in education, specializing in technology and her vast understanding of artificial intelligence, Vicki has touched the life of many students and educators throughout her career.

Quotables

*All quotables are from the interviewee

• “I would never say every single teacher has to embrace technology, but we have to embrace children. We have to embrace the nobility of teaching and we do have to embrace learning.”
• “All that our kids are going to know is massive change…So we need to educate ourselves about how we can learn.”
• “You have to relate to educate.”

About Vicki:

Vicki Davis is a classroom teacher, book publisher, mom, author of the Cool Cat Teacher Blog, and host of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast. With over 20+ years in education, Vicki has received many acknowledgments which include top education influencer awards, and a feature in USA Today. However, the award closest to her heart is being named STAR Teacher at her school and district this past school year. Over the years her blog has grown into a vibrant community of over 6000 posts, and her podcast has been recognized as a top podcast in education. Each post and episode is a fresh chapter in her shared adventure in education and technology. When the school bell rings, you can find Vicki juggling roles as an IT Director, Computer Science and Digital Technology teacher. Her classroom more than just a space; it’s a dynamic, fun learning community that extends beyond school walls, as they share and engage with the world. Vicki’s family includes her husband, three unique children, two of whom learn differently, (she never says the word “disability”), two dogs, and yes – Cheeto! Vicki’s varied educational journeys of her children ignite her drive to inspire every learner, celebrating their individuality. Vicki enjoys celebrating Cool Classrooms, explore Cool Apps and Technology, and share Cool Teaching Tips. When she is not immersed in a film project, assisting teachers, or fending off gnats in my hometown of Camilla, Georgia, she loves to spread her wings. Over the years, Vicki has conducted over 100 workshops, keynotes, and spotlight sessions globally, often with her students in tow!

Connect with Vicki:

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Instagram: Always.A.Lesson
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Gretchen’s latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon.

Leave a Rating and Review:

This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2

• Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher.
• Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’
• Under ‘Customer Reviews,’ click on “Write a Review.”
• Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info
• Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best)
• Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast
• Click ‘Send’

The post 321: Artificial Intelligence with Vicki Davis appeared first on Always A Lesson.

5 Ways to Enhance Your PLC Meetings:

1. Name the Gap – It’s important to acknowledge how effectively the current PLC operates and set a goal for where they want to be. This is called “Name the Gap.” Devising a pathway to get from current reality to goal allows all members of the PLC to be held accountable for improving.
2. Know the Pathway– Understanding the goal of every meeting ahead of time allows for all members to be prepared for the meeting – materials to bring, pre-work to be completed, etc. This is called “Know the Pathway;” no surprise topics or meetings. The goal for each meeting should be clear so a productive meeting can ensue.
3. Push for Iteration – A great PLC doesn’t settle on the first great idea. Through discussion and research, the PLC pushes each other’s thinking. The original idea iterates, which is why this is called “Push for Iteration.”  This practice allows a good idea to turn into a great one.
4. No Final Product– Many PLC’s  operate as a place and time to complete lesson plans. Focusing on leaving the meeting with a finished product limits the depth of collaboration. Instead, a PLC should focus on the process- the thinking and doing over a final product. A “No Final Product” mindset keeps the PLC from dipping back into old habits of trying to complete a subpar agenda item instead of iterating quality ideas that can be finalized after the actual meeting.
5. Mix the Group – Hosting multi-layered PLC’s allows for a unique discussion to occur. Teachers could be grouped by grade level, subject area or based on a subset of data. By mixing team members (vertical team, content team, grade level team, etc.), various expertise and perspectives can be shared. Again, ideas become better through effective collaboration with peers.

Additional Reading for PLC’s:

The following blog posts provide additional information in regards to PLC’s:

• Leading a PLC Data Chat
• Making a PLC Productive & Effective

Additional Resources for PLC’s:

• Professional Learning Community Forms Bundle
• PLC & Data Guides Bundle

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves here. Catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

What tips would you add for enhancing PLC meetings?

The post 5 Ways to Enhance your PLC Meetings appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Join us as we untangle the inspirational journey of Matthew Ebert, a powerhouse in education and expert in school leadership. With over twenty years of education experience, Matthew’s transformational insights have touched the lives of millions of educators worldwide.

Quotables

*All quotables are from the interviewee

• “People are not robots. The investment in the adults… the operationalizing of this idea of care pays off in the long run even if it’s messy.”
• It’s [winning] laughter. It’s joy. It’s people being happy to come to work, and kids being happy going to school.
• “Winning [in education] is a long term strategy that comes from taking care of each other.”

About Matthew:

Matthew Ebert is a human-centered leader with 20+ years of experience in education, primarily focused on school leadership in urban settings. Matthew’s consulting is grounded in his experiences as a teacher, director of academic innovation, academy leader, and a decade of successful leadership as a public charter school principal. Throughout his leadership tenure, Matthew has developed teams that exceed expectations, consistently achieving strong results. He is committed to cultivating healthy work and learning environments in which individuals feel seen, heard, and valued. In addition to helping team members consistently attain their personal and professional goals, Matthew has facilitated dramatic and consistent growth in student achievement in both Baltimore and Boston, in metrics focused on academic achievement and school climate. Matthew’s leadership is based in the idea that we are all here to take care of one another.

Connect with Matthew:

• www.linkedin.com/in/matthewebert1982
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/ebert-educational-consulting
• IG: eberteducationalconsulting
• X: eberteducation

• Creating A Culture Of Care
• Telling An Excellent Teacher It’s Time To Leave
• A Good Principal Knows When It’s Time To Leave

• Using Slack In Schools (Internal Communications)
• One on One Meetings
• Ted Talk: 3 Strategies to Address the Teacher Shortage Crisis

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Instagram: Always.A.Lesson
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Gretchen’s latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon.

Leave a Rating and Review:

This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2

• Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher.
• Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’
• Under ‘Customer Reviews,’ click on “Write a Review.”
• Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info
• Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best)
• Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast
• Click ‘Send’

The post 320: Positive School Climate with Matthew Ebert appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Attracting Teacher Talent

Setting the stage for teachers to want to work at a school or in a district begins with how they experience you, your staff and your offerings. Instead of advertising with a focus on the specific job openings, ask for future educators to apply who have certain attributes, goals or desires. Invite creative, passionate individuals who are dedicated to putting the learning needs of students first to a hiring event. Here they can engage in a meet-and-greet with potential colleagues, listen to school or district personnel testimonials, learn about competitive benefits and potential job perks (ie. staff lounge stocked with goodies, duty free lunch, free prep period, etc.). A personal invitation to the hiring event should also be given to current connections in the pipeline such as graduating student teachers, undergraduate university observers and other volunteers who have already begun their work in the school or district.

The most important component of attracting teaching talent is sharing the robust onboarding system available to new hires. Many districts offer new teacher orientation where teachers can receive school calendars, staff directories, site maps, daily schedules as well as the district mission and vision for instruction. A thorough onboarding system ensures the new hire acclimates to their specific school with ease (tour, building access instructions, assigned mentor, grade level expectations checklist, etc.) while also engaging in ongoing check ins to answer questions, provide feedback, and recalibrate expectations. Onboarding is not a single event; it is a continuous process. When done well over a period of years per hire, it leads to greater retention and stronger classroom performance.

Maintaining Teacher Talent

Once new hires are in place, the onboarding process continues with more intense support through professional development, coaching, and mentorship. A supportive work environment where new teachers receive personalized guidance through a clearly laid out plan diminishes confusion, anxiety, and stress. Trainings cover curriculum, district initiatives, instructional strategies and more. Based on the implementation of the knowledge and skills presented in the trainings, new teachers receive individualized feedback and coaching from mentors, teacher leaders and administrators. Additional learning can occur peer-to-peer where colleagues observe veteran teachers to see great teaching in action and engage in monthly meetings with mentors. Maintaining teacher talent allows the onboarding process to expand to deeper learning and support. This results in a reduction in staff turnover and burnout. New teachers are able to voice their concerns, have a choice in how they navigate obstacles, and feel empowered through the web of support surrounding them.

Sadly, according to the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey, 58% of teachers do not receive time to observe other teachers and 51% have never observed their mentor teaching (NCTWCS, 2022). Teachers, especially new teachers, deserve job-embedded learning opportunities led by their peers. With more than half of the teaching population missing out on these added layers of support means we will not be able to maintain that teaching talent for long. Teachers want to learn and grow, and they want to work in a place that provides that for them.

Growing Teacher Talent

Schools that invest in the future growth of their teachers are at an advantage. They can utilize the talents and skills of teachers to enhance their school offerings, climate and academic performance. This is why it is important to conduct one-on-one retention interviews to understand long term plans and interests of teachers. Leveraging the talent within the building allows a teacher’s impact to move from a single classroom to benefiting an entire student body within the school. Beyond these interviews, teachers can job shadow to experience teaching different grade levels, subject areas or working in different leadership positions. Teachers can continue their peer observations but expand them across the district to experience other school dynamics and options.  Exposing teachers to the multiple avenues in education increases the chances teachers remain in the profession. Building in ongoing, on-demand professional development with feedback that doesn’t require staying beyond contracted hours motivates teachers to perform well over a long period of time. When we support the growth of teaching talent, everyone wins.

As a result of attracting, maintaining and growing teacher talent, we are able to provide a learning environment that nurtures their capacity to thrive. This is an essential step in helping new teachers transition from knowledge acquisition to knowledge application. Moreover, when it comes to alternatively licensed new teachers, they experience an additional set of obstacles- having to acquire the knowledge at the same time as putting them into practice. This is why personalized support that matches the needs of each new teacher must be provided in the onboarding process. The three-prong approach of attracting, maintaining and growing teacher talent becomes a well-designed pathway of success to support the growth of new teachers. This allows them to experience confidence, competence and excitement for their future in education. Our students deserve to be taught by the best version of their teacher, year after year. The investment leaders make in implementing a system of support will allow schools across the nation to attract, and grow teacher talent. Together, we can help new teachers thrive and make a long-lasting impact in our classrooms!

Grab my latest book Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom & Career Success to cultivate teacher capacity!

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves here. Catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Cultivating Capacity: Nurturing New Teachers into Impactful Educators appeared first on Always A Lesson.