Posts by Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
Text Talk: Get Kids Talking Authentically & Enthusiastically About a Text
One challenge teachers face is the lack of quality text talk in the classroom. This means teachers are struggling to get students excited to engage in meaningful conversations with each other about the books that they are reading. It is important for students to develop text based discussion skills because it increases reading comprehension while…
Read Full Post186: Amplify your Impact
It’s time we take what is working in our own classrooms and share it with other educators so that they can replicate our success. To truly amplify our impact in our classroom, school buildings, and community we need to figure out where we excel and make it accessible to others so that they can repeat…
Listen to EpisodeHow to Utilize Overly-Engaged Parents to your Advantage
The idea of an overly-engaged parent in your classroom can bring feelings of anxiety to some teachers. An overly-engaged parent can be defined as one that desires access to the teacher often, whether in forms of communication or collaboration. From the perspective of a teacher, in order to appease this type of parent, it requires…
Read Full Post185: Being Your Best with Kim Lepre
Kim is a veteran educator of 17 years, currently a 7th-grade English teacher, Beginning Teacher Mentor, Educational Technology Specialist, and technology and standards-based coach throughout her district. She also has a Leading Edge Blended Learning certificate and is a Level 2 Google Certified Educator. During her career, she’s taught band, choir, AVID, Study Skills, and…
Listen to EpisodeAdvice to a First Year Instructional Coach
The role of an instructional coach has rapidly become a well-sought after commodity in most schools. The position is ideally held by a veteran teacher with a proven track record for success in the classroom and in the leadership of other teachers. This means that success in the classroom is due to consistent growth in…
Read Full Post184: Developing your Leadership Style
The term “teacher leader” encompasses so many jobs in and around a school building. Learning how to lead others can be tricky and confusing. But when you understand the variety of leadership styles that are out there and you reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, you are able to create your own style of leadership.…
Listen to EpisodeStrengthen Relationships & Instruction with Conferring Notes
Conferring with students is one of the best instructional strategies a teacher can employ in their classroom. (To confer means to speak with students 1:1 during the independent practice portion of a lesson.) The process is two-fold: get information, give information. It is a personalized opportunity to re-teach concepts students have previously learned while also…
Read Full Post183: Remain Passionate When Your Toes are to the Fire
Educators experience stress just like all other professions. Sometimes those seasons of stress feel never ending and can even convince you that your life in education will never be any different than the ugly struggle it is right now. The truth is, seasons of stress when your toes are to the fire are moments for…
Listen to EpisodeHow to Lead an Efficient & Engaging Professional Development Session
Teacher leaders are often creating professional development [PD] sessions for the staff that they lead. These PD sessions historically have been meetings that are lengthy, rarely applicable, and have a “sit and get” mentality. This is an ineffective way to equip teachers with instructional best practices and knowledge of current pedagogy. Teachers need opportunities to…
Read Full Post182: Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing
It is easy this day in age to get distracted. Teachers can easily fall down a rabbit hole full of shiny, sparkly classroom implementations that don’t always lead to student learning or teacher effectiveness. Tune in to hear what the “main thing” is when it comes to teaching and tips to hone your craft in…
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