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.…

Providing professional development on lesson design can be quite fruitful for teachers. Lesson design is a deliberate practice where teachers plan on a macro and micro level, meaning they zoom in and out to ensure all lessons are aligned and thorough. The skill of designing lessons can be hard to master, but consistent practice builds…

Teaching adults is different than teaching kids. Even though both are engaging in the process of learning, how they learn (and need to learn) are different. To ensure a successful and enjoyable experience, knowing how to teach each subgroup is important. In education, adults have to continue learning through professional development [PD] to keep their…

Collaborative planning is a strategy whereby teachers sit together to develop cohesive, aligned lesson plans for all subject areas. Schools utilize this process in various ways which impacts the results. When expectations differ among school sites, the effectiveness of the developed lesson plans differ within the same district. Over time, poor collaborative planning habits create…

Right size PD (professional development) refers to shortening the dose of learning for teachers. Often times, they need to spend more time in their classroom prepping for lessons and analyzing data to better support students. As a result, long learning sessions tend to be hard to schedule and ill received. It turns out that micro…

The power of PD (professional development) is tremendous when executed correctly. When schools intentionally plan, prepare and deliver high quality learning experiences for teachers, they increase instructional effectiveness and student learning outcomes. This post will cover building and executing quality professional development while also providing additional tips for success. Building Quality PD Building professional development…

PD on Demand is a way in which school leaders provide ongoing learning opportunities for teachers without the cost of time. Being able to increase teacher skillset and knowledge without it requiring extensive amounts of time is a winning solution. Why do we need micro PD options for teachers? One thing that seems to be…

Professional development [PD] can be a bore for teachers so infusing joy with Buzzword Bingo will keep them asking for more. Since educators have to attend a certain amount of learning hours to keep their licenses active, PD can not be avoided. However, PD can be enhanced and upgraded so that it is not only…

To reinvent a classroom management strategy takes intentional planning and execution. This ensures we do not repeat our current struggles. Reinventing a strategy that creates an environment where students can thrive while learning takes multiple iterations to ensure it produces the desired results. Teachers and leaders can follow a 5 step process to successfully reinvent…

Community partnership is necessary for the success of a school. Educating a child is not a singular job, it’s a team effort. By leveraging community partnerships, schools will reach new levels of success. The California Department of Education says: “Family and community engagement greatly increases the likelihood that students will learn and thrive. Students are more…