10 Alternative Options for Professional Development for Teachers

Teachers deserve ongoing learning opportunities. Although this is true, working in the Covid era has eroded the desire and brain capacity to take on new learning. Long gone are the ineffective, sit-and-get PD sessions for teachers. Teachers need alternative professional development options. If the goal of PD is to support the ongoing learning of teachers,…

Leading Valentine’s Day Festivities at your School Site

Valentine’s Day is coming! Students aren’t the only ones who love to celebrate either- adults get excited for the love holiday too. To infuse some fun, holiday celebration into the school day, teacher leaders can plan various Valentine’s Day festivities for educators. These efforts will strengthen the sense of community among staff by showering educators…

3 Ways to Level Up Your Leadership

To level up your leadership means you are a constant learner. You are willing to put in the work to hone your craft so that those you lead can be more effective. Being a learner ensures you stay current in the field and grow instead of stagnate. There are many ways to level up your…

How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of an Instructional Coach

The role of an instructional coach is to support the growth and development of teachers in the classroom. There are a variety of ways in which instructional coaches can provide support like leading professional development sessions, facilitating professional learning community meetings, implementing coaching cycles and more! It’s important to know whether these support efforts are…

Leading Quality Professional Development for Teachers

Leading quality professional development sessions for teachers is essential to their growth. When teacher leaders provide impactful learning opportunities, educators perform stronger in the classroom. This allows students to be lead by a more proficient teacher which in turn allows students to achieve at higher rates. In the past, professional development sessions have been “sit…

Using Social Media to Promote Your School

Social media accounts for schools can be powerful. They promote communication with stakeholders- parents, students, and community members. They showcase what makes the school unique while celebrating the strides made to become a positive, successful learning environment for children. One major drawback for having social media accounts for schools is the time requirement to set…

Coaching Cycles: Macro vs Micro Options

Coaching cycles support the growth of teachers in the classroom. They are a sequence of partnership opportunities between the teacher and coach that range from intensive to light support. What support opportunities included in coaching cycles is not black and white. Instructional coaches and other teacher leaders have the flexibility to create support options tailored…

Establishing Teacher Expectations of Instructional Coaching

Are there clear teacher expectations of what instructional coaching looks like at your school site? If not, you’re not alone. Many schools do not define, share nor uphold expectations for the role of an instructional coach. This does a disservice to teachers who have access to a support but no idea how to utilize it.…

Solving Major Problems in Education

There are numerous problems in education. We are using outdated methods in today’s school climate. With this strategy, we will never get ahead nor will we meet the needs of our current students. Luckily, there are educators willing to solve these problems. Even though some districts and states might have unique obstacles that require unique…

Tips to Boost Teacher Morale

Teacher morale has taken a nose dive the past two years as educators have worked tirelessly through the pandemic. They’re teaching double time with students in the classroom and learning at home, managing a revolving door of quarantining children for ten days at time, and maneuvering social distancing protocols.  On top of that, teachers are…