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…

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 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…

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 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…

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.…

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 We are using outdated methods in today’s school climate.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…

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…

It’s time we start the conversation about how to transform classroom instruction. The pandemic has shaken up the very old and outdated structure of classroom instruction. As we begin to rebuild our new normal, we need to take inventory of what works best for kids and what we need to reimagine. I was recently reading…

Coaching cycles are a way for instructional coaches to individually support classroom teachers. The role of an instructional coach is to guide the growth and development of teachers. Coaching cycles provide a roadmap instructional coaches can follow to keep teachers on the growth trajectory. This post will share how to get started with coaching cycles…