Educational Blog
Cycles of Success
I enjoyed my summer providing professional development to new teachers. I learn so much from their perspective and eagerness. Instructors and teacher coaches had been sharing engagement techniques with them all summer long like stopping and jotting or turning and talking to get students engaging with material to solidify their learning as well as give the…
Read Full PostAutism is a Characteristic, Not an Identity
As the title of this post dictates, autism describes a characteristic of an individual, but it is not the entirety of a person’s identity. I am trained in ABA therapy to work 1:1 with autistic children to help them gain the skills necessary to become functioning in the structure of our world. One little boy…
Read Full PostCoaches: Fill Up on Resources!
I have been coaching new teachers for the past three years, but more recently decided to break out on my own to provide private consultations to teachers of all ability levels. This required me to create my own resources. Due to engaging in #educoach Twitter chats, I came into contact with numerous instructional coaches looking for resources. I decided…
Read Full PostMy New Favorite Tech Tool: Voxer
Have you heard of Voxer? It’s an app for your device that allows you to communicate with others on a walkie-talkie type platform. I like it because I am always on the go and keeping in touch with others through text can be tricky and unsafe. But with Voxer, I can tap the ‘talk’ button and…
Read Full PostTeacher Improvement Starts with Personalized Coaching
I enjoyed the #educoach Twitter chat that went down last night. I met some amazing instructional coaches around the nation. What I love most about them is that they realized although they have a lot of knowledge to share with teachers, they still have areas they need to grow as well. #lifelonglearner Coaching is one…
Read Full PostNew Teachers Change Lives Too- Part 2
During the summer, I work as a new teacher coach for TEACH Charlotte under the non-profit company The New Teacher Project. I love what I do. Just like students have the “aha” moment in a lesson, new teachers have the “aha” moment in the classroom while you’re coaching. It’s so rewarding to watch someone grow before…
Read Full PostNew Teachers Change Lives Too- Part 1
During the summer, I work as a new teacher coach for TEACH Charlotte under the non-profit company The New Teacher Project. I love what I do. Just like students have the “aha” moment in a lesson, new teachers have the “aha” moment in the classroom while you’re coaching. It’s so rewarding to watch someone grow before…
Read Full PostMy Love/Hate Relationship with Teacher Hero Movies
One of my favorite past times is snuggling up on the couch and watching a feel-good movie. What is even more exciting is when a movie about education and/or an amazing teacher comes out and I can get re-inspired about my career choice. However, as numerous movies have been created and hit the big screen,…
Read Full PostResponsive Teaching Saves Children
I used to rack my brain for how I could reach my students better. There were times that I felt no matter what I did I wasn’t effective, or at least I thought. What I learned through much trial and error was that it had less to do with what I was doing and more…
Read Full PostHow Do You Do It All?
I often get asked, “Gretchen, how do you do it all?” When I respond to this question, the person usually says “hmm…that makes sense.” Their response tells me that what I think is a logical solution or train of thought might not be as obvious to others as it was to me. Let me explain……
Read Full Post