Effective differentiation does not mean creating an entirely different lesson for every learner. It means making thoughtful adjustments so more students can access the learning, participate meaningfully, and show what they know.

The goal is not to do everything at once. The goal is to make one manageable adjustment at a time. This post will share practical differentiation strategies that do not overwhelm teachers.

Start With One Variable

When planning a differentiated lesson, focus on changing just one variable:

• Content: What students are learning or the materials they use
• Process: How students engage with and practice the learning
• Product: How students demonstrate what they know

You do not need to differentiate all three during every lesson. For example, everyone might work toward the same learning target using the same text, but students could have different options for demonstrating their understanding. One student might write a response, another might create a visual representation, and another might record a short explanation. In that lesson, you are differentiating the product while keeping the content and process consistent.

During another lesson, all students might complete the same final task, but some students receive scaffolded notes, sentence starters, a vocabulary bank, or an additional teacher model. In that case, you are differentiating the process.

Choosing one area allows you to support students without creating an unmanageable workload for yourself. Before planning, ask: “Which single adjustment would help the greatest number of students access today’s learning?”

Different Does Not Always Mean Separate

One common misconception is that differentiation requires every group of students to complete a completely different activity. It does not. Small supports can make a shared task more accessible without separating students into entirely different lessons.

You might provide:

• Sentence stems for students who need support beginning a response
• A word bank containing important academic vocabulary
• A partially completed example
• A visual model or anchor chart
• An extension question for students ready to go deeper
• A checklist that breaks a larger task into manageable steps
• Additional time to rehearse an answer with a partner

These adjustments allow students to work toward the same goal while receiving the level of support or challenge they need. That is differentiation.

Use Quick Checks to Create Flexible Groups

Differentiation works best when it responds to what students currently understand—not assumptions about what they can or cannot do. Instead of placing students into permanent “high,” “middle,” and “low” groups, use quick formative checks to decide what support they need for a specific skill.

Try using:

• A one-question exit ticket
• A quick poll
• Response cards
• Individual whiteboards
• A short warm-up problem
• A turn-and-talk while you listen for misconceptions
• A confidence rating from one to five
• A brief written response

Use the information you collect to form temporary groups. One group may need the concept modeled again. Another may need guided practice. A third may be ready to apply the skill independently or extend the learning.

Those groups should change as students’ needs change. A student who needs additional support during a fraction lesson may be ready for an extension during a geometry lesson. Flexible grouping communicates that support is temporary and based on the learning—not a permanent label attached to the student.

Grab the Student Engagement Strategy Menu so you  can use the structures to gather quick formative information, organize collaborative practice, and adjust groups without inventing a new activity from scratch.

Build Predictable Differentiation Routines

Differentiation becomes overwhelming when teachers believe they must create something new every time. Instead, choose a few reusable structures that students can learn and teachers can repeat. When the routine stays consistent, you only need to change the content.

1. Choice Boards

A choice board gives students several ways to practice a skill or demonstrate their understanding. The choices should connect to the same learning target, even if the format or level of support varies.

For example, after reading a text, students might choose to:

• Write a paragraph explaining the central idea
• Create a visual summary with supporting details
• Record a one-minute explanation
• Compare the text’s central idea with another text
• Respond to a teacher-created challenge prompt

Choice boards can increase ownership without requiring the teacher to create a completely separate lesson for every student. Keep the number of choices manageable. Three meaningful options are often more effective than a crowded board containing nine complicated tasks.

2. Tiered Prompts

Tiered prompts allow students to explore the same concept at different levels of complexity.

For example:

• Foundational: Identify the character’s decision and describe what happened.
• On level: Explain how the character’s decision affected the outcome.
• Extended: Evaluate the character’s decision and defend an alternative choice using evidence.

The learning remains connected, but the depth of thinking changes. You can also allow students to begin with one prompt and move to a more challenging prompt when they are ready.

3. Scaffolded Notes

Scaffolded notes help students focus on the most important information without removing the thinking from the lesson. One version might include key headings and blank spaces. Another might include vocabulary definitions, visual cues, or partially completed examples. Students who are ready for more independence might use a less structured version. The goal is not to make the task easier. The goal is to remove barriers that prevent students from engaging with the actual learning.

4. Must-Do and May-Do Tasks

A must-do and may-do structure creates a clear priority while allowing students to work at an appropriate pace. The must-do task addresses the essential learning target. The may-do choices provide additional practice, application, or extension. This prevents students from becoming overwhelmed by too many tasks while giving faster-working students a meaningful next step.

5. Reusable Planning Templates

Templates reduce decision fatigue.

Instead of creating a new differentiation plan every day, use a simple template that asks:

• What is the learning target?
• What quick check will I use?
• Who may need additional support?
• What scaffold can I prepare?
• Who may need additional challenge?
• What extension can I offer?
• How will students demonstrate their learning?

A predictable planning routine helps differentiation become part of lesson design instead of an extra task added at the end.

Grab the Differentiation Planning Page. This one-page planning template helps teachers differentiate one manageable piece at a time using quick checks, flexible groups, scaffolds, and extensions.

Differentiate Support Before Creating More Work

Before designing multiple versions of an assignment, consider whether you can differentiate the support instead.

All students might complete the same task, but some may receive:

• An example
• A graphic organizer
• A list of possible ideas
• A small-group conference
• Additional guided practice
• A peer discussion opportunity
• A shortened set of practice questions
• An audio version of the text
• A challenge question after completing the core task

This approach is often more sustainable than creating several unrelated assignments. It also helps maintain high expectations. Students continue working toward the same essential goal while receiving the tools they need to make progress.

Plan for Students Who Are Ready to Move Ahead

Differentiation is not only about supporting students who are struggling. Students who understand the concept quickly also need meaningful opportunities to deepen their learning. Avoid simply giving these students more of the same work. Ten additional problems are not necessarily more rigorous than five.

Instead, ask students to:

• Explain their reasoning
• Defend a position
• Compare two strategies
• Find and correct an error
• Create an example
• Apply the skill in a new context
• Develop a question for a classmate
• Teach the concept using a visual or model

These tasks increase the depth of thinking without requiring you to design an entirely new lesson.

Let Students Help You Make Decisions

Student voice can make differentiation more accurate and manageable.

Ask students:

• Which part of this lesson felt most challenging?
• What support helped you today?
• Would you rather explain your thinking in writing, through discussion, or with a visual?
• What is one question you still have?
• How confident do you feel about this skill?
• Are you ready to work independently, or would another example help?

These responses provide useful information for planning your next lesson. They also help students become more aware of how they learn and what support they need.

Grab the Student Voice Audit here as a practical tool you can use to notice patterns and make thoughtful instructional adjustments.

Remember That Fair Does Not Mean Identical

Teachers sometimes worry that students will think differentiation is unfair. It helps to establish a classroom culture in which students understand that everyone is working toward growth, but they may not always use the same tools to get there.

A student wearing glasses is not receiving an unfair advantage. The glasses provide access. Instructional scaffolds work in a similar way. Some students may need a graphic organizer. Others may need an extension task. Some may need to hear directions again. Others may be ready to begin independently.

Fair does not mean every student receives the exact same support. Fair means every student has a meaningful opportunity to learn.

Keep It Sustainable

The best differentiation strategy is one you can use consistently.

Before adding a new structure, ask:

• Can I reuse this?
• Will students understand the routine?
• Does it connect directly to the learning target?
• Will it give me useful information?
• Can I manage it while teaching?
• Does the benefit justify the preparation time?

Differentiation should improve access to learning—not leave the teacher exhausted before the lesson even begins. Choose one strategy. Practice it until it feels natural. Then add another.

You do not need five different lesson plans. You need a clear learning goal, a quick way to notice what students need, and a small collection of reliable strategies you can use again and again.

Your Next Step

Choose one upcoming lesson and decide which variable you will adjust: content, process, or product.

Then select one manageable strategy:

• Add a scaffold
• Provide two product choices
• Use a quick formative check
• Create temporary groups
• Offer one extension prompt
• Use a familiar choice board or planning template

Start small. Notice what works. Refine it the next time.

Thoughtful differentiation is not about doing more for every student. It is about making better instructional decisions, one manageable adjustment at a time. Read more posts about differentiation here.

GO BE GREAT!

The post How to Differentiate Without Overcomplicating It appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Typically, teachers introduce a new skill during whole-group instruction and gather both informal and formal data to assess understanding. From there, small groups become a powerful next step. Students who need additional support are pulled for reteaching, ideally in groups of 3–5—so instruction can be precise and responsive. Because the skill has already been introduced, the teacher can focus on exactly where the breakdown occurred and reteach that specific piece with clarity and intention.

Some students will quickly reach mastery with this extra support, while others may need repeated small-group opportunities or even one-on-one instruction over time. That’s the beauty of this approach, it meets students where they are without slowing down the entire class.

This post will share three practical strategies to help you manage small-group instruction effectively, without feeling overwhelmed.

Keep Systems Simple and Predictable

Small-group instruction doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. In fact, the simpler the system, the more sustainable it becomes.

Build small-group time into your daily routine so it becomes a normal, expected part of learning. When every student knows that small groups are just “what we do,” it removes stigma and builds a classroom culture where extra support is seen as a natural step in the learning process, not a punishment or label.

Consistency is your best friend here. The fewer moving parts, the smoother your transitions will be.

Establish One Strong, Repeatable Routine

Clarity eliminates chaos. A well-established routine allows both you and your students to move into small-group time with confidence.

Post clear directions for:

• Who is meeting with you
• Where the group will meet
• What materials to bring
• How long the group will last

Just as important, be explicit about expectations for students who are not meeting with you. What should they be working on? What should they do if they get stuck? How do they manage their time?

When these routines are consistent and visible, you spend less time managing behavior and more time teaching. You also reduce your own cognitive load—no need to redesign the system every lesson.

Teach Independence (Before You Need It)

Small groups only work if the rest of the class can function without you.

Start by building independence during whole-class instruction. Give all students time to work independently while you circulate, provide feedback, and reinforce expectations. This allows you to coach behaviors in real time before introducing small-group pull-outs.

Then, gradually begin pulling small groups while the rest of the class continues working. Expect some interruptions at first, that’s part of the process. Stay consistent, reinforce expectations, and resist the urge to abandon the structure too quickly.

Independence isn’t automatic, it’s taught, practiced, and refined over time.

Final Thought

Small-group instruction doesn’t have to feel chaotic or overwhelming. With simple systems, clear routines, and a strong foundation of student independence, it can become one of the most powerful tools in your teaching toolkit.

Start small. Stay consistent. And trust the process, because the impact on student learning is worth it.

Recommended Resources

• Blog Posts:
  • 5 Steps for Running Small Group Instruction
  • Improve Classroom Instruction with Teacher Data Collection
• Podcast Episodes:
  • Differentiation and Personalization
  • Slaying the myth of Differentiation

GO BE GREAT!

The post Maximizing Small-Group Instruction (Even When You’re New) appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will reveal a three prong method for cultivating quality teaching and learning in k-12 classrooms across the globe.

Hire

Hiring is an intentional process leaders engage in to ensure they attract and hire qualified candidates aligned to their school mission. A thorough hiring process will uncover red flags that could be a risk if that potential candidate was hired. This process could include an application, phone interview, in-person interview or teaching a demo lesson, ending with talking with references.

An application should gather basic information, a career summary, and responses to carefully chosen writing prompts. These prompts should highlight the candidate’s professionalism, experience, passion, and ability to think critically and connect with others. This helps school leaders find candidates who match their school’s goals and fill specific grade-level needs.

The interview process has two parts. First is a phone interview. This allows the interviewer to expand on the application and ask deeper questions. It focuses on the candidate’s interest in the role, why they’re a good fit, and how they think under pressure. This step helps predict how they might respond to challenges or conflict on the job.

Next is the demo lesson. This gives leaders a chance to see the candidate teach in real time. It also shows whether their teaching matches what they shared in the application and interview.

A thorough hiring protocol ensures quality candidates get hired.

Helpful resources include:

• Cultivating Capacity- Nurturing new teachers into impactul educators
• Preparing for an Interview (Print + Video)

Train

Once hired, we must train the new employee (whether brand new to the profession or new to the school). Training consists of onboarding and professional development. The onboarding process allows a colleague to walk the new employee through how to be successful while working at that specific school- everything from a campus map to getting a substitute teacher for an absence.

Professional development is an ongoing process where leaders guide new hires towards mastery in curriculum initiatives, school and district goals, instructional best practices and more. This ensures a quality candidate continues to grow in their proficiency which then allows students to grow in their capacity as well.

Helpful resources include:

• The Importance of Providing Onboarding for Educators
• Onboarding: How to Support a New Hire at your School
• Professional Development Training Options

Support

There are a variety of ways to support a new hire beyond the professional development workshops. Assigning a mentor to meet monthly about current needs, upcoming events, and trouble shooting common obstacles allows the new hire to receive a more systematic support from a high performing mentor.

Utilizing an instructional coach is another way to add a layer of support for the new hire. This coach will conduct coaching cycles focusing on areas of need aligned to high quality teaching in areas such as lesson design, classroom management, student engagement and student ownership. These cycles could last six to nine weeks honing in on high leverage areas one at a time.

Professional learning communities [PLC’s] is a final way to support a new hire. PLC’s are a collaborative  structure where colleagues work together weekly to plan lessons, design assessments, brainstorm differentiation strategies and more.

When you support a new hire in this way, your retention rate for quality teachers skyrockets and so does student achievement.

Helpful resources include:

• Success Secrets of Colleague Mentorship
• Characteristics of an Effective Teacher Mentor
• Mentor Kit
• Coaching Printables
• PLC Guides
• 5 Ways to Enhance your PLC Meetings

Wishing you a fantastic year as you cultivate quality teaching and learning!

GO BE GREAT!

The post 3 Ways to Cultivate Quality Teaching and Learning appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Every child deserves a high-quality education, no matter which teacher they have. To fix this issue, school leaders are now setting aside time to focus on consistent, high-quality teaching. When all leaders do this, every student gets a fair chance to succeed.

This post explains what causes these differences and shares a simple plan school leaders can use to fix them.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Inconsistent Quality of Teaching & How to Overcome It appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Because lesson design is an intricate process to master, providing ongoing learning opportunities will help strengthen the skill. Instead of leading a learning workshop on the topic multiple times throughout the year, it is best to offer varied learning opportunities to keep the learning fresh and interesting.

This post will outline multiple ways to provide professional development to teachers on lesson design.

Light Options

There are ways to introduce the concept of lesson design without causing overwhelm to teachers. The following options expose teachers to new ideas in easy to digest pieces:

• Newsletters– Have a dedicated space on your weekly newsletter brief that highlights instructional best practices with tips for how to successfully implement them in the classroom. You can do a series of related topics each month or quarter. You may choose to also hang these newsletters in high traffic areas for teachers to be reminded.
• Podcast Pre-Work– While teachers are commuting to work or cleaning their classroom, they can listen to specific episodes you have hand picked related to lesson design. Providing a quick homework assignment for teachers to turn in after listening, is a way to get the discussion started with this instructional focus.
• Blog Post Reading– Select 1-3 blog posts related to lesson design (like these here), and have teachers compare and contrast their reading. This again gets their wheels spinning about an important topic before coming together to discuss implementation strategies.
• Book Excerpts– Similar to blog post reading, select excerpts from a book (like chapter 2 of this book) related to lesson design to have teachers read. Providing comprehension or reflection questions help the new information begin to percolate in their minds.

Medium Options

Once teachers are primed with an overview of lesson design, they are ready to learn more at a deeper level followed by applying their learning.

• Mini Lesson– There are four main concepts, referred to as bricks, of lesson design. Providing a targeted PD session for each brick, followed by planning for implementation allows all the key points to be collected, reflected and applied.
• Coaching Menu– Design a menu of learning options for teachers in regards to lesson design. Items could be completed individually or as a group. Also, teachers can select as many of the opportunities as they’d like. Each task will have it’s own due date and instructions so be sure to be clear where to locate that information. This builds in choice to the learning experience, increasing the likelihood teachers engage at high levels.
• PD on Demand – Provide mini training to teachers where they can learn on their own and at their own pace. Simply provide the materials and check back a week or so later to discuss implementation and share feedback. A range of topics can be provided to strengthen that specific portion of the lesson design process. Browse options here.

Heavy Options

As teachers begin applying lesson design practices more consistently, its time to fine tune them in a personalized way.

• Book Club– Building in some ownership into the learning experience, allow teachers to read a common text (like this one) and meet regularly to discuss their findings, connections, and plans for execution. It is highly suggested to provide an outline for meetings and/or chapter-by-chapter questions to aid in high level discussion.
• Coaching Cycle– Working 1:1 with teachers allows them to have the most personalized, thorough support. Conducting a coaching cycle that includes a pre-observation, observation, and post-observation debrief will ensure teachers maximize the benefits of lesson design. Teachers can engage in multiple coaching cycles until they reach the highest level of effectiveness.

Key Points to Discuss

Regardless of whether you decide to implement light or heavy PD options for staff, it is important to cover the essential key points of lesson design. For example:

• Standard and content alignment
• Backwards design
• Check for understanding
• Differentiation
• Gradual release
• High value + high meaning
• Pacing
• Technology

To gain more in depth details about strengthening lesson design processes, read my latest book “Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.”

GO BE GREAT!

The post Lesson Design Professional Development Options appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will outline strategies for creating a consistent and effective collaborative planning system. The four P’s will help all schools develop and maintain collaborative planning meetings with teachers.

Purpose

Setting the intention for collaborating planning provides clarity for everyone involved. Pondering the purpose as a leadership team allows for multiple perspectives to be shared. This ensures the purpose is intentional and clear which makes way for impactful results.

Questions to consider are:

• Why do we want teachers to plan together?
• What is the outcome we desire?
• How can teachers effectively plan on a consistent basis?

Promise

Including teachers in the development of collaborative planning increases the chances they engage fully in the process. When fully invested, teachers will experience the power of collaboration in enhancing their ideas for instruction. Asking teachers to make a pledge, or promise, for how they will engage ensures commitment to the goal and adhesion to the plan. Teachers can develop the promise together and then all sign it.

Examples of characteristics teachers should display during collaborative planning are:

• being honest and vulnerable
• including all voices
• showing up prepared and on time.

Protocol

Writing down the plan teachers must follow for collaborative planning keeps clarity front-and-center. It helps teachers develop the intended habits and holds them accountable for engaging at high levels during every planning meeting.

Aspects that should be included in the protocol are:

• Team announcements
• Daily goal
• Reference pacing guide, curriculum, standards, and backwards planning documents
• Hash out content, questioning, differentiation, instructional strategies
• Develop informal assessments
• Reflect on previous lessons to implement changes for subsequent lessons

Productivity check

Although many planning meetings tend to divide up duties to save time, they do not create effective instruction in every classroom. That’s because each teacher is only planning a portion of a lesson without discussing the lesson in detail together with peers. Inadequate planning creates inadequate instructional delivery. As a result, students are unable to master lesson objectives and skills. We must revise our collaborative planning structures so that they remain productive (ie. save time and produce outcomes) without sacrificing content understanding. Taking time every month to conduct a productivity check will keep planning meetings on track.

Questions to ask ourselves:

• Are we following the protocol as intended?
• Are we able to thoroughly plan during our meetings?
• Is everyone pulling their weight?
• Is everyone clearly understanding lesson material prior to teaching?
• Are discussions leading to idea development that is rigorous and aligned?

Additional Resources

If you are in need of additional materials to help you revise your collaborative planning process, consider these resources listed below:

• Professional Learning Community [PLC] printables 
• Lesson Planning printables

If you are looking for other blog posts and podcast episodes about planning, scan these options. Additional planning resources can also be found here. If you’d like to continue to reinvent your instructional effectiveness, read my latest book “Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.”

GO BE GREAT!

The post The 4 P’s of Effective Collaborative Planning appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will explore 3 ways to improve classroom management practices in the classroom.

Relationships

Connecting human-to-human in terms of interests, personality and preferences brings the class together as one. When the teacher invests in their students before delivering content, trust develops. After trust, the student is willing to take more risks and be transparent in the learning process. Now the teacher is able to best help the student because they have formed a deep connection and they know how to best design lessons taking into account the uniqueness of each student. This increases student motivation to comply with class rules, limiting behavior disruptions during class time.

Routines

Routines provide structure to how the classroom operates. It is a road map of sorts, giving direction for what and how. When teachers plan routines ahead of time, they are being proactive in managing their classroom. Instead of waiting for a problem to erupt and then eating up class time remedying that problem, teachers have thought through potential hot spots and put routines in place to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Once a routine has been planned, teachers must teach it in isolation to students. Students then practice and implement the routine, receiving feedback on their performance. This can take days or weeks for a single routine. Routines can be reused for various activities such as details, volume, pace, location, format direction, and more. Learn more about routines with my PD in a Box tool. You may also find this checklist helpful!

Rope Students In

Engagement is key to having students open and motivated to learn. By making learning material appealing, teachers can entice students to engage fully in the learning experience. This is referred to as “roping students in.” Teachers can do this by utilizing pacing that feels just right for various learners (ie. fast lanes for those qho understand quickly and speed bumps for those that need to slow down and try again). Also, by including a plethora of engagement options for student discourse and interaction (ie. turn/talk, gallery walk, socratic seminar), it provides students with choice and voice. When they feel like they are not forced to learn in a specific way, can engage in a way that is interesting to them and allows them to voice their opinion, they lean into learning. Differentiation is key at this stage!

What’s next?

Want to learn more about the three ways to improve classroom management practices plus gain even more strategies to become more effective in the classroom? Read Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success. More classroom resources are also available here. Also, catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

Which classroom management practice are you most excited about trying in your classroom?

The post 3 Ways to Improve Classroom Management Practices in the Classroom appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will explore how to add accountability measures to colleague collaborations.

Accountability as a Power Dynamic

Teams often get into a bad habit of coming together to plan instruction and may even delegate aspects of planning. But this leads them to working alone. Although sharing the workload is a big piece of a collaboration, it lacks input from the expertise of others. Educators can add accountability measures to what they are already doing together in collaboration by including:

• Voice – Allow everyone to share ideas before, during and after collaboration
• Iterations– Make revisions a natural part of the collaboration process, understanding the first copy is not the final one
• Task Matching – Leverage the strengths of each colleague by assigning a task to their area of genius
• Shared Ownership– Pass the baton to various colleagues during the goal achievement process so everyone gets a chance to lead and feel connected
• Established Norms– Get clear on what is expected before, during and after collaborative meetings so that everyone can meet the requirements consistently
• Naming What’s At Stake– Understanding the realities of what happens when goals or agreements within the collaboration aren’t met creates natural consequences for each participating colleague

Setting Up Accountable Collaborations

If you are need to reboot collaborations or are starting from scratch, the following 8 steps will ensure a layer of accountability is mixed into the successful partnership.

1. Discuss the power of accountable collaboration – Share the reasoning behind the intentional partnership as well as expectations for how to hold others and themselves accountable in the work
2. Review student and teacher performance data – This information (informal/formal common assessment scores and teacher evaluation rubric score), reveals areas for improvement
3. Brain dump potential goals– All members of the collaboration should place ideas for potential goals based on data findings on a shared white board or chart paper
4. Outline partnership pathway– Take the ideas for potential goals and prioritize them into a long-term work plan and ensure each team member agrees to the end goal and goal milestones
5. Flush out partnership pathway– Create a robust document outlining the details of the pathway (ie. due dates, task leaders, materials required, etc.)
6. Meet monthly to review the partnership pathway– Review the last month’s milestone goal and action items, make adjustments as necessary, and review the upcoming month’s task details
7. Seek feedback– regularly seek feedback from collaborative partners in regards to task completion, quality of work produced, attitude, and ability to work well with others (this could be built into the monthly review meeting)
8. Celebrate milestones– Acknowledge progress towards goals, even if plans diverged from the original pathway

Examples of Accountable Collaboration

If you are wondering what this might look like in action, below are three examples:

• A third grade team sits down during back-to-school planning to design an end of unit project for their first Social Studies unit. Each team member knew this was the focus of their meeting and brought in ideas they found in magazines, on social media and from former colleagues. This is accountability in showing up prepared with ideas to contribute to the team.
• This same team together determined their end of unit goal for students to be able to know and produce. They then backwards planned the sequence of lessons leading up to the final project. One team member was in charge of reviewing last year’s plans to decide what to replicate, change or omit and presented the findings to the team. Another team member reviewed all unit one assessments (formal and informal) and shared a suggested list of focus questions and ideal answers for each teacher to implement in their lessons. And another team member researched latest best practices in regards to differentiation, presenting options to their peers that can be implemented into lessons for students that needed it. (This is accountability in division of tasks.)
• Finally, this team decided next meeting they would come in with a rough outline for the first week of Social Studies lessons. Together, they would check for alignment between objective, assessment and activities. They’d also review questioning techniques and ideal student answers. One team member wants to talk through student pairings for discussion, leaning on the expertise of their peers. As a result, each member of the team agrees to review standards, draft objectives, review curriculum, and arrive ready to design an effective lesson. (This is accountability in planning, identifying teacher needs, and having a clear plan of action for each meeting.)

As you can see, teachers are collaborating in effective ways and utilizing accountability to produce stronger results for instruction.

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves too! Classroom resources are also available here. Also, catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

How have you added accountability into your colleague collaborations?

The post The Power of Accountable Collaboration appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Dive into an enlightening conversation with Gretchen as she unveils the keys to effective differentiation and personalized learning for optimal student engagement. Learn how to refine your teaching methods by eliminating inefficiencies and prioritizing strategies that deeply connect with your students. Tune in now to unlock powerful insights and transform your approach to teaching!

In this episode, Gretchen unveils the concept of “Swiss Cheese Understanding” and its profound implications for educational planning. Tune in to gain valuable insights that will revolutionize the way you structure your teaching methods!

Don’t miss out on this transformative episode that promises to enhance your teaching toolkit and empower your students. Tune in now and embark on a journey towards more effective and impactful teaching strategies!

Quotables

• Every level of what I’m gonna call “The House of Learning” is build with the support necessary so that new learning above it can actually stick.
• It’s not that kids can’t understand on their grade level. They need to work with the material long enough to make sense of it.
• …the point is…they understand where they’re going and why they need to have these skills…”

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• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
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• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College
• Pre-Order: Always a Lesson

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The post 313: Differentiation & Personalization appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Traditional teaching programs focus on the theory of teaching with a sprinkle of actual techniques for how to teach. Part of that how-to process is writing a lesson plan. The emphasis is on all of the components necessary to fill out a pre-structured lesson plan outline, rather than on the art of designing a learning experience.

We need to move from compliance to creation. That means we put down those pre-structured lesson plan outlines in exchange for employing our knowledge and expertise to create a memorable learning experience for all students every day.

This post is the first in a series of posts (1 of 3) to help teachers grow one instructional strategy at a time.

5 Tips for how to Become a Lesson Designer instead of a Lesson Planner

Tip 1: Design a Learning Experience that Moves Students towards Independence

The goal of a lesson is to teach students a new skill. This is followed by allowing them ample time to practice that skill in a variety of settings to build muscle memory. These two steps lead up to the culmination of the lesson where students are able to showcase the skill on their own. This formula is often referred to as the I Do – We Do – You Do cycle, meaning the teacher models the skill, the students practice with the teacher, and finally they can do it on their own.

Tip 2: Design a Learning Experience that Provides Structure

Students thrive in a routined environment. Therefore, teachers should provide structure to not only how they deliver a lesson, but how students interact during it. This means the teacher designs learning structures throughout the lesson (ie. morning work, gathering materials, transitioning to centers, etc.). Although the procedures for these learning structures remains constant daily, the work students do within those structures changes. Students are able to become more successful because they are familiar with the structure, allowing them to use their brain power to focus on content rather than on logistics. In turn, this frees up the teacher to focus on providing more individualized learning support to students rather than helping them navigate the structures.  Also, because the content changes within the structures, students do not become bored with the repeated routine.

Tip 3: Design a Learning Experience that Guides and Supports

It is no secret that students learn at all different rates and in a variety of ways. This means the teacher has to design a learning experience that allows for differing student needs. Differentiation is a way to guide and support students along their learning journey.

There are three ways to do this:

1. Differentiate Content – Teach content based on the achievement level of the students. Data collection will help determine where students are in relation to grade level expectations. Although you are teaching to their personal level, be sure to mix in grade level content so that they will be ready to progress at the end of the year.
2. Differentiate Process– Teach the same content to all students, but the strategy you use to teach it will differ. Some students might need learning aides like math manipulatives or reading sight word cards. Learning styles help teachers choose the most effective teaching process necessary for students.
3. Differentiate Product– Teach the same content in the same way, but allow students to showcase their learning in a variety of ways. Teachers can supply a choice board for students to select the method in which they will present their learning. Students get excited to use their strengths to demonstrate their learning (ie. diorama, speech, PowerPoint presentation, etc.)

Tip 4: Design a Learning Experience that Challenges Students’ Skillsets

As mentioned earlier, students progress as learners at different speeds. Some students will be ready for an extension of the learning opportunity before the end of the lesson arrives. These early finishers have learned the skill, demonstrated the skill successfully and are ready to use that skill in a new way to continue their learning. By providing a menu of challenge options for those that need it will not only help keep them on task, but also enhance the learning experience for those students as well.

Tip 5: Design a Learning Experience that is Planned to the Detail

This last tip is crucial and often forgotten. Many lesson plan outlines do not even require teachers to think through the nitty gritty details of the lesson and that is what trips up teachers when it comes time to delivering their instruction.

It is imperative that teachers walk through the lesson from start to finish to ensure they leave no stone unturned. This means thinking through every teacher and student action (FYI: a T-Chart works best). Teachers should know what they are saying and doing at every point in the lesson as well as what students should be saying, doing or producing. This kind of detail ensures the lesson moves smoothly and at a rigorous level. (No, it does not have to be written verbatim as a script, but highlighting those details throughout the lesson ensures it is designed to the detail!)

Next Steps

Ready to give your lesson planning process an overhaul so that you can begin designing learning experiences that stick? Grab a slot on my calendar to chat 1:1 about your specific students and instructional needs or reach out to me personally at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com.

GO BE GREAT!

How do you create memorable learning experiences in your own classroom?

The post 5 Tips for Designing a Memorable Learning Experience appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Teachers need opportunities to develop their craft, just as students need opportunities to learn and grow. The intention of a PD session is to provide ongoing learning for teachers. But, not all PD sessions are created equal. There are many out there that are high energy and inspiring. Those type of sessions give teachers the confidence to go back into their classrooms and apply their new knowledge. Knowing what hasn’t been working and what to do differently will empower teacher leaders to revamp their current professional development practices.

Plan a Professional Development Session

Just as we expect teachers to thoroughly plan a lesson for their students through backwards design and differentiation, we as teacher leaders must follow the same rule of thumb. In order to give teachers what they need and how they need it, we have to do our homework. That means sitting down and designing an efficient and engaging learning experience. We can’t just jot down some notes and turn those into PowerPoint slides for a riveting rendition of “sit and get” learning. [spp-tweet tweet=”No matter how great your message is, poor delivery can mute it’s potential. “]

When planning for a professional development session, follow these three tips:

1. Get to know the audience’s needs. Give teachers a survey to fill out prior to working with them that asks them to rate their proficiency in a list of instructional best practices. You can locate patterns for weak areas to target for growth and strong areas to pass the baton for expert teachers to lead the learning. You also are able to cypher out pockets of teachers who have niche needs and group them together for a differentiated learning opportunity. [spp-tweet tweet=”Nothing is worse than a whole group session that only a quarter of the audience needs. “]
2. Prioritize the areas of need. Now that you have the survey data, look at the bottom 3 areas of need. Choose to design a professional development session on the strategy that will have the biggest impact on student learning in the classroom. Educators have limited time, so to maximize that time, you must go after the heavy hitter with gusto.
3. Script out your take aways for the session. After knowing your audience’s needs and prioritizing the skills for the most bang for your buck, get to work designing the actual session. Write out what you want the teachers to walk away from the session being able to know and do. This is just like writing lesson objectives for students. Everything else you design in the session should be centered around these take-aways.

Prepare a Professional Development Session

Planning and preparing may sound like similar actions, but they are actually very different. To plan means you have the forethought for what you will be doing where as to prepare refers to the action of getting everything together to make it happen. [spp-tweet tweet=”Planning is for the mind what preparation is for the body. “]

Follow these three tips to prepare for a professional development session:

1. Rehearse your delivery. Just like teachers know the flow of the lesson and what comes next, so should a teacher leader as they deliver a professional development session. You don’t want to fumble through your notes because you haven’t prepared effectively. [spp-tweet tweet=”The learning experience for teachers should be focused on the content you are delivering and not on your ability to deliver it. “]
2. Gather the necessary materials. Take time to ensure you have everything you need plus extras. After you gather the materials, be sure to rehearse portions of your session where you are explaining the use of the materials as well as passing out or collecting materials. This will create smooth transitions during your session so that, again, the focus in on the content you are sharing rather than on you delivering it.
3. Sprinkle in audience engagement. An engagement break allows the brain to digest the information chunk by chunk to then send it to long term memory. Every 5-10 minutes, the audience needs to be involved. Whether they write, talk or move, learners need to process information. [spp-tweet tweet=”Movement and collaboration are essential elements for turning newly learned knowledge into habits.”]

Execute a Professional Development Session

It’s showtime! This is the moment teacher leaders have been planning and preparing for over recent months. All of the hard work is about to pay off. You want to deliver a session that is an efficient use of the teachers’ time and provides professional development on effective instructional best practices in the classroom.

Allow teachers time to do these three things during your professional development session:

• Understand the concepts. Teachers need time to connect with the information on a cognitive level. They have to be able to understand what is the concept they are learning and why it matters or applies to them. This usually occurs through a mini lesson of content on your part.
• Practice use of the strategy with an expert as a guide. In order for teachers to be able to put the new concept into action, they need time to practice. This allows them to take risks and make mistakes before trying the concept live in front of students. The teacher leader is available as the guide to provide feedback and model the concept again if necessary.
• Plan how to implement the new concept into their routine the very next day. Just like teachers needed time to process the concept cognitively, they need time to plan how it will look in their classroom instruction. This requires quiet reflection time. Teacher leaders should be available to answer questions and help brainstorm so that teachers will find success in implementing it into their classroom.

Next Steps

Learn more on how to create and deliver PD that is not only effective but will excite teachers in the process! Watch this webinar on Leading Efficient and Engaging PD Sessions and say ‘so long’ to those boring PD sessions and say ‘hello’ to being inspired and engaged!

The webinar covers topics such as:

• the purpose behind providing professional development
• the historical PD approaches and why they haven’t worked
• an ideal PD session agenda, including materials
• engagement strategies to try

There is no reason to continue to provide PD the way we always have. As educators, we strive to do our best so our students can be their best. The same is true for teacher leaders- they want to design learning opportunities for the teachers they serve to the best of their ability so that those same teachers can go back into their classrooms and do their best for their own students. It’s a way to pay it forward.

Don’t feel embarrassed that what you have presented in the past is no longer considered a best practice. Learn from it by acknowledging that you did the best you could with the knowledge you had at the time. Then, take the appropriate steps mentioned in this post to do better now that you are equipped to do so. Shake it off and move forward. Teachers and students await!

What tricks do you use to make your PD sessions engaging?

The post How to Lead an Efficient & Engaging Professional Development Session appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The post 165: Differentiating Instruction with Cole Alexander appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The Always A Lesson’s Empowering Educators Podcast has been around since June 14, 2015. It is currently in the Top 200 Education Podcasts in the K-12 category on iTunes, with over 100,000 downloads to listeners in 46 countries worldwide.

If you need a weekly ‘pick-me-up’ to remind yourself of the amazing work you are doing as an educator, this podcast is for you! In fact, if you go to iTunes, you can subscribe so new episodes automatically download onto your device every week making things super easy when you are ready to listen on the go! (Don’t worry, if you do not have an apple product, you can listen right from my website here.)

Podcasts are a great professional development tool as you learn from amazing educators around the globe. Not only are you honing your craft as you listen, but you are feeling inspired to be your best everyday for those you serve. (And a few laughs along the way too!)

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the podcast yet, or missed a few episodes here and there, below is a list of the Top 10 ‘Must Listen’ Episodes from the Always A Lesson’s Empowering Educators Podcast (based on download statistics), meaning educators LOVE and APPROVE of these specific episodes. Take a listen at your leisure:

10)  150: Bonus Edition- Interview with Beckett Haight

Beckett Haight is a former student with special needs who went on to become a Special Educator.  After getting expelled from 6^th grade he had an IEP and special education services stemming from ADHD and Oppositional Defiance Disorder until graduating high school.  This led him to becoming a volunteer in Special Needs classrooms in high school, then a Teacher Assistant for four years while in college, and he has been a Special Education teacher for the past 13 years in California, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Ethiopia and now Mexico. He is National Board Certified in Exceptional Needs, a Masters of Science in Special Education, and a Masters of Education Technology. He loves all aspects of Special Education, but has a particular passion for behavior support and post-secondary transition.  He has been in the education game for 18 years and doesn’t see anything changing for the next 18.

9) 143: Be A Sponge

The first few years as a teacher in a classroom can be overwhelming trying to learn all of the ropes. But, how a teacher spends this time period is critical to the longevity of their career. Tune in to hear tips and tricks (as well as fabulous resources) for how to be a sponge as a new teacher so that you can be more effective faster!

8) 141: Lead Your Own March!

Teaching is overwhelming and teachers often put themselves last in self-care. This leads to burn out and a short career. Advocating for your needs can be hard and well, awkward. But by reflecting on what you need, requesting what you need, and requiring what you need you’ll be able to lead your own march! Tune in to hear 4 actionable steps to ensure you advocate for your needs just as successfully as you do for your students.

7) 127: Classroom Management like PB & J

Classroom management can be tricky when we react to student behavior instead of setting up procedures. Oftentimes, we let the heat of the moment control our brain and we end up making decisions that hinder student learning. Tune in to hear two scenarios of classroom management struggles where tips are shared so that the problem and solution go together like a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

6) 140: Bonus Edition- Interview with Kayse Morris

Kayse Morris is a teacher by day and a curriculum designer by night. She develops quality resources for teachers grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. She has a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education, a Masters in Instructional Technology and a Specialist degree in Educational Leadership. She has a passion for life and thinks that beauty lies within the simple things. Her philosophy is that ‘Simplicity is where the magic happens.’ Kayse thrives on student relationships and rigorous instruction. Her catch phrase is: “Let’s teach on less, love a little more, and change the world one child at a time. It’s time to bring teaching back to the basics.” Kayse has had the privilege of working with Amazon during this back to school season as a LIVE television host on Amazon Live. In addition, she also worked with Georgia Public Television and the Georgia Department of Education.

5) 134: Go Slow to Improve Fast

To truly become GREAT at something, it requires intention, practice, reflection, and time. Effective educators are no different. Tune in to hear 8 tips for how new teachers can transform their novice abilities into accomplished, effective talent.

4) 142: Praise Isn’t Just a Professional Thing

Acknowledging the talents and contributions of others shouldn’t be limited to something only done in our professional lives. We have to pour into each other in all aspects of our lives. Tune in to hear how I incorporate building relationships through empowering others in my everyday life and how you can do it too!

3) 131: Slaying the Myth of Differentiation

Differentiation is the latest buzz in education, but the reality of what it looks like in the classroom has yet to be solidified. Many new teachers struggle with providing personalized learning experiences to their students not because they do not understand what differentiation is, rather it’s the logistical, organizational part of differentiation that leaves them stuck. Tune in to hear what you can do today to begin differentiating instruction for your students!

2) 108: The Myth of Classroom Decor

Teachers enjoy decorating their classroom, but making over a classroom with stuff does not improve student achievement or instructional effectiveness. Tune in to hear about 3 characteristics that make over a classroom – and one of them is not classroom décor!

1) 109: Teacher Overboard

The summer is upon us and teachers are busy relaxing… nope, teachers are busy preparing for a successful school year. This busyness is translating into going overboard in their preparation- especially due to Pinterest/Instagram photos of classroom set ups and inner workings in other classrooms around the world. Tune in to hear how to deal with the pressure of keeping up and making decisions that solely have an impact on student achievement.

If you listened to these 10 episodes, you yourself are now officially an ELITE EDUCATOR. Welcome to the club! Now, go out and be great because you have just been EMPOWERED!

Which episode is your favorite and why?

The post Top 10 ‘Must Listen’ Episodes from the Empowering Educators Podcast appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Differentiation is the latest buzz in education, but the reality of what it looks like in the classroom has yet to be solidified. Many new teachers struggle with providing personalized learning experiences to their students not because they do not understand what differentiation is, rather it’s the logistical, organizational part of differentiation that leaves them stuck. Tune in to hear what you can do today to begin differentiating instruction for your students!

Quotables

• Write everything in pencil
• Differentiation really just means whatever you are doing to help students learn, make sure it’s applicable to where they are as a learner
• Differentiation isn’t something we do for a short period throughout the day; it’s a mindset we have in reaching our kids.
• It’s personalizing the experience so that kids can be successful
• Learning is messy and a constant problem to be solved

Gretchen’s Tip

1. Content- WHAT you teach the kids
2. Process- HOW you teach the kids
3. Product- HOW the kids demonstrate their learning

Join the Facebook Group

• Elementary New Teacher Group (Group 1872455209751203)

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Instagram: Always.A.Lesson
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Google+: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Leave a Rating and Review:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2

Why?

This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long lasting effect on our future.

How?

Search for my show in iTunes or Stitcher.
Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’
Under ‘Customer Reviews,’ click on “Write a Review.”
Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in info
Leave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best)
Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcast
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The post 131: Slaying the Myth of Differentiation appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The best part about being a classroom teacher is designing the space and orchestrating the learning experiences the way you want. You can infuse your personality and philosophy into your daily work with students. This comes at a cost, however. Any time you place a large amount of people into a small space, getting along can be tricky. There are lots of personalities and personal needs that may not mesh together easily. This creates tension. Matters become worse when students report this friction to their parents who then get involved, adding another personality profile to the group.

It’s not uncommon for teachers to struggle with overcoming the obstacle of positive working relationships with parents. Often times, a lack of information is at the root of such miscommunication. Pulling back the instructional curtains to share rationales and particulars with parents can have a huge positive affect on parent-teacher relationships.

Below are ways to build relationships with parents so that they can understand and support your instructional efforts in the classroom:

• Organize a ‘Meet the Teacher’ event– Many schools require these meet-and-greets, but if your school does not, go ahead and set up time for parents to stop by when school is not in session (early mornings or late evenings tend to work best). You can get to know one another as individuals before assuming your appropriate stakeholder roles.
• Invite parents into the classroom– Seeing you as a professional in your element is eye opening. They can observe your interactions with students, appreciate your approach to instruction and even enjoy the quality of learning their child is exposed to on a daily basis.
• Share your philosophy of education– How you design your classroom space and learning experience is based on your educational philosophy. When you can articulate what this philosophy is to parents, everything else seems to make more sense. They are able to connect the dots when their child shares partial information and they can easily support you once they know where you are coming from and why.
• Offer resources that detail instructional practices– Share the research behind student seating,  curriculum, differentiation and any other instructional choice you make in the classroom. You might not have time to meet with all parents and explain your rationale for why you teach in small groups or with 1:1 technology, but when you can send a quick email blast or printable newsletter home for parents to educate themselves on the benefits of your instructional approach, they are much more likely to support the work you are doing with their child.
• Have a listening ear– Sometimes parents don’t care why or even how you do things in your own classroom, but they do want to know that you heard their concerns and requests. Make yourself available in person and/or virtually to listen to them. You might not be able to meet every need or calm every anxious request, but you can at least be open minded and available to hear them out. That one action speaks volumes about how much you care for their child. Parents are often willing to step back and let you take the lead once they know you are aware of their wishes and will do your best to accommodate them.
• Keep parents informed with changes– A lot of anxiety from students comes from a lack of routine. Sometimes as teachers, we have to change things up to meet student needs, district demands or scheduling conflicts. Keeping all stakeholders aware of any changes to ‘regularly scheduled programming’ eases anxiety and builds confidence in your professional decision making. Transparency is powerful.

(Teachers, don’t be afraid to spice up your classroom and have fun. You earned the right to lead your students in the best way you see fit. These tips are meant to encourage the development of your relationship with parents so that they are more involved and supportive of the work you do daily.)

Together, parents and teachers, can be a powerful force in inspiring students to reach their potential and beyond!

The post How to Get Parents On Board with your Teaching Philosophy appeared first on Always A Lesson.

I am currently reading “Never Underestimate your Teachers” by Robyn Jackson. I was hooked on her approach to education after reading her book “Never Work Harder than your Students.” Her perspective reminds us all just how brilliant students and teachers are if we adjust our approach in relating to them so that their strengths are encouraged and their weaknesses supported.

In a recent chapter I read, Robyn reminded me just how simple leadership can be when you remember a few foundational truths. Yes, it’s all about the kids. But more importantly she said, “Great teaching happens on purpose.”

Of course there is a lot that goes into teaching, but it all can be drilled down to that one statement- on purpose. Great teachers did not magically appear and by happenstance teach thrilling lessons to highly engaged kiddos. The preparation behind such a feat is massive and that is what separates the good from the great.

Those of you out there wondering what you can do today to be an amazing teacher, just hold on to Robyn’s simple advice and get to work. It’s on you.

How much are you willing to put into it?

How deep are you willing to drill?

How wide are you able to reach?

I live my life on purpose. I set goals and then I work like mad to achieve them, whether it’s a degree in the field of education or getting back into shape after having our first baby. It requires a thorough plan, time and energy. It doesn’t get easier the more you tackle your goals head-on, but there is a comforting rhythm of perseverance and risk-taking each time you are achieving on purpose.

Overnight success is not realistic and does not have any longevity capabilities. Amazing teachers are amazing on purpose. Be a teacher who leads with everything they’ve got and then some.

Here are 5 tips to be a great teacher on purpose:

1. Set a Vision

You can’t arrive at your destination efficiently and effectively without knowing where you are going. What do you want to accomplish? This is where you can DREAM BIG and think outside the box.

2. Develop a Thorough Plan

Once your destination is set, begin to plan your route. How will you get there? Planning backwards will help you take a large idea or theme and break it down into mini units. Each unit will have an umbrella standard with mini objectives that make up the lessons. Essentially, start with standards, flush those out into teaching points and end with a formal or informal assessment to check the degree to which your lesson was successful. Be sure to have a single plan with detours of differentiation for students needing additional support in slowing down or ramping up instruction.

3. Implement & Execute the Plan

You know where you are going and you know how to get there so now its time to get on the road! Bring your A-Game of high energy and a smile and make those kiddos fall in love with learning!

4. Get Feedback

Ask mentors to review your plans or watch you in action and give you feedback on areas to tweak to ensure you are operating at full effectiveness. Students are also a great source of feedback.

5. Revise, Revise, Revise

Pulling off the main drag to recalibrate is not getting lost, its ensuring your pathway is still the right one. Sometimes what’s on paper looks great until you logistically play it out and realize an alternate route is needed. Doing this often ensures you reach your vision in the time allotted instead of stubbornly sticking to your original plan on paper.

Remember, great teaching happens on purpose. It’s not easy and its not quick, but with the 5 tips listed above you can become a great teacher in time.

What tip would you add to be a great teacher on purpose?

The post “Great Teaching Happens on Purpose” appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Graphics created by Alina Veja, Aileen Miracle, Teacher Laura, and Glitter Meets Glue

Planning is the foundation of a successful lesson. But it has gotten a pretty bad rap lately as administrators and state regulators clamp down on teacher freedom to instruct students. Despite its decrease in favoritism, planning can be creative and joyful if we let it.

We have to get past the dreaded requirement of a lesson plan, and shift our focus to designing a learning experience that will light a fire under students so that they take charge in their journey as a learner and slay new, challenging content with ease.

If we aren’t excited to write the lesson plan, we aren’t going to be excited to deliver the lesson plan. As a result, the kiddos aren’t going to be excited to experience the lesson plan.

The most effective approach to designing an engaging lesson is to plan backwards for an entire unit or quarter of a school year.

How do you implement backwards design?

• Grab a blank calendar the length of a quarter or unit
• Plug standards into a day on the calendar, taking time to think how long it would take to completely teach that standard (ie. standards are long-term and objectives are short-term)
• Once standards are plugged in so that they can all be taught by the deadline, break down the standards into bite sized teachable chunks, called objectives
• Use the calendar map of standards and objectives to plan daily lessons in depth

What should you include in a lesson plan?

Snag this checklist to keep nearby as you plan all of your lessons and try this free lesson plan template.

• Grade Appropriate Standard
• Measurable Objective
• Required Materials
• Necessary Vocabulary
• Gradual Release of Responsibility:
  • Direct instruction (I do)
  • Guided practice ( we do)
  • Independent practice (you do)
• Aligned Activities
• Measurable, Aligned Assessment
• Differentiation
• Higher Order Questioning
• Teacher/Student Actions
• Pacing
• Warm Up + Closure

Don’t let standards drown you. They are anchors that keep you focused on the most important aspects of the content to teach, but there is plenty of room for your teacher personality to shine through. Innovative educators use standards- the end goal is the same, but the pathway to get there is unique, inspiring, and engaging so that students are held accountable and take ownership.

How do you allow for teachable moments?

Student questions and enthusiasm have a place in the classroom only if the teacher has planned to incorporate them throughout the lesson. Sticking to a rigid schedule only keeps you on track to your pacing guide, but does little to impact your students’ learning and development. Kids can easily get derailed during a discussion, so implement a “parking lot” and any comments or questions that aren’t directly related can be written on a post-it note and placed on the “parking lot” poster to be discussed the last few minutes of class or at a more appropriate time later. However, sometimes there comes a time where a topic or question arises that is related but not included in the lesson plan. Teachers have to decide if taking the detour will positively impact their students’ understanding of material or if its best to stick to the script.

Throughout my career, I have learned that teachable moments, when chosen carefully, can strengthen relationships with students, prepare them for the real world, peak the interest of a disengaged learner, and inspire students to be problem solvers in their communities. I wouldn’t change these impromptu moments for anything because the impact that the outcomes had on my students and myself have been life-long.

In short, educators can remain effective while keeping their creative edge by planning backwards, ensuring each lesson has the necessary components for student mastery, and capitalizing on teachable moments when appropriate. No longer should lesson planning be a dreaded process, but one that is exciting for the teacher and inspiring to the students when executed.

How do you effectively plan?

The post Powerful Lesson Planning appeared first on Always A Lesson.

As an elementary educator of 8 years, a new teacher coach of 3 years, and school hiring support consultant for 4 years, I have seen my fair share of schools, from low income and low parental involvement to high income and high parental involvement.

At first, I thought most schools were the same in Charlotte, North Carolina. Some buildings were older than others, but for the most part our city has taken care of our schools’ appearances. Office staff have become some of my favorite people at every school I enter. They are happy, helpful and know EVERYTHING there is to know about the school- what a resource! Although the kids may dress differently or have a more diverse student population presence at some locations, overall kids loved learning no matter what school they attended.

Then one day, I discovered the difference between schools. I am not talking about ethnicity, funding, religion, or building structures.

[spp-tweet tweet=”Great leaders make great schools.”]

Simple right? Not really. Many leadership teams are made up of intelligent, successful people, but they can fail too. I have seen all-star admin teams struggle to raise achievement in their schools. How can that be?

[spp-tweet tweet=”How you hire staff determines the success of your school year.”]

A leadership team cannot do it alone. They need great teachers too. I don’t mean the really smart, really social, kid-loving kind. I mean the ones that are strong in content knowledge and skilled in conveying it in kid language while introducing worthwhile text rich in subject vocabulary. I mean the ones that set high expectations for their kids and set structures in place to scaffold learning so that all students are successful as individuals and as learners. I mean the ones that when given a task go above and beyond what is asked because its what is best for the staff and students, not because its required. I mean the ones that parents know by first name and who are not only “in the loop” with their child’s academic progress but part of the team in developing strategies to overcome obstacles and reach success. I mean the ones that are reliable, transparent, and ethical. I mean the irreplaceable teachers that begin and end their career in your school because you have given them the opportunities to stretch and grow without having to give up their favorite place they now call home.

If irreplaceable teachers don’t leave, why would they be at a hiring event? How would you even get your hands on one? It’s not like they are available a dime a dozen.

No. You can create them.

But…how?

[spp-tweet tweet=”You create irreplaceable teachers the moment you create opportunities to cultivate talent.”]

You can’t expect a great teacher to just walk into your building. You need to work for it.

1. Market your school before you need to.

• Appealing School Facade-  ensure it is orderly and clean daily.
• Stellar Visitor Experience- from the time a visitor enters to the time they exit the doors must be a flawless experience complete with smiling, knowledgeable staff.
• Up-to-Date School Website- features photos of children (with parental approval) in real learning situations; teachers personal websites are easy to find, read and interact with; and any feature of the school that is unique is showcased throughout the look and feel of the website.
• Uplifting Social Media Profiles- positive chatter about the school, high and consistent engagement with the community, and showcases the “X Factor” of the school.
• Prideful Staff Apparel- team centered feel with school logo, colors, mascot, and/or slogan front and center.
• Engaged Community Partnerships- funding and/or supply donations are provided in turn for a supportive, appreciative relationship that on every occasion is the school’s best effort to bring the community in.
• Constant Parent Participation- parents are visible within the school, spoken to by name, and show ownership in the school operations as necessary to help bridge the home-school gap.

2. When its time to hire, get a plan.

You cannot simply put a post on the district website announcing an open position at your school. That takes minimal effort and will return minimal results. Since you have been marketing your school thus far, you don’t have to go into panic mode and suddenly start begging people to spread the word, throwing up haphazard social media posts, and telling staff to recommend strangers on the street they meet over the weekend.

• Decide Who and What you Want- it’s more than an open employment position. Consider the culture of your school, the needs of your students, the data trends of upcoming grade levels, testing requirements, as well as content knowledge and proficiency.
• Create a Hiring Team- pull together a team that has a variety of perspectives to help establish expectations around the areas decided upon above so that when hiring begins, candidates who match the agreed upon description are hired in an efficient manner. Suggestions of team members could be: parents, classroom teachers, support staff, and admin.
• Develop a Hiring Plan- decide how you can measure the characteristics you are seeking in a candidate and design experiences it make it glaringly apparent whether a candidate is a fit or not. An interview is the start, but is not the end to a hiring decision. You want to see a person in action. If they are being hired in an instructional role, watch them instruct. If they are being hired in a leadership role, watch them lead. Candidates can nail an interview and still not get the job due to a thorough hiring process that revealed misalignment to school goals and vision.
  • Interview– Create a list of questions that you will use with every candidate. This ensures you do not make “fuzzy” emotional decisions, but have the facts to back it up. You cannot compare apples and oranges so use the same measurement tool and process each and every time (regardless if you know the person, have experience working with them in the past, or they come highly recommended). Take copious notes to help jog your memory during hiring staff debrief at the end of the hiring event.
  • Demo Lesson/Task– Watch the candidate in the element they are applying for. Having a potential teacher teach 10-20 minutes in a class of real students is telling. The same for a leadership role with helping a team of staff complete a task. Provide parameters so candidates can be successful but also allow for creativity and personalization so they can shine.
  • Data Analysis– If data is a huge part of what you do to move the needle point in student achievement, you need to screen for proficiency now. Provide a set of fake student data with corresponding questions relating to teaching approach, differentiation strategies, communication to student and parents, etc. It’s not about a “right” answer, but about a logical, evidence based approach to improve student learning.
  • School Tour– Remember you are always on display and marketing your school. Get parents or students involved by walking around candidates and showcasing what makes the school great. Just as you are choosing a candidate, they are choosing you too.
  • Hiring Team Debrief– After each candidate has completed each phase of the interview process (and you can build in more options than what is listed above), gather together as a hiring team to discuss pros and cons of each candidate. Start with immediate “not a good fit” candidates, followed by “strong” candidates. These quick Yes/No piles will make the process more efficient. The borderline candidates will take more time, but if you have a robust pile of “strong” candidates you may not need to dive into the borderline pile! This conversation helps keep your team aligned on the school mission and finding the perfect match. Differing perspectives push you to think about the whole candidate and how they performed in each part of the hiring process.

3. Act quickly to hire.

Just because you found a good candidate to hire, doesn’t mean they will be available when you are ready to pull the trigger. If they are strong, act quickly. If they are good but require some additional support to be great, hire quickly. You don’t want to miss out on building your successful school tribe because you waited too long to make a decision.

4. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.

Follow-up with every candidate letting them know next steps. Draft email templates with your hiring team for the three piles of candidates you discussed- not a good fit (“thank you for your time, but we are pursuing other candidates”), borderline (“thank you for your time, we will be in touch as we finalize hiring decisions”), and strong (“thank you for your time, we are honored to offer you a position”). It would be even better if you could appoint a hiring staff member to provide feedback to candidates, especially the “not a good fit” group so that they can address their own weaknesses and not repeat mistakes at their next interview. You are an educator who cares about ALL children, and this person will be in front of kids whether at your school or not… so look out for the future!

5. Show gratitude.

Celebrate your hiring staff in a personalized way. Let them know you appreciate their help and insight and specifically let them know how they were an asset to the team. They won’t forget this gesture and will be sure to go above and beyond for the school going forward.

6. Make new staff feel welcome.

Upon hire, put together a swag bag for the candidate so they can immediately dress the part- pens, stationary, t-shirt, keychain etc. Introduce them to staff they have not met (grade level team, support staff, other admin members, etc). Partner this new staff member up with an experienced one who can answer any and all questions. Your marketing efforts continue so make sure you put your best foot forward to build this relationship because happy staff do wonders for your school’s word-of-mouth reputation.

7. Reward staff for exceeding expectations.

Personal and public praise help set the tone for what is expected of staff. To ensure you continue to cultivate talent, you have to raise the bar of your current staff. This will alleviate you having to hire year after year and invest in people who will just walk out in a year or two. Retention is everything.

[spp-tweet tweet=”People work hard when they know the expectation and they are rewarded for going above it.”]

As you can see, there are a lot of moving pieces to achieve and maintain a successful staff and school. When you plan for excellence, you can achieve excellence. No one reached new highs without effort and a clear pathway to get there. Hiring is more than just finding intelligent, capable human beings to perform a job. Hiring the right person takes time and intention.

[spp-tweet tweet=”Being intentional in every decision you make is critical to the success of your mission.”]

This post was written in hopes it helps school leaders get out of the trap of hiring often and support jobless educators with perspective and insight into the hiring process. Now that readers are more aware of a strong hiring strategy, schools around the nation can be successful so that all students can achieve their potential and produce an even brighter future.

The post Hiring Strategy has a Strong Impact on a School’s Success appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Description:

James Sturtevant first stepped in front of high school students in the late summer of 1985. He predicted he would teach a year or two, before pursuing something grown up: go to law school, get a PhD, or enter the private sector and earn a fortune. But, a funny thing happened on the way to the Forum. James fell in love with his students. Could one really get paid for bonding with young people? The answer was…ABSOLUTELY! And still is, some thirty years and thousands of students later. “Your students seem so relaxed and happy. How’d you create this atmosphere?” was the haunting question a visiting Education professor once asked James after observing his class. Caught off guard, he gave a meager and vague response. After much reflection and research, James is now prepared to answer the question.

He teaches at Big Walnut High School in Sunbury, Ohio. He is married to Penny who is a middle school principal. They have 3 children…Jason, David, and Maria, and one grandchild…Kaia. James is also an author of “You’ve Gotta Connect” published in 2014 (see link below) and Professional Development Presenter. He has been featured in numerous publications (listed below).

Quotables:

• Your students are mirror images of you.
• Accept your students exactly where they are.
• Necessity is the mother of invention.

James’ Stamp of Approval:

• Differentiation
• Rubric
• Formative and Summative Assessments
• Think-Pair-Share
• Self Directed Learning
• Professional Development communities
• Creation of Teacher Websites
• Bring Your Own Technology
• Flipped Classrooms
• Essential Questions
• Project Based Learning

Connect with James:

• Email: pjsturtevant@gmail.com
• Website: Jamesalansturtevant.com
• Twitter: @jamessturtevant
• Book: “You’ve Gotta Connect” http://amzn.to/119pnEL
• Additional Publications:- Ohio Schools Magazine April, 2015 pp. 9-10.- In July of 2015, my blog post “Bullying Bonding” was picked up by the Huffington Post: http://huff.to/1GZEJbs- The September, 2015 issue of Principal Leadership includes my article “Does Your Staff Bond Well with Students?” pp. 16-17.- In September of 2015, my blog post “A Teacher’s Eureka Moment” was picked up by the Huffington Post: http://huff.to/1G8Vcew- In October of 2015, my blog post ”Samsara…Embrace Change!” was picked up by the Huffington Post: http://huff.to/1LAOtyt- In November of 2015, my blog post ”Does Competition Really Bring out the Best in People?” was picked up by the Huffington Post: http://huff.to/1RdPGQ5

Join elite educators everywhere in snagging tips, tricks and freebies right to your inbox every month!

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Connect with Gretchen:

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Facebook: Always A Lesson
• Twitter: @gschultek
• Linkedin: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Google+: Gretchen Schultek Bridgers
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

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The post 25: Mirror Images with James Sturtevant appeared first on Always A Lesson.

I recently listened to a TEDx Youth Talk at Brooklyn Free School by Seth Godin called Stop Stealing Dreams. It was on the future of education & what we can do about it. I found it interesting for numerous reasons.

But, quickly, let me share some insight Seth shared about “What is School For?”

• School used to be about respect and obedience. We trained people willing to work in the factory to behave, comply, fit in. School is like a factory. “Will this be on the test?” is asked often. Stay seated, behave, stop talking, complete your task. Repeat. You cannot vary from the curriculum, just do what you’re told and be like your peers. So students go through the learning process collecting dots vs connecting dots. They gain lots of unrelated facts and are expected to apply it in their job when they are older. Seth reminds us that “fitting in is a short term strategy that gets you nowhere. Standing out is a long term strategy that takes guts and produces results.” Those are the kinds of minds I want to work with- creative, bold, risky decision makers.
• Now is the first time we don’t need a human being to teach us because the internet connects us all. We no longer need to comply, we need to be creative. But can we be? Have be been prepared to be?

He shared 8 things that will change completely if we decide how to answer the question:

1. Homework during the day; Lectures at night

You can have world class lecturers teach more people. You are able to get one person to do it great one time. As a learner, you can sit with a teacher, ask questions, do the work and explore “face-face.” During the day you are applying what you are learning while attending learning courses at night via the internet.

2. Open book / Open note all the time

There is zero value memorizing anything. Learning is about gaining information and applying it in your life to become more successful in that particular area. That means assessments can’t be one right answer or one quick answer. It has to be a way for a learner to showcase what they learned and how it applies to their lives. Application over rote memorization. Seth mentions, “grades are an illusion, passion and insight are reality. Your work is important than your congruence to an answer key.” He’s right- what do you have to give that hasn’t been given by anyone else so far? That’s motivating rather than just regurgitating facts.

3. Access to any course, any time you want to take it

Instead of having to be accepted into a elite college and paying an inordinate amount of money to get there, subscribe to the lesson you want to learn by a top notch educator and BOOM- you’re in class learning. No lag time, no money is wasted. Its convenient, but purposeful. All you need is a monitor, keyboard and an operating system. Most people have this.

4. Precise focused on education instead of mass batched stuff

There would be no more multiple choice exams. Computers are smarter than that – they measure experience rather than test scores. This truly is the end of compliance as an outcome – cooperation instead of isolation.

5. Teachers’ role transforms into coach

Teachers deliver instruction a short period of time, rather they spend the majority of their time helping their learners take the information and apply it. They coach the learner through the experience until they are successful. A student might be in the same course for days, weeks or years depending on how well they are acquiring the skill. “Go build something interesting, ask if you need help,” says Seth.

6. Lifelong learning

You can learn something new everyday at the click of a key- so why not?

7. Work happening earlier in your life

Out of a normal school day, there is a lot of downtime transitioning from subjects or extracurriculars. When you are learning one course, this “dead time” no longer exists. That means you learn the main points, start applying, and begin your career earlier. You are more productive and more successful because you have really honed in on what skill you want to learn and every moment spent learning was chalk full of information necessary to acquire the skill. Remember point # 1- work during the day and school at night. You need to be DOING the majority of the day rather than sitting and learning. You can’t gain skills without doing them to create the habit. That’s where the majority of your time should be spent.

8. Death of famous colleges

That means the famous brand names have no relevance to success or happiness, which is actually true in numerous studies conducted. Just because you went to Harvard (or insert famous prestigious school) does not mean you are more successful for happy. It does mean you might have more connections or opportunities, but that does not always get followed by success or happiness. Its what you do with your life opportunities (the choices you make) that make your success. First define what happiness is to you and go out to seek that. Seth reminds of two important myths here: 1. Great performance in school leads to happiness and success. 2.  Great parents have kids who produce great performance in school. Once you can see past these myths, you can embrace a new way of learning and define what “school” really means.

So what I found so interesting about this TED talk was his question, “What is school for?”  For me, school is for learning. But then I broke down my day as a teacher and realized not a lot of time was spent learning. I was on stage a lot and my students were watching. That’s not learning. They need to be doing. So then I changed my approach and I got students doing the work. Their results were great. But I still was bothered by how much time was wasted in school. We had to be in session a certain number of days. Why? So what did we do? We went on field trips that were only approved by the district ahead of time that did not entirely fit in to the curriculum or add to student learning. We held spirit week and performances. These things were fun. We bonded and relationships grew. But, were they learning? No. So why not cut all that “fluff” out and just give students the necessary information and the tools to be successful, then let students grapple with it. Teachers can step back and facilitate. Students pass on in grades or courses at their leisure when they have achieved the skill. You might have varying age groups of students working on the same skill in your virtual classroom. That’s true differentiation. I am starting to warm up to the idea of REAL LEARNING. Although I think hiding behind a computer screen might not be socially productive or healthy, I do think maximizing every moment and coaching people through the acquisition of skills is true learning. Plus you now open your classroom walls to the global world- maybe socially its an opportunity to “study abroad” and make connections you couldn’t have made in a brick and mortar school in your neighborhood. When we are focused on learning, we provide unique opportunities to do just that. That is what school should be for.

In your opinion, what is school for? 

The post “What is School For?” asks Seth Godin appeared first on Always A Lesson.

To begin, I just want to say that I LOVE learning and enjoy getting better at my craft- teaching, presenting, coaching, blogging, etc.

An opportunity arrived in my inbox to present at a regional professional development session hosted by North Carolina Association of Elementary Educators [NCAEE] here in Charlotte. I jumped at the chance to reach more teachers and strengthen my presenting skills.

Preparation:

I decided to create a proposal for my session, entitled “Teacher’s Pass the Torch!” I planned for this session to help teachers learn how to increase student accountability in the classroom as well as pass more ownership onto the students. In my career, I have struggled with this but have seen the benefits it has on student learning and growth when done successfully. Thus, I feel there is a strong need for other teachers to take the risk and require students to do more of the heavy lifting in the learning process.

Nonetheless, my proposal was approved for the conference! I was so excited to share what I have learned and help teachers develop the skills to do the same within their own classroom. I began to set up my presentation through PowerPoint-boring I know. But, I promised myself I would be so engaging that the PowerPoint was more of a map to follow when needed but not the meat and potatoes of my presentation. [See PPT slides here]

Arrival: 

The morning started off great. I was greeted at the door by the leaders of Region 6 and shown to the “Presenter’s Lounge.” What a thoughtful gesture (and enjoyable perk!).

After I got myself settled into my assigned presentation room, I joined the guests to listen to Kathy Bumgardner speak. Not only is she approachable, charismatic, creative, knowledgeable, and realistic, but she’s so funny! I was engaged in her entire presentation because of the relatability in her stories and images that she shared. This was a great lesson for me on what makes a presenter effective, and I certainly took notes on both how she was presenting as well as what she was sharing with us about being great teachers of Literacy. I highly suggest you check our her website for freebies and classroom ideas!

Implementation:

After Kathy had shared her perspective and approach on Literacy instruction, as well as numerous resources, I headed back to my room to prepare to receive my guests!

I was so excited to share something that changed my teaching for the better- equip students to gain knowledge while the teacher facilitates! I believed this shift in teaching could not only benefit my own students, but students in every school, everywhere!

I had a group of about 11 elementary school teachers. I shared my reason for the development of this session, incorporated an ice breaker, and ensured my presentation was chalk full of engagement strategies (turn and talks, call and responses, graffiti walks, and Nearpod apps) that these teachers could bring back to their own classrooms.

I emphasized to teachers that we all learn new skills by practicing. It takes lots of practice to master a skill and even more practice to maintain a skill. So how do we expect to foster life-long learning in a child if they are spoon fed their knowledge? We must break away from that mentality and supply the knowledge but allow the child to discover it.

Think about it- your swim coach didn’t teach you to swim by being your personal flotation device. So, give access to the material, then step back and aide in the learning process. It is hard when you want to “save” a child, but they must struggle before being successful. When you finish an answer for them or guide their thinking to a place they weren’t headed to in the beginning is hand-holding. Its sabotaging the learning potential in a child.

My Advice:

Be there to prompt, then back away.

Be there to question, then back away.

Be there to listen, then listen, and listen some more.

But most of all, WATCH.

Interactions can be powerful if you equip students to bring something to the table and then take something away. Jump in when needed, but if you do the heavy lifting, expect their arms to be weak. Simply, teach them HOW to learn.

So after we all agreed that students need to step it up and teachers need to let them, we got to do some turning and talking of our own as we brainstormed ways to “let go” in our own classrooms!

(The shy teachers in the back of this photo crack me up!)

I reminded teachers that part of their evaluation includes fostering leadership in their classroom and that begins with allowing the students to take ownership. For example, in my district, to earn a higher rating in this standard a teacher would have to demonstrate the following:

So my plan was to help these teachers grow to the highest performance level by having students take the responsibility. With that being said, we came together in small groups to discuss ways in which to do just that. Each group had a different standard, ranging from elementary to high school, in a variety of subjects. Their goal was to discuss how to teach the standard by having students do more of the learning and teachers doing more of the facilitating. Everyone was a bit stumped to start, but as they rotated to different posters, they picked up momentum!

Then they began to stop and jot their thoughts on the posters.

To close the activity, we reported out on what the class had brainstormed on each particular topic. (Remember, pass the ownership right? Why should I have to lead the “recap?”)

Teachers had some really good ideas to teach these objectives! I added on to the discussion with a list of tools that I have found useful:

The NCAEE Region 6 team caught me in action in this photo! Here I am describing how NearPod works so that these teachers could gain insight into how to incorporate it into their lessons. [To see more on NearPod, check out my older post here.]

Teachers had their devices out, ready to participate in the interactive NearPod learning activity.

As I began to wrap up I reminded the teachers about the tools, strategies, approaches and ideas I shared throughout the presentation that they can begin implementing into their own classrooms TOMORROW. I encouraged them to think through how they currently instruct students and make any necessary tweaks to not only become more effective but also pass the learning ownership onto the students.

Of course, I couldn’t end my presentation without a little motivation! I reminded them that taking a risk is always worth the reward and that success comes from hard work and plenty of mistakes. “Go be GREAT, and Have Fun doing it!” I chanted.

Unfortunately, our time together had come to an end. To ensure teachers could apply their newly learned knowledge, they shared their implementation ideas as their exit ticket- some on the NearPod app and some on index cards. Here are some examples I received:

Reflection:

Overall, I felt I was able to communicate my message to the teachers. I was able to get through my entire content in the 45 min allotment and I enjoyed every minute of it! On my way out of the door, I was told “we heard great things about your session” and that was enough for me to feel like I helped make our classrooms in our surrounding area better.

However, I do wish I had asked for participant feedback about my presentation specifically so that I could continue improving my presenting and classroom instructional skills.

But more importantly than how I did as a leader is that I never realized how much I personally was going to get out of this experience as a learner myself. When I first signed up I thought I would contribute to the learning experience of other people, never walking into this experience thinking I was going to learn to the extent that I did. I joined in on the other sessions that teachers were presenting and found them so beneficial. I ensured I went to the sessions that focused on my current need, difficulty, or weakness. No matter if the session had 20 people or 1, I went where I needed to go professionally to become better. I will never regret doing that as I learned so much about being a great teacher through differentiation, data collection , and literacy instruction.

I was honored to be part of such a meaningful learning experience. When I look back, I won’t think “man I really helped those teachers,” I’ll think “man, they really helped me.”  Life is funny that way. Sometimes you get what you need when you don’t even know you need it.

I cannot express how much I appreciate the opportunity, NCAEE Region 6! Until next time…

How could this strategy help you and your students become more successful in your classroom? 

The post NCAEE Region 6 Conference: "Teachers, Pass the Torch!" appeared first on Always A Lesson.