Search results for: lesson design
Strengthen Relationships & Instruction with Conferring Notes
Conferring with students is one of the best instructional strategies a teacher can employ in their classroom. (To confer means to speak with students 1:1 during the independent practice portion of a lesson.) The process is two-fold: get information, give information. It is a personalized opportunity to re-teach concepts students have previously learned while also…
Read Full PostHow to Lead an Efficient & Engaging Professional Development Session
Teacher leaders are often creating professional development [PD] sessions for the staff that they lead. These PD sessions historically have been meetings that are lengthy, rarely applicable, and have a “sit and get” mentality. This is an ineffective way to equip teachers with instructional best practices and knowledge of current pedagogy. Teachers need opportunities to…
Read Full PostHow to Provide Models of Expert Teaching Through Coaching
Expert teaching should be accessible to students on a daily basis, but it should also be available for teachers. They need to see great teaching in action and hone their craft. It is one thing to learn instructional pedagogy and another to see it implemented live in front of students. Live teaching demonstrations allow teachers…
Read Full PostHow to Prepare as an Instructional Coach
If instructional coaches want to be successful in impacting teacher proficiency and student achievement in the classroom, they have to prepare. Just like teachers write lesson plans by studying and researching content, instructional coaches study too. They take notice of the habits of those they mentor. They research teaching best practices to model and develop…
Read Full PostCoaching Cycle- What is it and How Do I Conduct One?
A coaching cycle puts a framework in place to ensure teachers are improving in the classroom so that students can too. If you are new to the role of an instructional coach or want more clarity on what you could be doing to better help teachers, this blog post will outline how to successfully set up…
Read Full PostDon’t Underestimate the Power of Simple Math
Being an upper elementary teacher for a decade, I realized that no matter how hard the math concepts became for students to grasp, they seemed to still struggle with the foundational math skills of addition and subtraction, what I refer to as ‘simple math.’ Why? I can’t be quite sure, but I can make an…
Read Full PostHow to be a Coachable Teacher in 5 Easy Steps
The most impactful decision a teacher can make in their career is to welcome feedback from others about their teaching skillset. This is because your own opinions are limited by your perspective- you are one person, seeing yourself in one way. But, when you receive feedback from others who have a perspective unlike your own,…
Read Full Post168: Let Students Lead the Way
Students have the insight into how they learn best. It’s up to the educator to tap into this insight when designing lessons so that potential isn’t wasted in a child. There is always a reason behind a student behavior and when educators know their kids in and out, they can uncover these motivations and preferences…
Listen to EpisodeThe Power of Mentorship
Perfecting one’s craft is the key to having a successful career in any field. Improvement doesn’t come fast or easy though. In fact, it can be quite tricky to gain knowledge and expertise without the help of someone more knowledgeable to teach you the ropes. That’s why having a more experienced mentor in the same…
Read Full PostIncreasing Student Ownership in the Classroom PD Guide
Students learn best when they do the work, not the teacher. Learn how to better facilitate learning so that students take the ownership of mastering skills through the principles shared in this presentation. Learn how to use the backwards design method to plan lessons, incorporate student ownership strategies throughout a lesson, and create more engaging…
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