Search results for: lesson design
Online Modules
As an educator, I have been providing professional development to teachers for over a decade. I finally found a way to empower even more teachers without the obstacle of travel. The online modules below are hosted on Teachable, an online course platform. Click the images below to gain access to these instructional sessions. Getting the…
Read MoreAbout Gretchen
Hi, I’m Gretchen! Educator • Author • Instructional Coach • Professional Learning Consultant For more than two decades, I have worked alongside educators at every stage of their careers—from classroom teachers and teacher leaders to instructional coaches and school-based leaders. My work began in the elementary classroom, where I taught grades 2, 3, and 5…
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You don’t need more ideas. You need the right support to turn those ideas into action. Let’s Turn Learning Into Lasting Impact I partner with educators, leaders, schools, and organizations that are ready to move beyond one-time inspiration and create meaningful change in practice. Whether you need professional learning for a team, individualized coaching, strategic…
Read MoreThe Instructional Coach’s Guide to Planning PD Without Losing Your Weekend
The truth is you didn’t become an instructional coach to spend your Saturdays making PowerPoint slides. Yet somehow…that’s exactly what happens. It usually starts innocently enough. “Can you lead PD next Thursday?” asks your Principal. You reply: “Absolutely!” Then reality sets in. You open a blank PowerPoint. You start searching Pinterest. You dig through old…
Read Full PostEngagement Hacks: Keeping Students Invested in Learning
A few simple structures can help more students think, talk, move, and contribute, without adding more to your workload.
Read Full PostWhy a PowerPoint Is Not a Complete Professional Learning Session
Imagine this scenario… You have been asked to lead professional learning next week. So, naturally, you open PowerPoint. You choose a template, create a title slide, add your key ideas, find a few visuals, and organize everything into a logical sequence. By the time you finish, the presentation looks polished. But there is still an…
Read Full PostHow to Stop Creating Professional Learning From Scratch
Imagine this scenario: Your principal stops by your office and asks a seemingly simple question: “Can you lead professional learning next week?” You smile, say yes, and immediately begin calculating how many evenings it will take to pull everything together. You need a topic, slides, activities, participant handouts, discussion questions, facilitator notes, an action plan…
Read Full PostMaximizing Small-Group Instruction (Even When You’re New)
Maximizing small-group instruction is one of the most effective ways to accelerate student learning. It creates space for targeted practice, immediate feedback, and the kind of individualized support that whole-group instruction simply can’t provide. Typically, teachers introduce a new skill during whole-group instruction and gather both informal and formal data to assess understanding. From there,…
Read Full Post369: Data Symplifyed with Jessica Lane & Jenelle McClenahen
Data can feel overwhelming in education—assessment scores, progress monitoring, intervention tracking, attendance trends, and classroom performance. In this episode, we’re joined by Jessica Lane and Jenelle McClenahen from Data Symplifyed to talk about how educators can make data more manageable, meaningful, and useful in their daily work. Quotables **All quotes are from the interviewees** “The…
Listen to EpisodeBeyond the Test: Keeping Instruction Meaningful
The test is done. The pressure lifts. The countdown begins. And yet, those final weeks of school matter more than we often give them credit for. It’s easy to slip into “end-of-year mode” where routines loosen and learning becomes less intentional after the test. But with a little planning, those last days can be some…
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