Search results for: lesson design

Having meaningful conversations with teachers as an instructional coach is key to their growth and development. Providing professional development, facilitating professional learning community meetings, and engaging in coaching cycles are the bread and butter of instructional coaching. However, teacher leaders often leave little room for authentic conversations in their support plan. These conversations can be…

An assembly at a school is a great way to bring an entire student body and staff together. It is a time to celebrate and learn in an engaging way. Often times, assemblies can be chaotic and disorganized. This limits the impact the learning opportunity during the assembly could have on all participants. Therefore, it’s…

Switching curriculum is commonplace in schools. Sometimes funding or a contract runs out, new best practices force a change in direction for how to instruct students, or schools just want to try something new. Regardless of the reason, switching curriculum occurs on average every few years. This can be a frustrating process for both teachers…

In the height of cold and flu season, student absences are inevitable. Especially in the post Covid era, numerous days of absences among students are common. Therefore, educators need a thorough plan for meeting curriculum expectations even while student attendance is inconsistent. The following steps are two fold. First, it will help students not get…

Having a coaching strategy ensures teacher leaders have a focus for how they support teachers. This thorough plan is aligned to state/district goals, school curriculum, and teacher needs and wants. However, having one singular coaching strategy for the year is not going to be responsive enough to grow teaching capacity to its potential. The seasons…

Instructional coaches are high performers in both instruction and leadership. Their work supporting the growth and development of teachers is why their position in education is essential. Administrators are busy crafting the vision and mission of the school while managing the operations. The teachers are the life blood of the school, making learning stick for…

The mental health of educators is in crisis right now. It is causing increased stress, decreased job satisfaction, and a mass exodus of the profession. Mental health is a taboo subject; something no one wants to talk about or admit they struggle in that area. Because of that, educators suffer silently when they could be…

Social media accounts for schools can be powerful. They promote communication with stakeholders- parents, students, and community members. They showcase what makes the school unique while celebrating the strides made to become a positive, successful learning environment for children. One major drawback for having social media accounts for schools is the time requirement to set…

Coaching cycles support the growth of teachers in the classroom. They are a sequence of partnership opportunities between the teacher and coach that range from intensive to light support. What support opportunities included in coaching cycles is not black and white. Instructional coaches and other teacher leaders have the flexibility to create support options tailored…