Effective evaluations provide meaningful feedback, highlighting strengths teachers should continue building on while also identifying areas for growth. When approached with the right mindset, evaluations become less about judgment and more about professional learning.

Here are three ways teachers can better understand evaluations and use them to grow and thrive in their practice.

Know the Rubric like a Roadmap 

Much of the anxiety surrounding teacher evaluations comes from not fully understanding what the evaluator is looking for. When teachers become familiar with the categories, indicators, and language of the rubric, they can teach with purpose rather than guesswork.

Think of the rubric as a roadmap for high-quality instruction. It communicates the expectations for effective teaching and learning that should occur every day in the classroom. However, a rubric is not simply a checklist of tasks to complete. Instead, it represents a continuum of practice that focuses not only on what teachers do, but how well they do it.

During observation debriefs, administrators can help teachers interpret rubric indicators and identify specific actions that can move their practice forward. When expectations are clear, teachers are empowered to intentionally align their instruction with those expectations.

Clarity turns evaluation from a mystery into a guide.

Treat Observations as a Snapshot; not a Final Judgement

One lesson does not define a teacher. Observations provide data, information about what happened in a particular moment in time. Instead of viewing an observation as a verdict, it is more helpful to view it as evidence that can answer three simple questions:

• What did students do?

• What did I do as the teacher?

• What might my next step be?

When teachers adopt this mindset, feedback becomes fuel rather than fear.

Administrators can reinforce this perspective by framing feedback around the specific moment observed. For example, saying “During this lesson…” rather than “You are teaching at this level.” This language keeps the focus on practice rather than personal identity.

Teachers and students are human, which means every classroom has both strong days and challenging ones. An observation captures only a single snapshot. However, if multiple observations reveal consistent patterns, then additional support and coaching may be needed to help a teacher meet expectations.

One snapshot alone should never be the final judgment.

Use Feedback to Set One Actionable Goal

After an evaluation, the most successful teachers resist the urge to fix everything at once. Instead, they identify one specific, measurable improvement to focus on next.

This goal might involve tightening classroom transitions, refining questioning strategies, or improving clarity of directions. Small adjustments in these areas can often lead to meaningful improvements in student learning.

Administrators play an important role in helping teachers prioritize. While several rubric indicators may show room for growth, leaders can help identify the one change that would produce the greatest positive impact.

This focused approach has several benefits:

• It narrows the teacher’s attention

• Reduces feelings of overwhelm

• Builds confidence through achievable progress

In professional growth, the most powerful progress often comes from doing less, but doing it better.

Final Thoughts

Teacher evaluations should never feel like a compliance exercise or a judgment day. At their best, they function as a feedback loop that supports continuous growth.

When teachers understand the rubric, view observations as learning opportunities, and focus on one actionable improvement at a time, evaluations become a tool for strengthening practice rather than a source of stress.

Growth in teaching is a process and evaluations are simply one of the tools that can help guide the journey.

Recommended Resources

• Blog Posts:
  • Summative Evaluations for Educators
  • Teacher Evaluation
• Printable Guides:
  • Teacher Evaluation Rubric
  • Peer Observations

GO BE GREAT!

The post 3 Ways to Understand Teacher Evaluations (and How to Thrive in Them) appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Lead from Right Here

Leadership doesn’t begin with a title—it begins with intentional action. Teachers can start leading from exactly where they are, even in their first years in the classroom. Early-career teachers can take small but meaningful steps such as sharing a successful instructional strategy, supporting a teammate during planning, or volunteering for a committee. These actions quietly build credibility and signal readiness for greater responsibility. When you consistently do the small things well, others begin to trust you with bigger opportunities. New teachers can also be proactive by meeting with their principal to express interest in future leadership, asking to be considered when opportunities arise. Sharing long-term goals with school leadership plants a seed that allows a teacher to grow intentionally into a mentor role when the timing is right.

Develop One Signature Strength

New teachers grow faster—and lead sooner—when they identify one strength and intentionally refine it. This might be classroom management, technology integration, literacy routines, assessment practices, or family communication. Rather than trying to be excellent at everything, focus on becoming exceptionally strong in one area. Read, observe, ask questions, and experiment to deepen your expertise. Then, share what you’re learning with others. Over time, colleagues will begin seeking you out for guidance in that area, positioning you as a trusted resource. Becoming “the go-to person” is often the first visible step toward mentorship.

Seek Micro Mentorship Opportunities

Mentorship develops through action, not appointment. Teachers build leadership capacity by intentionally supporting others—co-planning with a peer, modeling a classroom routine, or helping a colleague navigate school systems. These small, informal coaching moments are the foundation for formal leadership roles later on. When teachers have already shared their leadership goals with administrators, volunteered for committees, and established a signature strength, the groundwork for mentorship is in place. From there, it’s time to move beyond sharing ideas to demonstrating them. Instead of describing a strategy, model it. Share student work, photos, or short videos during team or staff meetings to show the impact in action. As teachers consistently lead in visible ways, their mentorship skills sharpen and their audience grows ready to follow—confident in a track record that has been building all along.

Recommended Resources

If you are interested in additional support to grow from new to mentor, browse the suggestions below:

• Book: Always A Lesson- Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success
• Mentor Kit
• Instructional Coaching
• Peer Observations

These podcast episodes and blog posts may also be helpful to you.

GO BE GREAT!

The post From New Teacher to Trusted Mentor: Growing into a Leadership Role appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will cover 3 ways in which instructional coaches can adjust their support strategies for career-changers (also known as alternative pathway teachers).

Start with Skill Translation, not Skill Deficit

Career changers bring strong skills to the game of teaching, such as problem solving, communication, and project management. However, alternative pathway teachers do not always see how those skills apply to teaching.  Effective coaches help them connect the dots with skills from the previous setting into the new one. This is done in a way that makes career changing teachers feel ahead instead of instead of behind. A coach should meet with each alternative pathway teacher individually and better understand the skillset they bring the table. Together, they will brainstorm how to leverage those same skills in the classroom. Throughout the first three years (typical of teacher support plans), the coach will help the teacher utilize those previously mentioned skill strengths and strengthen new ones. When teachers are supported in a personalized way from the beginning, teacher retention increases.  

Prioritize Pedagogy in Bite-Sized/Practice-First Doses

Alternative pathway teachers don’t need lectures on theory; they need immediate, usable strategies. Much of teacher prep programs in college focus on the history of education, famous educators and their contributions to the field, educational theory and more. Although these courses are interesting and help paint a picture, they are best used on the journey to teaching and not once teaching has started. Coaches can help career changing teachers by offering quick wins, such as modeling, co-teaching, scripts, checklists and rehearsal based practice. These best practices are strategies teachers can easily mimic from their coach and immediately implement into their lessons with students. This will enhance instruction and teacher practice. The coach can then help the teacher reflect on how they planned to use the strategy, how it went live with students and what to try differently the next day. Begin with 1-3 strategies to keep things simple and realistic. Additional strategies can be added on as the teacher is ready. 

Teach the Hidden Curriculum of Schools

The hardest part for career-changers isn’t instruction—it’s the unwritten rules like school culture, grading norms, hierarchy, communication expectations, and kid behavior patterns. These are rarely spelled out, yet they shape how successful and confident a new teacher feels. Coaches should help smooth the transition by making the invisible rules visible, from how to word an email to families, to when it’s appropriate to involve administration, to what “good classroom management” looks like in that specific building. This support can occur alongside an initial meet-and-greet between teacher and coach where transferrable skills are discussed and contextualized for the school setting. Quickly getting a lay of the land—through explicit conversations, checklists, or even shadowing opportunities—helps new teachers operate successfully within the school while honoring its unspoken boundaries. When logistics and norms are clarified early, career-changers are freed to focus their energy on teaching, building relationships, and developing a true sense of belonging rather than second-guessing every move.

Additional Resources

The following resources are recommended to provide support to alternative pathway teachers:

• Book: Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success 
• Just for teachers:
  • Peer Observations
  • Teacher Leadership Professional Development
• Just for coaches:
  • Instructional Best Practices
  • Instructional Coaching Forms
  • Teacher Mentorship Kit

Continue reading more in the Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers series on the blog:

• Becoming a Teacher Without Any Student Teacher Experience
• Changing Careers: Making the Transition for Future Teachers
• Bridging the Instructional Gap: Must-Know Pedagogy for Non Traditional Teachers

GO BE GREAT!

The post 3 Things Coaches Need to Know About Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Reframe your Experience

Late-career educators bring a wealth of professional and life experience that transfers directly into the classroom. Rather than viewing a nontraditional path as a liability, reframe it as a powerful asset. Skills such as communication, leadership, organization, problem-solving, and relationship-building are foundational to effective teaching. Years spent navigating workplaces, managing projects, collaborating with diverse teams, or mentoring others provide an edge that many early-career teachers are still developing.

Additionally, real-world experience allows you to offer authentic examples that bring learning to life. Students benefit from hearing how content connects to careers, everyday decisions, and the world beyond school walls. That big-picture perspective helps students see relevance and purpose in their learning—something younger educators may not yet have the lived experience to provide.

Small, Daily Wins

Confidence grows through momentum, and momentum is built one small win at a time. Instead of waiting for a perfect lesson or a flawless observation, focus on daily progress. Maybe today you nailed the flow of a lesson, successfully redirected off-task behavior, connected with a hesitant student, or figured out a new piece of technology. These moments matter.

Celebrate progress over perfection. Teaching is complex work, and mastery comes through repetition and reflection. Consider keeping a “wins list” at the end of each day—write down one thing that went well, no matter how small. Over time, those small victories add up, creating tangible evidence that you are learning, growing, and becoming more confident in your role.

Create your Circle

Teaching was never meant to be a solo endeavor. Designing a personal support circle can dramatically impact both your growth and your well-being. This circle might include mentors, PLC teammates, instructional coaches, or trusted colleagues who offer encouragement and honest feedback. Be intentional about choosing people you admire for their expertise, mindset, and perspective.

Having a strong circle provides a safe space to ask questions, share struggles, and celebrate successes. It also helps normalize the challenges of teaching—especially in the early years. Surrounding yourself with supportive professionals reminds you that you are not alone and that confidence is something everyone continues to build throughout their career.

Additional Resources

Classroom confidence doesn’t come from having all the answers; it comes from trusting yourself to learn, adapt, and grow. By reframing your experience, celebrating small daily wins, and building a supportive circle, late-career educators can move past imposter syndrome and step fully into the impactful teachers they are becoming.

This blog series on supporting alternative pathway teachers provided tips and strategies to make the adjustment easier and make the impact immense. Catch up on the other blog posts in the series:

• Teaching Without Student Teaching: What You Need to Know
• Changing Careers: Making the Transition for Future Teachers
• Bridging the Instructional Gap: Must-Know Pedagogy for Non-Traditional Teachers

If you are in need of tangible, instructional strategies to make an impact in the classroom read my latest book “Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.”

GO BE GREAT!

The post Building Classroom Confidence as a Late-Career Educator appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will share 5 ways to transfer skills from a previous careers into effective teaching practices.

Identify Transferrable Skills

Recognize that corporate, service-industry, military, or nonprofit experience naturally translates into classroom strengths. To better exemplify what skills might transfer from the old setting into the new one, review the samples below:

• Project management is similar to the process of lesson planning in that both require organization, including setting goals, managing timelines, and allocating resources.
• Customer service relates to communicating effectively with parents because both require empathy, respect, and clear communication to build relationships.
• Team leadership mirrors managing a classroom in that both require setting clear expectations, establishing procedures and routines, motivating individuals towards common goals and fostering a positive environment.
• Data analysis is a very common task for teachers as they progress monitor students since both require collecting information to track growth over time in efforts to make more informed decisions.

Leverage Real World Experience

Leverage your real world experience to bring lessons to life: use real world examples, stories and scenarios to make content more meaningful . As children grow in age, connecting to the material becomes even more important so a secondary school teacher would want to emphasize these in daily lessons. A benefit of having other career experience is being able to show students how learning connects to real careers (using your former career as an example). It is important to offer authentic problem solving tools from your field to demonstrate skills learned into school turn into superpowers at work. 

Shift from Adult Focus to Kid Focus

One major difference when moving into education from another field is that who you manage will be very different. Working with adults is different than working with children. What works with adults (emails, autonomy, extended deadlines, etc.) does not translate well to the classroom. Kids need explicit modeling, step by step directions and constant reinforcement. However, a lot of alternatively licensed staff underestimate that the same leadership skills still apply- just scaled down, simplified and more structured.

Build an Instructional Toolbox

This task will have to be done quickly and intentionally as you are literally learning on the job. Do less and get really good at it. As you gain traction, you can diversify your teaching strategies and approaches. 

• • Keep routines and procedures for students simple and consistent
  • Master 1-2 classroom management frameworks instead of trying to master a million 
    • 3 C’s: content, community, and choice
    • 5 R’s: relationships, rights, rules, routines, and responsibilities
    • Four Square:  organization, discipline, instruction, and assessment. 
  • Study a few high yield instructional strategies
    • Checks for understanding
    • Modeling
    • Guided practice
  • Use district supports, mentor teachers, and PD intentionally

Embrace the Learning Curve

It’s normal to feel like an expert in your old field and like a mess as a beginning teacher. This isn’t starting over; it’s leveling up. The shift is monumental, but the transition is smoother when you ask questions early and often. The skills that made you successful in your old role (resilience, communication, problem solving, etc.) are exactly what make you a great teacher now. And we all know, teaching is the most noble of all professions! 

Recommended Resources

The following resources will increase your preparedness for a role in education:

• Digital Downloads:
  • Instructional Best Practices
  • PD On Demand: Micro Learning Opportunities 
• Books:
  • EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College
  • Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success

Continue reading more in the Supporting Alternative Pathway Teachers series on the blog:

• Becoming A Teacher Without Student Teaching Experience
• Bridge the Instructional Gap: Must Know Pedagogy for Non Traditional Teachers

GO BE GREAT!

The post Changing Careers: Making the Transition for Future Teachers appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Attend during Specials or Planning Time

The most simple way to logistically make learning walks work within the parameters of a jam packed teaching schedule is to use off-time during contractual hours to engage in learning walks. For example, when students are at specials or you have an additional planning block without students, use a portion of that time to complete the learning walk. Being organized for the learning walk ahead of time will ensure efficient time usage for the experience.

Instructional Coach Becomes Coverage

Sometimes, you cannot complete a learning walk (or enough rounds of peer observations to be worth it) during free time so needing someone to provide classroom coverage is necessary. Using a member of the leadership team, like an instructional coach, allows teachers to engage in a thorough learning walk experience while students are taught by a certified staff member. This coach could help multiple grade levels over several days so that all staff could participate. However, leaving time in the day for the instructional coach to complete their daily activities is important so that they aren’t left scrambling to meet the expectations of their day-to-day job.

Hire Substitute Teachers

The first two suggestions are free which is why they are the most popular solution among schools. However, sometimes those options are unavailable to schools. In that case, using school funds to hire substitute teachers allows them to manage learning walks. For example, a principal might have a substitute teacher come for an entire day but hop around classes providing coverage while grade levels take turns engaging in a learning walk. This requires school-wide planning and orchestration; however, it is the best use of time and funds when hiring a substitute teacher for coverage.

Blend Classes

A solution that is less popular because it is not what is best for teachers and students is to blend classes together. For example, a single teacher would disperse their students among the rest of the grade level classes so that each class only had an additional 3-4 students during the learning walk time frame. This requires a collaborative effort with the helping teachers so that it is a seamless transition of instruction for students. The teacher would work quickly to see a different grade level of teachers that did not have additional students in their classes. This solution is time bound and often bare bones just to get in a quick peer observation.

Do it Virtually

If all else fails, allow teachers to watch their peers teach via video tape. It lacks authenticity because you cannot feel what is happening in the room and it limits your line of sight. However, it still allows colleagues to watch each other teach, reflect on their own practice, and improve their teaching skill for the benefit of students.

Resources

Below are additional resources to help you successfully implement learning walks in your school building.

• Blog Posts:
  • How to Set Up Learning Walks in your Building
  • 3 Tips to Get the Most Out of Learning Walks
  • The Secret to the Most Effective PD
• Downloadable Material:
  • Learning Walks: Effective Peer Observations

Don’t let obstacles get in your way of teachers seeing each other teach. Learning walks are a powerful and transformative professional development tool.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Ways to Overcome Coverage Challenges During Learning Walks appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The Teacher Growth and Development Process

The following process is ongoing between the leader and teacher. Although the focus for improvement may change throughout the year, the process remains the same. This provides structure to all stakeholders. The goal of this process is to assist the teacher in growing their skillset. Students improve their performance in the classroom as a result.

• Pre- Conference – Teachers can submit lesson plans for an upcoming announced observation or they can co-create a lesson plan with a leader (ie. mentor, instructional coach, assistant principal. This insures a high quality lesson is formed from the start. Feedback is provided to the teacher to make final tweaks before teaching the lesson live in front of students with the leader observing.
• Observation – A leader observes the teacher deliver the lesson to students (ideally this would be the same leader present in the pre-conference, but it does not have to be). No interaction between the teacher and leader should occur as if they are simply a fly on the wall. The teacher teaches the lesson as planned in the pre-conference. This includes any changes due to feedback.
• Post- Conference – Hosting a debrief with the leader and teacher allows for a productive discussion about high quality teaching. The teacher comes to the post-conference after completing their reflection of the effectiveness of the lesson. During this time, professional goals are discussed in addition to the goal for the lesson taught. Strengths are highlighted and weaknesses are prioritized (1-2 areas only). The teacher uses this conversation to gain clarity on teaching expectations, feedback on the lesson itself, and next steps for how to continue to improve their instructional skill.

Collect Evidence of Teacher Proficiency

Teacher proficiency is a term used to describe the level of effectiveness of a teacher’s instruction. Classroom observations alone do not share the whole picture of a teacher’s development. Therefore, leaders need to collect a variety of data to showcase the many ways a teacher has grown.

• Professional Development [PD] Records – Knowing what PD teachers have attended enlightens the leader on what topics they have learned about and should be implementing. Finding patterns within the records will provide clues for next steps
• Communication with Parents– Knowing how often and the methods used by the teacher to communicate with students’ parents is helpful in knowing what feedback to provide to build strong, personable relationships with stakeholders. This also gives credit for going above and beyond requirements to keep parents informed and leverage their assistance in the growth of the child
• Use of Student Data– Understanding how teachers collect, analyze and use data to inform their instruction showcases the level of their skill. If teachers encourage students to chart their own growth, set goals, and advocate for their own learning needs then the teacher is going above-and-beyond the requirement to collect, analyze and use data in their classroom.
• Participation in Growth Opportunities– Teachers should meet with leaders to share their professional goals at the beginning of the year. This helps the leader support growth in that area of interest. Noting what additional opportunities teachers have engaged in to continue to grow in their area of expertise or interest demonstrates a self-motivated, dedicated professional.

Want more support? Browse our full collection of printable and digital tools. You can also read more helpful posts on the blog.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Summative Evaluations for Educators appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will outline 5 ways in which an educator can become a teacher leader.

Make your Intentions Known

The best way to ensure your future becomes what you dream it to be, is to let others know your desires. When they know what you want to do or become, they will encourage you to get there. Share your ideas for leadership with your colleagues and administrative team. As opportunities arise, your name will be top of mind and they will recommend you. If you keep your dream to yourself, no one will be able to support that dream coming to fruition.

Do your Homework

Learn as much as you can prior to opportunities coming to pass. Read as many educational books on leadership, subscribe to online newsletters from current leaders, and attend conferences about teacher leadership to grow your skillset while also allowing you to create relationships with others who are where you want to be. The more you learn now, the easier the transition into leadership will be later down the road.

Lead Without a Title

Just because you don’t have an official leadership title, doesn’t mean you can’t support the growth of teachers. Have an open door policy with your colleagues, inviting them in to brainstorm teaching ideas or talk through obstacles. Follow up with others you help to see if they were successful and continue supporting them if needed. When a leadership job opens up, not only will others think to recommend you for it because they know you want to be a leader, but they now have first hand experience of how much you have helped them.

Shadow Teacher Leaders

Find colleagues who are leading with and without a title. Watch them in action. Take note of their leadership style and results. This will help you develop your own skillset tailoring your approach to your personality and leadership style. Watching someone lead live gives you a more realistic view of what the role may entail. When you shadow a variety of teacher leaders you will be exposed to the numerous ways in which teachers can be supported. This will help you nail down the role that may be the perfect fit for you in terms of alignment to your goals.

Interview, Interview, Interview

It may take numerous interviews before landing a job. Don’t take that personally. Sometimes a district has a requirement to interview a certain number of candidates before extending an offer to a candidate, even when they already know how they plan to hire. Other times, you may not be a fit for their current needs and they may not be a good fit for the environment you wish to work in. The more times you interview, the more practice you get answering hard questions off the cuff, supporting your answers with evidence (ie. specific ways you helped teachers and the results of those interactions), and exuding confidence to showcase your capability in the role. Interview for a variety of teacher leadership roles because even if you do not land your ideal role at first, it will help you gain experience and exposure that will be advantageous next time you interview.

Resources

Below are resources that will help you begin preparing for you teacher leadership role.

• Download Now:
  • Teacher Leader Interview Questions
  • PD on Demand (high leverage topics to help other teachers with)
• Blog Posts:
  • 10 Ways to Learn Over Summer Break as a Teacher Leader
  • Core Coaching Moves for Teacher Leaders
• Podcast Episodes:
  • Teacher Leadership with Sahur Augsteen
  • Teacher Leadership with John Schembari

Once you land your job, enroll in my Teacher Leadership Mastermind! We meet virtually every other week in a fall or spring cohort model. You’ll connect with other teacher leaders across the nation, set personalized goals and track your progress, as well as celebrate your wins in a supportive environment.

Best of luck to you on your journey…

GO BE GREAT!

The post 5 Ways to Become A Teacher Leader 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.

Step into the world of STEM when you listen to this weeks episode! Learn all about the benefits, different tips to take back to your own classroom, and how you can get involved yourself.

Quotables

** All quotes are by the interviewee **

• “A setback is when you learn from the mistake and you continue on.”
• “Find role models and mentors.”
• “We need to be more collaborative together as teaching teams.”

About Nichole Austion

Nichole Austion, MBA, has over 20 years of marketing success and has served as VP of public affairs for the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) since 2022. She leads government affairs, fostering relationships with federal and state entities. Nichole holds a B.S. in computer science and engineering from Howard University and an MBA from Texas McCombs (1995). An active member of the National Black MBA Association, she was named Innovator of the Year by the Women’s Empowerment Ministry in 2024. A passionate STEM advocate, she published Miles and the Math Monsters in 2024, a children’s book designed to make math fun and accessible.

Resources from the Episode

• www.nms.org
• www.linkedin.com/in/nichole-austion/
• www.nicholeaustionbooks.com/
• National Math and Science Initiative website: nms.org

• Nichole’s email: naustion@nms.org
• Nichole’s author website: Nicholeaustionbooks.com

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

The post 345: Stepping into STEM with Nichole Austion 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.

Are you a mentor? Are you a beginning teacher? Listen in as Gretchen speaks on the importance of a successful mentor and mentee partnership. This partnership is highly important for beginning teachers as they navigate the profession. Throughout this episode, Gretchen shares a story and gives quality tips to help things run smoothly.

Quotables

• “When we can name what makes something successful, we can repeat it. “
• “We want to grow the mindset and the skill set of educators.”
• “Implement the feedback you’re given. ”

Resources from this Episode:

Blog Posts:

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

The post 341: Success Secrets of Colleague Mentorship in Education appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In education, adults have to continue learning through professional development [PD] to keep their licenses active. These learning experiences are usually given by experts in the field, leaders in the building or even colleagues who are teaching themselves. Either way, adults are teaching adults.

This post shares tips for making adult-to-adult learning successful.

Adult Learning Theory

When presenting material during PD, learning styles should still be considered to ensure information is retained. However, the nuances of teaching adults requires alternative planning methods than those used to design lessons for kids. Adult learning theory, commonly known as andragogy, is a 5 point framework that outlines how to plan learning experiences for adults. Be sure to explore adult learning theory prior to planning a PD session for adult learners.

Before the PD Session

After exploring adult learning theory, make note of what aspects you plan to include in your PD session. Draft a quick email to the attending teachers explaining the upcoming learning opportunity. In this email be sure to acknowledge their background and expertise, outlining how it will be used during the session to help peers grow their skills as well. When learners feel they bring something to the table to contribute, they show up to the learning session motivated to engage.

Before closing the email, explain the relevancy of the PD session. Adults need to see the value and need for the topic before they can be open to learning it. By sharing this information up front, adults walk into the session on the same page and ready to go.

During the PD Session

Adults do best when they can pour over a problem and collaborate on the solution. They do not enjoy being talked out the whole session. Although there will be a portion of new information shared, the presenter should use professional talk over their teacher persona to avoid the attendees feeling like they are being talked down to. After the new content is shared, do these three things:

• Make space for exploration – Sometimes we learn best by getting busy with what we are learning. Having an activity where adults can explore together brings the content alive and they naturally begin to imagine implementing it in their various roles.
• Allow for input – Open up for the floor to see what thoughts learners are beginning to have about what they just learned. This is a great time for problem solvers to bring solutions to the table. It also provides insight into how well learners understood the new material.
• Build in robust time for discussion – Some might have background to what was shared and can share personal experiences to help their colleagues imagine what the new learning will look like in their saturation. Others might want to share out about what they discovered during the exploration section of the PD session. Either way, allowing colleagues to compare their findings and share ideas is the most important part of the learning experience. Do not short cut this phase.

After the PD session

To ensure learners implement their new learning, a follow-up is required. This could be a quick survey teachers have to fill out that asks questions like:

• What was your biggest takeaway from your recent PD session?
• How did you plan to implement your new learning?
• What results did you notice after implementation?
• What additional support do you need to continue implementing your learning successfully?
• What topics of interest can you share for future learning sessions?

The results of the survey will help the PD session presenter know how to continue the follow-up process. Some teachers might need a quick 1:1 planning session where others might request an observation and feedback. Either way, personalized support ensures the new learning sticks!

Next Steps

Consider how adults learn differently and then plan an amazing learning experience for them. They will appreciate the time you took to understand what they need and want (and you’ll appreciate that the learning experience is full of high engagement!).

If you are in need of various PD options for teachers, browse the options below:

• Learning Walks – a peer observation tool
• Mentor Kit – create a mentorship system at your school
• PD on Demand– mini PD options teachers can learn on the go
• PD Choice Board – provide learning options for teachers based on their interests
• Buzzword Bingo – have fun during PD by highlighting key concepts through Bingo
• PD Huddle – a quick colleague PD huddle up to kick off the day

If you are looking for specific PD content to share with teachers, browse the options below:

• How to Successful Manage a Classroom
• Asking Higher Order Thinking Questions
• Increasing Student Ownership

If you need more resources to help you become an even stronger teacher or coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out other helpful blog posts here. Be sure to also check out my latest book, Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.

GO BE GREAT!

The post The Art of Teaching Adults (not Kids) appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The California Department of Education says: “Family and community engagement greatly increases the likelihood that students will learn and thrive. Students are more prepared for school, more likely to achieve, and more likely to graduate when they are supported by schools, families, and communities working together in a coordinated manner.”

There are various ways in which schools can incorporate the community into their mission and daily operation. This post will uncover 5 ways and share the benefit of each.

Career Readiness

There are so many jobs in and around the community. Having community members come into the classroom to share information with students about their career builds a strong real world connection. Students are exposed to a variety of work options for their future while also building relationships with key figures in the community. A school-wide career fair or individual class guest presentations will build career readiness in students.

Financial

Schools are always looking for funding sources to purchase curriculum, instructional resource supplements, technology and more. They even use funding to hire additional staff members or bring in guest speakers for in-house field trips or professional development opportunities for teachers. By donating funds, schools are able to enhance their instructional and environmental offerings to students. In turn, these gifts tend to impact current and future students for the long term.

Item Donations

If a financial donation is not an option for community members, donating items for classrooms and office staff are highly recommended. Having a list of common items to share with community members at the ready, ensure partnerships are built in ways that matter. Also, physical donations are helpful because schools can save the financial offerings to purchase bigger ticket items. Common requested donations are office supplies, pencils, erasers, white out, stickers, folders, lined paper, printer paper, rulers, pens, notebooks, stapler, staples, tape, scissors, crayons, markers, glue, construction paper, and reward items for students.

Mentorship

Student mentorship options allow children to build relationships with stable, inspirational adults. Mentors can emotionally support students while also assisting them academically. The goal of these partnerships is to increase academic success, confidence, and emotional stability. As a result, students feel a sense of belonging at the school, gain life skills, improve test scores, and increase attendance rates. By involving the community in a student mentorship program, allows volunteers to use their skills and talents to make a positive impact on the lives of students living in their own hometown.

Parental Collaboration

Inviting parents into the school on a continuous basis builds relationships with the most important stakeholder in the education of the child. Offering learning sessions in regards to teaching methods, specific curriculum and how to support at home create a true partnership. When important decisions are to be made at the school level regarding students, inviting parents into the conversation and allowing their vote ensures their support throughout the year. Utilizing feedback surveys, positive phone calls home, and school-wide event participation allow parent opinions and skillsets to enhance the learning experience for their child(ren) at the school.

Next Steps

1. Continue reading about leveraging community partnership for school success by reading this past blog post entitled “How to Lead Community Partnerships.”
2. Listen to this past bonus podcast episode entitled “The Power of Community.” Hear tips from coaches in the trenches for what aspects meant the most to them in finding an empowering community.
3. Build a strong sense of peer-peer community among teacher teams via professional learning communities by downloading these printable guides.

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 do you incorporate the community into your school?

The post Leveraging Community Partnership for School Success appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post provides 10 ways to improve instructional coaching practice for the school year.

Pre-Work Phase

These three steps set the groundwork for the planning phase that comes next. You’ll dig into the current information (data) you have so you can make sound decisions for what to do going forward.

1. Evaluate current practices – Look at your current coaching practices and ask yourself:
   • What does coaching currently look like at your school?
   • What are the teacher support options?
   • How effective are these strategies in improving teacher proficiency and student achievement?
2. Review teacher performance ratings – Look at the performance rubric scores of each teacher on your roster for next year. Creating a spreadsheet is most helpful by placing each rubric domain across the top, teacher name down the side and fill in ratings in the middle. This allows you to sort data as needed.
3. Review student learning outcomes – Look at formal and informal data for students by grade level. Be sure to only use common assessments so you can make an accurate comparison rather than pulling random work samples.

Planning Phase

The following four steps utilize the findings in the pre-work phase to plan and prepare for the new instructional coaching practice plan. They are best completed as an administrative team, but feel free to include instructional coaches as well.

1. Set targets – Based on the data collected, set a vision and end goal. This will provide clarity once you start executing your plan. Then establish milestone markers along the way so you can celebrate progress towards the finish line.
2. Design teacher support options  – There are many ways to support the growth of teachers. Reflecting on what options worked previously, what additional supports could be added? Teachers can benefit from  various modes of learning offered. Common learning opportunities are whole or small group professional development, grade level or subject area professional learning communities, 1:1 coaching cycles, and mentor pairings. Knowing teacher and student data allow you to create options that best suit the needs of your school. (Browse instructional coaching materials here to help you plan your teacher support options.)
3. Compile coaching techniques  – Research current best practices through scholarly articles, national newspaper magazines, and published books. (See a recommended reading list here.) Make note of commonalities and suggested techniques to build into your coaching practice.
4. Plan evidence collection intervals – Now that you know where you are going and how you plan to get there, you need to design a plan to collect evidence. Deciding ahead of time what “look for’s” you’ll reference to know whether or not coaching is working ensures effective use of your time and alignment to your goals. Select how often you’ll want to review evidence and make a list of what you plan to collect (ie. student scores, teacher observation data, anecdotal notes, etc.)

Execution Phase

The final phase of 3 steps puts all the pre-work and planning into practice.

1. Train instructional coaches –  Review the teacher support options coaches can implement to support the growth of teachers and students. Discuss what these options look like in detail and create a system to hold them accountable for implementing the strategies as intended. The best way to do this is through mock practice with feedback. Then coaches can perfect their use of techniques prior to working with teachers. Check out these practice scenarios here.
2. Roll out to teachers – Growth requires assistance from all parties. Coaches cannot force teachers to grow. Including teachers in the discussion about the plan for supporting their growth in the coming school year ensures they know all options available to them. Informing them of the accountability measures for growth increases the likelihood that they take advantage of the support options.
3.  Review and revise – Each quarter or semester, review the instructional coaching program strategy and revise as necessary. You can collect and review evidence prior to these points in time, but try not to make adjustments too quickly. Make revisions slowly and intentionally, allowing the process to work.

By following these 10 steps, you will improve your instructional coaching practice and experience tremendous returns on your investment.

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 here. Also, catch up on other help instructional coaching blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

What other ways would you add to improve instructional coaching practices at your school?

The post 10 Ways to Improve Instructional Coaching Practice this Year appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Attracting Teacher Talent

Setting the stage for teachers to want to work at a school or in a district begins with how they experience you, your staff and your offerings. Instead of advertising with a focus on the specific job openings, ask for future educators to apply who have certain attributes, goals or desires. Invite creative, passionate individuals who are dedicated to putting the learning needs of students first to a hiring event. Here they can engage in a meet-and-greet with potential colleagues, listen to school or district personnel testimonials, learn about competitive benefits and potential job perks (ie. staff lounge stocked with goodies, duty free lunch, free prep period, etc.). A personal invitation to the hiring event should also be given to current connections in the pipeline such as graduating student teachers, undergraduate university observers and other volunteers who have already begun their work in the school or district.

The most important component of attracting teaching talent is sharing the robust onboarding system available to new hires. Many districts offer new teacher orientation where teachers can receive school calendars, staff directories, site maps, daily schedules as well as the district mission and vision for instruction. A thorough onboarding system ensures the new hire acclimates to their specific school with ease (tour, building access instructions, assigned mentor, grade level expectations checklist, etc.) while also engaging in ongoing check ins to answer questions, provide feedback, and recalibrate expectations. Onboarding is not a single event; it is a continuous process. When done well over a period of years per hire, it leads to greater retention and stronger classroom performance.

Maintaining Teacher Talent

Once new hires are in place, the onboarding process continues with more intense support through professional development, coaching, and mentorship. A supportive work environment where new teachers receive personalized guidance through a clearly laid out plan diminishes confusion, anxiety, and stress. Trainings cover curriculum, district initiatives, instructional strategies and more. Based on the implementation of the knowledge and skills presented in the trainings, new teachers receive individualized feedback and coaching from mentors, teacher leaders and administrators. Additional learning can occur peer-to-peer where colleagues observe veteran teachers to see great teaching in action and engage in monthly meetings with mentors. Maintaining teacher talent allows the onboarding process to expand to deeper learning and support. This results in a reduction in staff turnover and burnout. New teachers are able to voice their concerns, have a choice in how they navigate obstacles, and feel empowered through the web of support surrounding them.

Sadly, according to the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey, 58% of teachers do not receive time to observe other teachers and 51% have never observed their mentor teaching (NCTWCS, 2022). Teachers, especially new teachers, deserve job-embedded learning opportunities led by their peers. With more than half of the teaching population missing out on these added layers of support means we will not be able to maintain that teaching talent for long. Teachers want to learn and grow, and they want to work in a place that provides that for them.

Growing Teacher Talent

Schools that invest in the future growth of their teachers are at an advantage. They can utilize the talents and skills of teachers to enhance their school offerings, climate and academic performance. This is why it is important to conduct one-on-one retention interviews to understand long term plans and interests of teachers. Leveraging the talent within the building allows a teacher’s impact to move from a single classroom to benefiting an entire student body within the school. Beyond these interviews, teachers can job shadow to experience teaching different grade levels, subject areas or working in different leadership positions. Teachers can continue their peer observations but expand them across the district to experience other school dynamics and options.  Exposing teachers to the multiple avenues in education increases the chances teachers remain in the profession. Building in ongoing, on-demand professional development with feedback that doesn’t require staying beyond contracted hours motivates teachers to perform well over a long period of time. When we support the growth of teaching talent, everyone wins.

As a result of attracting, maintaining and growing teacher talent, we are able to provide a learning environment that nurtures their capacity to thrive. This is an essential step in helping new teachers transition from knowledge acquisition to knowledge application. Moreover, when it comes to alternatively licensed new teachers, they experience an additional set of obstacles- having to acquire the knowledge at the same time as putting them into practice. This is why personalized support that matches the needs of each new teacher must be provided in the onboarding process. The three-prong approach of attracting, maintaining and growing teacher talent becomes a well-designed pathway of success to support the growth of new teachers. This allows them to experience confidence, competence and excitement for their future in education. Our students deserve to be taught by the best version of their teacher, year after year. The investment leaders make in implementing a system of support will allow schools across the nation to attract, and grow teacher talent. Together, we can help new teachers thrive and make a long-lasting impact in our classrooms!

Grab my latest book Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom & Career Success to cultivate teacher capacity!

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 here. Catch up on other helpful blog posts here.

GO BE GREAT!

The post Cultivating Capacity: Nurturing New Teachers into Impactful Educators appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Join us as we unravel the remarkable journey of Angela Watson, a powerhouse in education and expert in the incorporation of AI in the classroom. With over a decade of classroom experience, Angela’s transformational insights have touched the lives of millions of educators worldwide.

Quotables

*All quotables are from the interviewee 

• [When we think about AI, we ask] “How is this going to help me streamline my workload? It’s not going to do everything, but how can I make it really useful and how can I do it in an ethical manner?”
• “The trick to getting really good results from AI is to know how to give it good prompts.”
• ”Productivity is something we all have to experiment with!”

About Angela:

Angela Watson is a National Board Certified Teacher with a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She has 11 years of classroom experience and over a decade of experience as an instructional coach.

Angela created this website as a young teacher in 2003 to share practical classroom ideas and help other educators build a positive mindset so they can truly enjoy their work. It was originally called “Ms. Powell’s Management Ideas for Teachers” until 2008, when it was renamed “The Cornerstone for Teachers” after her first book.

Rebranded in November 2021 to Truth for Teachers, the site now impacts over 8 million educators annually.

Angela’s ideas have been featured in thousands of magazine articles, newsletters, and internet resources, and utilized in teacher preparation and support programs throughout the nation. She has authored numerous printable curriculum resources, online courses, and six books. Her newest book is the second edition of “Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching,” which was released in November 2022.

She is perhaps best known for her free Truth for Teachers podcast, which provides bi-weekly encouragement for educators and consistently ranks in the top K-12 podcasts in the world.

Angela’s professional development on productivity is being used in over 45,000 schools through the 40 Hour Workweek program. First designed for teachers and then expanded to instructional coaches and administrators, 40 Hour helps educators become more intentional with their personal, contractual, and instructional time so they can focus on what really matters.

Angela’s mission is to help teachers live a more purposeful and conscious life. Through her mentorship, countless teachers have learned to take charge of their time and energy so they can prevent burnout and stay in the profession they love for years to come.

Listen to Episode 155 which is when we first interviewed Angela in 2018!

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• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
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• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Gretchen’s latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon.

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The post 317: AI with Angela Watson appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Learn

Before you know exactly what type of leadership position you want to hold and what type of leader you want to become, learning as much about leadership as possible will guide your steps forward.

• Instructional Best Practices– Familiarize yourself with the idea of peer collaboration and modeling through learning walks, increasing student ownership in the classroom, asking higher order thinking questions throughout a lesson, provide authentic feedback with actionable steps to teachers, how to effectively manage a classroom as well as design and deliver engaging PD opportunities that can mirror engaging instruction in the classroom. If you are going to help teachers adhere to best practices, you need to know develop clarity on what the techniques are and how to implement them in the classroom.
• Teacher Leader Interview Preparation– Review common interview questions, interview tips, and plan ideal responses. As a leader you will sit in on various interviews, so it is essential you are familiar with the strategy for hiring new and veteran teachers as well as teacher leaders like yourself.
• Instructional Coaching Scenario Practice– Leading peers can be challenging. Learning about common obstacles in coaching teachers and ways to move through them effortlessly will allow you to remain focused and confident in your role as a leader.
• Influence Growth– Learn quick tips for how to empower colleagues to grow and reach their goals. If you cannot build connection and understand their struggles, it doesn’t matter how many great strategies you have up your sleeve to promote their growth. Spend time knowing your people before diving into the work.

Lead

Now that you have learned about leadership, it’s time for action! Growth, even for you, is a process. Don’t expect perfection, rather allow yourself room to make mistakes so you can grow quickly.

• Data Collection & Analysis– Create processes for teachers to design seamless, practical data collection procedures in their classrooms as well as facilitate data analysis meetings to adjust future classroom instruction. Once teachers have a system in place, they can pass ownership to students and allow them to set goals and track their own academic progress. When we prioritize responsive instruction, we are able to catch misconceptions early leading to increases in student achievement.
• Teacher Observation– Getting into classrooms often will ensure you are providing timely support to the changing needs of teachers. Whether these visits are formal or informal, brief or extensive, building relationship with students and teachers is essential for learning growth. Having a predictable process for pre-observation, observation and post observation allows teachers to experience success time and time again. Each piece of the observation cycle is integral to planning and delivering quality instruction on a consistent basis.
• Mentorship & Coaching– Whether you are helping teaching partnerships thrive like those of a cooperating teacher and student teacher, or enhancing collaboration between colleagues in a mentorship pair, or delivering support to teachers as an instructional coach, having systems and areas of focus will ensure the leadership strategy is effective in producing growth. (Grab all the resources I created and use as an instructional coach here.)
• Professional Development– A big part of your role as a teacher leader is helping others grow through targeted learning sessions. You will need to have a vision for the year in terms of what areas teachers need to grow in. Create a yearly PD calendar, require teachers to track their learning sessions, provide choice in how teachers learn the material, and collect feedback to make adjustments for future PD sessions. Preparation for year-long learning ensures these PD sessions are aligned to a bigger goal and are productive and informative.

Now you have an arsenal of support to continue your growth as a leader. Take your time consuming the information and putting it into action. Sometimes, simple is best.

If you are need of more resources to help you become an even stronger coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves here.

GO BE GREAT!

Which resource are you most excited to try out?

The post Resources to Support your Leadership Growth appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This blog post will discuss examples of professional boundaries and specific tips for how teachers and teacher leaders can navigate the creation of these boundaries.

Examples of Professional Boundaries

There are physical, mental, emotional, and social boundaries to consider.

• Physical – using a non contact greeting instead of a hug or a handshake
• Mental –  setting work hours or a schedule to avoid burnout and exhaustion
• Emotional – choosing to surround yourself with positive attitudes instead of negative ones
• Social – not engaging in gossip in the staff lounge in efforts to maintain healthy relationships with all colleagues

Professional Boundaries for Teachers

Teachers will need to set professional boundaries when working with other teachers. There will be colleagues who they are friends with and others whom they are not. Regardless, professional boundaries allow the work environment to remain cordial and productive.

Tips for establishing professional boundaries with colleagues as a teacher are:

• read the code of conduct and adhere to it daily
• keep conversations about personal life to a minimum
• hold up your end of the bargain in working partnerships
• avoid gossiping about colleagues
• respect other’s chosen boundaries

Professional Boundaries for Teacher Leaders

Teacher leaders (instructional coaches, PD facilitators, specialists, mentors, etc.) will need to set professional boundaries when working with teachers they support. Although they are not an administrator, they do have leadership duties to fulfill. Leading your peers can be uncomfortable if you are friends with these colleagues, so setting boundaries ensures you can be cordial with peers but also complete leadership duties.

Tips for establishing professional boundaries as a teacher leader are:

• meet with each teacher on your caseload and discuss professionalism in the partnership
• design an availability calendar so teachers know when to schedule time to work together
• offer contact details with specific hours of operation
• share a coaching menu so it is clear how you can help teachers
• hold all colleagues accountable on a continual basis to meet expectations for the partnership

No matter your role in education, it is important to set and respect boundaries. This decreases unwanted stress and frustration while at work, allowing you to do the best you can as an educator.

Looking for more professional development on how to be an effective educator? Browse here.

GO BE GREAT!

How do you establish boundaries in your role?

The post Creating Professional Boundaries with Colleagues appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Story

One of my strengths is helping people move from “I wish” or “I hate it when” or “I’ve always wanted to” to the exact destination they thought was far from reality. Just like great teachers plan backwards, I am able to help folks create a manageable, practical pathway towards their goal. But I don’t just solve their problem and send them off… do you know the likelihood that would even happen? Slim to none! I sit copilot along their journey, prompting them with course correcting questions, celebrating progress, connecting them to resources and people to best assist them in getting where they are going, and so much more. Accountability is the secret sauce to get dreamers and planners to actual achievers. Psst- that’s about to be YOU!

Rationale

I thought I would use this strength to share a lesson with you today on accountability partners in terms of teaching with coaches. Having somebody that I trusted and that I could be honest and open with, because they weren’t the administrator, and they weren’t the one doing my walk-throughs was important. I could be like “I really want to try this thing, I’m really nervous and really excited and want you to help me think this through.”

My former coach was one of those pivotal accountability partners without it being an official thing. I was always talking things out, and she was always supporting me and asking questions. It forced me to take my idea to a new level and consider things I hadn’t thought of before. I was like “Yes, this is what I was missing.”

All the way back in teaching, I can track how accountability partners have helped me grow. When I started the business side of Always a Lesson I needed other edu-mamas in my corner. It felt like I was the only one trying to be two things, and trying to be amazing at two things. I needed to talk to other people who got it, understood it, who were living it, so we could swap strategies and ideas. I found some folks and we used the app Voxer. It’s a walkie-talkie app, and it is real-life, informal conversations. I am so thankful for that group that I hand-picked, hand-selected, and then put in this Voxer group. I could talk things out and allow it to help me develop into the next phase of what Always a Lesson was going to be.

Then fast forward to when I work with my teacher leaders in my mastermind. What sets it apart from other coaching programs, is I am not the one sitting there being the guru telling you what you need to do. I have curated a group of people sitting around a virtual table, talking about your specific obstacle, challenge, idea, dream, future goal, or vision. Then we all help you decide the best pathway to get there. And that’s accountability, because the thing that these folks say each meeting when they report back on their achievements for the week, the highs and the lows, and the “oh my goodness I barely made it,” was “I knew I had to come back and report to you all, and I didn’t want to disappoint.”

And that sounds awful, because it’s like “why are you doing it for other people?” But sometimes, if we have no one to tell, and no ones going to know, we relax a little too much, we pull back a little bit, and then we have no one to blame but ourselves when we don’t get to our goal. So when we speak it into existence, we say it out loud, we tell people that we care about, “I’m doing this thing, and you’re going to help me do it” it forces you to show up and keep that commitment to yourself.

Over these years from teaching and then coaching, to having this business, and then helping teacher leaders, I’ve learned what works, which is a consistent check in. I’ve also learned what doesn’t (wishy washy partners with different dedication levels). I know how to do it better now (norms, agreements, check points, re-evaluations, etc.). I figured out how to find the right partner (psst it’s not going to be your BFF or mama unless they are already where you want to be, which is not likely). If accountability partnerships have worked REALLY well for me, it turns out they will probably work really well for you too!

Lesson

When you let others know what you want to accomplish and invite them to be part of your cheerleading/help squad, you can decrease the amount of time it takes to achieve it AND surpass your goal because of momentum and better habits. If you’re falling short of your goals or believe you can go further than imagined but not sure how, an accountability partner is just the solution you need to add to your growth strategy.

8 Tips on How to Find an Accountability Partner

1. Get clear on the goal
2. Make a list of eligible mentors and potential ride-alongs (folks going the same place but aren’t quite there yet either)
3. Put your feelers out there and make the ask
4. Try it on for size – chat informally, swap goals, keep it positive
5. If it’s a good fit, make it official – contract, verbal commitment with deadline, draft out goals and next steps, choose a communication tool and meet regularly
6. Hold them accountable- pay attention to their goals, make sure actions align, notice commitment and consistency levels, cheer-cheer-cheer, ask questions, provide suggestions when asked, ask how they need you to show up
7. Have them hold you accountable- be honest about what you need in a partner and how you wish to be held accountable (hard core or soft and nice?), be open and honest with how things are going, check in without be asked, toot your own horn, ask for feedback
8. Make adjustments as necessary- if life gets busy, pull back on how often you check in, tweak your goals, or even if you outgrow your accountability partner and are ready for whomever is at the next milestone check point, restart this process as often as needed

Your goals are only as great as your follow through. Part of that follow through is an accountability partner. Choosing the right one, staying committed through the process, and putting in the work to get to your destination. It’s a partnership, back and forth and you’ll be thankful you took the time to find the perfect match. (Not just someone who tells you everything you do and say is amazing, but someone who helps broaden your perspective and grow your skillset). That is the ideal candidate.

Being an effective accountability partner is achievable. You have 8 steps to ensure it works for you and not against you. Be your best for someone else and it will attract others to be the same for you. Together, you will go far.

Are you a more of an audio learner? Check out the podcast that inspired this blog post here.

GO BE GREAT!

Do you need have an accountability partner, or find a new one?

The post How to Be an Effective Accountability Partner appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Read the blog post below to find out what these questions are, why we need to use them, and how it actually moves teacher performance forward.

What are guiding questions?

Guiding questions are a series of questions asked of a learner (in this case teachers) to help them arrive at a solution. They are often used to problem solve, bring clarity to confusion, and empower the learner into a position of innovator. Most often, they provide insight into what, why, and how teachers make the decisions they do in the classroom.

In essence, this questioning technique “guides” the teacher towards resolution. This leads to greater performance in the classroom.

These questions can be stems where the coach or administrator fill in the specifics of that teacher’s obstacle or area of focus. Or these questions can be generated ahead of time based on the school or district goals and expectations for proficiency. Either way, guiding questions are intentional prompts to steer one’s thinking. This allows the learner to have more ownership in the problem solving experience, having an immediate positive impact on their critical thinking capability. This increases the chances that the learner will repeat this questioning technique themselves in the future to trouble shoot obstacles.

Guiding questions lead to growth.

Why do we need to use guiding questions?

When supporting the growth of teachers, specific questions allow for simple prompts to guide the mind towards expansion. Reflection and realization allow the teacher to understand what they were doing before and the impact it had on students. It then allows them to revise their actions to have a more positive impact on student learning in the classroom.

Without specific types of questions, teachers are unable to train their brain to follow a thinking pattern that leads to growth. They will rely on others to tell them what to do. If no one is around to do so, teachers will result to repeating the same behaviors and actions stunting their growth in the process.

Guiding questions empower learners and increase their ownership in their own growth journey. They ensure that the focus of coaching and mentorship remain aligned with school and district goals/initiatives. They also improve the collaborative relationships between colleagues.

Supporting learners with questions ensures they receive personalized assistance while remaining at the wheel of their own career trajectory.

How do guiding questions move teacher performance forward?

It can be hard to get “unstuck.” Sometimes teachers are faced with obstacles that they cannot see a way around. Through bite-sized questioning, teachers are able to see a clear path forward to overcome their obstacle and unleash their potential as an educator.

These questions illuminate a path forward. This allows the learner to avoid derailing on rabbit holes of frustrations and surface level struggles. Guiding questions get to the root of problems, bring clarity to a resolution, and get teachers unstuck quickly.

Instructional coaches and leaders can ensure guiding questions effectively move teacher performance forward. They need to become well versed in the types of questions to ask, and gain proficiency in varying the delivery based on the teacher they are supporting. Reading quality sample questions, developing your own, and rehearsing them in a practice round of coaching are important. This ensures all leaders are normed on how to execute guiding questions effectively.

If you’re in need of a resource to help develop strong guiding questions to move teacher performance forward, grab it here.

GO BE GREAT!

What guiding questions do you use to move teacher performance forward?

The post Guiding Questions that Move Teacher Performance Forward appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Onboarding should be the entry point from which all other training, support and development flow. Sadly, onboarding is an afterthought in many schools.

This post will describe who should receive onboarding and what should be included in the onboarding protocol. It will also include resources to support those designing and delivering onboarding to educators. Use the needs of your school to design customized onboarding systems.

Who Should Receive Onboarding

The following types of educators should receive onboarding prior to beginning their roles to ensure preparation and success:

• New Teacher
• New Hires
• Student Teachers
• Cooperating Teacher for Student Teachers
• Teacher Mentor
• Instructional Coach/PD Facilitator/Specialist
• Any Educator Changing Roles

What Onboarding Protocol Should Include for New Teachers

Onboarding support is essential for teachers who enter new buildings or roles. Some descriptors below include links to onboarding protocols. Download and customize them to fit your needs.

• New Teacher– New teachers need to bridge the gap from what they learned in college to how it applies in the exact environment they are teaching in. This could be from a school tour to curriculum digestion and everything in between.
  • Rookie teachers at the elementary level can read “Elementary EDUC 101- What They Didn’t Teach you in College” as part of their onboarding homework.
• New Hire– Any new staff member entering the school building should receive onboarding that allows them to acclimate to the new environment. They will need to get a lay of the land prior to meeting with colleagues to discuss content.
  • A protocol listed out ensures each new hire receives adequate training. Reference the New Hire Onboarding Checklist to get you started.
  • Read the blog post entitled Onboarding: How to Support a New Hire at your School to understand all that a new hire onboarding protocol should include
• Student Teacher–  When a student teacher enters your building, this is often their first experience with teaching on their own. It is a big moment full of emotions and anxiety. Aligning your onboarding with the college’s requirements will provide clarity and limit confusion and overwhelming feelings.
  • Reference the Student Teacher Kit for ideas on what student teachers might need themselves in order to have a successful experience working with a cooperating teacher.

What Onboarding Protocol Should Include for New Roles

• Cooperating Teacher– An effective teacher isn’t always able to easily teach someone else how to teach. Additional information beyond tips for invitations and collaborations with another teacher in your classroom are necessary. Teaching how to lead their growth and development can be challenging. Onboarding will provide the roadmap for helping student teachers thrive under the care of cooperating teachers.
  • Glance at the Hosting a Student Teacher Kit for ideas on what cooperating teachers should provide to their student teachers to ensure they are prepared for the experience.
• Mentor– Helping a colleague develop their craft can be tricky, just like the role of a cooperating teacher. You have to be a strong teacher but also be able to allow someone else to develop their own style AND be successful. Onboarding allows mentors to know how to provide support from a distance, unlike the cooperating teacher.
  • Use the Teacher Mentor Kit to outline expectations for the mentor and mentee so that the partnership leads to growth in teacher performance.
• Coaches, Facilitators, Specialists, Etc. – Leading others to become stronger in their roles requires training. This makes sure that each person is operating in alignment with school goals, admin expectations, and understanding of teacher’s needs and wants.
  • With over 300+ pages full of coaching support and forms to track how you’re working with teachers, the Instructional Coaching Bundle will allow you to be organized with a clear execution plan on supporting the growth of teachers.
• Any Educator Changing Roles–  Onboarding role switchers will range from simple to complex depending on how similar their new role is to their old one. You might not have a clear protocol developed every time, but acknowledge the adjustment and provide support how you see fit so that they can be just as successful as before.

Next Steps for Onboarding

The following steps will allow you to implement your own successful onboarding protocols at your school site:

• Gather all of your resources
• Decide who in your building is eligible for onboarding
• Appoint teacher leaders to run the onboarding process (and train them as such)
• Include a meeting with yourself for everyone enrolled in the onboarding process
• Track your onboarding protocols and make adjustments as necessary

Now that you know who should receive onboarding and what the protocol should include, you’re on your way to ensuring educators are supported from the start.

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger teacher or coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves here. Don’t forget to catch up on other helpful blog posts as well. Snag my newest book, Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success here!

GO BE GREAT!

What does your onboarding protocol look like?

The post The Importance of Providing Onboarding for Educators appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Researching

If you are ready for a change in your career as an educator, researching options for what’s next is a great first step.

• Make a list of what you like and dislike about your current position
• Decide what future role includes more of the likes than the dislikes from the list
• Ask your admin team what career options are available for the upcoming school year
• Search vacancies in your district

Preparing

Once you know what role is a good fit and a potential option, begin preparing to be considered for the role.

• Read relevant articles online outlining common roles, duties, and expectations for the role you want to obtain
• Join networking groups (virtual or in-person) with others currently doing the role you wish to have
• Make a list of questions you have about the role
• Get clear on why you are ready and capable for the role so that you can share that during an interview process
• Interview for the role and follow up with a thank you, outlining your commitment and interest in the role

Diving in

Now that you have landed your new role, it’s time to dive in!

• Meet your colleagues and exchange contact information
• Gather, organize, and review all necessary resources to complete the role successfully
• Settle into your new space
• Set 2-3 reasonable goals for the first year in your new role
• Request a mentor or connect with your professional learning network [PLN] to receive support as needed

Next Steps

You now have numerous tips to transition roles or grade levels so that you can continue to grow and thrive as an educator. If you are in need of additional resources, browse the following categories:

• Instructional Coaching
• Professional Development
• Math
• Reading
• Science
• Social Studies
• Writing

Wishing you the best of luck in your new role!

GO BE GREAT!

Which tip was most helpful in learning how to successfully switch positions or grade levels?

The post Tips for Switching Positions or Grade Levels as an Educator appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will outline the characteristics necessary to have a strong mentor in your teacher mentorship program.

Logistical Non-Negotiables

• Same grade level or subject area (or only one grade level removed)- Understanding the content area and idiosyncrasies of teaching similar aged students will allow the mentor to provide the most accurate and effective guidance
• Available to meet during the day (similar planning/lunch periods)- Teachers should not be required to meet outside of contracted hours, so finding time during the day is important and easier if schedules line up
• Interested in supporting the growth of another teacher– Sometimes potential mentor candidates don’t have mental, emotional, or physical capacity to support the growth of someone else, so ensure a mentor is interested, invested, and eager to participate

Desired Attributes

• High performing on evaluations– It will be hard for a mentor to guide the performance of another teacher, if they are not able to reach a high performance themselves
• Leadership potential or interest– Just because a teacher is strong in the classroom, does not mean they are capable of helping someone else develop their skillset (leadership)
• Patient, positive attitude– Growth takes time, so a mentor should naturally be patient and remain positive no matter how quick the growth occurs, so the mentee feels encouraged to keep trying
• Strong communicator–  Mentors will be giving constructive feedback to help the teacher grow, so the need to be able to deliver clear, succinct directives
• Good listener– Teachers will face struggles and mentors need to be able to listen well enough to determine what those areas are in order to help them problem solve

Helpful Resources

Now that you are able to identify the characteristics needed in potential mentor candidates, review the following resources related to mentorship for additional support in designing your teacher mentorship program.

• Podcasts

  • 234: Why Your Mentorship Program isn’t Working

  • 229: The Future of Mentorship

• Blog Posts

  • 5 Mistakes a Teacher Mentor Makes

  • Tips for Making the Most out of Teacher Mentorship

  • Fire Your Mentor, Hire Your Idol

  • The Power of Mentorship

  • Being an Effective Mentor with Paula Rutherford

  • New Teacher Gift Ideas

  • 10 Ways to Lead Others as a Classroom Teacher

• Printable Resources

  • Teacher Mentor Kit

  • Mentor – Mentee Discussion Dice Activity

  • Experts in Education

  • Effective Teacher Mentorship

GO BE GREAT!

What characteristics did you admire most about your teacher mentor?

The post Characteristics of an Effective Teacher Mentor appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this special bonus episode, Gretchen shares about her journey from classroom teacher to teacher leader and how her mentor helped her along the way. She now  empowers other teacher leaders to impact their school districts positively. Gretchen shares how she can specifically help teacher leaders and gives a special invitation to join her exclusive, Fall Mastermind at the end of the episode.

Join the Mastermind here!

Quotables

• Few actually achieve it [their dreams] because of that piece of knowing how to turn it into a plan.

• Everyone dreams. Most people take action but very few achieve. 

   

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Leave a Rating and Review:

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.

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

• Search for my show on 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
• Click ‘Send’

The post Bonus: We All Need Something appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Tune in as you listen to this special Summer Series episode on the Empowering Educators Podcast. In this episode, Gretchen interviews Ashley Hubner. You will feel empowered as you hear Ashley’s story of being a classroom teacher, instructional coach and curriculum specialist. You’ll love her advice on how to reignite your passion, listen today!

Quotables

*All quotables are from the interviewee 

• In education today, you have to be very flexible and adaptable.

• There are so many good educators everywhere in the world. If we were to collaborate a lot more outside of our own little silos, we could make education great.

About Ashley

Ashley has been an Instructional Coach and Curriculum Specialist since 2013. Her background contains experience in systematic planning, curriculum design, professional development, and intervention. She provides quality professional development at the campus and district levels to improve classroom instruction within schools. Ashley is dedicated to impacting student growth by building capacity within schools through coaching, mentoring, and professional development. She enjoys working with stakeholders to build instructional effectiveness within classrooms while cultivating a positive school culture. Ashley started ACCESS to impact the success of students. She believes education is an ever-changing world, so as educators, we must be life-long learners. We must be prepared to meet all learners’ needs as education changes. Together, we can find student-centered solutions that will give all students access to a profound learning environment, every day.

Purchase Ashley’s book she mentions here: https://coachingaccess.net/sales-landing/

Connect with Ashley:

• Facebook @coaching.access
• IG @coaching_access
• Twitter @coaching_access
• Linkedin @accesscoach
• Website: https://coachingaccess.net/

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Leave a Rating and Review:

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.

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

• Search for my show on 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
• Click ‘Send’

The post 294: Reignite Your Passion with Ashley Hubner appeared first on Always A Lesson.

What is i-Gap?

In the book “Trust Based Observations” written by Craig Randall, there is a chapter about delivering feedback. He reminded readers to be patient with how quickly teachers are able to successfully implement their new learning. Oftentimes, when we learn new skills, it takes a while to implement them successfully. We sometimes even regress in our performance as we figure out how to integrate the new skill. This is what author Craig Randall refers to as the “implementation gap” or what I call the i-Gap.

Introduce the i-Gap

Spend time introducing this concept to teachers. Let them know it is a normal process of learning and that if we do not understand and recognize the likelihood it can happen, the more frustrated we will be during the learning process. Without knowing about the implementation gap, teachers may give up on executing their learning in the classroom- especially if they notice their performance going backwards in proficiency.

During professional learning communities [PLC’s] or during a professional development [PD] session, introduce the i-Gap to teachers. Have them recall learning something new and how that process unfolded. As they share common experiences and pinpoint when the i-Gap occurred, they’ll realize how common it is.

They will now know what to expect and how to react as they learn new skills under your guidance.

Prepare for the i-Gap

As you design learning experiences for teachers, build in the following:

• self-reflection questions that allow teachers to notice where they are in the learning process
• collaboration with peers so they can exchange ideas and strategies for implementing new learning in their classrooms
• encouragement for teachers when they express frustration with implementing their new learning
• celebrations as teachers experience success moving through the i-Gap

It’s important to normalize the implementation gap during the learning process. As teachers learn about the i-Gap, they should apply the same principles in their classroom as students learn new skills as well.

In need of more support in helping teachers implement learning? Download these printable PD guides and/or listen to these bite-sized PD sessions.

GO BE GREAT!

How do you manage the implementation gap?

The post Managing the Implementation Gap appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Step-by-step advice to help teachers master classroom management, lesson design, student engagement, and beyond

Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success is the book that can turn every good teacher into a great teacher. The art and science of teaching can be difficult to navigate. There are moving pieces that change how teachers should approach instruction, like unique student needs year after year, curriculum changes, updated research on best practices and more. It's essential that teachers of all levels continue to learn and develop their craft so that they can best manage these moving pieces. Using personal stories and tangible next steps gained from her experience as a teacher and teacher leader, author Gretchen Bridgers can level-up your teaching, filling the gap left between traditional teacher-training programs and the real world.

With high teacher turnover rates in the wake of the great resignation that occurred post-COVID, teachers need support more than ever. Always a Lesson offers a systematic process for strengthening the skillset of any teacher. The sequence of what teachers work on is the key to move through obstacles and increase effectiveness. No matter their level of expertise, Bridgers takes the stance that all teachers are learners. By applying the principles and strategies in this book, novice to veteran teachers will see a positive impact on student learning and their proficiency as an elite educator.

K-12 teachers, teacher mentors, instructional coaches, school administrators, and anyone else with an interest in improving teacher retention will thank their lucky stars for this book.

Order Below:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Porchlight Buy in BULK & SAVE!

Book Details:

ISBN: 978-1394158805 | Publisher: Jossey-Bass | Edition: 1| Language: English| Release Date: April 2, 2024

Download printables from the book 

Praise for Teacher Essentials: 

"This book is the perfect buddy read by every student teacher and mentor! Gretchen has an uncanny ability to support new teachers while simultaneously sparking renewal in their mentors!"
—Melissa Emler, Chief Learning Officer, Modern Learners

 

“Always a Lesson by Gretchen serves as an indispensable guide for instructional coaches and mentors, articulating the Teacher Success Pathway with precision. It lays out a strategic framework for coaches and mentors to identify and focus on key areas for teacher development, ensuring efforts directly amplify teacher proficiency and student success. Gretchen's insightful approach equips coaches with the tools to effectively prioritize and advance teaching excellence.”
—Nicole S. Turner, Author and CEO of Simply Instructional Coaching Inc.

“Teachers of all experience levels will benefit from reading Always a Lesson as Gretchen Bridgers expertly outlines a pathway of success as though she is your personal teacher mentor.  Readers will walk away with actionable insights and an abundance of bonus content in downloadable resources.”
—Linda Rhyne, Owner of Linda Rhyne Consulting, North Carolina

“Classroom teachers along with those who mentor them would greatly benefit from the insights shared in this book. Gretchen helps shift the perspective of readers to realize more tools do not equal more success, but it’s the implementation of the tools which make the difference while providing a clear pathway that will enable readers to know which tools to use when.”
—Jamal Maxsam, M.Ed., CEO of Lead Like A Champion L.L.C.

How Educators are Using this Book:

• "This book truly is a MUST! I have been using it for our new teacher academy and it has made such an impression. We also have provided one to each of the mentor teachers who also have shared how much they appreciate having a powerful book to anchor to not only to help them mentor effectively, but also to improve their teaching as well." - Casey Watts, Team Alignment Strategist in Texas
• "I recommended it to a local university -- It's excellent!" - Michelle Ruhe, Literacy Coach in North Carolina
• "I am going to run two book clubs next year through ROE (regional office of education)." -  Instructional Coach in Illinois

The post Teacher Essentials appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Teacher leaders are the most valuable players on the education field and the most overlooked when it’s time to write the playbook. But after years of watching how the game has been played, master teachers in this book have come off the sidelines. Their strategic ideas, solutions, and voices must be heard. It’s time to put school problems related to curriculum, inequity, parent support, student behavior, evaluation and more in the hands of academicians who know what to do. Make room at the table, you’re about to hear from the best.

This is a collaborative book written by educators around the nation with the support of Dr. Cathy Owens-Oliver.

Topics Covered

• Natural Learning
• College Prep in Kindergarten
• Remote Learning
• Restorative Practices
• Inclusion
• Technology
• STEM
• Principalship
• Mentorship & Coaching
• Mental Wellness
• Teacher Shortage
• Complacency
• Equity
• PLC’s
• and more!

Purchase

•  Signed paperback copy
• Kindle edition

If you found the book helpful, I’d appreciate you leaving a review on Amazon!

The post Experts in Education appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will uncover why this is happening in schools all across the nation and what instructional coaches can do to manage (and prevent) the workload.

The Problem

Teacher leadership is often sprinkled in among substitute teaching, making copies, sitting in meetings, answering the front office phone, car and bus lot duty, among many others. These duties generally fall on the shoulders of instructional coaches because schools are short staffed. On top of that, sometimes schools can’t justify hiring an employee dedicated solely to these other tasks because the tasks (albeit random) do not occur often enough. Therefore, the next available staff member to take on these tasks are instructional coaches. This can be frustrating because coaches just want to be in classrooms coaching teachers. Although instructional coaches are team players, many times the tasks they are asked to do are not related to their hired role.

The Solution: Management

You are one person, so you cannot do ALL the things. Leading teachers towards effectiveness is your priority. So you’ll want to protect that time, and fill in the tasks around that. The tips listed below will allow you to better manage the long list of extra tasks you are asked to complete.

• Ask for your duty list ahead of time (ideally a week)- Let your administrator know that you are willing to help out, but in order for you to be an effective coach you need to have as much warning as possible so you can make adjustments in your schedule.
• Prioritize your tasks based on importance– What has the biggest impact on learning? That is what stays at the top of the list. Where do you have nooks and crannies in your schedule that you can knock off some quick tasks?
• Ask for help– When you are nearing capacity to complete your required duties and these add-on requests, reach out for help from a colleague.

The Solution: Prevention

• Meet with your administrator– Prior to the school year, meet with your administrative team and establish roles and duties so that requests will align with these boundaries.
• Share your calendar– Allow administrators to know when you have available spots in your daily schedule so they can call you for last minute help if needed.
• Delegate responsibilities– Leverage the leadership within the teaching staff and appoint tasks to capable and willing colleagues.
• Take one and leave one– If you accept a task because it is important and aligned, but are unable to complete other tasks because of this new one, swap a responsibility with a colleague (ie. I’ll sit in on this IEP meeting if you can kick start this PLC meeting until I can get there).

Resources

Utilize the following resources to help you STOP wearing all the hats, and have a focused coaching plan to best support teachers:

• Develop a Coaching Plan– Create a coaching plan with tools to get organized in your work space and develop a clear instructional strategy to help teachers.
• Teacher/Coach Role Descriptors – Provide defined roles in regards to how teachers and coaches interact, what duties they hold, and what responsibilities they have in the school building.
• Teacher’s Level of Support– Help identify which duties belong to which stakeholder- mentor, coach, team leader, or administration. This graphic organizer explains it all. Makes for a great handout for staff when wondering who to go to with questions, concerns, or support.
• Coaching Menu–  Provide teachers with support options that meet their needs in terms of method and frequency.

GO BE GREAT!

How are you managing and preventing wearing all the hats?

The post Coach Life: Wearing all the Hats appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Many teachers and leaders look for new ideas to share at their Literacy Night. This post will share an activity that can be used over and over again, no matter the age of the child.

Prior to the Activity

When families arrive, they can visit their child’s desk area to see a finished work related to literacy (ie. poem they have written, a completed book report, etc.) There are a few options for what happens next.

1. Once everyone arrives, the teacher (or students themselves) can read a short story and then dismiss the family and students to play the activity together based on the storyline of the short story. This option takes more time and requires everyone to be present at the same time- which can be difficult if parents have to visit multiple classrooms in one evening.
2. The teacher can choose a common text that most family members would be familiar with (ie. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, etc.). Instead of reading it aloud then, the family and students can refresh thier memory of the story events and immediately begin playing the activity together. This allows more flexibility in allowing people to come in and out of the classroom without missing instructions.

The Activity

Literacy Discussion Dice is an activity that requires two dice, a genre-specific print out of question prompts, and a common text.

After students have read a common text, they will come together in pairs to discuss the rigorous text with ease! It is an engaging, collaborative way to comprehend difficult texts with peers.

This builds comprehension as students share their responses to the questions, deepening their knowledge of the topic.

This activity can be replicated with multiple texts throughout the year. Once students understand how to play, they can quickly complete the activity in the future with another genre or text. When students repeat activities, they use less brain power to understand the process of the activity and repurpose that brain power into better understanding the content.

Students can pair up as peers in the same class, as peer mentors with a younger class, or during Literacy Night with their family. When students showcase their learning with family, celebration ensues!

How to Play

Students will alternate turns with a peer.

• Roll the dice
• Answer the question that matches the SUM of the numbers of the dice.
• Record answer on the provided worksheet
• Repeat until all questions have been answered

After the Activity

Once parents and students have played the activity, the teacher can request students to take the activity home with them and play it again together as a family with a book they have at home. This is a fun weekend or holiday break family activity that reinforces reading comprehension. Not only do parents get to experience unique classroom instruction with an engaging activity, but they can bring it home and do it with multiple books and with every child in the home. The ease of replication makes this a win-win activity for parents and students.

Give this resource a try at your next Literacy Night! Download this resource here.

GO BE GREAT!

What engaging Parent-Student activities do you recommend for Literacy Night?

The post An Engaging Literacy Night Parent-Student Activity appeared first on Always A Lesson.

With only five years of experience in the field of education, Sahur shares wisdom beyond her years in both teaching and leadership. Sahur has a calm confidence that will surely reignite your passion for teaching. As an ending to our summer series, this interview is just what you need to start your school year off right!

You can read the article she talks about in the podcast here.

Quotables

*All quotables are from the interviewee 

• You don’t necessarily need the years, just go about it in your own way and be excellent at what you do. 
• Focus on being present on the day to day things you are working on. 
• When I’m present I can realize the needs around me.
• Really great teachers come with a passion.
• Believe in the work that you’re doing.
• If you’re just committed to figuring it out in this life, you’re going to be okay.

About Sahur

Sahur Augsteen is a Campus Instructional Coach with five years of experience in education. Prior to becoming an instructional coach, she was an educator in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Learning and Development (Hook ’em!), before going on to earn her Master’s in Urban Educational Leadership from Southern Methodist University. Coming from a family of educators, she feels that teaching is her calling! Sahur is an instructional leader who truly believes in the power of education and has seen how a dedicated teacher can change the trajectory of a student’s life. Sahur loves to cheer others on! So much so that it is what she can be seen doing while coaching and supporting educators daily. Fostering relationships, being a servant leader and working alongside educators to help them polish their skills and talent is what bring her the most joy. She believe in continuously growing and dedicating herself to excellence. As a teacher, she was awarded Teacher of the Year her third and final year of being in the classroom. She has also been a mentor to first-year teachers and never misses the chance to make new staff on campus feel welcomed and supported! Outside of school, she loves to stay involved at church, spend time with family, drink coffee and work out. She can be found by the lake fishing or reading on any summer day. She always finds value in the small moments and looks for ways to spread kindness and love toward everyone she meets.

Connect with Sahur:

• IG @thattexasteacher
• Twitter https://twitter.com/MsAugsteen
• Website https://sahuraugsteen.wixsite.com/website/growing-our-garden

Come Chat on Clubhouse!

• Instructional Coaching Club– www.clubhouse.com/club/instructionalcoaching

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Leave a Rating and Review:

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.

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

• Search for my show on 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
• Click ‘Send’

The post 272: Teacher Leadership with Sahur Augsteen appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In order to be an effective teacher mentor, there are five mistakes to avoid. Explained below are those five mistakes, as well as additional resources to help you prepare for a successful school year as a mentor.

Mistake #1: Inconsistent Meetings

A teacher mentor should meet regularly with their mentee. This allows potential problems to be discussed before they get out of hand and a coveted time to ask questions. Find a day/time that works for both of you and commit to meeting at least twice a month.

Mistake #2: Tell, Not Show

Teachers who are new or struggling need to visualize great teaching habits. It is not enough to just tell them what to do. Model and role-play as often as possible. You might even invite them to observe you live in front of students so you can demonstrate a specific action. Show more than tell.

Mistake #3: No Feedback, Follow-Up, or Follow-Through

It is hard to get better at something if you are not sure how to get better. A teacher mentor should provide feedback to their mentee on their lesson plans, lesson materials, or instructional delivery. Following up with your mentee on action items holds them accountable for doing what you both discussed during your meeting. Also, if you as the teacher mentor say you’re going to do something (ie. deliver resources), follow- through on your promise. Set the bar for excellence and dependability.

Mistake #4: Multiplying Yourself

A teacher mentor is not trying to duplicate themselves; they need to create the best version possible of their mentee. With that being said, you can share your teaching personality or preferences, but you should allow the mentee to explore how they want to do things and what feels authentic to them.

Mistake #5: No Celebration

“Teaching is hard. Sometimes you have more bad days than good. Be sure to celebrate the progress, not just the perfection.” @GSchultek

Additional Resources for a Teacher Mentor

Podcast Episodes

• Why your Mentorship Program isn’t Working
• The Future of Mentorship

Blog Posts

• Tips for Making the Most of Teacher Mentorship
• Fire your Mentor, Hire your Idol
• The Power of Mentorship

Printable Resources

• Teacher Mentor Kit
• Educators Who Know What to Do- Experts in Education

GO BE GREAT!

What mistake would you warn a teacher mentor not to make?

The post 5 Mistakes a Teacher Mentor Makes appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In this episode of the Empowering Educators Podcast, Inga Parker shares about her EDU journey. She encourages and inspires others to coach teachers well. Inga has a passion for advocating for new and seasoned teachers alike. Tune into this episode and leave empowered.

Quotables

*All quotables are from the interviewee 

• Just say you don’t know, it’s okay.
• You can know it all but if you don’t let them know you care about them, it’s all for not. 
• Don’t compare your journey.

About Inga

Dr. Inga Parker is the Instruction and Personalized Learning Lead (IPLL) at Rocky Creek Elementary School in Hampton, Georgia. In this role, she serves general and special education teachers and students in grades Kindergarten through 5th. Additionally, she serves as a member of the Core Leadership/Administrative Team. Parker holds a BA degree in Sociology with a concentration in Marriage and Family Counseling from Morris Brown College, a Masters Degree in Education from Touro University, and a Specialist and Doctoral Degree in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction from Argosy University. Parker has been an educator for 22 years. While in the classroom she taught grades K, 1, 4, and 5. As an Early Intervention Program (EIP) teacher, she taught grades K-2. In both roles, Parker often had leadership roles. She’s had opportunities to serve as the grade level and committee chairperson, MTSS chairperson, testing coordinator assistant, mentor, and more. As a teacher leader, she believes that what matters most are relationships! It is her mission to engage teachers and students in equitable practices that enhances their performance, growth, and development. Parker is the creator of numerous professional developments for educators. Her most impactful PD sessions are Rigor, Re-Engagement, Relevance, and Relationships and Leveraging Healthy Conflicts in Teams, which was presented nationally at the Simply Coaching and Teaching Summer Summit 2021. She was recently selected by her colleagues to represent Rocky Creek as the 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year. Parker is married to her amazing husband Frederick and together, they have one son, Asa.

Connect with Inga:

• FB @loveleadliteracy
• IG @love_lead_literacy

Come Chat on Clubhouse!

• Instructional Coaching Club– www.clubhouse.com/club/instructionalcoaching

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

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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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

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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.

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The post 270: Instructional Coaching with Inga Parker appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The Problem

Support for the development of educators varies at each school building and district. Some offer new hire or teacher orientation, ongoing professional development opportunities, assigned mentors, etc. However, others offer little to no support once hired. How can teacher leaders increase their effectiveness?

As a teacher leader (instructional coach, subject specialist, PD presenter, etc.), the offerings are even less. Mainly because schools and districts are unsure what each leadership role will do, how they should be trained, and what the expectations are for their performance. That leaves teacher leaders on their own to seek out opportunities to learn.

Solution: Learn At Your Convenience

Luckily, a teacher leader herself developed a virtual conference just for instructional coaches called the Simply Coaching Summit. (Join this summer’s unforgettable experience.) There’s nothing better than PD for educators by educators. It’s practical, inspiring, and a great networking opportunity to expand your professional learning network. Plus, you can learn on your own time with the replay feature, starting and stopping as needed. Enjoy 45+ sessions geared towards teacher leadership and connect with teacher leaders all over the world!

Solution: Learn in Live Time

Taking support to the next level, is to learn and grow in a cohort of teacher leaders. Learning and leading in a community of people holds you accountable for applying new learning while receiving encouragement from others in the same boat as you.

Instead of a passive learning opportunity, commit to a five month mastermind. Teacher leaders from all over the nation apply to participate with five to ten being selected. Multiple supports are available, like short leadership training videos, 200+ printable templates, a calendar of weekly tasks to grow your skillset, private Facebook group support, and live group calls twice a month. Gain confidence and clarity through personalized feedback to reach success faster.

The secret is, you get out of it what you put in it. Those who utilize all the available resources, connect with the other members, and show up to group calls consistently, show the most growth in leadership capacity. They experience less stress, more job satisfaction, and often receive accolades for their contribution to their schools.

Next Steps

No matter which pathway you decide to follow to grow your own knowledge base and skillset, do it with intentionality. Know ahead of time how to maximize the opportunity and go all in to listen, contribute, and apply learning. Educators are life-long learners who evolve and stay current with best practices. In addition, they initiate action, advocating for the support they need to grow into their potential.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Simply Coaching Summit and cannot wait for you to join the Teacher Leader Mastermind!

GO BE GREAT!

How do you continue to learn and grow as a teacher leader?

The post How a Mastermind Can Increase Educator Effectiveness appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Teacher leaders can be part of a mental health awareness, prevention, and management initiative at their school sites. This post will help you develop a plan.

Better Understand Mental Health

• Research symptoms and solutions (mentalhealth.gov is a great place to start)
• Uncover funding options schools could utilize to better support teachers

Evaluate Mental Health Supports Available at School

• Reflect on what your school currently offers to support teachers with their mental health
• Decide what initiatives, programs, or supports are working and not working
• Revise current offerings so that they are more effective and personalized

Design Mental Health Supports

• Create a mental health team or committee to lead the charge
• Get input from teachers to ensure supports meet their needs
• Design a road map so teachers know how to recognize their triggers, name their feelings, and advocate for the support they need
• Involve all stakeholders in the process (administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community members)
• Overhaul the school culture so that everyday mental health practices are woven into how the school operates

Execute Mental Health Supports

• Provide training on mental health diagnoses, triggers, solutions, etc.
• Offer resources to educate and support staff with mental health
• Check in on teacher mental health during all partnership opportunities (ie. professional development, professional learning community meetings, monthly mentor meetings, coaching cycles, etc.)
• Pair teachers with accountability partners as a safe place to go when needing mental health support

Tips for Effective Mental Health Support

• Listen more than you try to solve a problem
• Be consistent in what you offer
• Be honest about what supports you are able to provide and help teachers find alternative options if you cannot meet their needs the way they request

Want to know more specifics about how to support the mental health of teachers? Tune in to this Clubhouse Chat Replay with Charle Peck.

Looking to bring a mental health PD opportunity to your school? Check out this Leading Professional Development Bundle to get a start on planning!

GO BE GREAT!

What mental health supports do you want schools to employ?

The post Creating Mental Health Supports for Teachers appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Jamal Maxsam shares his wisdom about being an effective school leader. He will leave you motivated an inspired to make a change within your school or school district. If you are needing a recharge this summer, this episode is for you! Jamal will leave you feeling empowered to take on another school year.

Quotables

*All quotables are from the interviewee 

• We have to be the problem solvers and we have to see the mission within the mess.
• That one thing that keeps bugging you is probably your mission.
• Maybe it’s not time to quit. Maybe it’s time to address the root of the frustration.
• Leadership is influencing people to take action.
• Don’t give up on your vision.
• When you have vision, communicate vision, and act on it- that’s when things happen.
• It’s not about you and what you do. It’s about how you motivate and support everyone else who’s doing the work. 
• The role of a leader is to bring out the greatness in others.
• Your responsibility is not to lead everybody but to lead the right people.

About Jamal:

Jamal Maxsam is a friend; mentor to new and aspiring leaders as well as Edupreneurs. His mission is to ignite K-12 educators to be champions of change by stepping into leadership or Edupeneurhsip so they can rekindle their joy of being an educator. Jamal is known for his ability to plan strategically; helping those he serves create action steps to accomplish their vision and overcome the challenges of school leadership. Jamal obtained his first leadership role at the age of 16, managing a fast-food restaurant, leading his peers as well as adults. His success continued as he opened a new location of a franchise recruiting and training team members which resulted in several awards for sales and performance. Jamal shifted to education and continued to grow in the ability to develop people. He taught for 9 years then served as a school Principal. He has led a school with as many as 92 staff members, serving approximately 950 families. He also provided support to a school Principal at a school that served approximately 2,100 families. In addition to running his business, Jamal serves on the board of directors of a non-profit organization. Jamal lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife where they enjoy laughing and spending time together.

Connect with Jamal:

• www.jamalmaxsam.org
• IG: @jamalmaxsam
• Twitter: jamalmaxsam
• LinkedIn: jamalmaxsam

Come Chat on Clubhouse!

• Instructional Coaching Club– www.clubhouse.com/club/instructionalcoaching

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Leave a Rating and Review:

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.

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

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• Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.’
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The post 267: Effective School Leadership with Jamal Maxsam appeared first on Always A Lesson.

What are school funds?

Schools have money allocated for professional development [PD]. These funds can only be used for educators’ learning. If these funds aren’t used up by the end of the year, they disappear and cannot roll over to the next year. This means schools need to prioritize PD needs so educators can benefit from additional learning opportunities.

Educators do not need to wait to be told what PD opportunities are available. They can advocate for opportunities they desire. Then, administrators can approve PD and pay for them with school funds at no cost to the educators participating.

How do I request school funds?

1. Brainstorm learning opportunities– Research PD experiences or materials you are interested in and make a list that you can share with administration
2. Grab colleagues to come along– Poll colleagues to find out what they are interested in and see if you can get a group together to learn and grow as this would be more advantageous to the school as a whole versus one educator with one request
3. Start the conversation– Meet with your administrator to find out when requests have to submitted, what types of learning opportunities are covered, and share what you’re interested in attending
4. Follow the protocol– Be sure to submit your request by the deadline and via the proper avenue so that you can have your request approved

What do I request school funds for?

School funds can be used for instructional materials or PD experiences. Be sure to ask your administrator for the exhaustive list of what is covered. Here are a few examples:

• Books for colleague book study
• PD in a Box materials for staff ongoing learning
• Educator conferences
• Classroom materials
• In-school PD presenter or speaker
• Visit state or district schools for learning walks 
• Printable PD resources
• Staff t-shirts 
• New teacher mentorship materials 

There’s no reason to wait for learning opportunities to come along. Decide what you want and use school funds to get it.

Looking for other great coaching resources? Check out this MEGA BUNDLE!

GO BE GREAT!

What PD opportunities or materials have you used school funds for?

The post How to Request School Funds for your Professional Development appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Light Teacher Leadership Options

• Build Community Partnerships– A great way to give back to the school is to build partnerships with community members. These members can be volunteers or donate items or finances for events. When a community supports a school, all stakeholders thrive.
• Gather Lesson Resources– Teachers need help planning and delivering lessons. Offer assistance by meeting with teachers to know what content topics they will be covering and research online or scouring curriculum resources for activities to support the lesson.
  • Browse resources for Literacy, Math, Science, & Social Studies
• Organize a Schoolwide Event– Meet with stakeholders to determine upcoming schoolwide events and to brainstorm new potential opportunities. Offer to lead a portion of the event or the entire event if possible. Review the budget to plan accordingly. Reach out to the community for donations or partnerships. Appoint colleagues to help.
  • Read these blog posts for how to lead schoolwide events: Leading a Teacher Appreciation Event , Leading a Take Your Child to Work Day , Leading a Read Across America Day , Leading Teachers Through Black History Month

Medium Teacher Leadership Options

• Deliver PD– Meet with your administrators to find out potential upcoming topics needed for professional development. Offer to plan and lead the learning session. Keep a record of all PD that you offer to teachers.
  • Get ideas for what learning opportunities to offer teachers by browsing here
• Facilitate a Data Dig- Facilitate the data discussion during a professional learning community (PLC) meeting. Review data points prior to the meeting to plan questioning prompts and develop a conversation flow. Be sure to follow all PLC protocol.
  • Grab these resources for a data dig
• Lead a Committee– Teachers come together in committees to help the school be successful. Examples include: PD, safety, recycling, health, celebration, etc. Choose a committee you are passionate about. Then, get permission to set a vision, actionable steps, and lead committee meetings.
• Set up Learning Walks– Learning walks allow others to see each other teach live in front of students. It is a great way to see teaching strategies in action and to gain new ideas to bring back to your own classroom. Share the opportunity with staff, offer a sign up sheet, and create a schedule.
  • See these past posts on learning walks: How to Set Up Learning Walks, The Secret to the Most Effective PD, and 3 Tips to Get the Most Out of Learning Walks
  • Also grab these learning walk resources

Heavy Teacher Leadership Options

Looking for more resources? Grab everything you need with this instructional coaching MEGA BUNDLE!

No matter what option you choose, you can still lead others as a classroom teacher. Gain various leadership experiences so that when you are ready to transition full-time, you’ll be a strong candidate.

GO BE GREAT!

The post 10 Ways to Lead Others as a Classroom Teacher appeared first on Always A Lesson.

There are many ways to level up your leadership. However, cherry picking random leadership growth opportunities will not always produce desired results. By following the level up ladder, you will gain momentum because it categorizes learning strategies and opportunities that build off one another. Each rung on the ladder supports the efforts that come afterwards, creating a strong foundation for rapid growth.

Leveling up leadership happens in three sequential categories: experiences, capacity and practice.

Experiences in Leadership

To grow as a leader, you need leadership experiences. Whether these opportunities are given to you or you create them yourself, it is best to go after a variety of leadership experiences in the fastest period of time. For example, instead of being a cooperating teacher for student teachers numerous years in a row, you’ll want to diversify your leadership skillset and try a new role like new colleague mentorship. Trying out different roles allows you to use your experience from one role to be successful in the next one, without simply repeating the same experience over and over. You are much more valuable as a leader if you have five years of different leadership experiences than five years of the same role, for example. One gives you years of experience and the other gives you experiences over the years. It is important to mention, although you want varied experiences, you don’t want to change roles constantly. You certainly need time to learn a role and get good at it before moving on. When your growth trajectory starts to slow down or stagnate, it’s time to look for your next learning opportunity!

Various leadership roles could be: cooperating teacher, colleague mentor, program director, content specialist, instructional coach, professional development presenter, subject area facilitator, or administrator.

Reach out to leaders on your campus to share your desire to grow your skillset. Many opportunities at the state and district level are shared with your admin team. If they know you are looking, they can recommend you or pass on the opportunity when it comes.

Capacity in Leadership

Some leaders have a variety of experiences, but they aren’t actually becoming stronger leaders. This is because they are not:

a) spending enough time in a role

b) receiving guidance in their role

c) being intentional about growing

d) or made to lead others

Capacity refers to one’s ability and potential. Ensure you use your varied leadership experiences to get stronger at leading others. You can attend workshops, participate in book studies, find a mentor, join a collaborative group, or receive feedback from those you lead and who lead you.

• To grow leadership knowledge, try learning from online courses like these
• To grow leadership collaboration, try learning in a mastermind like this one
• To grow leadership in your school, try this coaching MEGA BUNDLE

Practice in Leadership

The final rung on your leadership ladder is to practice! Many leaders stagnate because they have had lots of leadership experiences, grown their own capacity tremendously and now are running on auto pilot. [bctt tweet=”Just because you have been a great leader in the past does not guarantee you’ll always be a great leader in the future” username=”gschultek”]. You have to put in the work every day, whether it’s your first day or fifty first day. Keep applying yourself, reading current research on leadership, connecting with other great leaders, and trying out innovative approaches. Leadership is not passive; it’s a daily choice made up of persistence and muscle.

Set goals for yourself every quarter and revisit them throughout the year as you progress. Stay hungry as a learner and you’ll always find something new to try. (See what other great educators are doing in their schools and districts here.)

GO BE GREAT!

How do you plan to level up your leadership this new year?

Get access to more instructional coaching resources and

professional development resources below:

The post 3 Ways to Level Up Your Leadership appeared first on Always A Lesson.

At this time of the year, teachers are pretty worn out and it’s time for teacher leaders to take actions and make an impact! We invited multiple instructional coaches to talk about their ways to assist teachers in their professional development. One thing they all agree on, is that teachers need partnership instead of normal coaching cycles. They need a helping hand instead of pushing one. Tune in to this replay of an impactful clubhouse chat to find out more detailed methods to revitalize our teachers!

Quotables

• Just let people know they are appreciated when they are pretty drained.
• A lot of times as teacher leaders, we feel like we have to be super strategic, but sometimes we just need to be human.
• Be relevant, be visible, and continue the work we are doing without being in their (students’ or teachers’) face.
• (A softer impact) doesn’t mean that we are weakening our impact, we are attacking from a new angle, a way that respects the stress and overwhelms.
• You’d hate to make a teacher think he/she had accomplished nothing at the end of the year. It’s time to re-establish your expectations.
• Sometimes we kind of jump from thing to thing, but a deep dive into what we do can be really helpful.

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Connect with Guests:

• Jodi- TW: @jodimos
• Becky- Schoolhouse Mentoring FB Group, IG: Schoolhouse Mentoring

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Leave a Rating and Review:

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.

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

• Search for my show on 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
• Click ‘Send’

The post CH Bonus: Creating a Soft Impact with Teachers appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Emotional exhaustion is off the charts and job satisfaction has hit an all time low in education. Schools are left spinning their wheels brainstorming ways to lift the spirits of their staff before it’s too late.

There was a survey published recently by the EdWeek Research Center that showed teacher morale plummeting nationwide:

“In a November survey of a nationally representative sample of 817 teachers, nearly three-quarters of teachers say their morale is lower than it was before the pandemic, and 85 percent say overall teacher morale at their school is lower now…42 percent of teachers say the coronavirus pandemic has made them feel less motivated at work…[and] 88 percent of middle and high school teachers say the coronavirus pandemic has made their students less motivated to do their best at school.”

In efforts to retain the staff that remains, we need to pull out all the stops to:

1. Acknowledge their tireless effort
2. Lessen workload of non-essential compliance tasks
3. Celebrate the great things happening in schools because of the teachers

To better support the mental, emotional and physical health of our teachers all stakeholders play a role. Tips for administrators, instructional coaches and teachers themselves are listed below.

Administrators

The ideas shared below are merely ideas that could help validate teacher feelings, show appreciation, and reduce their feelings of overwhelm. Adjust them to fit the needs of your teachers as necessary.

1. 1. Duty Coverage– Release teachers from their lunch, recess, carpool duties etc.
   2. Limited Staff meetings– Re-prioritize training and information being shared with staff; condense essentials into a newsletter bulletin, email or announcement
   3. Increased Planning Time– Adjust instructional schedules to allow for additional solo or collaborative planning time
   4.  Limited Extracurriculars– Remove the requirement for teachers to lead extracurricular clubs on campus
   5. Team Building Events– Create opportunities to build rapport as a staff and school community
   6. Teacher Treats– Bring in a catered lunch or bring a drink/snack cart around campus
   7. Casual Passes– Allow staff earn passes to dress casual
   8. Themed Days– Create fun themed days (ie. spirit week) for staff to dress up
   9.  Music– Play popular music over the loud speaker after hours as teachers work or dismiss early
   10. Early Release Days– Create a schedule to allow each staff member to leave school immediately after students
   11. Community Donations -Collect classroom/teacher supply donations from the local businesses in the community
   12. Reduce Paperwork Requirements– Revise compliance requirements for teachers so that only essential tasks are being checked
   13. Shout Outs– Design a staff shout out board for peer accolades; write specific, personal notes highlighting teacher strengths and showing appreciation

Instructional Coaches

The ideas shared below are ways to help administration support teachers while creating relationships among staff.

1. 1. Socialization– Create opportunities for teachers to socialize with each other to build camaraderie and diminish feelings of isolation
   2. Mentorship– Assign partnerships among teachers to receive mentorship in areas of weakness to better their classroom performance, seek advice, etc.
   3. Teacher Awards– Design an award for each teacher based on their strengths and have an award ceremony to celebrate their talent
   4. Phone-A-Friend– Offer to lend a hand in classrooms by reading, leading an activity, or meeting with a students
   5. Common Space Decor– Liven up common areas with uplifting quote posters, colorful decor, plants etc.
   6. Fellowship – Host a monthly meet up for staff to come together and unplug while building relationships with each other
   7. Self-Care Activities– Advocate for and model self-care measures (ie. rest, exercise, read for pleasure, etc.)
   8. Giveaways– Host giveaways for teachers to earn products and services in the community

Teachers

The ideas shared below are ways in which teachers can get the support they need from other stakeholders.

1. 1. Encouragement– Provide encouragement to peers as you both navigate similar obstacles
   2. Listening Ear– Offer to listen to your peers vent so they can get their frustrations out and process their emotions before returning to work
   3. Laughter– Take time to lighten the load and laugh with colleagues
   4. Connection– Meet new colleagues, build friendships, find commonalities among staff members to build a sense unity across campus

Tools

These tools are ways in which to connect with and support teachers.

• • Catch them being amazing– Stop by teachers’ classrooms and provide them with recognition for what they do well and share it with staff
  • Reward and encourage – Give teachers incentives for working hard by giving out coupons for redemption
  • Get their opinion– Provide teachers with a survey to find out more about how they view their practice and how they wish to be helped & get their feedback after providing a PD session so you can continue to meet their needs
  • Give them options– Share ways in which teachers can get support by providing a menu of support to choose from
  • Watch peers in action– Allow staff to get inspired by each other by going on learning walks to see each other teach live in front of students
  • Set their own goals- Give teacher’s voice and choice in what they want to accomplish as professionals by engaging in a goal setting meeting together

Teachers are the root for which all students flourish. We must take care and nourish the root so that it blossoms for generations to come. These tips are sure to boost teacher morale at your school site!

Go Be Great!

How are you improving teacher morale at your school site?

The post Tips to Boost Teacher Morale appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Spencer is currently a full-time instructional coach at a K-5 elementary school and a teacher wellness mentor. She is also a former teacher. Spencer taught 2nd grade, 5th grade and 6th grade before becoming an instructional coach. Her time as a teacher taught her so much about what she wanted in life and also a lot about the role burnout plays in our health and wellness. Spencer’s goal is to help teachers feel seen as a human first and create a space and community where they can turn to to receive empathy, empowerment and personal development tools. She recently got married to her long-time best friends, Tim! She has two dogs, Layla + Vladdy. Spencer was born and raised in Livonia, Michigan and then moved to Arizona after college graduation. The move sparked her love for travel, if she could live anywhere it would be on an island. You can usually find her working on mentorship, binging Schitt’s Creek, or planning her next adventure !

Quotables

• If you put yourself out there, the fact that you put that energy out there, everything is going to come back tenfold.
• If you want to connect to more likeminded people, you have to put yourself out there and find your tribe.
• You can create your own reality.
• Imposture syndrome can rule your life, especially for new teachers.
• Watching other teachers and learning walks are a great learning tool.
• Self is more than taking a few minutes for yourself. It is prioritizing yourself.
• Setting boundaries, creating powerful routines and mindset are tools to help overcome or avoid burnout.

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Connect with Spencer Cotter

• Twitter: @spencercotter
• IG: @spencercotter
• Email: hello@spencercotter.com
• Website: https://www.spencermegan.com/

Leave a Rating and Review:

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.

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

• 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
• Click ‘Send’

The post 245: Teacher Empowerment with Spencer Cotter appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will cover what gets in the way of creating highly effective teams, strategies to build synergy in the long-term and how to hold everyone accountable within the team.

 Top 3 Synergy Suckers

The top three factors below decrease and even eliminate any synergy within a team. Knowing that these factors exist, leaders can be pro-active in designing teams with these elements in mind.

1. 1. Hierarchy – Whether spoken or not, if there is a sense of hierarchy among team members, the capacity of the team never reaches fruition. People shut down, aren’t honest or vulnerable with each other and then stop contributing to the team altogether. Hierarchy can appear in terms of knowledge level, years of experience, closeness of relationship, etc.
   2. Lack of Systems – When teams aren’t provided a road map for how to operate, they waste a lot of time trying to create their own. Arguments erupt, disagreements turn personal, and no forward momentum is made towards team goals.
   3. Miscommunication – Communication is the heart of every relationship. When individuals are open and honest with each other, they better understand how each other operate and can navigate obstacles quickly. When members do not feel safe, hold back their opinions, or do not clarify any misunderstandings, the team potential is shattered.

5 Strategies to Build Team Synergy

Building team synergy for the long term is no easy task. A band aid fix will not produce the desired results. Getting to the root of the disfunction will allow teams to flourish. The five strategies listed below are ways to remedy teams of any synergy level so that they can continue to progress forward together.

1. 1. Create Goals – Consult the curriculum, school initiatives, and state/district standards. These pillars of information will serve as guide posts for determining if the team is on track. Create these goals together so there is investment from all team members to reach the goals.
   2. Set Norms– Discuss necessary boundaries within the team in terms of being prepared, having healthy discourse, and reaching outcomes. Move beyond the surface level norms (ie. show up on time) and push toward high leverage norms that actually produce results (ie. contribute a unique idea daily).
   3. Lean on Strengths– Each member has an X-factor. Use the leadership state of mind that says everyone is a leader in their own right. Discover each team member’s experiences, perspectives, talents, interests, etc. and leverage those to your advantage to meet goals.
   4. Assign Roles– Every member of the team is just as important as the next. When we believe the leadership mindset of everyone playing an integral role, everyone shows up bigger than before. Roles might include a note taker, researcher, presenter, etc. Roles provide purpose and clarity in the mission.
   5. Build Relationship– No one has to be friends, but you have to be friendly. This means showing respect at all times. When we learn how to work together, we gain power as a whole. Working together is an imperfect dance that requires effort, energy, grace and kindness.

Increasing Stakeholder Synergy

Now that you know what obstacles might occur within a team and which structures to set up so that you can  operate at maximum capacity, it’s time to review the roles that each stakeholder plays in the success of the team.

• • Teachers– The investment and expectation of each teacher on the team is high, especially after crafting goals, norms and roles. It’s important each teacher hold themselves and each other accountable. The team is only as strong as the weakest member. If someone is not respecting others, fulfilling their role, contributing their strengths, adhering to norms or working towards the common goal, the team’s strength weakens.
  • Coaches– Whether it is an instructional coach, subject area or grade level facilitator, curriculum coordinator or PD presenter, they become an additional member of the team. They are able to facilitate the work of the team live while the real work is happening. They prompt and question to help keep everyone on course while also supporting efforts to overcome any obstacles.
  • Administrators– The school leaders are the ones distributing teachers into teams. They consider factors such as personality, years of experience, teaching styles, strengths etc. These factors effect the synergy of a team and should carefully consider the impact they have on the whole of the team.

Whether you are helping develop teams or are part of one, understanding the intricate details of how to make, grow and retain effective teams will transform your skillset and overall impact on others.

Next Steps

Do you need some additional help?

• Grow Teams- Snag the PLC Data Guides or read the How to Become an Effective Team Member blog post!
• Grow Individual Teachers- Grab the Guiding Questions Template, Instructional Best Practices PD, Teacher Mentor Kit or Instructional Coaching Forms Bundle.

GO BE GREAT!

What helps build synergy within your team?

The post Light the Spark in Team Synergy appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Dr. Brittany Rincón is a teacher, boy mom, podcast host, and the owner of The Podcasting Teacher. She helps teachers become leaders by finding their voice through podcasting in order to grow and scale their businesses. Brittany believes that every teacher is a leader who has a story and a message worth sharing with the world. She completed her Ed.D in Curriculum and Instruction and serves as a Grade Level Leader at her current school. As a Podcast Coach, she helps teachers start, launch, and grow their podcasts through 1:1 coaching and courses. Tune in to hear this bonus edition episode with Dr. Brittany Rincón!

Quotables

• Change comes the culture of the school and every single person in the building impacts the culture.
• Don’t wait to get the label or the job, mention you want to do leadership. Sometimes you just have to start.
• You don’t have to leave the classroom to make a larger impact.
• What makes a great educator also makes a great person.
• You have to make sure you are always learning, changing and growing. Model that for your students.
• If you are not willing to change or evolve to what’s happening around you then you will never have the impact you desire to have.
• Be really patient with yourself and give yourself time to grow into a new role.
• You have to know what you need so you know what to look for in a mentor. How do I want to grow? What do I want to get better at? What kind of person can help me?

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Links Mentioned

• 2021 Simply Coaching Summit July 12-14

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Connect with Dr. Brittany Rincón

• Twitter: @brittrincon
• IG: @brittrincon
• Podcast: The Teacher Leader Podcast
• Website: brittanyrincon.com

Leave a Rating and Review:

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.

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

• 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
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The post 244: Podcast Coaching with Dr. Brittany Rincón appeared first on Always A Lesson.

MOTIVATION & BUY-IN

To see growth and development of teacher skillsets, leaders need to cultivate a culture that encourages teachers to thrive. Below are five ways to build teacher motivation and buy-in:

• Advocate–  Being an advocate for the voiceless ensures all thoughts, feelings, and perspectives are valued. As a teacher leader, you are the middle man between teachers in the classroom and administrators in the front office. Since you know teachers the best, if they are uncomfortable sharing their needs and wants directly with admin, you can represent them with confidence. It’s important to respect confidentiality while also bringing concerns to the table so a solution can be reached. Being an advocate for others builds awareness and strengthens partnerships. These monthly report slips can be a great tool to use for advocating on a routine basis.
• Needs/Wants/Desires- Before dictating what and how teachers are to improve, evaluating their needs, wants and desires ensures they receive the support they seek.  Provide a personalized plan for teacher growth and development, ranging from light to heavy support. These varying options help meet all personality and learning needs which builds trust and motivation. Only then can you layer in your own perspective of what and how they need to improve.
• Ongoing Support– Teachers won’t grow if the support they receive is few and far between. They need multiple opportunities to practice, receive feedback and implement new strategies. Developing different touch points of support will create quicker results and more confident teachers.
• Reflection and Revision– When pairing repetitive practice with feedback, an increase in outcome is sure to follow. To maximize results, allow teachers time to reflect on their practice and revise their approach. Check out these feedback slips you can use as a tool when you work with teachers.
• Reward Progress– Sometimes improvement is slow and steady which can be hard to see and even harder to remain motivated. By rewarding progress, no matter how big or small, teachers will continue showing up and giving their best because they know all effort is acknowledged and celebrated. Use these VIP Teacher Awards to acknowledge hard work.

ORGANIZATION

The foundation of achieving results is having an organizational system of processes. Teacher leaders who spend time up front getting organized and setting a vision for a destination have a far greater chance at meeting goals (and at a faster rate) than those who do not. Below are three ways to get more organized:

• Protocol- Helping teachers grow can be tricky, but implementing protocols for meetings helps build habits and pass ownership to teachers. This might mean creating sentence starters for collaborations (PLC meetings, data dives, PD etc.) or reflective exercises after observations to digest and implement next steps. These protocols facilitate growth habits without you having to be present.
• Systems- Consistency gives a sense of security and builds trust. Having systems set up to track your teacher support plan ensures you catch obstacles early, have a clear understanding of where to go and build a flight path for how to get there. These systems can be replicated and reused for efficiency and productivity.
• Working Space – Whether you have a mobile cart or a cozy welcoming office, teacher leaders need an organized space to work in. Having all materials necessary within reach cuts down on unnecessary time searching around for them. Plus, a clean physical space creates a clean mental space. This allows for productivity and creativity to flourish.

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

Teacher leaders set the example for growth. If we want teachers to take risks, give their all, and dream big then we have to model that for them with our own learning. Below are four ways to grow as professionals:

• Mentorship– Find your own mentor! Even if your district or school provides you with a mentor, it doesn’t mean you can’t find one on your own that better meets your needs. Finding someone with a personality that best matches your learning style or someone who is strong where you are weak is a great start to an unofficial mentor who can have a tremendous impact on your professional growth. (I’d love to help you, grab a slot on my calendar here.)
• Professional Development [PD]– Finding PD for teacher leaders can be challenging. You have to chase your own PD instead of waiting for a big event to come to town. There are plenty of opportunities through leadership podcasts, blogs, magazines and even virtual summits. (My favorite is the coaching summit put on every summer by Nicole Turner!). No matter what you choose, what you put into it is what you’ll get out of it so go all in!
• Professional Learning Network [PLN]– Grow your own PLN. Even if one has been provided for you, putting together your own tribe of educators who inspire you will keep you learning and growing better than anything else. Your PLN doesn’t have to meet altogether and they don’t even have to know that each other exist. They simply have to show up and help you and you do the same in return. A PLN can be two people or twenty. Make it what you need it to be so you can achieve your goals. (Hint: Don’t let the four walls of your office, school building or district keep your PLN from growing- break past those barriers and join my Teacher Leader Mastermind!)
• Vision Board– Map out your goals in a way that is consistently present in your environment to remind you to keep going. Envision your end goal, the process of reaching that goal, and even what it looks like to simply begin. Keeping your eye on your goal will keep you motivated on the hard days and is a great way to show others how they can support you as you grow.

NEXT STEPS

• Continue to follow this blog series for more leadership tips for instructional coaches (Read Part One here and Part 3 here.).
• If you’d like to dig in on a deeper level, you can gain professional development (and credit towards your teaching license) through the “Teachers Who Lead” course bundle.
• Get access to more instructional coaching resources and professional development resources below:

Go Be Great!

What leadership advice do you have for instructional coaches?

The post Leadership Tips for Instructional Coaches- Part 2 appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Tiffany is an educator, entrepreneur and goal achievement coach. She helps ambitious, self-motivated women, entrepreneurs & leaders create + achieve meaningful goals without sacrificing their priorities. Tiffany has been leading people for 15+ years. She holds an Education Specialist Degree in Learning, teaching & Curriculum. She has done extensive research on reading fluency & completed her Specialist dissertation & research on what peer coaching looks like & sounds like. Through her research she founded a Collaborative Talk Sequence that empowers educators on an individual and group level to increase teacher motivation, joy, confidence, knowledge & own their unique leader within themselves that carries over into student achievement. For the past 6.5 years, Tiffany has used her education, leadership & coaching experience to empower women from all different backgrounds in work & life through entrepreneurship and growing their own turn-key business. Her Collaborative Talk Sequence allows each individual to step into their influence & is a framework for effective collaboration groups to happen on an education and business level. She believes when you are equipped with the right mindset, strategy, confidence and environment that allows for meaningful & purposeful growth to be ignited from each individual’s unique strengths, priorities & beliefs – a ripple effect of impact happens. Tune in for this bonus edition episode with Tiffany Wallace.

Quotables

• Collaborative talk structure is taking something to ignite learning, focusing on one thing and tying in a reflection.
•  Having time to actually talk is a key component so you have time to put things into action.
• Anytime you are stuck or overwhelmed, take the time to stop and learn to keep yourself motivated.
• Making teachers feel heard and seen and creating a community where people can learn and fail and keep going is important for a collaborative talk sequence.
• Focusing is an element that makes teachers great. It transcends into every part of teaching.
• If we can help teachers really see their beliefs, we can empower them to not be focused on all the things but to instead focus on the foundational things.
• You have to have boundaries with your time and energy as a classroom teacher and mentor. Recognize within yourself that you need to stop and take a breather.
• In our minds can make things seem overwhelming, but we have to stop and think about how long it will take to do something really well.
• The power of asking questions and listening to the teachers you get to work with and understanding their values is so important to empower everyone at large.
• Train yourself to see the light and good to increase your motivation and the energy you are bringing to your students.

Join the Simply Coaching Retreat

• If you support and lead teachers, this virtual retreat is for you! July 12-14, 2021.
• Simply Coaching Summit

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Connect with Tiffany

• Website: www.trustbased.com
• Instagram: @tiffanygwallace
• Facebook: Tiffany G Wallace
• Facebook Business: Tiffany Wallace
• Email: tiffanygwallace@gmail.com

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.

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

• 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 241: Achieve Your Goals with Tiffany Wallace appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Creating a strong math culture is a question we have been discussing recently here on the blog based on a discussion I lead on the Clubhouse app.  Over 20 educators (classroom teachers, administrators, school board members, instructional coaches, and content area specialists) came together to share ideas and ask questions about how to increase the math culture in their buildings.

I am sharing my takeaways here on the blog. This is a three-part post on increasing math culture in your school building. [Click to read post 1 and post 3]

Today’s question is:

How can we increase teachers’ content knowledge in math?

Ongoing Learning

We must offer teachers ongoing learning opportunities to deepen their understanding of their content area. Research local or online conferences teachers can attend. Maybe even provide classroom coverage or funding to attend if needed.

Give teachers plenty of time to practice their new learning. Have teachers participate in learning walks where they watch their peers teach math to gain ideas and strategies for working with their population of students, grade level content, etc. You can also create peer mentorships based on instructional skills that are math specific. A stronger peer can mentor a less confident peer. This breeds camaraderie among staff.

No matter which ongoing learning opportunity, following up and following through will ensure teachers apply what they are learning. Otherwise, teachers are passively learning but not growing stronger (and students aren’t growing either).

School Agreement

Create a school agreement that outlines expectations and norms for math. This will help align and calibrate staff to a high performing level. Consistency is an important part of building a math culture. By creating a common language around instructional best practices in math will lead to less reteaching year to year. This saved time allows for deeper learning throughout the year and brings clarity in expectations to teachers.

Reflection

Teachers need time to digest their new learning, process next steps and adjust their game plan as they implement. Reflection is a large part of the growth process. We can’t expect teachers to teach and learn without time to think through how it’s working. Reviewing student data and reflecting on their day’s lessons before moving forward ensures mistakes don’t get repeated and growth happens quickly.

Carve out time during planning for teachers to have quiet reflection before moving forward. Making time and space for reflection will lead to stronger math instruction around the school building. Provide topics, sentence stems or prompting questions to ponder. Check out this reflection resource  and this video reflection resource to help guide this conversation with teachers at your school.

Depth of Knowledge (DOK)

Helping teachers deepen the complexity of their instruction means they need access to a Depth of Knowledge (DOK) framework. Each level requires proficiency at the level before it and takes intentionality in the lesson planning and delivery process. Just like a staircase, the DOK levels rank mathematical tasks based on difficulty level. Teachers need to be familiar with how the DOK works, how to use it to plan, and how to differentiate for students as they move through the levels of understanding at a different pace. This is a long-term focus and should not occur overnight.

Provide an in-depth professional development session on the DOK. Allow teachers to interact with the framework in a variety of ways to solidify their understanding. Then provide time for teachers to plan future instruction by implementing the DOK.

Suggested Resources for Building Math Culture:

• Math Tools & Activities
• Mathematical Mindsets by Jo Boaler
• Elementary and Middle School Mathematics (Teaching Developmentally) by Karen Karp

If you found this post helpful, be sure to check out the first and third post (coming soon) in the series.

Go Be Great!

What action will you take to create a stronger math culture in your building?

The post Creating a Strong Math Culture at your School [Part Two] appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Dustin is a seven year educator in suburban Kansas City Missouri who teaches high school special education. Dustin is a devout believer and practitioner  of relationship building with all stakeholders and uses differentiated instruction, PBL, Inquiry, and career based practices to prepare his students for post secondary success. Dustin is also a leader, writer, learner, and implements a holistic whole child approach that is based on reflection, mindfulness, and compassion. Dustin is completing his first novel on building effective co teaching teams and will begin his doctoral in Educational Leadership in the summer of 2021. Tune in for this special bonus edition episode which includes an interview with Dustin Pearson.

Quotables

• Build relationships with all stakeholders. Build strong partnerships with partners and work together. Communicate all the time and have that consistent flow of communication.
• 90% of parent interactions are positive. They just want you to have a positive experience with their child.
• I take what I do seriously, but I don’t take myself seriously. When I look at great teachers, I look at someone who really has passion for really helping our youth be better citizens for tomorrow. I look at someone who is a relationships builder with stakeholders. I look at someone who is a communicator. I look at someone who is innovative and takes chances. I look at somebody that has a growth mindset and someone who is striving to be better.  
• New Teachers- We are here to help and we are here to support you, guide you and to listen to you. Maintain the positive mindset and know that everyday is new day to grow and to have an impact. Reach out because there are so many educators that want to help you.
• Distressed teachers- Know that you are not alone. What you are feeling is natural because you are human. Those feelings aren’t always going to be there. Be a little selfish and take care of you first. If you can’t or don’t take care of you, your students aren’t getting the best of you. Adopt mindfulness.
• Stop thinking within the wall of your school or district. There is something out there for everyone if you are willing to look. Explore multiple outlets for growth. 
• If you set up the environment so that students can excel and teach each other you can step back for a moment and just watch it unfold.
• Building Effective Co-Teaching Teams is a book Dustin is currently writing. It explains how Dustin has used them, what it is, sample lessons, different models, and educator spotlights from educators around the world.  Coming soon!
• As a mentor you need to ask why. Ask why did you do this? What is your goal? Give resources and strategies that are available.

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

Links Mentioned

• School of Thought Podcast with Gretchen

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Connect with Dustin

• Twitter: @dustinpearson2
• Email: dpearson16@outlook.com
• Website: https://weareoneteameducation.wordpress.com/
• YouTube: We Are One Team
• Check back soon for Dustin’s Book!

Leave a Rating and Review:

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.

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

• 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 235: Relationship Building with Dustin Pearson appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Is the mentorship program at your school not working? After years of experience, I find there are two main factors that make mentorship programs unsuccessful. This leads to less teacher success and more teachers leaving the field due to lack of support. This can all be easily changed with a mentorship program that provides teachers with ongoing support and keeps them invested in their career. Tune in to hear actionable steps that will help improvement your mentorship program!

Quotables

• Why is your mentorship not working? It’s not flexible and it’s not personalized.
• Create physical space for mentorship to happen. Space on the calendar and a location to meet.
• We need to support teachers where they are. There needs to be an onboarding process.
•  Keep growing and accelerate the effectiveness of the staff as a whole.
• Problem solve whatever obstacles your teachers are facing. Are the mentors still the right match?
•  Space, support and strategies are the key features to continue evolving your mentorship program.
• Teachers that are supported will stay around even if it’s the worst year ever when they feel heard and are invested.
•  When you feel like you have people on your team who are invested, you will work hard for them.

Join the Simply Coaching Retreat

• If you support and lead teachers, this virtual retreat is for you! March 19-21st, 2021!
• Simply Coaching Retreat

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

Leave a Rating and Review:

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.

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

• 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
• Click ‘Send’

The post 234: Why Your Mentorship Program isn’t Working appeared first on Always A Lesson.

How to Lead a Read Across America Day Celebration

Hosting a successful school wide event requires thorough planning. The four-part system listed below will help you deliver an unforgettable experience for staff and students.

1. Set the Intention- Explain the importance of the event by providing an example of your expectations
   • Choose a mentor text
   • Pull out a key focus
   • Model best practices for reading
2. Provide the Road Map– Share expectations for what teachers are to do
   • Give teams time to plan (choose a book, pull out key focus, align daily activities)
   • Carry the book theme throughout all content taught during the day
   • Create interactive bulletin board displays to showcase learning
3. Jump In
   • Hop into classes and model strong reading habits
   • Participate in special reading activities with all grade levels
4. Celebrate the Learning
   • Make announcements on the loudspeaker throughout the day to keep the energy going
   • Praise students with a “Caught Being a Great Reader” certificate
   • Announce winners for reading contests

Ways to Celebrate Read Across America Day

The following list of ideas can be implemented at your school site to foster a love of reading and expose students to a variety of books:

• Scholastic Book Fairs
• Book Reading Contests
• Peer Reading Buddies
• Host a Book Club (chapter book recommendations included)
• Pair Students for a Text Talk
• Favorite Book Character Costumes
• Reading Themed Days (if a week long celebration)
• Book Tasting
• Local Author Visit
• Author Study
• Mystery Guest Readers
• Bulletin Board Contests
• Special Activities
  • Peer Book Reviews (“Book Buzz”)
  • Book Hunt (+ Text Features)
  • America Reading Day Response Activities

Book Suggestions for Read Across America Day

There are lots of great books to showcase during the reading event. Coordinating chosen texts across grade levels will ensure students are exposed to a variety of books. Reorganizing your literacy block for efficiency and effectiveness can make this a smooth event.

A few text suggestions are listed below:

• Favorite Picture Books:
  • Giraffes Can’t Dance
  • Where the Wild Things Are
  • Corduroy
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
  • The King’s Foot (How Big is a Foot?)
• Favorite Book Series:
  • Mr. Men 
  • Berenstain Bears
  • Dr. Seuss
  • Curious George
  • Roald Dahl 

In honor of Read Across America Day, come grab some swag!  Click the picture below to grab it in various sizes or colors:

Go Be Great!

How did you lead teachers through Read Across America Day?

The post Leading a Read Across America Day at your School Site appeared first on Always A Lesson.

We have lost so many great teachers in our profession and we are losing more each day. Teacher mentorship can help us save more of our elite educators but we have to get a better support system first. Mentorship in education has stigma of underperformance. We have to change our programs so that our structure is an effective support system to our teachers until their last day on the job, not just a program for beginning teachers. All teachers need a growth program throughout the entirety of their career. Tune in to hear more about the future of mentorship in education.

 Quotables

• Mentorship can save our best teachers.
• The best of the best athletes have mentorship, they have coaching until their last day on the job. Educators don’t view mentorship as a way to continue growing. We look at is as an underperformance.
• The culture and structure of mentorship has to be changed to a more effective model. Then we have to change the stigma.
• The goal of the meeting, awareness of events, relationship building, action steps, follow up and follow through is an actionable system to put into place.
• Style, System and Structure are the 3 S’s of a mentorship program. 
• What makes mentorship effective? Do you have a plan? Is there an accountability system? What are the expectations of the partnership? Are you consistent?
• What makes a mentor effective? Have you walked the road before? Ask questions, don’t make assumptions. Partner with them and use their strengths.
• You have to envision people as their future selves and help them get to their future in a way that is natural to them.
• Evaluate your program. What do you want to keep and what do you want to kick?
• Actionable steps over perfection, get started and execute. Tweak and repeat.
• Let’s not lose any more good teachers because they haven’t become great YET.

Links Mentioned in the Episode

• Grab your ticket to the PD coaching summit on Dec 28th here.
• Join the Teacher Leader Mastermind Spring Cohort
• Instructional Coaching Yearlong Comprehensive Guide (Editable & Growing Bundle)
• Teacher Mentor Kit for Mentor Teachers (Editable)

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• Join here and grab a freebie!

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
• Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College
• Coaching Summit for Teacher Leaders: https://www.sctacademy.com/a/19590/oqFud8nN
• Stay tuned for information on the Teacher Leader Mastermind!

Leave a Rating and Review:

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.

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

• 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
• Click ‘Send’

The post 229: The Future of Mentorship appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This series of posts will outline ways to communicate with various stakeholders (parents, colleagues, and students) during digital learning as well as share what type of information to communicate.

Although digital learning looks different for everyone right now during Covid-19 shutdowns, the truth is no one is exempt from digital learning in some form or fashion. Distance learning is here to stay for the foreseeable future which means we better figure out how to make it successful.

Enhancing communication is essential to continue on a path of learning and growth for stakeholders like administration, colleagues, students and parents.

Enhance Communication with Administration

• • Share what you are doing– Administration wants to know how things are going in the classroom and that includes strategies you are utilizing. They can’t be in every teacher’s virtual classroom so they’re counting on you to keep them up-to-date. For example, you might share a new tool you’re utilizing, teacher strategy you’re implementing, an upcoming project, or toot your own horn with achievements!
  • Ask for additional learning opportunities–  Online teaching and learning is new for many of us. Search for online PD’s or mentorship opportunities to grow your skillset. Then, advocate to your administrators for funding or support.
  • Seek feedback on your teaching– Many times, feedback teachers receive is on lesson plans or a quick snap shot observation. However, if there are specific aspects of your instruction where you want feedback, ask! For example, you might ask administration to review your feedback to students, morning meeting routine or maybe an engagement strategy during direct instruction.
  • Provide an update on student performance– There are certain data points administrators can access on their end (ie. assessments via online portal), but there are other data points essential to student learning that only a teacher can share. For example, whole group data points like the percentage of students logging in or turning in assignments or individual data points like change in achievement levels or engagement could be helpful information to share.
  • Keep them in the loop on high level hiccups– There are bound to be obstacles during virtual learning. If there are incidents that require the administrators to be notified then do it before they escalate and share updates often. For example, any parent complaints, excessive student absences or major declines in performance levels. This helps administration support you and provide direction on best next steps.

Consistent, on-going communicating with stakeholders during remote learning is of utmost importance to make the school year successful for all. Using communication tools like Google Meet, Skype, Zoom and FaceTime are great for connecting face-to-face in a virtual world. Using Voxer, email, and text are helpful to staying connected on a daily basis through voice or print.

Whatever tool or strategy you employ, enhancing communication during remote learning is the goal to success for everyone involved.

How are you communicating with administrators during remote learning?

The post Enhancing Communication during Digital Learning with Administration appeared first on Always A Lesson.

CJ Reynolds teaches high school literature and the history of hip-hop in West Philadelphia. He is a graduate of Rowan University and has been a classroom teacher for 15 years. He is also the author of the upcoming book Teach Your Class Off and the creator of the Real Rap with Reynolds YouTube channel.

CJ’s YouTube channel and book are aimed at giving viewers an authentic glimpse into the life of a high school teacher in the inner city while at the same time helping new and veteran educators be the teachers and mentors they always wanted to be for their students. His bare-bones teaching philosophy is simple: In the classroom relationships are king, and the job of a teacher is always and only about the students.

Quotables

• One of the things that I learned early on is becoming a great educator is taking all of the things that make you who you are and using them to be a teacher.
• It is looking at what you have to teach and then thinking, what lens could I teach this though?
• If you make it about the kids, it gives you courage, one, and two you are trying to be relevant, not cool.
• A quite classroom does not equal an effective classroom.
• Don’t wait for anything. Be the teacher you always wanted to be immediately.
• I am very mindful at school that I only surround myself with people that I want to be like.
• It is your attention over your advice that wins with students all the time.

Connect with CJ

• Website: www.realrapwithreynolds.com
• YouTube Channel: Real Rap with Reynolds
• iTunes: Real Rap With Reynolds
• Instagram: real rap with the reynolds
• Facebook: Real Rap With The Reynolds
• Facebook Group: Real Rap With Reynolds Teacher Talk
• Twitter: @realrapreynolds
• Snapchat: realrapreynolds
• Soundcloud: Real Rap with the Reynolds

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
• Click ‘Send’

The post 220: Classroom Relationships with CJ Reynolds appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Kyle Scott King, is an educator, mentor, four time best-selling author, public speaker, founder and the Chief Executive Officer of The SHINE Institute. Kyle King also is the founder of Blueprint Conferences, a platform for educators to trade the life they have for the one they never knew they wanted. King also serves as the Dean of Students at one of Charlotte’s premier Charter Schools, Queen City STEM School. His life’s purpose is centered around advancing students through a comprehensive educational process that promotes excellence and provides them with the skills and resources to become globally competitive leaders of the future. He coined the phrase “You Do NOT have to be at an Ivy League School to be an Ivy League Student.” Starting out with local community mentoring efforts and a unique story, Kyle has become a highly skilled educator with over 7 years of experience offering empowerment in the areas of Curriculum Development and Design, Student Success Strategies, Personal and Professional Development, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Business and Economic Development. Through his experience as an entrepreneur, The SHINE Institute has grown to impact over 30,000 students around the globe.

Quotables

• Behavior and instruction go hand in hand.
• We focus so much on jobs and occupations instead of what opportunities can our students create.
• In order for us to truly require excellence from our students, we have to stop operating in a state of mind of mediocrity.
• I don’t care if you are jumping forward or taking baby steps forward, it is still progress.

This episode is sponsored by Power School/Schoology’s Time for Teachers initiative.

Stamp of Approval

• “The One Thing” by Greg Mckeown
• Monday – Workflow Management tool
• BlueprintConferences.com

Connect with Kyle

• Website: www.kylesking.com
• Website: www.blueprintconferences.com
• Facebook: @themissionplanner
• Instagram: @kylesking
• Twitter: @mrkingempowers

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

Shop AAL Swag

• https://alwaysalesson.com/product-category/swag/

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• http://eepurl.com/lJKNn

Coaching Call

• Grab a Spot on my Calendar here: https://square.site/book/FE6G600ZF0PPD/always-a-lesson

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
• Click ‘Send’

The post 214: Making Progress with Kyle King appeared first on Always A Lesson.

One of the duties for teacher leaders, specifically instructional coaches, is onboarding new staff to the school. This means that the teacher leader is in charge of helping that new hire acclimate into the school- understand protocols, requirements and culture.

In order for onboarding to be a success at a school site, teacher leaders need to develop a process. This ensures consistency across the board, no matter how many new hires come into the system or which teacher leader heads the process. An onboarding process guarantees all staff dive into their roles well informed.

Below are tips for developing a successful onboarding process to support new hires:

Collect Onboarding Information

• • Make a list of all the essential information someone new to the school building would need and want to know (calendars, maps, schedules, supply access, etc.)
  • Poll teachers for what information they found helpful (or wish they had been given) when they joined the staff
  • Host a meeting with the administrative team and decide what other information should be shared with new hires

Create a Fool Proof Onboarding System

• • Organize the information gathered into topics and sub topics
  • Flush out all topics to be as explicit and specific as possible (similar to the thoroughness of a sub plan)
  • Develop a checklist of tasks so all teacher leaders can jump in to help with the onboarding process as necessary (Grab one here)
  • Share with the administrative team for feedback and approval
  • Save in a location where all teacher leaders have access (ie. Google Drive, school based hard drive, or printed in a binder located in the front office)

Deliver Onboarding to New Hires

• • Gather all new hires together for an informal Q/A session
  • Provide printed copies of the onboarding tool kit (ie. handbooks) to all new hires
  • Walk through the tool kit item by item, sharing details and rationales
  • Answer all new hire questions

Update Onboarding Materials

• • Reflect on the effectiveness of the onboarding process and materials set up before making changes
  • Use common questions from new hires to tweak current onboarding materials
  • Update onboarding materials as often as necessary so details are current (ie. quarterly, yearly, etc.)

This proven system will ensure every new hire is prepared to be the best educator possible because of the time invested in a smooth transition for all staff members joining the school team.

Resource Suggestions

• Download printable, editable and digital New Hire Onboarding Checklist here
• Watch the Effective Teacher Mentorship PD Session here
• Have your new hire attend the virtual New Teacher Academy here
• Download printable, editable, digital instructional coaching forms bundle of over 300+ pages here

If you are need of resources to help you become an even stronger instructional coach, browse these printable and digital options. Check out my instructional coaching must-haves here. For off-boarding resources, click here.

GO BE GREAT!

What do you include in your onboarding system for new hires?

The post Onboarding: How to Support a New Hire at your School appeared first on Always A Lesson.

This post will give you plenty of options for how to support a new teacher while showing appreciation and encouragement for their new journey into the educational profession.

New Teacher Gift Ideas

1) Book: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn’t Teach You in College

• • Print
  • Kindle 

2) Printable Resources

• • Student Teacher Kit
  • Mentor Kit
  • Interview Questions, Tips, & Planning Guide

3) T-Shirts

• • #NewTeacher Life
  • Learning the Ropes
  • Teacher Under Construction

4) Freebies

• • List of Must Have Supplies
  • Planner Dividers
  • New Teacher Journal

Need more new teacher gift ideas?

Here’s a List of my Edu-Must Haves.

What new teacher gift would you add to the list?

The post New Teacher Gift Ideas appeared first on Always A Lesson.

What is a “Teacher Leader?”

Teacher leader is an umbrella term that refers to educators in the roles such as:

• • Instructional Coaches
  • Peer Mentors
  • Cooperating Teachers for Student Teachers
  • New Teacher Induction Program Coordinators
  • Curriculum Coordinators
  • Professional Development Presenters
  • Content Specialists
  • Grade Level Leaders
  • Initiative Directors
  • Administrators

I reached out to my “teacher leader” audience to learn more about their official role title, the work they do daily, and the impact it has on our profession. (Thank you to all of the contributors!)

Rose, an instructional coach from New Jersey said, “A teacher leader is someone who is self motivated and is willing to put him/herself out there for the betterment of others. A teacher leader supports other teachers as well as acts as an advocate for students.”

Danielle, a curriculum and gifted resource teacher from Florida adds, “Teacher leader is someone that cultivates a collaborative culture and supports the improvement of instructional practices and student outcomes. Teacher leaders are seen as a leader of the school and an expert in their field. Teacher leaders provide mentorship and peer support to colleagues.”

I agree whole heartedly with these definitions. Although the official title of both of these teacher leaders differ, the commonalities of how they support teachers is strongly aligned.

What does a “Teacher Leader” do?

As mentioned above, the variety of roles that fall under the category ‘teacher leader’ is lengthy, but the common thread of these roles is supporting teacher development. These teacher leaders are working towards the same goal of improving teacher proficiency so that student achievement increases as a result.

Let’s pull back the curtain on typical teacher leader duties, regardless of their official title:

• • Create on-going professional development sessions
  • Observe live teaching with classroom visits and provide feedback
  • Act as a liaison between teachers and administrators
  • Participate in grade-level lesson planning
  • Available to answer questions and trouble shoot obstacles
  • Meet 1:1 with colleagues on a consistent basis to plan, provide feedback and problem solve
  • Model best practices through lesson delivery
  • Share resources, tips and strategies for quality instruction
  • Plan, design and implement curriculum programs or initiatives with fidelity
  • Plan school-wide programs for families, staff, and students
  • Collect and analyze student and teacher performance data
  • Develop an expertise in a content area
  • Attend training to remain up-to-date on initiatives
  • Be a listening ear and encouraging voice

Why is the role of a “Teacher Leader” so important?

It is clear that teacher leaders are essential for teacher development, student achievement, and overall school success. They are veteran educators with expertise that can change the trajectory of school performance with enough time, space and collaboration with leaders at the state, district and school level.

However, many of these positions are created at school sites through special funding sources. This means, when budget constraints occur, the various roles of teacher leaders are removed. Sadly, this negatively affects the growth of teachers and students.

I asked my teacher leader audience why they thought these roles were essential and here are just a few of the responses they shared:

• • “A school cannot be run by a principal alone. Teacher leaders are key to building collaborative cultures that support the vision and mission of the school leader. Teacher leaders are able to facilitate professional development and foster professional growth amongst grade level or subject area teams.”
  • “They help the administration by leading and guiding within the grade level, taking some of the pressure off of administration.”
  • “Teacher leaders are essential because teachers are in the trenches and we know what is needed in order for our students to be successful. Teachers need advocates and people on their side.”

Essentially, teacher leaders are an extension of both administration and teachers. They fill the gap from running the school at a high level overview to down in the trenches of what’s going on in classrooms daily. The bridge they create between these two stakeholders is where the magic happens.

Teacher leaders:

• • Lighten the work load
  • Have their ear to the street and a close eye on the inner workings of the school
  • Provide clarity, direction and support for teachers and students to thrive

[bctt tweet=”We can’t afford to NOT afford the essential role of a teacher leader at every school.” username=”gschultek”]

Resources for “Teacher Leader” Development

It is evident that teacher leaders are important figures in the support of teacher development. But who supports the development of teacher leaders? After all, everyone is a learner who needs guidance and support to grow.

There are three options I provide to guide teacher leaders towards excellence. These options meet teacher leaders where they are in terms of how intense of a support model they desire and how much time they want to invest in their development. It’s their choice where and how to jump in:

• • Teacher Leader Course – A do-it-yourself model where teacher leaders can gain research-based techniques and tools to boost teacher performance and proficiency in the classroom. This is great for busy teacher leaders who need to learn at their own pace and time table.
  • Teacher Leader Mastermind – A collaborative model where teacher leaders learn and lead in a community of other teacher leaders. Personalized support is provided, but the power is in the group dynamic. Learn from others’ struggles, roadblocks and successes.
  • Teacher Leader 1:1 Coaching – An individualized model where teacher leaders receive 1:1 encouragement, support and guidance. This is an intimate experience with full attention, time and investment from both myself (the coach) and the teacher leader.

A BIG *thank you* to the teacher leaders who contributed to this blog post- Paula (Texas), Jenny (Georgia), Rose (New Jersey), Amy (Wisconsin), Amanda (Arkansas), Danielle (Florida) and Angie (Texas). You teacher leaders are the real hero’s in transforming schools one teacher and student at a time! Check out my instructional coaching must-haves here.

GO BE GREAT!

Are you a teacher leader? Share the details of your role below!

The post What is a “Teacher Leader” Anyway? appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The post About Always A Lesson appeared first on Always A Lesson.

[bctt tweet=”No one is meant to succeed on their own.” username=”gschultek”]

What Mentorship Should Be

Mentorship can be an organic process where one person seeks out someone they admire to ask questions and learn from. Mentorship can even consist of several mentors hand picked by the mentee for their expertise in a very specific area.

What Mentorship Shouldn’t Be

Mentorship does not have to be dictated, forced or assigned. It should be available and encouraged. This means the process of mentorship is applauded instead of frowned upon. It is a sign of growth instead of punishment. It is open ended for the mentee to can get aligned with the path they desire.

In education, oftentimes a veteran educator is paired up with a newbie teacher for mentorship. There is rarely any thought put into how these two individuals mesh or align with values, goals, or style. Due to this mismatch, the mentorship never gains momentum or strength to propel change. What a waste.

What Mentorship Could Look Like: For the Mentee

Spend time reflecting on how you want to improve your instructional practice. Think of educators you admire who are strong in those areas and jot their names down next to your specific improvement goals. This person does not even have to know they are your mentor. You can simply watch from afar and take mental notes of what they do and how they do it. If you are comfortable approaching them to ask a few questions, go for it!

Create the mentorship relationship you desire. Decide if you want to meet formally or informally, how often you want to catch up, if you prefer to watch them in action and need to get coverage for your class, etc. Designing your mentorship experience increases the chance you will find value in it and that it will translate into success in the classroom for yourself and your students.

The most important aspect of mentorship is that you get a choice in who you allow to influence you. If you are new or don’t yet know who might be a good fit, you can take suggestions from colleagues or administrators. If the person suggested ends up not being a great fit for how you want to grow, do not hang in the relationship. You have limited time to invest in yourself, so use it wisely. Take another suggestion and alter your course of action.

What Mentorship Could Look Like: For the Mentee: For the Mentor

Before diving into giving advice and guidance, take time to understand how your mentee wants to grow. Understanding their goals and dreams will help you provide the necessary resources, stories or examples to help them grow in that specific area.

It might be tempting to want to help them in a variety of other ways, but staying focused on their goals will allow them to find success faster. As those goals are achieved, new ones can be added.

Be respectful of how they desire the relationship to work. Listen to where, how and how often they want to meet. Their learning style and preferences are paramount in the new knowledge being able to stick.

Although you the mentor are the guide, the mentee is in the driver seat for advocating for what they need, when and how they need it. Be patient, encouraging and resourceful. If you need ideas for what topics to discuss as you meet, you can find this mentor guide helpful. (It is even editable for you to adjust to the needs of the mentee.) Or you can dig deeper into all things mentorship (what it is, how to be a great one, and how to run a mentorship program) in the Teacher Mentorship Course!

Mentorship is a powerful tool to propel individuals into their potential. When a pairing is a strong match and both show up to do the work, goals and dreams can be achieved.

How has mentorship allowed you to grow into your best self?

The post Tips for Making the Most out of Teacher Mentorship appeared first on Always A Lesson.

But, this growth opportunity doesn’t exist in the education realm. Why not? Educators are movers and shakers. They are go-getters. They are life-long learners, dreamers, and doers. Unfortunately, there is not a support network like a mastermind to give educators the ongoing support they need to grow into their fullest potential.

As a business owner, serving teachers and teacher leaders nationwide, I have had the opportunity to participate in a mastermind with other business owners. I have grown tremendously personally and professionally as I learned from my peers and mentor.

Since the mastermind experience was a catapulting force in my own professional growth, I decided to provide that same type of learning opportunity to teacher leaders. (Who is a ‘teacher leader?’ Anyone who leads other teachers in growing their craft (ie. instructional coach, cooperating teacher for student teachers, peer mentor, etc.)

Why do Teacher Leaders Need a Mastermind?

• The PD out there for us is limited.
• The feedback we receive is slim.
• The idea bank and camaraderie fountains are dried out.

 The Teacher Leader Mastermind is going to be a pivotal moment in the career of teacher leaders. They will be able to look back and realize how much they grew as a person and a professional. Plus, masterminds create long-lasting friendships!

What will Teacher Leaders Get Out of a Mastermind?

 The Teacher Leader Mastermind will help educators:

• Recognize patterns that keep them stuck in operating at the same level achieving the same results
• Be inspired to take action in new ways, from new angles, and discover new ways to reach those they serve
• Get better organized and more intentional with their time 
• Discover talent and skillsets that were once hidden
• Develop a diverse strategy bank from which to operate from
• And become more aligned to their personal vision of how they desire to serve those they lead

[bctt tweet=”Sometimes we have to get out of our own way to grow into a better version of ourselves.” username=”gschultek”]

How a Mastermind Changed Me

I was tired of teaching myself how to get better. There was only so far I could get on my own. I wanted to be a better leader, a more knowledgeable educator, a more invested individual in the collective initiative at the school.

The best thing I ever did was surround myself with people who knew things I didn’t know, who had perspectives beyond my own, and who loved and cared for those they served above all else.

Next Steps for Teacher Leaders

It’s time to operate at a new level. You don’t have to wait for the answers you’ve been wanting in how to better your craft and grow the stash in your tool belt. Investing in yourself is scary, but the better version of you is so worth it.

Take the plunge and let’s do the work together. Take your seat in the Teacher Leader Mastermind because you deserve to be here.

Click photo above to join!

If you’re not sure if the mastermind opportunity is right for you, shoot me an email at: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com. I’ll be happy to answer all of your questions!

GO BE GREAT!

The post What is a Mastermind? appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Teaching tiny humans is more than lesson plans with standards and objectives. Teaching is a way to help guide a young person along their learning path so that they discover their inner skills and talents, use their school knowledge to propel those gifts, and then go out into the world to leave their mark. As educators, how are we helping students discover how they want to inspire the world? Tune in to hear my teaching confession and action tips you can implement right now to do better for every kid in front of you.

Quotables

• If you aren’t living your DREAM, how can you help kids discover and live out their own?
• The best thing we can do is model for our kids what we want them to do.
• It’s your job to help them discover what fire burns within them and help guide them to get a job that can help them leave their imprint on this world.
• I promise to do better so every kid knows it’s okay to not fit the mold, that the skills you learn in school can and will help you hone that craft, to support friends or foes who dream differently, and to go after your heart’s desires with gusto!
• It wasn’t until I started coaching other teachers that I noticed holes in my own practice
• But beyond that belief we have to act this out
• Being a teacher is more than the obvious…It’s helping kids realize what makes them special and helping them bring it to fruition.

Topics Mentioned in the Episode:

• “Tiny Human Whisperer” T-Shirt
• Connect with Nick Tokman- https://nicktokman.com

Participate in the 200th Episode Fun

• Option 1: If you have enjoyed the podcast, leave me a quick audio comment telling me what your favorite thing about the Empowering Educators podcast is. Don’t forget to say your name and where you’re from so I can give you the proper shout out. You can use Voxer (my handle is gschultek). You can also use a voice recorder app on your phone and email it to me: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Option 2: If you have a favorite Empowering Educators episode, email me at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com to cast your vote!
• Enter the Amazon GC contest: All you have to do is leave a rating and review on iTunes, screenshot it, and email that to me at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com. I’ll be picking a winner in September!

Join the New(er) Teacher Mentorship Program

• https://alwaysalesson.teachable.com/p/new-er-teacher-mentorship-program/

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• http://eepurl.com/lJKNn

Join the New Teacher Support Facebook Group

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/1872455209751203

Shop AAL Swag

• https://alwaysalesson.com/product-category/swag/

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:

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.

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

• 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
• Click ‘Send’

The post 196: How Do You Want To Be? appeared first on Always A Lesson.

We often overly consume and under-implement. I call this practice “knowledge hoarding” and it isn’t helpful in getting us to reach our goals or potential. We need to implement what we are learning instead of overloading our brains with knowledge time and time again. Tune in to hear 5 tips to making sense of our knowledge hoarding in our mind and in our physical spaces so that we can take action plus gain 3 tips to develop new habit cycles to avoid knowledge hoarding.

Quotables

• We have created a new problem where you have all the knowledge and zero application, making the time suck for getting that knowledge an absolute waste
• You’re not as great as you should be for someone who has all of that knowledge at their fingertips
• [Knowledge] hoarding is unhealthy and counterproductive
• You are not on vacation with time to waste. You are a person on a mission. You are bettering yourself so that you can better serve your students. Don’t let a single thing derail you on your mission.
• We are serious about upping our game so that we have a longer lasting impact on generations of kids that will become our future leaders. We take care of [our students] because one day they will take care of us.

Participate in the 200th Episode Fun

• Option 1: If you have enjoyed the podcast, leave me a quick audio comment telling me what your favorite thing about the Empowering Educators podcast is. Don’t forget to say your name and where you’re from so I can give you the proper shout out. You can use Voxer (my handle is gschultek). You can also use a voice recorder app on your phone and email it to me: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Option 2: If you have a favorite Empowering Educators episode, email me at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com to cast your vote!
• Enter the Amazon GC contest: All you have to do is leave a rating and review on iTunes, screenshot it, and email that to me at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com. I’ll be picking a winner in September!

Join the New(er) Teacher Mentorship Program

• https://alwaysalesson.teachable.com/p/new-er-teacher-mentorship-program/

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• http://eepurl.com/lJKNn

Join the New Teacher Support Facebook Group

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/1872455209751203

Shop AAL Swag

• https://alwaysalesson.com/product-category/swag/

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:

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.

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

• 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
• Click ‘Send’

The post 194: Being a Knowledge Hoarder is Holding you Back appeared first on Always A Lesson.

No matter how much experience we have as educators, there are moments in our career where we have no answers. Our heads are banging against the wall and our brains are overworked trying to figure out solutions to the obstacles we are facing without any relief in sight. Luckily, our experiences help us recognize these obstacles faster in the future and overtime we figure out a system for working through hard times to find answers. Tune in to hear a 4 part system that continues to work for me to find clarity in my edu-situations.

Quotables

• Sometimes I feel like I can’t help anyone if I’m trying to help everyone.
• My past experiences told me that when I am in the weeds, if I look at the facts, it becomes clear.
• Data doesn’t lie.
• I admire mentors who roll up their sleeves and help someone else do their work.
• Like most life lessons, you come out on the other side a better person.
• Don’t underestimate little solutions you uncover.
• Not every problem is solved with a magic wand and immediate relief.
• Expect moments of pause.

Participate in the 200th Episode Fun

• Option 1: If you have enjoyed the podcast, leave me a quick audio comment telling me what your favorite thing about the Empowering Educators podcast is. Don’t forget to say your name and where you’re from so I can give you the proper shout out. You can use Voxer (my handle is gschultek). You can also use a voice recorder app on your phone and email it to me: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Option 2: If you have a favorite Empowering Educators episode, email me at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com to cast your vote!
• Enter the Amazon GC contest: All you have to do is leave a rating and review on iTunes, screenshot it, and email that to me at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com. I’ll be picking a winner in September!

Join the New(er) Teacher Mentorship Program

• https://alwaysalesson.teachable.com/p/new-er-teacher-mentorship-program/

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• http://eepurl.com/lJKNn

Join the New Teacher Support Facebook Group

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/1872455209751203

Shop AAL Swag

• https://alwaysalesson.com/product-category/swag/

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?

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The post 193: When You Can’t Find the Answer appeared first on Always A Lesson.

New teachers struggle to hone in on the most important factors to ensure a strong start and finish to their very first school year due to all the distractions of shiny objects on social media. Tune in to hear 5 secrets to success that help any new teacher achieve veteran status in no time. You’ll unlock the strategies to lay a strong foundation while upping your technique and finesse game.

Quotables

• Its simple. But it is also simply overlooked.
• That is what makes teachers great… they get past the barriers kids put up, and they use that in as a way to convey expectations encouragement and content.
• Getting clear on what you envision your space to look, feel and sound like well before that first day will help you make it a reality.
• Boundaries are a way of letting kids know that you are willing to give some rope but they don’t get to be in control of the lasso.
• [Kids] might not outwardly thank you for setting boundaries but it lets them know you love and care for them bc you are making their learning space safe and their learning opportunities fair and fun.
• That trust and relationship cannot grow if you do not water it with follow through.
• You will give them healthy boundaries that allow them to stretch but never to fall.
• How you start and how you guide throughout the year will have a huge impact on how far kids get under your tutelage.

Participate in the 200th Episode Fun

• Option 1: If you have enjoyed the podcast, leave me a quick audio comment telling me what your favorite thing about the Empowering Educators podcast is. Don’t forget to say your name and where you’re from so I can give you the proper shout out. You can use Voxer (my handle is gschultek). You can also use a voice recorder app on your phone and email it to me: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Option 2: If you have a favorite Empowering Educators episode, email me at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com to cast your vote!
• Enter the Amazon GC contest: All you have to do is leave a rating and review on iTunes, screenshot it, and email that to me at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com. I’ll be picking a winner in September!

Join the New(er) Teacher Mentorship Program

• https://alwaysalesson.teachable.com/p/new-er-teacher-mentorship-program/

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• http://eepurl.com/lJKNn

Join the New Teacher Support Facebook Group

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/1872455209751203

Shop AAL Swag

• https://alwaysalesson.com/product-category/swag/

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 192: 5 Secrets to Success in the Classroom appeared first on Always A Lesson.

There is no question whether or not teachers want to make an impact in their classrooms. But oftentimes there are two factors that come into play that could make or break that very first day of school for both teachers and students. Tune in to hear what those are and how to prepare so that day 1 is a winner for everyone!

Quotables

• [bctt tweet=”A lot of teachers and students are excited to head back to school, but for some it brings anxiety and overwhelm. Step back and meet them where they are.” username=”gschultek”]
• [bctt tweet=”Students just want you to know their name, love and support them unconditionally and pull out their best qualities and gifts so they can begin to see their future.” username=”gschultek”]
• [bctt tweet=”How you start day 1 limits or enhances your impact.” username=”gschultek”]
• [bctt tweet=”Protect your students from experiencing adult stressors.” username=”gschultek”]
• [bctt tweet=”Stay present and positive in what you see for yourself and that will become what students see for themselves.” username=”gschultek”]
• [bctt tweet=”The more we equip others with the tools that helped us overcome, the better off we all will be down the road.” username=”gschultek”]
• [bctt tweet=”You cannot have an impact if you aren’t present.” username=”gschultek”]
• [bctt tweet=”If you push kids to be their best, you must back that up with twice as much support, kindness and encouragement to sustain them.” username=”gschultek”]
• [bctt tweet=”No one works hard for someone that dogs them hard and leaves them on their own.” username=”gschultek”]
• [bctt tweet=”We have to make sure we pair every push with a path.” username=”gschultek”]
• [bctt tweet=”The outside world is tough enough. The inside world doesn’t have to be.” username=”gschultek”]

Participate in the 200th Episode Fun

• Option 1: If you have enjoyed the podcast, leave me a quick audio comment telling me what your favorite thing about the Empowering Educators podcast is. Don’t forget to say your name and where you’re from so I can give you the proper shout out. You can use Voxer (my handle is gschultek). You can also use a voice recorder app on your phone and email it to me: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Option 2: If you have a favorite Empowering Educators episode, email me at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com to cast your vote!
• Enter the Amazon GC contest: All you have to do is leave a rating and review on iTunes, screenshot it, and email that to me at gretchen@alwaysalesson.com. I’ll be picking a winner in September!

Join the New(er) Teacher Mentorship Program

• https://alwaysalesson.teachable.com/p/new-er-teacher-mentorship-program/

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• http://eepurl.com/lJKNn

Join the New Teacher Support Facebook Group

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/1872455209751203

Shop AAL Swag

• https://alwaysalesson.com/product-category/swag/

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)

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Click ‘Send’

The post 191: Making an Impact Day One appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The post 185: Being Your Best with Kim Lepre appeared first on Always A Lesson.

For teachers who are interested in becoming an instructional coach or for those recently hired to become one in their own school building, this post serves to provide sound advice from one veteran educator to another. As a note, the information compiled below is based on my own work in a K-12 capacity over new teachers within a large school district. With that said, I want you to have 1) an easy transition into your role and 2) a successful, productive year ahead!

Top Ten Tips for a New Instructional Coach

1. Develop relationships, then trust
2. Set lofty, attainable goals for yourself and others
3. Get organized
4. Be available
5. Differentiate, differentiate, differentiate
6. Continue learning yourself
7.  Human first, leader second
8.  Prioritize exemplars
9.  Connect resources together
10.  Celebrate progress

New Instructional Coach Tips Unpacked

A mistake many instructional coaches make is jumping right into trying to fix whatever mess they were hired to improve. So, take a step back and just be present and available as often as possible in the beginning. When you rush into leading people whom you do not know and who do not know you, a rift occurs among the staff. This can be quite damaging in the long run. But, if you spend time getting to know those you will lead by being a human first and a leader second, you will create a solid foundation from that which you can work productively.

The job of an instructional coach can be quite messy with the variety of needs within a building. To combat this challenge, create organizational systems for every task. When you are clear on your mission, have set goals that are high but still within reason to reach, and are working from an organized mind and space,  success is not far away.

To become the best instructional support for teachers, continual learning is a must. Connect teachers and yourself with experts in every area needing improvement. These exemplars are important to see live in action so that best practices can be replicated.

Lastly, don’t forget to celebrate all the hard work everyone is contributing to the partnership. It takes focus, vulnerability, and unwavering support to be successful. Every inch forward should be verbalized and congratulated. Instructional coaching is a long-game, not an overnight solution.

What’s Next for a New Instructional Coach?

First, if you haven’t done so yet, be sure to read the instructional coaching blog series below:

• How to prepare as an instructional coach 
• Coaching cycle- what is it and how do I conduct one?
• Conduct a classroom observation with clarity and precision
• How to provide models of expert teaching through coaching
• How to set up your instructional coaching space 
• How to transition from a teaching role into a coaching role 

Next, if you would like a detailed explanation of how to get started, snag this resource: A How-To Guide for New Coaches. Or, if you are looking for a comprehensive collection of instructional coaching materials to better support teachers, snag the entire bundle here.

Lastly, I’d love for you to receive support during your first year. I offer a small group mastermind for teacher leaders like instructional coaches. We meet virtual every other week to brainstorm ideas for how to better support our staff, chat through obstacles, goal set, celebrate progress and grow our PLN across the nation. If individualized support is something you’re looking for, grab your seat in the Teacher Leader Mastermind!

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 here.

Go be GREAT!

The post Advice to a First Year Instructional Coach appeared first on Always A Lesson.

[spp-tweet tweet=”Preparation is what all educators do to be great, whether in or out of the classroom. “]

This is the second post in the Instructional Coaching blog series. Last post we talked about how to plan and manage coaching cycles. Today we will address the behind-the-scenes tasks of an instructional coach before you dive into those coaching cycles.

Prepare by Getting to Know Your Teachers

Relationships matter. In fact, they are the only way to sustain impact in the field of education. So much of what is done in classrooms every day is built on the formation of strong relationships. If teachers don’t connect with their students as people first, they will never be able to deliver lessons specific to the needs, interests and capabilities of them.

The process is the same for colleague-colleague relationships like that between an instructional coach and a teacher. Getting to know those that you will serve is of utmost importance. You need to find out their likes, dislikes, what motivates them, what inspires them, etc. These details might seem unimportant in moving the instructional needle in the classroom, but it is the only way to connect as people first so that trust can form. When trust forms, teachers are more open to coaching suggestions and more willing to put the strategies and techniques into action. This occurs because they feel understood and their best interests are in the minds of those that lead them.

Take Action Tip:

A simple way to get to know the teachers you will support is through a survey where they rate themselves on a scale of 1-5 on teaching best practices. This helps you as the coach know the perspective of how teachers see themselves, areas they acknowledge for improvement, and areas of expertise where they can help you lead professional development to help their peers improve. By asking teachers for this feedback, you are saying “I care about you because I want your opinion on how to best help you.” Allowing teachers to be part of their own growth and development continues building trust in your relationship.

Once you have the survey data, you can easily set up a teacher support roster as a place to organize who you support and list out their unique needs for reference.

Prepare by Letting Your Teachers Know How You Can Help

The role of instructional coach is still very new to many schools. Setting expectations for how the partnership works is vital for the support system to be successful. By this point, teachers have opened up to you in their performance survey and now it’s your turn to be an open book in return.

Take Action Tip:

Bring clarity to teachers about who is available in the school building to support their development by creating a teacher support system chart. This chart outlines the role and duties of each of those people and encourages teachers to take action in getting the assistance they need.

Next, bring clarity to the colleague – colleague relationship as teacher and coach. Create a Teacher-Coach role descriptors chart that explains what is expected of each person in the partnership. This will ease anxiety and clearly outline each other’s roles and responsibilities. Accountability will become transparent, allowing collaboration to come to fruition.

Then, develop a menu of support so that teachers know exactly what type of support you can offer. Sometimes teachers know they need help but struggle to express what they need. By providing a menu of options to choose from, the teacher is more likely to reach out for help.

Lastly,  create a coaching plan with tools to get organized in your work space and develop a clear instructional strategy to help teachers. This could include getting a calendar set up to work with teachers and complete other required daily tasks, design a newsletter full of teaching tips and instructional strategies, and implementing a two-way communication tool to ensure you are available to help teachers when they need it most.

Prepare by Setting Your Teachers Up for Success

The most effective support systems involving coaching roles are personalized. Although there are particular state or school goals for teachers to meet, teachers have their own goals as well. When a coach knows their teachers personally and provides a variety of ways to support their development, the opportunity for success skyrockets. Coaches are considered ‘highly effective’ when they can take a common goal for the entire staff and personalize their support based on teachers’ unique needs to help them reach that common goal.

Take Action Tip:

Begin by meeting with each teacher individually. This is a good time to review the data from the survey to gain any additional details and insight into how to best help that teacher improve.

Now, together, you can begin to set goals. If a teacher is going to be expected to increase their instructional performance, you have to help them narrow down areas of growth to focus on. After you set these goals, you can also set up parameters to track data in support of those goals.

Putting It All Together

The role of a coach can be an exciting tool to move teachers along the proficiency spectrum. But, if the role of the coach is not implemented with intention, then the tool becomes an obstacle instead of an asset. Coaches can follow the simple 3 part system to launch a successful partnership with teachers: get to know them personally and professionally, share specifically how you can help support their development, and set them up for success long-term by setting clear goals.

• Are you looking for more instructional coaching materials to better support teachers?
  • Snag over 100+ coaching forms here
  • Or gain research-based techniques and tools to boost teacher performance and proficiency with this webinar here
• Check out the next blog posts in the coaching series here:
  • Conducting a classroom observation with clarity and precision
  • How to provide models of expert teaching
  • How to set up your instructional coaching space 
• You can also get a high-level overview of tips for new instructional coaches through this blog post here.

How do you launch a coaching support system at your school site?

The post How to Prepare as an Instructional Coach appeared first on Always A Lesson.

As teacher leaders, we have many pencils in our lives that need our attention to be sharpened so that their talents come to fruition. But if we do not provide the paper so that these pencils can develop and create their masterpieces, then it’s all for not. Tune in to hear an inspiring analogy from an elite educator plus my quick tips to put things into action!

Quotables

• Pencils, however, become dull over time, losing the ability to put forth life changing work. It isn’t until they are sharpened that they can continue to achieve what they were created to accomplish.
• Paper is what allows ideas to be remembered, thoughts to be shared, and wisdom to be internalized.
• Without paper, “pencils” would be useless.
• They need us to lead the way they need support
• Pencils are instruments of impact and by refusing to sharpen them we are denying their impact from coming to fruition.
• We can’t continue being roadblock rocks…. Standing in the way of forward momentum, passion development, skill acquisition, and a sense of community and support.

Connect with Chuck Poole

• Teachonomy 

Resource Mentioned in this Episode

• Mentor-Mentee Discussion Dice Game

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

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Join the New Teacher Support Facebook Group

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/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)

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The post 179: Leadership like Rock, Paper… Pencil appeared first on Always A Lesson.

One of my biggest struggles in my early years of teaching was the lack of help and direction from experts in the field (veteran teachers, administrators, etc.).

I attended all necessary training for new teachers, followed all protocol, and even asked questions whenever I could to whomever would listen. But, I still had major growing pains as a newbie.

Thankfully, my school district mandated all new teachers get assigned a mentor. Mine happened to be a veteran educator in a different grade level down a different hall teaching a different curriculum. The lack of accessibility due to classroom location and opposite schedules meant the mentorship never became more than formal “check off the boxes” type of meetings.

Left to my own devices, I ended up going to my grade-level colleagues for help more than my mentor because they taught the same curriculum, tackled similar obstacles, were close in proximity and operated on the same schedule as I did. This made relying on their expertise a no brainer. But, it wasn’t their job to ensure all of my needs as a new teacher were met, and I quickly realized I would burn them out and potentially strain our working relationship if I continued to hound them with my questions, concerns, and brainstorming sessions.

One day, the idea hit me that I didn’t have to wait to be assigned a mentor that better aligned to my needs. I could go out and appoint my own! So, in my mind, I “fired” my assigned mentor and went out to find teachers that were experts in my weak areas. I call these teachers my idols. I watched how they worked, asked specific questions to understand their mindset and strategies, and as a result, I had a strong start to my career those first few years.

If you are a new teacher lacking help and direction, you can fire your mentor too. Or maybe you never were assigned one- even better!

When you find the right person, get to know them before diving into your work together. This mentor-mentee dice activity is a fun get-to-know you exercise.

Since I struggled for clarity and direction, I want to make sure no new teacher ever feels frustrated and lost in the same way I did. I have created the New(er) Teacher Mentorship Program for teachers in their first three years of teaching who are seeking advice, tips, and support.

UPGRADE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS

If you are new in your teaching career, years 1-3, and have a desire to hone your craft, but lack the support at your school site…this mentor program is for YOU!

What is the goal?

To increase teacher effectiveness & student achievement in the classroom through personalized, on-going mentorship with a veteran teacher [ME!]

What will I get?

• Gain knowledge and skills on teaching best practices
• Receive personalized, bite-sized feedback on lesson design, preparation and execution
• Implement effective instructional techniques and strategies

How will I get it?

• Self-Paced Online Learning Modules with Printables
• Weekly Lesson Plan Feedback
• Weekly UNLIMITED Email & Voxer Communication
• Tip-of-the-Week Video
• Monthly One-on-One Virtual Calls
• Quarterly Goal Setting

…AND SO MUCH MORE!

Teaching is rewarding, but it doesn’t need to be frustrating too.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to invest in your future self by finding the best fit in mentorship. There is no reason to be alone on your learning journey. Whether you decide to join the program or not, be sure to find veteran teaching idols you can look up to for ideas and guidance to help you navigate those first few years on the job. YOU GOT THIS!

The post Fire Your Mentor, Hire Your Idol appeared first on Always A Lesson.

A mentor is a great thing to have as a learner; until you sit waiting for them to tell you what to do and when to do it. You will never become all that you are meant to be by waiting on someone else to tell you how to do it. Tune in to hear a 5 step process to help you take charge of your own evolution as an educator, all while being the mentee yourself!

Quotables

• Mentorship means you are learning to go to the next level
• I fired my mentor
• You never grow when you are not challenged to think or act differently
• Learning all you can as fast as you can

Join the New(er) Teacher Mentorship Program

• https://alwaysalesson.teachable.com/p/new-er-teacher-mentorship-program/ 

Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter

• http://eepurl.com/lJKNn

Join the New Teacher Support Facebook Group

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/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

Click ‘Send’

The post 173: Take Charge of Your Evolution appeared first on Always A Lesson.

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 field can help individuals grow in their skillset.

In teaching, mentors are provided during student teaching (and referred to as a ‘cooperating teacher’) and then most districts provide them again to new teachers in their first three years in the classroom. These mentors are current teachers who are available to answer questions and provide support to their mentee so that they can go on to have a successful teaching career.

Brand New Teachers

A cooperating teacher [CT] is usually a beginning teacher’s first experience with mentorship as they learn all the ‘how-to’s’ in the classroom. This mentorship opportunity is essential to ensure the future teacher is prepared in knowledge and skill to lead their own classroom upon graduation. A cooperating teacher models best teaching practices through instruction and classroom management so that the student teacher is able to see how their content knowledge plays out in real life scenarios.

Mentorship is all about the strength in the partnership.

If a student teacher is not placed in a district, school building or classroom that is a ‘good fit’, the power of mentorship can diminish. To avoid that pitfall, there are some factors to consider.

Suggestions for an effective cooperating and student teacher pairing are:

• Matches same grade level or subject area of future degree/license
• Skilled classroom teacher mentor
• Placement located near college or university where earning a degree

Check out this Student Teacher Kit I designed to help guide both cooperating teachers and student teachers in their partnership together, including introduction letters, checklists, teaching timelines, feedback and note-taking templates as well as answers to frequently asked questions.

Beginning Teachers

Once teachers begin their journey on their own, mentorship is just as essential to ensure all the progress made during student teaching continues well beyond their first year. Mentorship should build off what was learned during schooling and in the student teaching placements while also layering in new tips and tricks specific to the current grade, school and district.

As mentioned above, if a beginning teacher is not hired in a district, school building or under the tutelage of a  mentor of which any of those aren’t a ‘good fit’, the power of mentorship can diminish. To avoid that pitfall, there are some factors to consider as well.

Suggestions for an effective mentor-mentee pairing are:

• Same subject area or grade level
• Skilled classroom teacher mentor
• Requirements for partnership provided by district or school  (ie. Dedicated time and space to meet, topics or focus, etc.)

Check out this Mentor Kit I designed to help guide mentors in establishing a strong partnership with their mentee through relationship building activities, monthly meeting topics and tips on effective mentorship. Or you can dig deeper into all things mentorship (what it is, how to be a great one, and how to run a mentorship program) in the Teacher Mentorship Course!

Experienced Teachers

Mentorship doesn’t have to apply to just new(er) teachers. The term ‘life-long learner’ is often used in education and it most certainly applies to ongoing professional development through mentorship, whether an educator has been teaching one year or twenty. Even if a district does not supply an official mentor or have a formal mentorship program in place for teachers progressing in experience, does not mean a teacher cannot find and informally appoint one for themselves. In fact, that is highly encouraged to ensure teachers remain relevant to students, up-to-date on techniques, and passionate about their craft.

Suggestions for an effective (unassigned, unofficial) mentor-mentee pairing are:

• Willing participant
• Skilled in specific area of weakness
• Priorly agreed upon mode of communication and expectations

Why Mentorship Matters

Mentorship prepares teachers to become their best so that they can pay it forward and help students become their best. Mentorship is an investment in the future you if you are willing to put in the time now. Skipping out on mentorship could cost you more than you realize:

• Without someone to turn to when your job gets tough, you might give up on your life’s passion.
• Without someone to turn to who has walked where you are walking and cheering you on through it, you might never fulfill your potential as an educator.
• Without someone to give you perspective, insight or encouragement, you might never impact students to the magnitude that you were meant to when you first began.

Therefore, every teacher needs a mentor that they can rely on to hold themselves accountable to learn, grow, and make a difference today, tomorrow and always. Join the New(er) Teacher Mentorship Program for personalized 1:1 support at your convenience so that you can achieve your personal goals! Click here for more details.

What tips would you add for effective mentorship?

The post The Power of Mentorship appeared first on Always A Lesson.

INCLUDED:
– an overview of mentorship
– monthly checklist meeting sheets
– printable notes and appointment cards
– ‘Get to Know You’ dice game

Multiple digital formats for easy editing.

The post Teacher Mentor Kit appeared first on Always A Lesson.

It is no surprise that teaching out of a textbook can become dull and boring day after day. Many teachers want to spruce up their Literacy block in efforts to motivate any reluctant readers. (Need help structuring your Literacy block? Read my blog post here.)

Two popular trends teachers are talking about to do just that are NOVEL STUDIES and BOOK CLUBS, but not much information is out there to help teachers successfully implement these ideas into their classrooms.

I decided to dedicate a post to this topic in efforts to 1) bring clarity to the difference between these strategies and 2) demystify the implementation process so that teachers can spruce up their Literacy block in no time!

Novel Study

• What is it?

A novel study refers to the process of reading (studying) a text (novel) together. This can be done by either providing one copy of the text for the teacher to read aloud to the students or providing the teacher and every student a copy of the book to follow along. During this time, the text is used to practice comprehension and fluency as well as Literacy concepts like cause/effect, summarization, making inferences, etc. (TIP: the content of the book is just as important as the skills readers are using to understand the text.)

• How do you implement it?
  • Choose the novel ahead of time and read through it so that you are completely aware of the content and are able to plan lessons accordingly.
  • Plan out the sequence of chapters you will read each class as well as what reading skill activities students are going to complete after the reading. (Remember, it is not about just reading the book, rather practicing Literacy concepts while reading.)

Try this How-To Guide to get more ideas on how to implement novel studies in your classroom.

• Need suggestions for novel studies? 
  • Absolutely Almost –  The main character Albie struggled with fitting in and measuring up to being the best at something. He constantly felt like a failure and a disappointment to his family, but luckily he met a few supportive mentors along the way. This story is great in helping students navigate the same feelings of wanting to fit in rather than finding their unique qualities and celebrating differences.
  • Gunny and the Magical Pack – Gunny was a very abused dog who defied all medical odds and was able to fulfill his potential with the help of a special pack of rescue dogs.
    • See how I used it in my classroom with the Teacher’s Edition and Go Gunny! Student Writing Activity blog posts.
  • Junebug-  An engaging story about a young boy growing up in the projects. He is surrounded by gangs and violence and manages to dream big things for himself and his family.
    • See how I used this in my classroom in this blog post “Literature that will Change your Life.“
  • Junebug in Trouble – A book in sequence where Junebug contacts his father who is in prison and experiences a violent close call that helps him better understand his father. This story is great for students who are facing similar challenges in their life or who want to know more about challenges some inner city children face.
  • There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom– A story about a 5th grade boy with behavior trouble who goes through a tremendous self discovery with the help of the school counselor. This story is great in helping students navigate potential bullying situations as well as utilize school resources for help.
  •  The War with Grandpa– This book showcases the struggle of how one must adjust to change and how it can be a blessing in the end (the boy wages war against his grandpa who just lost his beloved wife and must move in to boy’s home and take over his room.) Not only is this book hilariously relatable, but the story is great in helping students adjust to life’s interruptions.

Book Club

• What is it?

Book Club takes novel studies a step further (which is why I suggest doing a novel study first). Where a novel study is designed to have the teacher in charge of the reading and discussion, book club is designed to have the students in charge of the reading and discussion. Essentially, students read a common text independently and then come together weekly to discuss the content as well as practice Literacy skills, just like a novel study. Having students meet without the teacher requires a lot of guidance at first (think: gradual release of responsibility), but it is the most rewarding way to pass the ownership on to students.

• How do you implement it?
  • Choose a leveled book and match it to a small group of students, ideally 5-8, with the same reading level or ability.
  • Bring students together to introduce the concept of book clubs as well as establish rules and expectations for meeting.
  • Students decide how much of the book to read on their own during independent reading time before coming together once a week to discuss.

Try this Introduction guide to build student ownership through rich Literacy discussions. Want to increase accountability too? Snag the Book Club Reflection Sheet. 

See how I used this in my classroom with the Book Clubs blog post.

Share your tips and tricks for implementing novel studies 

and/or book clubs in your classroom below!

The post What is the Difference Between a ‘Novel Study’ and ‘Book Club’? appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Administrators are always trying to find innovative ways to increase teacher efficacy and student achievement in the classroom [see my last post on the departmentalizing model of instruction.] Looping tends to be another popular strategy to also address those two important levers.

What is ‘Looping?’

There comes a time in a teacher’s career where they have “the” class- the one that builds such a strong bond among one another, shows astronomical growth, and no one wants the year to end. Because relationships are so important in the education of children, many administrators have decided to try and keep such successful bonds together as a learning cohort where the teacher would follow, or loop with, their students to the next grade level and beyond. Looping often occurs for 2+ years with either the entire class or most of the original students so that the consistency of instructor and teaching methods in addition to the relationships built propel student achievement in the classroom. Administrators often ask for teacher volunteers to move to participating grade levels, especially if student population numbers increase then the need to create an entirely new class in the next grade level creates the opportunity to loop. Parents are next notified and often given the chance to ‘opt-out’ if they feel the opportunity is not a good fit for their child.

Educators’ Personal Experience with Looping

In working with numerous teachers each year to build their instructional capacity, I often get asked for tips and tricks for looping with a class. Since I personally have not looped with any students (although if I had been asked, I can think of a few classes I would have definitely jumped at the chance!), I decided to learn more from educators who have had experience with the looping model. I reached out with a Google survey on the topic of looping to my educator tribe through various teacher Facebook groups as well as consulted a veteran teacher’s, Michelle Pecanic, May 2003 master’s thesis research on ‘The Experience and Effects of Looping in the Elementary Classroom” (which can be found here). The response was overwhelmingly insightful and positive.

Below is a summary of the survey responses collected from 23 educators who previously looped with their students in grades K-7, with a majority of those educators having looped in grades K-3:

Why did your school create looping as an option for teachers and students?

Teacher responses varied; however, most educators mentioned volunteering or requesting to participate in looping. See below:

• Undersized/Oversized Classrooms – If a student population was undersized at a particular grade level, a teacher would be moved to teach an oversized student population, often in the next grade.
• Add-on School – One school was growing from the ground up and added a new grade onto their school grounds every year which created the need for a whole new grade level, allowing the option for teachers to loop with their students.
• Variety of Instructional Options Offered – Some schools provided numerous alternative approaches for student learning including options such as the traditional classroom, a shared teacher, multi-age and looping.

What were the benefits of looping for students?

The list of benefits for students alone were lengthy and many teachers mentioned the same positive outcomes. See below:

• No Adjustment Needed– When students continue learning from the same teacher, they come to know the teaching style, expectations and routines well. There is no reason to start over, rather teachers can implement a quick review of procedures and expectations and pick up with the learning where they left off. This leads to little stress and anxiety at the beginning of the school year for students. Also, the rapport in the classroom culture deepens instead of develops.
• Time Added to the Clock– Since students already have established relationships with each other and the teacher, the “get to know you” activities are no longer needed and academic instruction can begin right away. This seemingly adds on an additional month of instruction to the teaching calendar.
• Deeper Learning– There is no time spent getting up to speed on student learning needs and academic performance due to already having that knowledge from the previous year. Learning can just build on the prerequisite knowledge gained allowing time for a deeper understanding of content.
• Welcome Newbies– If new students arrived to the well established classroom culture, veteran students became instant leaders to help the new students adjust and provided plenty of tips and advice for how to be successful in that particular classroom.

What were the benefits of looping for the teacher?

Similar to student benefits, looping provides an exhaustive list of benefits for the teacher as well. See below:

• Instructional Style Remains – As stated above, no adjustments are needed for expectations, routines, and teaching style. The teacher does not need to spend time developing, retracting, or explaining these things, rather just re-teach the nuts and bolts and dive into learning. Teachers enjoy getting to teach right away.
• Relationship Growth– Similar to the strong relationship foundation that students benefit from, so do teachers! Not only do they not need to spend time getting to know students and their parents, but they can dive deeper into these relationships, meaning all stakeholders are on board immediately which leads to higher student achievement and buy-in. Also, students dive into the role of mentoring each other without the teacher prompting or requesting due to the pre-established “family” feel developed the previous year.
• Background Knowledge on Students– Educating a child whom you already know their learning journey and needs saves time and energy in developing appropriate instructional supports. Since teachers know what was taught last year, they do not need to spend time researching students’ previously learned skills in order to build these acquisitions into current instruction. Not only can teachers more easily hold students accountable for their previous learning, but they now have extra time available to create new and meaningful learning experiences.
• Freedom in Boundaries–  Due to added time on the clock since teachers already know their students and curriculum, they have more freedom to cover additional curriculum or teach required content at a deeper level. This allows teachers to take risks, try new things, and use their creativity in new ways, where under normal circumstances time would not allow.
• Less Behavior Distractions– Many teachers reported that they had fewer behavior issues the second year due to teachers and students being familiar with one another as well as the expectations already being established with very little wiggle room to push the boundaries. Since student behavior was easier to manage, that made more time for learning.

What were the drawbacks of looping for students?

Even though there are numerous benefits for students, there are still factors to consider that might make the looping opportunity not the best option for all students. It’s important to note that many teachers did not see these drawbacks until the second year of the looping model. See below:

• Long-term Commitment– Some school sites require parents and teachers to sign on to the looping model for multiple years without the option to exit. In this case, if a student had a rough first year with a teacher or class make-up, the second year was bound to be rough too. Often times, some students do not work well together the first year, and that same problem repeats itself in year two.
• Developing Teacher Skillset– If there are weaknesses in a teacher’s instructional skill set, students would be at a disadvantage from those very same weaknesses two years in a row.
• Student Cliques– Since students have created a year-long bond already, often times more student cliques exist in the second year, especially as there is less interaction with students in other classes. In addition, students who did not make many friends the first year, will often experience a repeated problem the second year.
• Lack of Novelty– Although there certainly are benefits to keeping things the same, sometimes a lack of a fresh start can negatively affect students because they do not experience another teacher’s strengths or style as well as do not develop new friendships with new peers. The same-old-same can be demotivating for some learners.
• Preconceived Notions– Summer can oftentimes help students mature and change; however, a teacher with extensive background knowledge on a student could potentially use these preconceived ideas when interacting with that same student in the second year, which would be unfair and hard to alter moving forward.

What were the drawbacks of looping for the teacher?

Shockingly, teachers shared a very short list of drawbacks for looping from their point of view. See below:

• Long-term Commitment– Just like mentioned above, teachers often commit to the looping model for multiple years. If there are student or parent obstacles in the first year, it can be hard to move past those and start year two fresh. In these instances, a break from partnerships is ideal, but not always available.
• Developing Teacher Skillset– When a teacher moves grade levels, it can expose the strengths and weaknesses of a teacher’s content knowledge, instructional expertise, etc. It can be extremely challenging to learn multiple sets of curriculum at deep levels in order to translate them into student friendly language within a short timeframe. As a result, planning time increases tremendously for teachers as does stress. A teacher might begin the looping process as distinguished on the teacher evaluation rubric, but and then drop in proficiency in the next grade level assignment due to the factors just mentioned. It is as if they become new teacher all over again.
• New Grade Level Requirements– If teachers are looping up to a new grade, there might be additional staff duties or curriculum requirements to adjust to (ie. testing), which can be another added layer of stress, anxiety, and quite the time suppressant.

How did your teaching change once you looped?

Since one of the major benefits of looping is that classroom structures are already established and relationships have been created, teachers then have the opportunity to mix up their instructional methods. Due to this, I thought it would be interesting to ask teachers if their teaching methods and strategies changed due to participating in the looping model. Many of the same benefits for teachers mentioned earlier re-emerged as being changes to teaching methods; however, there were a few additional ideas shared. See below:

• Relatability– Since relationships are established and built upon the longer teachers remain with the same group of students for instruction, the way teachers interact during a lesson morphs from stoic professional to a more relatable, casual and friendly demeanor due to the family feel.
• Seamless Transition with Content– Teaching a previous grade followed by advancing to the next grade level allows the teacher to develop a keen awareness of how skills build upon each other, making it easy to weave previous and future skills into a single lesson. Teachers reported being able to think big picture as well as vertically in terms of standards and content topics. This lead to increased skill and confidence.
• Targeted Instruction– Having additional time with a group of students allows teachers to hone in on missing skillsets and ensure instruction addresses those gaps. This becomes more effortless the longer a teacher remains with the same group of students. Students benefit the most when teachers are familiar with their learning habits and skills.
• Reflective Practice– The increased pressure to ensure student achievement increases each subsequent year of the loop creates a mindfulness that encourages teachers to stop, reflect, and adjust their instruction. Reflection allowed teachers to hold themselves to a higher standard because of the increased responsibility for student learning trajectory. Some teachers even reported sending out surveys to parents and students for feedback on what to do differently the following year. Since the relationship and bonds were strong, both students and parents were honest and open with their feedback to the teachers. In addition to asking for feedback, many teachers were able to incorporate student ideas, preferences and suggestions into lesson design because of the time they gained from established routines and relationships.

What concerns (if any) did parents have in regards to looping?

Since looping is a unique learning option for students, it is understandable that parents might have some concerns, especially if they had never heard of this approach before. However, based on the survey results, an overwhelming amount of teachers said there were no parental concerns since parents opted in to the model. But, for those teachers that did learn of parental concerns shared them in the survey. See below:

• Strong Teachers– When many schools shared the looping option with parents, almost unanimously parents responded that they wanted an opt-out option if they felt the teacher was not a good fit for their child- a good fit might refer to personality, teaching style or teaching capability. In addition to the connection a teacher and student might or might not have, many parents worried that teachers were incapable of being proficient in teaching multiple grade levels due to differing content standards and as a result often pigeon-holed teachers as being a one grade type teacher.
• Peer Relationships– When students continue learning with the same student dynamics, they lose out on potential friendships with other peers.

What is something you wish you did differently in regards to looping?

Hindsight is 20-20 and reflection helps teachers hone their craft so that students can be even more successful in the future. In knowing that, I wanted to hear how teachers would approach looping differently if they had the option to do it again. Not many teachers shared ideas for what to do differently, possibly because its a new model with limited research on tips and tricks for making the most of the opportunity. Needless to say, some teachers were able to pinpoint a few ideas for what to do differently. See below:

• All or Nothing– Some teachers reported only looping with part of the class for one reason or another and for those that did that, felt that they missed out on maximizing the benefits for all students. The suggestion was made to loop with the entire class.
• Continue On– Teachers loved looping with their students and many commented that they wished they were able to continue doing it after the opportunity was over- whether due to changes in schools, leaders or instructional options.
• Relationship Interjection– A big battle for teachers once they looped with students was the change in peer dynamics. Most students were very close but due to constantly being together, students struggled to tolerate every one of their peers on a consistent basis. A teacher suggested spending more time on helping students develop tolerance to better navigate changes in peer relationships.
• Consistent Documentation– Surprisingly, teachers realized that they had a lack of data to compare student achievement year to year and would have found it more helpful to increase consistency in what what being documented and how.

Would you loop again?

The results from teachers on whether they would want to loop again in the future was overwhelmingly positive. See the data below:

• 78% – Yes, I would loop again.
• 17% – Maybe. I would loop again depending upon specific factors.
• 5% – No, I would not loop again.

This data showcases the positive experience teachers had with the looping model, even with the shared drawbacks for the teacher or student. The group of teachers on the fence about looping again in the future were still interested and would be open to the idea, but wished to have more information before making a commitment either way. Lastly, the small percentage that said ‘no,’ was due to negative experiences in how the looping model was introduced and managed by school leaders. Therefore, if a different school or leader opened up the opportunity, there is a likelihood that a teacher’s ‘no’ would turn into a ‘maybe’ with request for more information. It is imperative schools think through how they plan to approach implementing this model of instruction so that teachers and parents have the option to participate, feedback and support is provided to overcome hurdles, and students’ best interests are kept top of mind at all times.

Additional Educator Comments

As with any survey, sometimes the questions leave out an opportunity to share unique perspectives or personal experiences if it doesn’t fit the set questions asked. So I left room at the bottom of the survey for teachers to comment with anything else they wanted to share. Surprisingly, many teachers felt that the survey questions covered anything they were willing to share. However, a handful of teachers commented and as a result there were a few perspectives that were rather interesting and worth passing on. See below:

• Colleague Perception– In a school where not all of the teachers looped with students, created animosity towards the looping teacher and their students. A negative view on the instructional model created a divide among colleagues and hurt students when they moved into a non-looping teacher’s classroom.
• Lack of Insight– Since looping is a rather new approach to educating children, there is a lot of misinformation shared on how it is best utilized. If colleagues do not see the benefits of the initiative or come to believe it is only for disadvantaged learners, a lack of support from staff can result.
• Administrative Push Back– Whether teachers or administrators changed schools, teachers who enjoyed the looping opportunity, did not have that option again. Therefore, teachers wished more administrators were more open and flexible in allowing looping as an instructional option for students.

What the Research Says about Looping

(The research included in this blog post was first compiled in a thesis paper by veteran educator named Michelle Pecanic in May of 2003. The entirety of findings can be found here, entitled ‘The Experience and Effects of Looping in the Elementary Classroom.”)

Background Information

The instructional approach of teachers looping up to the next grade level with their students dates back to a one-room schoolhouse in the United States called the Waldorf Schools, named after Rudolf Steiner’s educational philosophy. These schools allowed teachers to progress with students only out of necessity due to a teacher shortage and lack of growing student body.

One specific school district that loops all of it’s students reported specific positive changes since implementing the model. “Since [the Attleboro School District in Massachusetts] have been providing multiyear assignments to students in first through eighth grades, the district has reported increased average daily attendance, improved staff attendance, a decreased retention rate by over 43 percent, and an over 55 percent decrease in special education referrals.”

Looping is becoming known for being “a low-risk, low-cost reform that encourages teacher accountability and professionalism.” It is low-risk because the drawbacks are not exponentially damaging to student advancement and it is low-cost because teacher assignments are simply re-arranged with no financial commitment required. Teachers are held to higher accountability standards since educating the same group of students for a longer period of time. This results in increased professionalism as the stakes are raised for teacher efficacy.

Today, looping is most often seen occurring in a timeframe of two or more years where teachers team up together (one teaching a grade below and one teaching a grade above) and then swap classroom assignments every two years. This is often referred to as a multi-year teaching assignment.

Similarly to the survey I posed to teachers, Michelle conducted her research on the looping model by interviewing 3 teachers, 17 students and 22 parents of three elementary school classrooms via a questionnaire. Below is the information she compiled from her personal research:

Advantages of Looping

Similar to the survey I conducted with educators, the questionnaire responses were overwhelmingly positive in favor of looping with numerous recurrent themes emerging from the feedback, such as:

• Comfortability– The more teachers within a school building that looped with students, the more comfortability those participating in the model had with school protocol and support due to using “more consistent and established discipline and management systems.”
• Relationship Building– When teachers, parents and students remain together for longer chunks of time, relationships have time to be cultivated and enriched, benefiting all stakeholders.
• Academic Benefits– Students benefit from having consistency in instructors who have additional time on their side to better meet student needs, both academically and socially.

Other advantages of looping were also mentioned, such as:

• Instruction– At the beginning of the year, teachers spend a significant amount of time, usually about one month, getting to know students, establishing routines and procedures, as well as conducting baseline assessments to inform their instruction. In subsequent years of looping, teachers report increased instructional time leading to increased student achievement because they do not have to spend that first month of the school year establishing protocol and collecting data. This means teachers can cover the curriculum at an advanced rate, pace, and depth to enrich student learning.

• Relationships– When teachers and students spend a significant amount of time learning together, a strong community is created that develops into a family atmosphere over time. This is beneficial for all types of students, but especially for shy students reluctant to adapt to new situations or emotionally needy students with unstable home environments. When students expect to return to the familiarity of the same classroom environment and teaching methods, anxiety and nervousness lessen and emotional stability increases. This consistency in learning environment provides a sense of stability and safety. Parents benefit from the developing relationships too as they are more willing to participate in a productive partnership for the benefit of their student’s achievement, willingly sharing personal details about home life pertinent to a child’s well being and much more.

Disadvantages of Looping

The research uncovered potential disadvantages that school leaders and teachers would need to plan solutions for ahead of time. See below:

• Teacher Ineffectiveness– There are a few situations in which a teacher may be ineffective while participating in the looping model.

  • An educator new to teaching or to a grade level puts students at a disadvantage as they try to learn a new curriculum, develop classroom management and/or follow school protocol.

  • The timeframe in which the looping model was implemented could cause stress or anxiety for some teachers if it was last minute, unstructured, or unsupported.

  • Some schools appoint teachers to participate in looping instead of gauging their interest first. A teacher’s disinterest in participating in the opportunity could negatively affect students’ learning experiences.

  • A teacher might be rigid in their instructional delivery methods and due to lack of adjusting to student learning styles or experimenting with new teaching techniques, students could become discouraged, frustrated and/or bored.

• Student Make-Up– Creating a class list requires a lot of forethought to ensure that there is a balance in gender, ability levels including special needs, and student behavior. If a class make-up is out of balance in one area or another, added stressors exist which negatively affect the benefit of looping for students. Since looping is a long-term commitment, student disagreements or mistreatments (ie. bullying) create a long-term negative situation that is hard to eliminate as unresolved issues only get worse with time.

• Student Movement–  The main benefit of looping occurs after multiple years in the same learning environment, so a mobile population of students, or students who might move away after the first year, would not be ideal candidates to participate in the looping model. Also, if a large amount of new students enter the classroom after subsequent years, it can be difficult for those students to make up for lost time, creating a large adjustment gap.

• Relationship Bonding– A strong bond among students, teachers and parents might seem like an advantage of the looping model, but separating all of these stakeholders after the time requirement for the opportunity was met, can prove difficult for many students. Separation anxiety grows, creating a hard adjustment for new learning opportunities in the future.

Through the research presented in this post in addition to the personal experiences shared by veteran educators, there is an overwhelming amount of positive evidence in favor of looping with students. It is important to note that the effects of looping are often not seen immediately, rather begin to become apparent after the second year of looping. It also seems that the surveyed educators experienced much of what the research said both in terms of benefits and drawbacks to the initiative. With confidence, I can say looping is an effective strategy schools should consider both for teacher efficacy and student achievement.

Would you be open to looping with your current students? Why/why not?

The post The Inside Scoop on “Looping” with your Students appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Many teachers send out an S.O.S. in the spring to their colleagues, asking for tips and tricks to “just make it through” to the end of the year. Students’ brains are tapped out (especially if you are in a testing grade) and curriculum has usually been covered by this point causing student energy to rise by the minute while teachers immediately feel their instructional creativity dwindling.

What is a teacher to do?

Have no fear! Below are 8 strategies for keeping the hype throughout the school year so that your creativity remains, students’ brains recharge, and motivation becomes contagious for all:

• Focus on a Strong Finish

Many teachers have the best of intentions when they start a countdown clock for the end of the year or arrival of summer break. This mentality takes the focus off of the important work being done in the classroom during the final weeks of the school year. Instead of focusing on what inevitably is coming (and keep the excitement at bay), help students set goals to finish out the year strong. Discuss the importance of putting in all you’ve got during the final lap and sprinting over the finish line into victory. Help students take that analogy and apply it to their academics- turning in all assignments, going above and beyond requirements, putting in your best effort regardless of interest level, etc. It is in the best interest of all learners to remain present in the moment and finish the year strong.

• Invest in Relationships

During the school year, the curriculum pacing is super tight and leaves little time to deviate from the intended plan given by the district. As the end of the year approaches however, you’ll find an extra few minutes throughout your day where you can slow instruction down and invest in your students personally. Building relationships helps develop a connection with students that not only increases everyone’s happiness but also increases student motivation to keep working hard. Soak up every free moment to get to know your students as people and not just learners. Check out this teacher report card that will help you growth with your students.

• Make Each Day Unique

It can feel like a repetitive cycle of coming to work, begging students to pay attention and urging students to turn in their work as the year winds down. To add some fun and give students something to look forward to each day, create your own classroom theme days (ie. crazy sock day, walk backwards day, pencils only day, etc.). Ask students for input on fun themes, take a class vote to whittle down the list into however many days remain, and implement your own unique theme days. Students will be sure to show up to class (on time!) with a smile on their face and a ‘ready to learn’ attitude.

• Take Risks & Try New Things

Now that the pressure is off for academic performance, teachers can take more instructional risks and try new things in the classroom. Gather ideas on Pinterest and through your social media networks for new strategies, activities, and learning approaches to try. The pressure to perform excellence on the first try is low at the end of the school year, so experimenting with your craft is ideal during this time. When you try new things, film yourself, reflect in a journal, or get a colleague to observe you for feedback so that when next year arrives, you can put this new tool into your tool belt immediately without the mistakes that come along with trying it for the first time.

• Put Students in the Teacher’s Seat

Students love to be empowered in the classroom. Any time that you can hand over the reigns and allow students to take charge, they perk up with excitement. This translates into better behavior and increased motivation to complete assignments. Brainstorm classroom tasks that you can pass the ownership on to students, a little at a time. You might want to rotate students that can perform these special tasks so that everyone gets a turn or that the reward remains motivating as students know their turn could be up next. This also frees you up to see your instruction from the viewpoint of students, which can provide a wealth of insight into next year’s planning.

• Invite Community Members & Visitors into the Classroom

Add some spark to your instruction by inviting guests into the classroom. Reach out to community members, students’ families, staff personnel etc. to see if anyone is interested in coming in to share their talent with the class. Some ideas for involvement could include guest readers, job fairs, project mentors, etc. New faces in the classroom will bring a new excitement into the learning experience for all students.

• Sponsor a Younger Class

Take the focus off yourselves and invest in younger students. Poll your colleagues for who might be interested in getting sponsored by your students. The goal is to build relationships, help younger students transition into the next grade level’s responsibilities, and pay it forward to bettering the school community. Older students can visit the sponsored class once a week to help complete assignments, play with students at recess, or drop off goodies to motivate little ones to keep working hard until the end of the school year. When you are helping someone else, your mind is no longer on your situation and the last few days of school will fly by!

• Don’t Forget to Have Fun

Your energy and perspective is contagious. If you walk into the classroom disheveled, your head hung low, teaching in a monotone voice, and have a lack of excitement in your instructional delivery, students are going to mimic that same vibe right back at you. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, find at least one thing to look forward to each day and let that put a spring in your step so that students can see your joy and join in the fun. The last days of school can be the most memorable, if you allow each moment to be savored instead of dreaded. Smile, laugh and let loose!

Give these 8 tips a try and see a dramatic change in not only your attitude towards the end of the school season, but also your students. Their emotional and academic output will be off the charts!

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 here.

What strategies would you add to this list for keeping the hype throughout the school year?

The post Sustain the Learning Hype Throughout the End of the School Year appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Carmin Adams is an 11 year veteran and currently a third teacher at Belmont Central Elementary in Gaston County Schools right here in North Carolina. She is a graduate of Gaston County Schools and Belmont Abbey College! She is a proud mother of a beautiful sixteen year old and loves traveling!

The main factor that influenced Carmin to become a teacher was the opportunity to interact with students and to impact them positively. Prior to teaching in the classroom, she served as a Computer Lab Specialist which provided the opportunity to work with all elementary grade levels, and assist in building technology based lessons for their curriculum. In addition to teaching over 350 students weekly on technology skills; Carmin collaborated and planned with all grade level teachers on how to incorporate and teach integrated technology lessons. She also served as Teacher Assistant of the Year during that time. 

She has served in several leadership positions, including: Benchmark Writing Team, Curriculum Revision Team for Elementary, MTSS Chair, Lead Teacher for 3rd Grade Summer Reading Program -Summer School, NCDPI Focus Teacher Group for Gaston County, Math Curriculum Revision Team, County Grading Practice Committee, Pinnacle Leader and also currently serves as a member of the Gaston County Teacher Induction Program for Success Committee. This committee serves teacher their first three years in the profession.

Carmin is a highly motivated, outgoing and a creative individual who believes in accomplishing goals and objectives. She has learned to manage her time, work as a team and how to face new challenges. She believes in teaching others as well as learning with others. She believes if we give a child information, he may know it for a test. But if we teach a child the joy of learning, he will learn for life! She strives to empower students to take ownership over their learning!

Update- Just announced… Carmin received Teacher of the Year for the entire Gaston County School District!! Congrats Carmin

Quotables

• You have to be able to handle [feedback]
• Keep an open mind and adapt to change
• Teaching is complicated
• Empathize with your students
• Understand your role in your students’ lives
• Say focused on why you started
• A mentor promotes growth to develop you as a teacher

Carmin’s Stamp of Approval

• Technology/Pinnacle Program
• Teacher Induction Program for Success [TIPS]
• Education Week- This Week in Education 

Connect with Carmin

• Email: caadams@gaston.k12.nc.us
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/carminadams

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

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The post 145: Understanding Your Role with Carmin Adams appeared first on Always A Lesson.

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!

Quotables

• What a waste for that thought to remain just a thought. It does nothing for my progress as a person to think nice things about other people and not tell them.
• You never know when it’s your last day. So you might as well go make someone’s day while you can!
• You don’t have to be someone’s mentor, evaluator or leader to give them feedback.
• Giving freely of your thoughts is an act of kindness that could save lives

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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

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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.

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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)
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The post 142: Praise Isn’t Just a Professional Thing appeared first on Always A Lesson.

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.

Quotables

• That’s what we do as teachers, we mold and just do it!
• Delegate- give duties and responsibilities to students
• Let go a little bit
• Love makes the teacher the best they can be
• If a teacher has great classroom management, then they can teach more
• Kids don’t get to be kids enough
• This too shall pass
• We can get buried in the emotional stress of being a teacher and the drama that goes on in a school building
• Don’t get caught up in what the classroom looks like
• The answer is… YES!
• My goals got bigger and my dreams got bigger
• It’s always good to have plans A, B, C, and D
• Life should be easy

Kayse’s Stamp of Approval

• Foldables
• Interactive Notebooks
• “My Time/ Your Time” Clip System
• Mentors- Shelly Rees and Jen Jones

Connect with Kayse

• Website: http://www.kaysemorris.com 
• TpT Store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kayse-Morris
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachingonless
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaysemorristeachingonless
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kaysemorris1
• Email: kaysemorris@gmail.com

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
• Click ‘Send’

The post 140: Teacher Basics with Kayse Morris appeared first on Always A Lesson.

There is a myth in education that states teachers can just shut their doors and teach, neglecting everything else happening outside their classroom. That approach might have worked in the past, but in today’s classrooms and schools, it just isn’t practical (and definitely not an appreciated practice).

In an elementary setting, it often can be easier for teachers to run the show from start to finish since they have the same kids from morning to afternoon and from September to June. However, as kids get older and begin transitioning from classroom to classroom and teacher to teacher, isolated practices like ‘shut your door and teach’ isn’t in the best interest of the student. There are too many variables for a student’s learning success and all stakeholders need to work together to make it happen.

But there lies the myth. In elementary classrooms, it is just as important that colleagues work together to ensure “all our kids” reach success. Just because students don’t change classrooms or teachers does not mean educators can shut each other out. That is the first step to stunting your own growth as a teacher and that choice has a devastating effect on student progress, both in the classroom and out.

New teachers succumb to the myth of ‘shut your door and teach’ because there is so much to learn about the art of teaching that they cannot even fathom adding anything more to their plate, such as building relationships with colleagues. Some new teachers have the benefit of a mentor or veteran teacher that they go to for help, but that relationship is often only going one way (receive, receive, receive).

[spp-tweet tweet=”Relationships cannot grow on a one way street.”]

Collaboration with colleagues has many benefits to the student, teacher, and school overall. However, shutting classroom doors to ‘do your own thing’ ensures collaboration becomes extinct in and around the school building. That one choice guarantees zero benefits result for the student, teacher and other school members.

The secret to building successful relationships and collaborating with colleagues is this:

1. Be available.  A closed door or mind is not welcoming to passersby. Open up your classroom door and your mind so that you can be perceived as an approachable individual.
2. Be open to new ideas and perspectives. Make the decision daily that new ideas and perspectives can enhance your ability to teach and therefore you will appreciate any new thoughts you hear from your peers during the day.
3. Give and receive. Relationships require a give-and-take song and dance. Collaboration is stunted when an individual performs the same part of the relationship over and over. It is important to be on both sides of the coin, giving to help others as well as receiving for your own benefit.
4. Model collaboration for students. Students are always watching. They should see their teacher chatting with colleagues about instruction, getting excited to try new approaches, encouraging one another to do a great job, celebrating new territory explored, etc. Teamwork is easy to replicate when students see it in action from professionals- their teachers.
5. Share stories, examples, and research. Help your colleagues see the benefits in your own teaching journey by sharing stories of how collaboration has shifted your practices and impacted student achievement. Get personal with specific examples as well as share the latest research you uncovered. Collaboration will spread when it seems relatable.
6. Move beyond your geographical location. A colleague doesn’t have to be a person in your school building. It can be an educator miles away geographically, but with just a quick text, phone call or social media message they are near when it counts. Connect with other amazing educators around the world to better your practices.

The secret as you can see is not a one size fits all approach or a simple recipe to follow for guaranteed success. It is, however, a shift in mindset with immense impact on the daily work of a teacher, professionally and personally. The steps listed above cannot occur without that mind shift; therefore, the secret is to shape our notions and thoughts about collaborating with colleagues so that when we apply the steps mentioned above, we learn, grow and reach our own potential for the benefit of our students.

Educators are the most flexible people on the planet, so it is no wonder changing a mindset would be easy for them too!

How has collaborating with colleagues enhanced your skillset as an educator?

The post The Secret to Collaborating with Colleagues appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Includes Forms: 

• Coaching Cycle Visual
• Staff Survey
• Goal Setting Meeting
• Classroom Observation Notes
• Pre-Observation Notes
• Observation Debrief Discussion Format
• Coach Feedback Survey
• Teacher Data Collection Tool
• Teacher Evaluation Rubric
• Coach Performance Rubric
• Coach Duties Pie Chart
• Debrief Planning Guide
• Teacher Progress Report
• Teacher Self-Reflection Question Prompts
• Mentor-Mentee Discussion Dice
• Teacher Video Reflection Question Prompts
• Coaching Feedback Slips
• Lesson Planning Visuals
• Lesson Plan Outline
• Lesson Plan Checklist
• Lesson Plan Feedback
• Backwards Planning Guide
• Ways to Build Relationships
• Professional Development Plan
• Appointment Cards
• Teacher Support Roster
• Menu of Support
• Teacher/Coach Role Descriptors
• Teachers’ Level of Support
• PD Session Feedback Survey
• Model Lesson Observation Form
• End of Year Check-In
• Developing a Coaching Plan
• PLC Meeting Minutes
• “Caught Being Amazing” Teacher Coupons
• Coach’s Debrief Performance Rubric
• Coaching 101: A How-To Guide
• Virtual Coaching Calls
• Guided Reading & Writing Lesson Plan Templates
• Teacher Debrief Planning Form
• Virtual Classroom Look For’s
• New Hire Onboarding Checklist
• PLC Data Chat Guide
• 30 Day Implementation Plan
• Monthly Coach Report
• Teacher Support Tracker
• Teacher Support Checklist
• Teacher Coupons
• Guiding Questions
• PD Calendar & Planning Guide
• PD Choice Board
• Task Completion Log
• Evidence of Coaching Effectiveness List
• Partner with a Coach Task Cards
• Student/Teacher Data Collection Sheets
• Coaching Scenarios

The post Instructional Coaching Resources Bundle appeared first on Always A Lesson.

In working with hundreds of new teachers as a mentor and instructional coach, the one topic that comes up every time is communication and collaboration with parents. Funny enough, when talking to my friends and family who are parents, the hot topic of discussion in regards to school and their kids is communication and collaboration with teachers.

The disconnect between teacher and parent communication is evident. But who is to blame?

Many teachers do not know WHAT to communicate or HOW to collaborate with parents. On the other side of the equation, many parents don’t know how to initiate the communication they desire and in turn interpret the lack of communication from teachers as a lack of interest in parental input.

Both sides- teachers and parents- are stuck in communication stalemate resulting in no action at all. So who is to blame? The answer is…they both are.

The fact is, the relationship between teachers and parents is highly important for student success in the classroom. Therefore, it’s the utmost responsibility of both the educator and the parent to find a way to open up the dialogue and get to work as soon as possible for the betterment of the child.

In focusing on the role of the teacher, below are some ideas for how and what to communicate so that parents are partners in the education of their child.

How to Communicate

1. Newsletter– Share classroom updates on a consistent basis with a newsletter. This weekly or monthly communication tool keeps parents up-to-date on what is happening in the classroom and around the school.
2. Website– Similar to a newsletter, a class website allows information to be at the fingertips of the parents who can access it at their own convenience. This requires daily updating on the part of the teacher, but is a faster delivery method than a paper newsletter.
3. Texting App/Email– Many parents are on the go, and the best way to get information to them is to send a text message or email. Many apps are available to allow teachers to text without giving out their personal information, such as their phone number (try the Remind app!). This helps protect teachers from being at the mercy of a parent request at all hours of the night or weekend. Email is another avenue that parents prefer as it also is quicker than a newsletter as well as doesn’t take as much time to locate a specific website in order to correspond.
4. Homework Agenda– Many schools purchase agendas for students to write down their homework and teachers use the agenda as a communication tool. Teachers simply write a note on the calendar day in the agenda for parents to see that evening and respond back. It makes for a great back and forth communication log.
5. Graded Work– Sending home graded work on a consistent basis ensures parents are aware of academic progress of their child before progress reports or report cards are sent home. This helps avoid any surprises! Parents can even comment about particulars on an assignment to gain better understanding to help at home.
6. Room Parents– A great way to build relationships with parents is to invite them into the classroom as a room parent. This role allows the parent to adopt the classroom and help run special classroom events such as holiday parties, parent phone tree, etc.
7. Instructional Showcase– Parents love to see their kid’s learning in action so invite parents in to show off student work. This can be a ceremony, performance or a gallery walk of student work. It’s a great way to celebrate all that the students have been learning and parents love to see their child’s academic progression as the year goes on.
8. Conferences– This is the standard communication form at most schools and is a dedicated time for parents to come to the school, meet with the teacher and discuss their child in a private conversation in the classroom. However, it is highly encouraged to have numerous communication opportunities prior to this meeting. During this meeting, an update on academic and behavior is expected as well as tips on what parents can do at home to help support the child. Lastly, don’t forget to take parent questions or concerns during the meeting as this is a safe place to air out any “issues.”
   • Snag tips for students, parents, and teachers!
   • Virtual conferences? No problem. Grab that guide here.
9. Student Drop-Off/Pick-Up– Although this is an informal way to communicate with parents, sometimes the everyday run-in can make or break a relationship. Be sure to smile, wave and share a quick comment with parents. Being present and aware of parents makes you approachable for potential conversations to occur.
10. School Functions– These events can get pretty hectic quickly, but it’s another opportunity for you to be available to parents for questions, comments or just an enjoyable conversation. Be present and willing to indulge in them. However, this is not the time to discuss private topics such as specific information on academics or behavior concerns as others are around.

What to Communicate

*A Quick Note- In order to protect privacy, be sure to only discuss the related student with that parent. Keep other student names or performance details out of the conversation.

1. Student Academic Performance- Sharing data points with parents is important so that the picture is clear in terms of how the student is performing against standards (state, district, school comparisons), as well as the skill set growth that is occurring throughout the year. Understanding the bar that is set as well as how the student measures up is extremely important.
2. Student Behavior Trends- Similar to academic performance, sharing particulars about student behavior is important. Many parents want to know that their child is following school and classroom rules and treating others with respect. Sharing classroom rules is helpful so parents can guide their children in better decision making within the classroom.
3. State or District Initiatives- Many parents are not educators so having someone explain state or district initiatives in everyday lingo can be helpful. Most parents want to know the rationale for change so being able to showcase why something you are doing for their child is recommended eases their fears. Plus, their support in what you are doing in the classroom is always appreciated.
4. Curriculum Programs & Techniques- Similar to the state or district initiatives, curriculum can be super confusing to parents. Right now, the Common Core Standards are a hot topic discussed among teachers and parents, especially in the subject of mathematics. Sharing the purpose of a chosen program, its materials or techniques is beneficial again so parents can best support the work teachers do in the classroom. Demonstrating a technique for parents or having a student do it live is an excellent idea!
5. Testing Information- State testing can be nerve wracking for all involved, so having specifics about the test can ease the anxiety. Besides the logistical details, sharing test taking methods, ways to practice at home, and performance expectations will allow parents to mentally prepare for the “big event.”  Sharing typical problems seen on the test also helps parents know what to work on at home with their child.
6. School Function Details-  The school year is busy with extra curriculars- plays, clubs, performances, festivals, parades, etc. Engaging parents in planning or preparing the event is a great way to build connections. Sharing details way in advance of the event encourages parent attendance as well. Lots of great conversations can be had during these events so be sure to be available for parent questions or comments.
7. Special Classroom Events- Parents love to see their child in their learning environment, so inviting parents in during the school day is exciting. Set up opportunities for students to showcase their skills with a Poetry Slam, Thanksgiving Reenactment or even a holiday party! Field Trips are also a fun way to invite parents along the academic ride while also opening up for communication and collaboration. If you are really wanting to spice things up, invite the parents in to show off their skills with a Career Day!
8. Grade Level Expectations- It’s no secret that certain grade levels are harder than others. That’s because the expectations increase causing a large gap for students to close. For example, the jump from 2nd to 3rd grade is daunting for most students as the requirements for independence, organization, and multi-tasking increase tremendously. Plus, the pace of instruction and decrease in 1:1 help for all students can be hard to get used to at first. Sharing the expectations (and again those rationales) will help parents not only support the work teachers are doing in the classroom, but mimic expectations at home so students are stepping up their game in all areas of their life.
9. Academic Support Tips- As mentioned in most of the ideas above, parents just want to know how they can help. Just like some teachers aren’t sure what information to communicate with parents, many parents want to help but don’t know how. Sharing homework structures and supports is a good first step. Showing parents academic methods and techniques help them understand concepts and can reinforce that strategy at home. The more that they can transfer classroom skills to the home, the better off everyone is!
10. Reiterate Parent Concerns- Lastly, parents are mostly concerned when they don’t fully understand something. When teachers are approachable, encourage correspondence and listen to parent concerns, the relationship blossoms. Many parents might even say, “I don’t understand, but I trust you because you care so much for my kid and do an excellent job teaching him/her.” This lets you know they can’t quite wrap their head around the topic at hand, but are willing to pass the responsibility on to you and fully back you up so that their child thrives. That occurs because you have built trust and the relationship continues to develop.

The theme here is communicate, communicate, communicate. It’s rare for a parent to ask you to stop communicating, but it’s extremely popular for a parent to ask you to start/keep communicating. The tips for how and what to communicate are teacher and parent approved, so dive in and give a few a try. You do not need to do them all, but you do need to do something. The sooner you start, the better off the relationship will be between all stakeholders. Wishing you a successful year of collaboration!

What parent-teacher communication idea(s) would you add to the list?

The post How to Successfully Engage with Parents in the Classroom 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.

Matthew is the founder of Academic Approach, an organization that helps schools in underserved communities prepare students for the SAT and ACT, the tests they need to succeed on to gain admission to college. He’s also a former New York City teacher. He says “aligning high-impact test preparation with curriculum and instruction is not easy work, but it’s valuable and necessary. Often this work is approached as an “either-or:” either I focus on test prep or I focus on my curriculum. If you can approach the challenge as a “both-and” instead, you can find some efficient, creative solutions: I can both teach my curriculum and integrate in skills-based test preparation that teaches my students the high-impact skills they need for success both in my class and on the test. With the right assessment, reporting, and professional development system in place, we can achieve that all-important “both-and” in teaching and learning.”

Quotables

• “Teach beyond the test”
• “With the proper mentorship, students can fail forward… a lesson in resilience”
• “The way [students] experience failure can be positive and productive or paralyzing”
• “If you do take a student centered view of teaching, you never are done because there’s always a new student and each student is different”

Buzz Words

• Locus of control
• Growth mindset
• Grit
• Rigorous academic approach
• Self Conception

Matthew’s Stamp of Approval

• Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins (“backwards design” and “teaching for transfer”)

Connect with Matthew

• Website: https://www.academicapproach.com
• Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-pietrafetta-45558917?trk=extra_biz_connect_hb_upphoto 
• Academic Approach Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Academic-Approach-107012349498/timeline/
• Academic Approach Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcademicApprch
• Academic Approach LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/academic-approach

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson 
• 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 

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 
• Click ‘Send’

The post 90: Student Centered Teaching with Matthew Pietrafetta appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Chuck Poole is a 15 year veteran teacher and athletic coach in New Jersey. He has coached at the middle school level in various sports such as soccer, basketball, softball, and baseball. Chuck’s passion is to impact kids and those that teach them everyday. His podcast is called Teachonomy Talks, found on iTunes and Stitcher Radio, in which it provides nuggets of value every Tuesday in under 10 minutes for busy educators everywhere!

Quotables

• Educators are some of the most generous people when it comes to mentorship
• The best tools we have are each other
• I’ve become an effective teacher because of the people in my life
• Have thick skin and seek out trusted mentors
• When we struggle we learn but we only internalize lessons we learned if we find a way to remember them
• Write down your “Why”

Connect with Chuck

• Twitter: www.twitter.com/cpoole27
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/teachonomy
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/teachonomy
• Website: www.teachonomy.com
• Email: Chuck@teachonomy.com

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson 
• 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 

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 
• Click ‘Send’

The post 75: Teacher Tools with Chuck Poole appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Our nation is in a deep need for teachers- great teachers at that. However, as the years progress, less and less educators are entering our pipeline leaving our classrooms without leadership. That creates a whole bunch of new problems that I won’t go through in this particular blog post. Instead, I want to focus on why the teachers we do have are unprepared, or rather underprepared, and what we can do to prevent this problem.

My Perspective

I taught in elementary classrooms for nearly a decade. At that time I also transitioned into a coaching role of new teachers from the elementary level up until high school. New teachers are wet behind the ears and excited to learn new techniques so I truly enjoyed using my classroom experience to help prepare them for their own teacher journey.

A Shocking Reality

As I transitioned into my own consulting role as Always A Lesson, I started connecting with educators of all backgrounds and experience levels through social media. One particular avenue, Facebook, really showcased how big of a problem teacher preparation was through the types of questions educators were posing in private groups.

Many of the questions centered around WHAT and HOW to teach. This baffled me as I couldn’t imagine a teacher getting hired (or passing a preparation course) without knowing what they were to teach and how to do it. It pinpointed the lack of training the program provided to these teachers as well as the lack of support at the school level to answer these questions. Some folks were expected to roll out a new program in their classroom and had zero training on what the program was and how to do it successfully.

It outrages me that we expect teachers to do a remarkable job in an environment without support. You don’t know what you don’t know so how can we have high expectations of someone starting with a knowledgebase of zero? It isn’t the teacher’s fault. Its up to the the leadership of the school, district, and university level to provide this support. Our government needs to get a handle on how to ensure we attract high quality teaching candidates, provide adequate preparation and compensation, and how to continually provide professional development and support so that the bar of effectiveness continues to increase, not decrease.

I am thankful that these teachers are willing to reach out to someone for help so that they can snag a crash course and begin implementation immediately. But that is a survival tactic that will not encourage a long term career nor benefit our kiddos.

A Common Sense Solution

Preparation Programs

Future educators need…

• significant amount of hours observing effective teachers in real classrooms. If you are on a certification track for K-6, then you need to see a classroom for each of those grades that serve urban, rural, and suburban students.
• opportunities to sit down with expert educators and ask questions, plan a lesson and unit, and meet with parents in regards to behavior and academics.
• enough time in student teaching to truly “take over” a teacher’s classroom in a way that is natural and at a pace that slowly increases in responsibility.
• access to other new teachers in order to find camaraderie and support from others in the same boat.

School and District Level

Educators need…

• a mentor on their grade level or in the same subject area to provide resources, advice, and support for improvement.
• access to appropriate curriculum resources for planning purposes.
• ongoing support from administration that includes documented private meetings on ways to improve.
• opportunities to attend professional development in and outside the district on topics needing improvement.
• proper training on programs and techniques required to do the job.
• at least an equal to cost of living paycheck.

What Educators Can Do

It’s important that educators become their own advocates. No one is going to know if you are feeling unprepared and in what ways you need support. Speak up! When you let leaders know you are in need of direction, be specific about what exactly you need and how you need it. When you bring a solution to the table, it saves time and builds respect between a leader and those that they lead.

Here’s an example:

I noticed you mentioned on my walk-through observation form that I did not implement my small group interventions appropriately. Can you share the expectations you have for this type of instruction so I can be sure to implement immediately? Or can you point me in the direction of an expert educator who can show me what this looks like in action?

Now your leader knows that you have identified an area of needing improvement and took the reigns on how to close that gap. It will do wonders for your professional relationships as well as for your career. It might also uncover an area that the school or district needs to provide additional support to numerous other educators now that you have put a spotlight on it. Leaders need those in the trenches to help spot potential pitfalls as well as be the ones willing to rise up to the occasion and make everyone successful in the process of improvement. [spp-tweet tweet=”Educating our future is not a job for one person, but rather a community of professionals with a common goal. “]

In what ways do you need support and how can I help you?

The post News Flash: Teachers are Unprepared! appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Thrifty Thursday

Each week I bring to you helpful tips to become a more effective educator on the Always A Lesson fan page on Facebook. (Give it a quick like by clicking here!) I decided to start grouping my social media posts into a blog post incase you might have missed anything.

Time to get caught up:

1. Clean out soup cans and use as organizers for materials (pencils, glue sticks, rulers, etc)
2. Snag old newspapers for mentor texts, read alouds, and current event projects! History + real life
3. Decorate old/used moving boxes as reading cars for students during independent time
4. Cover bulletin board in fabric vs paper. If it fades, turn it over and re-use the next year!
5. Have parents donate outgrown clothes. Wash them. Use to cover seating or make a class quilt!
6. Take unwanted mail, cut off blank edges, use as strips for math activities or calling on Ss
7. Throw out worn materials at the end of the year & shop college sales at Walmart over the summer to replace
8. Old boxes make for great reading/circle squares. Break down, cut into squares, & allow the kiddos to decorate
9. Use already printed materials, cut out letters needed, and label your classroom library categories
10. 4th of July paraphernalia is on sale everywhere-snag some decor for your classroom to celebrate upcoming US holidays

(*note: these posts are sent out via BUFFER so they follow Twitter’s rules for word count and I had to get creative!)

Stay tuned for the next edition coming out in a few weeks!

Want these updates in real time? Follow me on social media via the links on top of the page

The post Thrifty Thursday- 3rd Edition appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Katherine is an Elementary School Principal with 17 years in public education. Her personal experience is truly powerful, and against all odds, she overcame huge obstacles and now works with children every day as an educator. Katherine released a book this spring (“Access Denied-A Woman’s Journey to Access the American Dream”) that gives deeper insight into her life growing up in foster care and how, as an adult, she’s working to stop child abuse and reform the foster care system. She has previously appeared on The View and HuffPost Live after she wrote an obituary about her abusive mother.

Quotables

• Trust is the most important thing you can do in education
• Every child is different
• My teachers are my mentors
• A sense of belonging is critical
• Self determination to get better
• Unite and help our kids!

Connect with Katherine

• Website – http://www.saveus2.com/
• Email- katherinereddick@yahoo.com
• GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30209011-access-denied
• Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Access-Denied-Phd-Katherine-Reddick/dp/1683482069/
• Barnes and Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/access-denied-phd-katherine-reddick/1123804737
• IndieBound – http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781683482062

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson 
• 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 

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
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The post 70: Trust with Katherine Reddick appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Gain Research-Based Techniques and Tools to Boost Teacher Performance and Proficiency

If you are interested in becoming an instructional coach, come along the journey with me. I will show you what coaching is all about from start to finish. I provide tons of free resources just for taking the course. You won’t regret the knowledge bombs released in each module. Join in the fun by clicking the photo above!

Here’s some more details on each module:

Don’t be shy… join today! Click here.

The post Calling all New or Aspiring Teacher Coaches! appeared first on Always A Lesson.

I have been selling educational materials on Teachers Pay Teachers for quite some time now- May 15, 2012 to be exact. When I started, I just put up anything I had on hand that I had created for my classroom or school. They weren’t pretty, but I figured “hey, if I needed this, someone out there does too!” Well, I was sort of right. I haven’t done too bad for such a second hand store look and feel! LOL

Over the past year, I have dabbled in the TpT forums and learned a few things and would make my products better little by little. Basically, anything I learned, I would apply it to my next product. Although that was a great step forward, I now had really nice pieces among the scattered mess of random from before. This summer I decided to do a store overhaul… duh duh duh!

It was a LOT of work but fun too. It’s exciting knowing you are making resources better for students and teachers. Having to put on my seller hat was hard. I am not good at marketing or business (or should I say “interested in”), so this was a learning experience for me. Luckily I came across some helpful TpT mentor sellers who shared great advice and got me on my way!

This post will serve as the Always A Lesson TpT Store Transformation Reveal!

Below are a few pics and stats from my store prior to any “work” this summer:

The stats….159 resources, 365 followers, 161 ratings. Not bad, but I have been selling since 2012 so really that isn’t very good at all. Its evident that I have not been capitalizing on my opportunities as a seller, just sharing resources ad hoc. Thus…adhoc following and riches! BOO

Some of my popular sales are from products with covers. Makes sense!  (The middle product there just happens to be a niche product that got lucky!)

But the rest of my store… how BORING! No matter how great of a resource these products are, they are not visually stimulating and thus customers won’t click on it to even see the magic inside. Unfortunately, being a seller means I have to judge my products by their covers and if there are no covers, then the product might has well be a dud- sad huh?

Some things I knew I needed to do for formality purposes like all my coaching titles needed to say “Instructional Coaching…” so that they all included the same verbiage vs some saying ‘instructional’ and others just saying ‘coaching.’ The same was true for book study guides I created- some said ‘Resource Guide’ and others said ‘Book Study.’ Although these products were the same type of resource, you wouldn’t even know it. I wanted customers to fall in love with products and therefore buy similar ones (doing so by finding similar titles).

I have always known that covers sold products, but I never had the desire to go fix all of these products until now. I was a seller who was really just sharing things I created for my classroom and my kiddos don’t need covers- sorry!

I recently heard to “mark as helpful” to any comment that was specific and would encourage another seller to purchase. By doing this, that review goes to the top of all the comments for the product.

Before:

This comment was listed first since reviews are listed in chronological order from the data received. Although I thank this person for great star reviews, their written portion does little to convince a buyer on the fence to purchase.

After:

Luckily, I had other reviews underneath that were a tad better so I hit “mark as helpful” to those and now this product is much more convincing to purchase with the positive feedback right there in plain view! You can also see that I am an active and engaged seller as I reply to every comment left on my products (it’s the least I can do!)

Some of the newer suggestions I received to improve sales on TpT (sorry, gotta make a living too!) were:

1. Add custom category tag for each product– This way if a customer is on your page specifically they can easily search by category or type in a resource they want. Having these categories saves time and customers like finding their pot of gold as quickly as possible!
2. Create product covers for every product– Catch their eye if they are browsing! Then they can actually read your description and see a preview of your product. Since I know my stuff is high quality in terms of content, I am increasing the likelihood it will get picked up.
3. Add details to product titles and descriptions– The more keywords included the easier it is for a seller to find your product and the greater the likelihood it is to populate in a search.
4. Expand on one pagers and dollar items– You can’t make a profit off low price tags! Sounds obvious, but a lot of my products were quick handouts I needed that weren’t in depth and definitely not units, but those do really well on TpT so time to up my game!

BEFORE

I am not sure how long it will take for these changes to churn a noticeable profit since I am doing this over the summer and sales seem to be minuscule as teachers are on vacation and not earning a paycheck. Below I kept track of when I completed a task and when I started to see an uptick in sales:

1. Custom Categories: Completed: 6/2/16 

I had to ensure every product was assigned some category and then the “other” category I originally created I wanted to find a better home for those products- so I had to create a a few more category headings. Overall, this was pretty simple since only 5 products were unidentified and 7 were listed as other.  I got rid of categories that were repetitive (lit instruction and literary response) and old linky parties (#myfavoritethings2014). I also added a bundles category to make it easier for buyers who like savings! 

2. Product Covers: Completed: 6/12/16 

I had 61/246 products with covers- that’s roughly 25%.  That meant I needed to create covers for 75% of my store. Oh boy, what a feat this was going to be! I started by looking at my product stats and exporting it to excel so I could manipulate numbers and really keep track of what was happening. First, I highlighted every product in yellow that needed a cover.

Then, I went back and colored all the other products green so I knew that they were taken care of. I couldn’t wait to start turning those yellow’s to green’s!

Some of my favorite re-done covers are:

(Click on the image above to go straight to the product)

3. Product Titles and Descriptions: Completed: 6/23/16  

Title Example:

This simple title is a good identifier for me but does not help a seller understand what the product is without clicking on it (although this graphic is large enough to see from an icon view. So I added more detail:

Now I can reach someone who might have searched for ‘behavior management’ or ‘ color behavior management’ or ‘behavior management visual.’ Having all of these keywords help bring your item up higher in a search on TpT. [Click here to purchase]

Description Example:

This product description tells you little to nothing- like, why bother even writing anything?! Hey, at least i have a cute cover!

This product description now includes a more detailed explanation as well as a list of what is included- I learned its important to share “what” the product is and “how” it can be used. The buyer, if interested, can then select ‘Preview’ to see if it looks as good as it sounds. (It does, don’t you worry!) [Click here to purchase.]

There was one tiny… well actually, HUGE… problem. When I created covers, I also created preview files so customers could see what was in the product before purchasing (I heard many won’t buy a multiple page product without seeing a snapshot even if the photos are teeny tiny.). I didn’t realize it at the time, but when I allowed my product preview files to remain as PDF instead of turning into a one page PPT slide of photos of the pages, customers were able to download the preview and save to their computer. That meant they were getting every product FOR FREE!! ahh… Luckily, a sweet TpT seller had checked out my coaching resources and found the problem, reached out to me, and I was able to fix the problem within a few days. phew! Hoping not many customers took advantage since the problem was short lived- but you never know.

My TpT journey is full of lessons learned

… and this problem is no exception!

Guess what?! I learned coding!! I was able to organize my product descriptions and make certain sections POP with bolding and putting in a clear list versus using commas for similar products. Check it out below:

4. One Pager & Dollar Item Expansion: Completed: Ongoing

  vs. 

The original product was just a graphic organizer for students to add details of books they liked and disliked when browsing through a pile of books- a way to get to know book features. I expanded upon this idea by asking further prompting questions so students could begin to see patterns in what what they liked and disliked in books so that they could learn what qualities attract them to reading, thus building motivation to read more books. I also added a discussion page where students would pair up and have a peer discussion comparing their likes/dislikes as well as provide book recommendations to each other based on those lists.

I continued this mentality with many more products in order to step up the rigor in the resources I was providing to students.

5. Store Banner GIF Completed: 6/15/16  

OMG!! This is the part I am soooo happy about I found an amazing post by Shelley over at Pitch Clips that walked me through step by step how to use the “quote box” on my store page as a gif movie! I am so in love with it. See the images below for what’s included in the gif:

 6. Terms of Use: Completed: 7/14/16 

Although this is not a sexy addition to my store and/or products, it is necessary as more and more teachers are utilizing and sharing resources. It’s important that I protect my intellectual property and include a Terms of Use in every product so teachers are aware what they can and cannot do with the purchased product. Take a peek:

7. Joined a Mastermind Group: Completed: 7/18/16

I took up an offer in a TpT group to join a mastermind group. I was accepted into two and very excited to learn and grow among other teacher authors! One of my groups stays connected through Voxer and on a private Facebook group. We are putting each other in the “hot seat” each week, diving in to each other’s stores providing feedback (glows and grows). I am learning so much from the feedback others are giving to each other that I am implementing them in my own store. For example:

• Updating “featured” products to match the season– I have heard this feedback before, but I know when I buy a product on TpT I just search for it rather than actually visiting a store. It seemed like a wasted effort to switch out the featured products if no one was ever seeing them. However, any good businesswoman knows to showcase your best even if no one will see it, because there may be that one buyer who does visit the store and sees it, buys it and becomes a returning customer. So…. back to updating my featured products!
• Making custom categories for bundles– I never thought of this because my custom categories were more specific to the type of a product rather than how its packaged. I was hesitant to move my coaching bundle under the “bundle” category and away from the “coaching” category in fear someone might be searching for it and not find it, but in every coaching product description I mention the bundle so I am letting them know of it even though its under a new search term now. Plus, I think people know bundles are SAVINGS and they might see the product more often if they are browsing by categories.
• Add a request for feedback in the product description– TpT authors get feedback when buyers leave us ratings and reviews, but sometimes an unhappy customer can ruin your reputation by leaving negative feedback in the rating and review. To prevent this from happening, encouraging an unhappy buyer to email feedback with the option to get the updated product for free after the revamp not only allows you to know what could make the product better but also produces a happy customer who can then leave a raving rating and review.

The other group and I stay connected through Facebook chat and a private Facebook group where we established norms and expectations for the group.

8. Credits + Connections Page: Completed: 7/20/16

I originally had an “all about me” page at the beginning of my larger products that shared my rationale for the product, a photo of myself and ways to connect. Someone commented in a Facebook group that TpT authors should save their time and not add these pages to the products because it wastes buyer’s ink and/or they don’t read them. Nonetheless, I took that feedback and stopped. But, I started to feel that I was losing an opportunity to connect with my audience so I decided to combine my credits page that was rarely full with a connections page, meaning half will thank graphic artists I showcased in the product and the other half will have my social media links and website info. It’s the best of both worlds. I don’t feel that I am wasting someone’s printer ink now and feel they may read it considering they want to see who the cute clip art is from and right below that is ways to connect with me!

AFTER

All the hard work I have put into my store has returned a profit!

• July Stats- July is known as the “dead zone” for TpT authors as teachers are on vacation, out of money and generally not ready to start stocking up for the next school year. With increasing my presence on social media platforms and making the changes outlined in this post, buyers came … even in July!!

557% sales increase!

35 new followers

106 votes

43 resources sold

#398 seller position in North Carolina

Hit ALL personal goals for income made per day, week, and month!

• August Stats- Ohh how I LOVE Back to School time Buyers have been shopping and placing items in their carts to save for the TpT Back to School Sale which means buyers buy more than if items were full price. It’s a win-win for us all!

247% sales increase! [I quadrupled my monthly earnings from July!]

62 new followers

165 votes

99 resources sold

#363 seller position in North Carolina

Hit ALL personal goals for income made per day, week, and month!

Click here to get a freebie I created just for you on Tips to Improve Your TpT Store based on the lessons I learned in my own journey.

What have you learned on your own TpT journey?

The post Transforming My Teachers Pay Teachers [TpT] Store! appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Holy Cow!! I cannot believe it has taken me THIS long to post about this fantastic event. I learned SOOO much that I had to have an Edcamp Detox for weeks after- you know, think and do unrelated things to keep your brain from an overload explosion! Apparently, those weeks turned to months! But, nonetheless, i am here to share with you about a career-changing event that you need to get involved with ASAP!

This past year I had the pleasure of attending a few EdCamps in my area. [See a previous post about EdCamp QC here.] It is a fantastically relaxed learning environment with passionate educators in your own area. I loved making connections with real people who are working with kids just like the ones I taught.

I then fell in love with the Voxer app [I have written a few posts about Voxer, which goes to show how much I LOVE it: fave tech tool, gain teacher effectiveness, and do’s and don’ts.] Then one fabulous day EdCAmp + Voxer came together to create a unique learning experience for educators. It was set up like a slow Twitter chat, where you can drip questions and comments over an extended period of time. This particular chat occurred over Christmas break until New Years and numerous mini chat rooms were set up on Voxer to chat specifically about one topic. This helps keep things organized, just like at an EdCamp where different sessions occur in separate rooms. But, the best part was I didn’t have to leave a session (“The Law of Two Feet” motto) to make it to another one I was interested in that was occurring at the same time. I could be in tons of “rooms” at once! Thank you technology! Oh, and the best part… I didn’t have to get dressed or travel (“Grow in your pjs” motto)!

We used a google doc of proposed session topics and then clicked on the link to enter the chat. Some groups had additional google docs outlining their discussion in case anyone had missed previous questions or topics discussed.

Topics I Initiated:

• Increasing Student Ownership and Leadership in the Classroom
• Effectively Leading Teachers through Personalized Coaching

Chats I Collaborated In:

• Personalized PD
• Being a Reflective Practitioner
• Personal and Professional Growth Through Mentors and Mentoring
• Building a Collaborative Culture Through Peer Observation

It was really fun to see where everyone was coming from- we spent the first day or so introducing ourselves and getting acquainted. Someone in the group (sorry, I wish I could remember exactly who!) suggested using google maps to create a visual to showcase all of our locations. For those of us that were able to, added a pin to a global map to show where we were from and provide our name and social media handle. It was really cool to see the power of learning across the country!

Key Take-Aways

Throughout my learning journey at EdCamp Voxer, I scribbled down some notes of comments and topics that resonated with me. I’ll share these in a bulleted, randomized manner below:

• Personalized PD = autonomy to control your own growth. Amen! Personalized Professional Development is semi-new on the scene and has done wonders for my own development. Having the option to CHOOSE topics you want to learn about so that you actually participate, are invested, and more importantly apply your learning in the classroom immediately is the key. Autonomy is a great word to describe the growth opportunity of #personalizedPD.
• Edufest = Teachers leading PD. EdCamp is just that- teachers doing the leading. No matter how long you have been in the classroom, everyone has something to contribute. I think it would be a unanimous vote if you asked teachers who they prefer to learn from- a consultant of a uber successful company or each other. They would pick each other. An Edufest or EdCamp is the greatest solution to meet that desire.
• Formative Assessment =not an event; it’s a process. Wow. I wish I remembered who phrased it this way. Testing is all around us and it is necessary in order to get feedback on the depth to which students understand a concept you presented. But to use it as something you do like a task on a To-Do list is not helping a teacher or student grow. It should be an ongoing tool- a process to measure your own effectiveness as the instructional leader and student’s own understanding of material. But it should never be a specific date and time where you endure a test as if it were a specific event to attend. To use assessment effectively, use it as a process to adjust your instruction.
• Coaching vs mentoring (relationships)= They are both about relationships but coaching is more top-down where mentoring is more facilitation with ownership on the learner. Be clear as to which relationship is best in every situation and act accordingly. Making the distinction is helpful to adjust your own behavior but also make expectations of the relationship clear.
• Leadership Jungle Gym Analogy = Instead of thinking about a ladder where you climb up and down, think about a jungle gym with pathways going in every direction. Everyone can be a leader in numerous ways, so finding your own path and expertise is encouraged. There can be leaders of a variety of topics vs one king of the jingle. How freeing is that visual?
• Teacher Report Card from Students= This is something I do with my kiddos (and even teachers I coach).  No one is exempt from growing into their potential. The ones you work closest with can provide you with the most insightful feedback to help you grow. Ask your students using a survey method about your teaching practices and encourage them to be specific. You don’t even have to include a place for their names. The more honest the can be the better off you will be the following year!
• PD = Ritual Compliance. Ugh. Totally. My school had to have “seat hours” for PD. We were awarded credit for the amount of time we sat learning about a particular topic, regardless if we were actually listening or applying the knowledge. It was a ritual we had to partake in, and an event where we had to comply. See #personalizedPD above for ideas on how to break this mold in your school!
• PD Engagement vs PD Entertainment= Oh my gosh, I never thought about the semantics here. Great point, though. I felt as a teacher I had to put on a dog and pony show to entertain my kids and I kept calling it engagement. But really, entertainment and engagement are entirely different. I don’t want my kids sitting in nice, organized rows in awe of my performance. Teaching is not about me, its about them. They need to be the ones DOING something. Having students engage means they are grappling with content and interacting with each other. Sure learning can be fun, but that still is different than entertainment. I don’t want them to sit back, relax and enjoy the show. The same is for PD. We can’t expect to show up and watch the presenter put on a fabulous show and then be expected to go back to our own classrooms and wow our kiddos in an effective way. We have to be the ones grappling with the new knowledge so that we can comprehend it in the best way possible so that we can bring it back to the classroom.
• “Don’t let the title lead the way -let the desire lead the way” = Dang, thats good! We focus on trying to create really engaging titles to lessons and PD sessions but what we really need for a good learning environment is a desire from the learner to uncover the mystery behind the unknown. Again, pass the ownership to the learner. It’s not about you, its about them. Focus on desire!
• Future Ready= Right now we talk a lot about college and career readiness under the Common Core Standards. But really we need your kiddos ready to take on whatever may come their way in the future. For that, we call it being “future ready.”
• Reflect on the fly= EdCamp is crazy busy and you are learning a TON. It similar to brain overload at a conference. You have to reflect on the fly before heading into a new session so that you can remember all the fabulous things you are learning. Implement this quick reflection in your own teaching. Before moving on to the next class or subject, reflect on the fly. Give yourself a quick Glow and Grow- What went Well? What do you Need to Improve? Jot it on a sticky note, or make a mental note…then, move on.
• Q: What makes a coach effective? Great question. There are many different types of coaches out there with different styles and approaches. I responded to this group question, stating “the ability to craft great questions, build rapport, challenge stale thinking and encourage growth for student achievement and engagement. Just to name a few.” I think the characteristics I mentioned above are central in a coach building relationships and helping others grow in authentic ways. What would you say makes a coach effective?
• Independence vs Ownership – Man, I don’t think I ever contemplated this either! But there is a difference. I worked really hard on making my kids independent third graders. They were in charge of numerous tasks in the classroom and in their lives, but I never gave them opportunities to take ownership over thier own learning- making decisions of what and how to learn, how to approach and solve problems, how to study and prepare for an exam, etc. There are natural consequences for both, and its important to think through what you are asking of students. Do you want them to be independent or take ownership? Then teach them how. The classroom shouldn’t be “controlling and oppressive [but] free and creative” as someone in the group mentioned. Hand over the control to the kiddos.
• FAIL- first attempt at learning = I love this saying! It encourages us all to keep trying without fearing an unsuccessful outcome. You realy only fail when you stop trying. You must push through every obstacle so that the synapses in your brain connect. This ensures your IQ is not stagnant. GROW by failing often.
• Sage on the stage vs guide on the side= Boy have I grown in this area. I learned to teach by being the main show in the classroom. I used direct instruction 24/7. It was all about me- what I was saying, what I was doing, etc. My kids learned but I could have done better by them. In the latter part of my educational career, I started facilitating learning more and using mini lessons to provide direction instruction. The beef of my lessons were now in smaller, independent groups where I pulled students aside when needed. This guide on the side has really put ownership on the students and their knowledge bases have grown like weeds!
• Give me 5 -This technique is often used by teachers who are holding their hands up in the air demanding the attention of the class. But it could be more effective if we encourage students use that instead of just teachers (Thanks to Teach like a Pirate). You must “respect the person that called it.” What a great way to share ownership and build confidence in kids?
• Complaining vs Problem Solving- We all have struggling students and teachers we work with, but instead of just talking about it, start asking for help. There are great educators out there ready and willing to help you think through a challenge to have a productive outcome instead of the prolonged frustration.
• Teach staff feedback protocol prior to survey= This is an idea I brought up in our discussion. I think if you really want to have meaningful feedback you need to teach students and staff how to provide it. Instead of “it was a fun lesson” or “I enjoyed the PD session,” prompt teachers to add on with specifics so that you know exactly what to continue doing and what to change. You are not force feeding feedback but you are setting up expectations. The hope is that staff and students use that model in thier own lives as well.
• “Feedback is like sushi. Good when it’s fresh, not good when its not fresh, but actually harmful.” = BAH!! How hilarious is this one? But so true. Feedback needs to timely so that you can actually do something with the information. Don’t wait until the end of the year to ask for feedback, ask along the way! Get better in the process. It will be too late otherwise.
• Simplify homework= I remember when I was in school I had so many math problems to complete. But they were all the same formula or concept so it was just repetitive and took forever. I love when teachers started realizing this and told us if you can do 3 correctly, you don’t have to do the rest. AMEN! I started giving just one problem for students to do, but with a written component for feedback like “can you walk me through your thinking?” This helps me determine the level of mastery not just if you got it right. I also can find out exactly where students got stuck.
• Scattered learning = rabbit holes. Sometimes our own PD, especially on social media, can be quite random. It reminds me about what they used to say about our state standards: “a mile wide and an inch deep.” You learn a little about a lot, which is not very helpful. We have to make sure we are not learning in a scattered fashion, going down rabbit holes every now and again. Plan purposeful opportunities to learn thoroughly on a topic so that you can gain real expertise. Our learning shouldn’t be a cliff notes version, but the novel itself.
• “Leading with character is helping to position our people to navigate through problems and create solutions, not focus on problems. Audacious leaders don’t gripe but get a grip on issues and collectively work together to achieve results. Otherwise the culture becomes a toxic environment.”
• “Be calm in the face of chaos and be purposeful in my actions.”= Boom, thats good. I think its easy to understand the concept of remaining calm in chaos, especially since teachers do that all day long to avoid the ramifications of a chaotic classroom. But, the second part of this quote is interesting to me. Be purposeful in actions. That takes forethought and confidence. I think oftentimes we are so busy we react instead of being proactive and purposeful. What a great goal to have for personal growth!
• Are you listening?= Listen to respond vs listen to hear. Gosh, this is so hard to do. When a student asks a question, I am formulating my answer as they are talking. When a teacher is talking I am already thinking of what I want to say to them next. None of these responses are helpful in the development of the other person or myself. Sometimes you need to listen without doing anything else. Boy is that hard! Hear what someone is saying to better understand their perspective rather than focusing on problem solving or next steps.
• Coaching or PD not working? You don’t know your teachers well enough= Ouch… but true. If something does not work, its because your approach wasn’t right. It’s not about them, its about you and the avenue or content you provided was a mismatch. The quicker you can figure out your audience, the better you can prepare engaging, informative learning experiences.
• Tech = The tools will always change. The process in which we use them will not. That is sustainability. Tools come and go constantly, but the purpose of the tool is what you should focus on because that process is what is driving your classroom decision making. Whether its data tracking or behavior management, the “why” behind the “what” is the most important component.
• What gets recognized gets repeated= Yessir! If admin is praising a teacher for something, that something will continue from that particular person and others will soon replicate it. We all want to be recognized. Same goes for students in a classroom. Whatever you tolerate will become the normal. If you praise it, it will continue so be wise in what you praise!

Helpful Graphics

Below are a ton of images I snagged because I found them to be so helpful in my learning through the EdCamp. Enjoy scrolling through these

 AMEN!! I have been saying this FOREVER! I was so underprepared in 4 years of earning a degree in education. That is a HUGE problem!

“When should you assign hw?” Graphic

Helpful Websites

Check out these blog posts that were shared during the EdCamp!

• 5 Deadly Beliefs that Limit Leaders
• What Constitutes Good
• Autonomy Breeds Change
• You Won’t Make it if you Fake It– A famous quote says: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” Maybe the “fake it till you make it” leadership approach will work for a while, but it will eventually catch up with you.

Written Praise

If you ever want to feel good about yourself, start collaborating with educators. They are quick to give credit, where credit is due. Boy did these educators fill my bucket during the EdCamp!

Verbal Praise

Click Listen to hear what my colleagues felt about my contributions!

Looking for more information about Voxer? Check out these helpful blog posts:

Do’s and Don’ts of Voxer

How Can an Educator Gain Effectiveness through the Voxer App?

Edcamp Voxer 2016

My New Favorite Tech Tool: Voxer

What did you find most helpful reading through this post? Share out your take-away!

The post EdCamp Voxer 2015 appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Jennifer Gonzalez is a National Board Certified teacher. Her twelve years of classroom experience include teaching English language arts in middle school and preparing pre-service teachers at the college level. In 2013 she started her blog, Cult of Pedagogy, where she shares effective teaching practices, curates top-notch educational resources, explores how race and culture intersect with education, and studies the effective use of technology in the classroom. She is the author of The Teacher’s Guide to Tech, co-author of Hacking Education: 10 Quick Fixes for Every School, and the host of The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast.

Quotables

• The Oprah of Education
• Be consciously respectful of others’ experiences
• Validate thinking behind mistakes
• Mix high value information with my own personal take on things
• No one should get their hands slapped for doing things the “old way,” because the “old way” was just a few years ago
• Regular, systematic feedback
• You have to find people to spend your time with who are the kinds of teachers you want to be …. you will become like the people you surround yourself with
• Find a mentor- someone who I look up to, who has knowledge i dont have, and is willing to give me a little guidance every once in a while
• [Teaching], its such a difficult job; its not meant to be easy, and people don’t go into it because its easy, but I want to thank teachers
• Remember to stop and pay attention

Jennifer’s Stamp of Approval

• Feedly– a feed reader for blogs and websites (simiar to Bloglovin)
• The Marshall Memo– monthly digest of summaries of most significant educational research (monthly subscription)

Connect with Jennifer

• http://www.cultofpedagogy.com
• Twitter: @cultofpedagogy
• Instagram: @cultofpedagogy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cult-of-Pedagogy-688223247861467/

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

Become #empowered with the Always A Lesson newsletter: https://alwaysalesson.leadpages.co/newslettersignup/

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson 
• 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 

Leave a Rating and Review

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2&ls=1

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 

Click ‘Send’

The post 50: Art of Teaching with Jennifer Gonzalez appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The ebb and flow of highs and lows is no stranger to an educator. There are certain times in the school year that are more stressful and anxiety provoking than others. There are certain times in a teacher’s career that feels more downhill than up. Those are the moments where sending out an SOS to a trusted colleague and mentor is a sign of strength, not a death sentence. Tune in to hear an inspiring story from a real teacher ebbing and flowing as we speak.

Quotables

• Everyone has different issues but our common denominator is we all have issues
• The quicker you allow yourself to deal with what’s happening, the quicker you open yourself up to solutions and support
• Sending out an SOS is not a sign of defeat or lack of strength. It’s a reminder that you are a human being who can only give and do so much.

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

Become #empowered with the Always A Lesson newsletter: https://alwaysalesson.leadpages.co/newslettersignup/

Connect with Gretchen

• Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.com
• Blog: Always A Lesson 
• 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 

Leave a Rating and Review

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2&ls=1

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 

Click ‘Send’

The post 37: Sending out an S.O.S. appeared first on Always A Lesson.

All I hear on the news and read in articles lately are theories on our current teacher shortage in the United States, more specifically a quality teacher shortage. I’m calling this crisis, a ‘Teacher Bind.’

Throughout my work as a teacher coach and as hiring support staff in my local school district, this topic hits home for me. I am emotionally invested in a solution for the benefit of the kiddos right here in my hometown as well as those around the world.

Schools are in a bind to find teachers who are qualified and have a history of success. The stress and pressure teachers face right now is tremendous. Many have left the classroom to take on leadership roles in hopes of re-inspiring their inner passion for education and some left the profession all together.

As a result, classrooms are left with an urgent need to fill teaching positions- a void proven to be more difficult than just hiring an adult with a college education willing to do the job. We need qualified, equipped, and passionate teachers.

Problem #1- Not Qualified nor Equipped

Many classrooms are being staffed with long-term substitutes. There is no required teaching experience to become a substitute in a classroom. Putting someone in front of students on a long-term basis without proper training is hurting our nation. Children deserve to have a leader in front of them who is confident in their content knowledge, creative in their teaching methods, and has acquired proficiency in managing classroom behaviors.

Problem #2- Not Equipped

Although the enrollment in education programs is dropping drastically each year, there luckily is still a healthy amount of newly graduated teacher applicants getting hired in our schools currently. This might seem like a good thing, after all, we need teachers and here is a supply of new prospects. However, hiring too many new teachers is actually a deficit. Principals need to balance teacher experience in their buildings so that there is enough support to help these new teachers gain momentum in their development towards greatness. Right now, there are not enough experienced teachers on staff in most schools to provide mentorship to the new teachers. Similarly to problem #1 listed above, although these new teachers might have received proper training, they lack experience and that is hurting our children in the end as well.

Needed Solutions

These are problems we cannot fix overnight and these problems are not going anywhere over the next decade. What is a school to do?

A. In terms of Problem #1, students need an adult in the classroom without a doubt. There are circumstances were a principal cannot find a qualified teacher available at the moment they need it and have to employ a substitute teacher to cover a class for a lengthy period of time. Sure, we could take all of the children in that classroom and spread them out to other classes on that same grade level, but is that fair? Should the other teachers have to have an increase in the amount of students they serve? At some point, a teacher’s effectiveness tops out and even begins to go backwards when too many students are requiring their time and attention. There is an opportunity to provide a substitute teacher with support to gain the knowledge and skills to become an effective educator, but by law they cannot work beyond the school hours so creating meetings to provide value is challenging.

Wait…I thought we were talking solutions? This sounds like we have created more problems. Well, sometimes to find a solution you need to brainstorm and often that brings other obstacles to the forefront. It ensures the solution is long-lasting by digging deeper in search of loop holes or hot spots.

The solution I am going to propose is not one that bandaids the problem- one that requires the problem to appear before the solution can even be implemented. To avoid an unqualified, ill-equipped adult instructing our children on a long-term basis, we need to keep our good teachers. We need to keep what we have so that they don’t leave creating a mad scramble to find quality teachers. That means we listen to their opinions, validate their feelings, provide differentiated support to ensure they keep learning and growing, and most importantly we celebrate their expertise. [spp-tweet tweet=”When an educator feels respected and valued, they don’t leave.”]

Sure, there might be times when life happens and an unexpected situation arises where we need to get a long-term sub, but that is few and far in-between.

That’s great and all, but what if schools have already lost their good teachers? What can be done?

Call them back. Even if they don’t want to come back, we have to find out the reason for why they left. Its imperative so that we don’t repeat our mistakes. There is still time to change behavior and decision making processes after hearing feedback from our most qualified employees.

At the end of the day, if nothing mentioned above has improved a school’s staffing initiative, Problem #2 is actually a solution to Problem #1- hire new teachers right out of school. Start attending college events where you can set up a booth to recruit. Send your teacher leaders to represent the school. Put up fliers around the dormitory halls advertising your school district and school specifically. Ask current teaching staff to ask friends and family for recommendations of potential qualified teachers.

[spp-tweet tweet=”It’s evident that finding and keeping good teachers is in itself a full-time job.”]

It especially is time consuming when trying to turn a school around. But, its the single most important job an administrator could have. [spp-tweet tweet=”Stop worrying about paperwork and staff compliance, and start cultivating a school worth working in”].

That will give us the best return on our investment and have the largest impact on student learning. [spp-tweet tweet=”Prioritize people over processes and certainly over paperwork”].

B. In terms of Problem #2, expecting new teachers to have experience is ludicrous. When we hire them, we are accepting their inexperience as part of the equation you have to balance throughout the year. You might think that you have a whole staff of new teachers but we might actually have a variety of levels of inexperience. I have paired 1st and 2nd year teachers together in the past because although the 2nd year teacher is still inexperienced in the long game, they have found solutions to the most pressing obstacles new teachers face during that first year. This is a great resource to new teachers. These not-so-new teachers still feel that emotional connection to what they faced their first year and 1st year teachers will appreciate that their mentor “feels their pain.”

Instead of assigning other experienced teachers in the building multiple mentees and sprinkling stress all over their plate, start networking. Is there a school nearby with expert teachers that we could leverage? Can we provide some value to that school in return for their teacher’s experience? Maybe we could have some tech leaders in the building help the other staff roll out a 1:1 initiative of iPads while they send over some great mentors for professional development with new teachers on technique practice, problem/solution brainstorming, lesson planning review and feedback, etc.

If all else fails, get these new teachers to video their classes for reflection. Give them some guidance on the area and lens you wish for them to view the footage (ie. student engagement, behavior management, etc). Seeing their own teaching live is great. Step it up a notch and have expert teachers film themselves too as training for the new teachers. They can compare their own footage to that of an experienced teacher and help see where some gaps exist. Then they can start reaching out to others in the building, district or Twitter-verse for ideas on how to combat some challenges.

Conclusion

The point of this post is not to just vent about the current problems in education. Rather, I want to push the creative envelope in the way we approach solutions. [spp-tweet tweet=”Its not always the obvious that ends up being the most effective.”]

Schools are not islands. There is tons of support available, we just have to learn how to tap into it.

What solutions would you propose to the problems listed in this post? 

The post Schools are in a Teacher Bind appeared first on Always A Lesson.

The post Online Modules appeared first on Always A Lesson.

I have to admit, I had NO IDEA what a podcast was and I didn’t care either. I have seen people listening to their phones for years now and assumed they were listening to music that they downloaded. I even heard others discuss something interesting that they heard on a podcast. But, I dismissed these behaviors because a podcast sounded like the new techy thing and I am not into tech… at all.

Well, in the summer of 2015 I realized I had been missing out on a life-changing hobby. I now cannot go a day without listening to a podcast; whether it be while I am cleaning the house, driving to the store, walking the dogs, etc.

If you do one NEW thing this year, let it be listen to a podcast of your choosing. Here’s why:

• Podcasts have changed my perspective
• Podcasts have inspired my goal-setting
• Podcasts have expanded my knowledge base

Who knew podcasts were so powerful, useful and a total game-changer!

If you are anything like I was and know nothing about podcasts, let me give you the details:

What is a Podcast?

It’s an on-demand talk show that comes right to your device so you can listen on the go! There are TONS of podcasts out there on a variety of topics. I personally love leadership and education podcasts. (Click here for edu-podcast suggestions.)

I know you like to watch TV or listen to the radio, but when you do that you’re stuck with commercials decided upon by the network and the topic of the show could potentially be interesting or maybe not at all- what a risk! However, with podcasts you are able to pick the topic you want to hear about (without interruption) and get straight goodness right to your ears AT ANY TIME YOU WANT. No more DVR. No more fast forwarding through commercials. No more listening to random babble of radio hosts- you can just get right to the meat and potatoes! #ondemand

How do I listen to a Podcast?

There is an app on your phone (see picture at the top of this post). When you open it, you can search for specific types of podcasts based on categories that you might be interested in listening to and lots of shows will pop up. Click on one that looks interesting to you and listen for a few seconds. If you like it, keep listening! If you don’t, no big deal. Choose a new podcast. And, if you really really like something, then hit the ‘subscribe’ button to ensure every new episode automatically gets downloaded to your phone.

(click on the image above to subscribe to Always A Lesson’s Empowering Educators Podcast)

Why should I listen to a Podcast?

As I mentioned above, podcasts have become my new professional development [PD], both personally and professionally. I even started keeping a notebook with tidbits of what I had been learning so that I could look back later and remind myself of these truths. I have been rejuvenated in my passion for education. I have been stretched to try new things in my business. I have found powerful, inspiring mentors. And, most importantly, I get excited each week for new episode releases for my favorite podcast shows which heightens my happiness and brings much joy to my life.

I absolutely love that I can bring podcasts with me wherever I go, no matter what I am doing. It couldn’t be more convenient, entertaining and informative. #iheartpodcasts

Head on over to iTunes, or open the app on your phone, and start looking around at available podcasts of your interest. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

What is your favorite podcast and why?

The post Why You Need to Listen to Podcasts appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Have you heard of Voxer? [if not, check out my earlier post here.] It has been a wonderful resource for my development as an educator. I wanted to take a moment to highlight for you how this new technology tool can be of benefit to yourself personally and professionally.

Connect with Likeminded Professionals

I have “met” some excellent individuals who have unofficially become my mentor(s). Twitter was my first platform for making these global connections, but now Voxer allows for a more personal interaction allowing our voices to strengthen the bond between us.

Once you get your handle set up (either through the app or computer website), start deciding who you want to connect with. You can do this one-on-one or in a group. I suggest starting with individual conversations until you get the hang of the tool, and then start asking around for Voxer groups to join. You are unable to search for a group or add yourself unfortunately. Therefore, I would use social media to get ideas of what groups exist and then have a member of the group add you into the discussion if they are able. (If you pay for the app, you get more perks and can add lots of people to a discussion, but the free version is what I use and I am happy with it). Once you are in, introduce yourself in 2 minutes or less and then start chiming in to the discussion. And don’t worry, if you feel like the group isn’t for you it is okay to exit the chat- I had to do this with a few chats that had TONS of people and my phone was going off non-stop! [See my recent post on the Do’s and Don’ts of Voxer!]

The relationships you make in group chats will most likely turn to side-voxes, or one-on-one correspondence with another member that you feel most aligned to or excited to chat with on a more personal level; I have really enjoyed the side-voxes because that individual and myself were able to dig deeper on a topic brought up in the group chat without derailing that group’s discussion. Currently, I am really invested in a few groups: #PersonalizedPD, Edupodcasters, Talks with Teachers, #CMSk12Chat and #Educoach. As you can see, most of these chats have spun off from a Twitter chat (showcased with a hashtag symbol). Now we aren’t limited by 140 characters! The groups I am most interested in are focusing on topics that I want to learn and grow in, not just where I feel I have a lot to contribute- hello life long learner!

The key here is just to get started and the connections will naturally start to develop from there.

Engage in Book Club Groups

Some voxer groups come together to discuss specific topics as you saw above, but others come together to discuss impactful books they have come across as being helpful. I am currently reading The Art of Coaching by Elana Aguilar via #TOSAchat bookclub voxer group. I heard about this group while in another group I was in as well as through Twitter and was so excited to jump in to the discussion. As a teacher coach, this book is right up my alley! We never stop learning and growing and I look forward not just to what I will learn through the book, but what I will learn through the connections with others implementing the book ideas into their everyday practice. The stories that these educators share and how quotes from the book hit home with them really motivate me to better understand those teachers I work with and consider multiple perspectives before implementing my coaching plan.

What’s great about Voxer book clubs is you are able to use your time as efficiently as possible by not having to physically meet up to discuss a book. Plus with Voxer you can chime in when its convenient for you. No need to hop on the phone or online at the same time for a specific time period, just join the discussion as it fits your schedule and learn and grow when you can. Talk about convenient learning opportunities!

Experience EdCamp Virtually

Taking group discussion to the next level is the idea to use the format of an EdCamp to discuss a variety of topics using the tool of Voxer. Wow…life changing. Over Christmas break, I “attended” #EdCampVoxer. This was a powerful moment to stretch my own thinking and instructional practices. How it worked was anyone interested in joining in the fun were added to a main chat group. From there, educators shared ideas of topics they wanted to discuss. Instead of assigning topics to physical rooms and times as the EdCamp protocol states, new Voxer groups were established as the “rooms” and everyone could join and chime in at their leisure- again, no specific time you had to log in and no specific time frame to stay. The same idea was true about hopping in and out of rooms when you wanted without anyone taking offense to it. I joined quite a few groups and as always had to exit a few so I could keep up with the ones I was extremely interested in:

• Effectively Leading Teachers through Personalized Coaching
• Personal and Professional Growth through Mentors and Mentoring
• Building a Collaborative Culture through Peer Observation
• Increasing Student Ownership in the Classroom.

These topics I found interesting because they hit home with what I am currently doing as a teacher coach. I wanted to attend professional development to gain experience and exposure to being the most effective coach as possible. EdCamp was going to be the vessel that allowed me to gain this effectiveness without paying a dime- who great is that?! [Stay tuned for a blog post outlining all that I learned during this EdCamp.]

Up-and-Coming Ideas

I have heard administrators use Voxer to communicate with staff in their building instead of walkie talkies. I have heard other coaches using Voxer to leave feedback after an observation with a teacher so the tone of voice couldn’t be misconstrued, as it often happens in emails. I am sure as the app continues to hit educators’ hands, its use will grow in numerous ways and I cannot wait to check back in to update you on just that!

As you can see, Voxer is a tool that is created out of convenience for those that want to collaborate in an efficient and more personalized way than social media currently allows. It has opened doors for me by allowing relationships with heavy hitting educators to develop and expose me to thinking outside of my own to help me learn and grow in ways I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to benefit from if Voxer was not created.

I highly suggest you try Voxer out, even if just to talk to a friend!

Looking for more information about Voxer? Check out these helpful blog posts:

Do’s and Don’ts of Voxer

EdCamp Voxer 2015

Edcamp Voxer 2016

My New Favorite Tech Tool: Voxer

How are you using Voxer to learn and grow personally and/or professionally?

The post How Can an Educator Gain Effectiveness through the Voxer App? appeared first on Always A Lesson.

Do you want to grow in effectiveness and develop strong instructional practice habits?

Then, keep reading.

Education is all about communication and collaboration. Without these two key levers, stakeholders cannot become their best so that students can succeed in and out of the classroom.

How do we do this?

Get a mentor. Grab a coach. Log in to a webinar. Join a twitter chat. CONNECT.CONNECT.CONNECT!

Where do I get a mentor?

School districts provide mentoring for new teachers, often in their first three years. But, they might need someone who can pour in more time and effort to help them gain momentum in their classroom effectiveness.

Teachers who do not fall into this new teacher category might need help too!

Reach out to your grade level leader and ask for help. Snag your facilitator, dean or school based coach for additional help. Or… <drum roll please>

Reach Out To Me! 

I have been teaching at the elementary level for a decade and coaching middle to high school teachers for the last half decade. If you’re in Charlotte, NC or a surrounding city I can be with you in person when you need it most. If you are not, HAVE NO FEAR. I am only a call, text, vox or Skype call/Google hang out away. Thank goodness for virtual connectedness!

I can’t afford a mentor. What are my options?

First, its not a good idea to not reach out for help in fear you can’t afford it. Many coaches work with you in your price range. Your school can sponsor you to help offset costs. Or grab a few colleagues and go in on a deal together. Your school might just want to bring someone in if enough teachers are interested so start asking around and formulating a plan. You want to make sure that your needs are met, so decide what help you need and solicit help in that area rather than finding a one size fits all PD.

How do I figure out what I need help with most?

Look at your performance evaluations, where do you score the lowest? Or, what is your biggest pain each and every day? Shoot me an email (gretchen@alwaysalesson.com) and we can sort out what prioritized area you need to work on and put a game plan together for attending a webinar for PD, chatting 1:1 to lesson plan, live skype or video submission for lesson delivery feedback, and scheduling a coaching call.

Regardless of whether or not you choose to invest in your own development by hiring a coach, finding out your pain points and seeking assistance from those in your school building are absolutely necessary steps in moving forward. If you have done these two things and feel you could benefit from individualized help, Q/A, or a brainstorming session grab a time slot on my calendar here for a FREE 20 minute Skype or Google Hang out call.

You have nothing to lose but to get better and gain a clear focus.

What is holding you back from developing into your full potential?

The post I Need You, Teachers! appeared first on Always A Lesson.

I tend to have secret mentors.

Why?

Well, I am a learner. I find someone that can pour into me and I don’t stop tapping into that supply system. Luckily, I escaped any creeper status because I am a virtual suction cup- they don’t even know I hang on to their every word!

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher so I read EVERY (interesting looking) education book leading up to my opportunity to gain employment, starting at the ripe age of 9. When I felt I was reading the same tips from books, I started looking elsewhere- but not down of course.

Luckily, the internet was booming and I began to scour the web for more information. Blogs became my new supply system of educational information. But there came a time when classroom stories and tips felt like a merry-go-round. I needed more. I needed something different.

That made me realize that my dream was no longer ahead of me, that I was currently living my dream. Well, then I should just read my OWN stuff! That would mean my head is at my feet. I am not growing when I am looking down. It was time to dream again.

I decided I wanted to take my classroom leadership to the next level as a leader to other teachers. I scoured the internet again. This time I was looking for educational consultants- folks that started in the classroom and now are paid to help others in the classroom. #dreamjob

I came across my first secret mentor, Angela Watson of The Cornerstone For Teachers. She was on the next level and wrote extensively on her blog about her journey, aspirations and impact. For once I was a suction cup to a person and not just to information.

I followed her career for years and eventually met up with her recently at a conference here in Charlotte. I guess the cat is out of the bag- its no longer a secret mentorship!

Most recently, I have been making my own educator journey unique. I no longer followed the path that others had paved before me. I created my own way, style, and mission.

1. I turned my blog into the Empowering Educators podcast.
2. I developed and sold more products on Teachers Pay Teachers.
3. I left the classroom to coach new teachers through The New Teacher Project.
4. And now, I am taking my knowledge and expertise and offering it world wide through virtual coaching of teachers of all experience levels- a more differentiated focus on a more extensive scale.

During my launch of my podcast, I had to start suction cupping myself again. I needed to learn from other podcasters so I didn’t appear to be “the new girl on the street airwaves.” I started typing my interests into the keyword browser on iTunes: leadership, teaching, education, coach, mentor…BAM.

Enter my next secret mentor….Geoff Woods of The Mentee podcast and author of GeoffWoods.com and FindThebBestMentors.com. It was the first person I ever followed that was not an educator- well, in the school system sense. For whatever reason, I connected with this podcast. I binged on every episode to get caught up, made a podcast notebook to keep track of value bombs from my favorite shows and started learning- picking up insight like a kid in a candy shop. I again gleaned from the information provided by one person instead of many; and I was okay with that because I was being fed.

My dreams got bigger. My motivation grew taller. My confidence grew deeper. I was looking up.

Geoff’s podcast starts off every episode with theJim Rhodes quote “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” Wow. That was a game-changer.

I tried to make a list of my Top 5, but I ended up making multiple lists: church list, friend list, family list, educator list and so on. I don’t think that’s what I was supposed to be doing. So I forced myself to think about if something were to go wrong RIGHT NOW and I didn’t have the answer myself, who would I run to first?

1. Dad

…shoot, I am married now- he is just as knowledgeable as my Dad, but I have a 32 year habit of going to my main man that it will take some time to recalibrate. Reboot. Reboot.

1. Husband
2. Dad

My list ended there. These two men are my rational problem solvers. They both were aligned with my (1) character, (2) values, and (3) faith in God. I had the trifecta effect x 2… wow, I am blessed!

But this wasn’t going to help my business venture. I needed a list of educators that I could aspire to and glean from. The more I listened to Geoff, the more I realized I needed to create a LEAP list; a list of educators that I would die to have coffee with for just 5 minutes to gain their wisdom- “my circle of influence” he says. To do that I had to follow Geoff’s advice: “be where your mentors are.” Okay, so I went back to my list and started jotting down some names. I kept crossing off names, adding new names, crossing those names off and adding back old names…repeat, repeat, repeat.

I had to stop this crazy mess. I had to stop devoting my time to paper and start turning my effort into action.

I reached out to Geoff to thank him for his insight and encouragement through his podcast episodes. He personally emailed me back asking how he could help. Well, I already knew what I had to do and he couldn’t do that for me. So I told him I would reach back out in a few weeks when I jumped off the cliff chasing my dream.

“When you develop the habit of surrounding yourself with GREAT people and adding value to GREAT people, GREAT things happen to you. Develop that habit.” Geoff said in his most recent podcast episode. [spp-tweet tweet=””]

Sounded easy enough. So that is what I am doing. If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll never get there. I needed my list so I knew who to watch and learn from so that I could take that insight and turn it into my own so that I too could gain access to the next level. I started going to conferences to be with heavy hitting educators. I joined Voxer groups with experience educators. I started upping my social game and suddenly I had achieved my Top 5. (I bet you’re dying to know who is on this list, but I can’t tell you…yet!).

When I reached back out to Geoff to let him know not only did I hear his advice but I followed it, he was so excited- not just for his own benefit, but for paying it forward. He was using his life lessons from his own mentors to transform the lives of others who are learning to develop their own mentorships.

If you are anything like me and have dreams outside of what you are doing right now, FIND A MENTOR. You don’t need to even tell that person they are your mentor. Just listen to what they say, do as they do, develop your own path and maybe one day you can reveal your secret. But until then, get focused on where you want to be and how you will get there. That means….

Set Your Eyes on the Skies.

You cannot get better by staring at your shoes as you walk along your own path. As I titled this blog post, you cannot get better by looking down.

If I never thought bigger than myself or my situation, I would have never scoured the internet to find my first secret mentor, Angela Watson. If I didn’t rise up to my next personal challenge of edu-preneurship, I would have never found my second secret mentor, Geoff Woods. Both people have poured into me with countless value bombs, expounding my growth as a person and educator. I am so glad I kept my eyes up- thought bigger, searched higher, and reached wider.

I challenge you to evaluate your life. Where do you want to be? Set your eyes there. Find people who are already doing what you want to be doing where you want to be doing it. Follow their lead. Keep your head up… you can’t get better with your head looking down.

Go get those mentors!

What is one SMALL thing you can do today to achieve your BIG dream?

Connect with MY Secret Mentors:

• Angela Watson
  • Facebook: The Cornerstone for Teachers
  • Twitter: @angela_watson
  • Website: The Cornerstone for Teachers
• Geoff Woods
  • Facebook: The Mentee Podcast
  • Twitter: @geoffwoods
  • Website: Geoff Woods Blog

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