Rather than label just some kids talented, we need a new approach that serves all children, writes performance coach Lee Hancock. Among his strategies: embracing failure as progress, spending time in deep practice, and fostering in kids a love for their own special interests.
Educators considering entering administration and those already there will find Kara Knight’s The Confident School Leader a useful guide to key elements of leadership. Reviewer Beth Hassinger found Knight’s discussion of social and emotional aspects particularly helpful.
Whether it’s our students or our colleagues, the mentor relationship is a win-win for mentor and mentee. As mentors, we can realize a unique personal fulfillment and grow as a listener, a coach, a friend, a leader. And one day, our mentees may decide to “pay it forward.”
Effective class management begins with dynamic planning and engagement, writes instructional specialist Miriam Plotinsky. Teachers who focus not just on delivering information but responding to student feedback in the moment can avoid “helicopter teacher” syndrome. Here’s how.
Want a fun way to turn student talk into deeper learning? Teacher Kelly Owens serves up tips and resources for Café Conversations, showing how students’ need to talk can become on-task, productive, and reflective when they encounter this welcoming cross-curricular strategy.
Christina Nosek, a teacher and literacy staff developer, engages readers with a collection of important concepts with answered questions on the foundation of the reading classroom. Literacy coach Pam Hamilton says the easy read is great for a summer professional reading stack.
As described by Kathy Perret and Kenny McKee in Compassionate Coaching, understanding compassionate coaching causes us to reflect on our practice and deliver planned actions to shift everyone’s performance to benefit students. Consultant Helene Alalouf finds lots to implement.
Community-centered instructional coaching reflects the idea that we all deserve to feel competent, confident, and fulfilled in our daily work, writes Pam Koutrakos. Ongoing, job-embedded professional learning that capitalizes on the spirit of community yields more buy-in.
By putting strong relationships at the fore, you can cultivate an environment in which each of your students can grow. Through her many years in the classroom Stephanie Farley has hit upon keys to encourage kids to thrive. At the center – kindness and getting to know each one.
When we incorporate literacy assessments that honor students’ assets and identities, we take an essential step toward creating an inclusive classroom that values students’ cultures and centers them in their learning. Teacher educators Sean Ruday and Katie Caprino show how.
