Time is magic. It may be our greatest resource, and the one we never seem to have enough of. Yet it’s not magic because it appears out of nowhere; it’s magic because of what happens when leaders intentionally create it. When leaders carve out time to learn with teachers, meaningful professional learning doesn’t just happen. …
I still remember the first time I stepped into a classroom as an instructional coach. I had my notebook, my questions, and my curiosity, but I also had something I did not yet have language for: the sense that I was entering magical space. At the time, coaching was a role many didn’t fully understand. …
Before I stepped into a formal leadership role and even before my career in education began as a teacher, I thought a leader's role was to be a manager. I believed their work was about organization, structure, and oversight. It wasn’t until I encountered leaders who inspired me to become the best version of myself …
Every day in schools, our relationships are built one conversation at a time. You know these moments well: the hallway hellos, the quick “Do you have a minute?” at the door, the whispered check-in with a student after class, the after-school email to a parent you want to reassure. When you look closely, these aren’t …
Continue reading The Space Between What We Say and What We Do
I’ll never forget what learning looked like when I stepped out of the walls of my own classroom, into new learning spaces, and into various leadership roles. It quickly became clear that this was a unique opportunity to cross-pollinate ideas, share the magic happening inside classrooms with others, and witness how curiosity, creativity, and connection …
One of the most unsettling thoughts I continue to have as a leader is that I might drift too far from the classroom, too far from what’s real, what’s possible, and what’s happening in the moments that matter most. Sure, I can do my classroom visits and walk-throughs, and I do, intentionally. I can conduct …
Note to readers: I often write about leading with a coaching mindset. This post focuses on one part of the observation process, the pre-observation. Each part of the process matters, but here I’m honing in on how the pre-observation conversation can set the stage for growth, reflection, and connection as I mentor a new administrator …
“There is just not enough time in the day!” Sound familiar? Educators are always searching for ways to make the most of their instructional minutes. With the demands of various priorities, teaching multiple subjects, skills, and competencies along with packed schedules, the most effective approach is often integration...but, how can educators actually weave literacy into …
What do instructional coaches do? That’s a question I’ve heard a lot. Why? Because I’ve lived it. Over the course of my career, I’ve served as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, assistant principal, and now, district leader. Each role has shaped me, but stepping into the role of instructional coach allowed me to see beyond …
This post is one of my most shared and read blogs, and as I step into my 20th year in education, I find myself reflecting on why it still resonates. I first shared these ideas when I was an assistant principal, co-presenting with my former colleague and principal at a popular local conference on shifting …
Continue reading Observing Through a Coaching Lens: 8 Ideas That Continue to Transform Practice
Empower. Collaborate. Connect. 