We were sitting together, teachers gathered around student work from a newly designed performance assessment. The task asked students to engage in a deep study of character in literature. Instead of a single written response, students were given multiple pathways to show their thinking through a multimedia performance assessment. Students could write, speak, design, create, …
I love learning. If you’re here reading, that probably isn’t a secret and I’m guessing you love it too. I write every week about my thinking and learning, and it rarely lives in just one place. It doesn’t matter which medium it comes from. I take it all in and layer it. Books. Articles. Conversations. …
Continue reading 10 Podcasts Outside of Education That Are Elevating My Thinking
What helps you lead well when the days feel full and the expectations feel high? If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you care deeply about your work. You care about doing it well. You care about the people you serve. You care about growing, even when growth feels uncomfortable or unclear. And while many …
When leadership and learning feel heavy, what helps us decide how to move people forward with care and intention? This is a question that continuously rests on the shoulders of those leading complex work in schools. And if you are reading this post, perhaps this resonates with your own thinking. In his new book, Forward, …
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. …
This week, as I sat in meetings and one-on-one conversations, I noticed something. There were moments where it felt like educators and leaders didn’t need another initiative or plan. They needed space…space to talk, to process, and to be heard. In my book The Leader Inside, I share that “the people who cross your path …
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 …
Every season of life brings something new to grow. Some arrive with fresh energy and opportunity, others ask us to slow down and reflect, and most are a blend of both. In every season, we learn, stretch, and discover new parts of ourselves. In education, this cycle is always present. We celebrate milestones, navigate obstacles, …
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 …
Empower. Collaborate. Connect. 