“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 …
As I write this post after what felt like a long and busy week, I had many ideas. I thought about giving you another instructional strategy or another protocol to use with leaders and educators. But this time, I want to focus on something more essential to the work we do as leaders—and something we …
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
The world our students are entering is changing faster than ever. As educators, we are charged with preparing them not just with content knowledge, but with the skills, mindsets, and competencies that will help them thrive in a variety of contexts. Across the country, states have developed their own Portraits of a Graduate to define …
Continue reading Bringing the Portrait of a Graduate to Life Through the Canon
What will your students and colleagues remember about you years from now and how will you know it mattered? This week, two unexpected moments stopped me in my tracks…moments where my past met my future and reminded me why I chose, and continue to choose, this work. The first moment came at my son’s basketball …
I’ve been reading two books this summer that speak directly to the important work we’ve been doing, while also sparking new thinking and reaffirming what it means to be in education. Fearless Instruction by Creative Leadership Solutions highlights research and high-impact practices from an all-star group of leaders and educators, and Instructional Innovation: Cultivating Teacher …
Continue reading It Starts With Us: Four Leadership Moves to Elevate Teaching and Learning
In two decades as an educator, I’ve attended countless workshops, devoured professional books, articles and podcasts, and engaged in powerful learning experiences. But the learning that shaped me most? It came from coaching cycles, hallway conversations, and intervisitations where educators opened their doors, their hearts and minds, sharing what worked, wondering aloud, and learning alongside …
Continue reading Layered Coaching: A Lens on the Portrait of a Graduate
I recently read the new book, Am I Cut Out for This? by Elizabeth Dampf in two days flat. Not because I planned to, but because I couldn’t put it down. From the very first page, it felt like she was saying all the things so many leaders think, but few ever say out loud. …
I usually start my Saturday mornings by reading blogs, articles, or newsletters I subscribe to. Some may think there are other ways I could begin my day, but for me, I carve out that time for learning and growth. With coffee in hand, it’s my way of sparking thinking for the week ahead and generating …
Continue reading 20 Education Blogs That Are Making a Difference
This post is a special collaboration between Lauren Kaufman and Dr. Sonia Matthew—two educators reflecting on their parallel journeys, defining moments, and the lessons that continue to shape their work as leaders in education. I'm about to begin my 20th year in education.Yes, 20 years. As I was driving to work the other day, the …
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