What if the professional learning that makes the biggest difference doesn’t begin with a new resource or a full day away from the classroom? What if it begins with something smaller: a piece of student work, a question from a teacher, or a colleague sharing an idea that works? Over time, I’ve learned that meaningful …
Continue reading 4 Ways to Make Professional Learning Matter
This week, I’m continuing to write about the ideas from the Mel Robbins podcast with Adam Grant that I keep coming back to. When something inspires me, I often revisit it…replaying a podcast, listening to music, or rereading a passage from a book or article. That’s how I make space to reflect and let an …
What does it take to help people move through change? Last week, as our district began the first full cycle of professional learning for a new literacy resource we are implementing, I saw one answer: make room to learn. I spent weeks planning with our leadership team, literacy coaches, educators, and our consultants. The behind-the-scenes …
This week, I walked into a kindergarten classroom and noticed children helping one another with the writing process. They were sketching, talking, making approximations, and learning together. They have been in school for less than a month and no one had assigned them leadership roles. They simply understood that the people around them could help …
If there is one thing we know about education, it is that there is always something new to navigate. The world continues to evolve, and so do the skills learners need to thrive within it. In every year I have served as an educator, something has felt a little different. Priorities shift, new possibilities emerge, …
“You will always have Long Beach sand in your shoes, no matter where you go.” Years ago, I used to share those words with new teachers as I handed each of them a tiny vial of sand from the beach community we taught in. At the time, I thought I was giving them a reminder …
Can you relate to the feeling of wanting to be in two places at once? The first few weeks of school can feel like a whirlwind. There is the anticipation of a new year, the excitement of seeing colleagues and students, and the pressure of trying to navigate personal and professional responsibilities well. As a …
This week, I had the privilege of spending a lot of time with our newest teachers. It is always one of my favorite weeks of the school year. There is something about welcoming educators at the beginning of their journey that always brings me back to the people who helped shape mine. My appreciation for …
Recently, I have been in spaces where people have asked me about my weekly writing and how I maintain a blog while juggling so many other responsibilities. The answer is actually pretty simple. Learning is important to me.Growing is important to me.Thinking is important to me.Writing to think through ideas is important to me. Going …
Continue reading What Kind of Thinking Are We Making Room For?
If you have come to this space to read my writing before, you may already know that my writing process is shaped by the ideas I encounter in books and articles, hear in podcasts, and gather through interactions across my personal and professional life. I have developed a habit of writing down the quotes that …
Continue reading Five Quotes I Keep Returning To and What They Can Mean for Education