The changes to how instruction is being delivered across the nation are difficult to comprehend. I have been focused on classroom instruction in the traditional sense for decades and it has taken me some time to find how I can contribute to this current reality in K-12 education. Over the past weeks, I have had the opportunity to deeply engage across a wide variety of platforms to learn about how instructional leaders are responding to the Coronavirus pandemic to keep all stakeholders informed in an ever-changing landscape. I feel compelled to share what I have found in hopes that it Continue Reading
Blog
Top 5 Themes About Remote Learning…So Far
I’ve been reading a plethora of articles and participating in just as many, if not more webinars/live streams from a variety of educational leaders. I typically find these resources on my social media feeds. In fact, I created a “best of” list in my last post and highly recommend that you check it out and follow these educators as they are truly inspirational instructional leaders. I have found that taking notes about what resonates with me for each event on a single Google doc has helped me to synthesize what is emerging as common themes about remote learning and here Continue Reading
Greetings and Welcome to My Instructional Leadership Blog!
First, a little bit about me…this is my 32nd year as an educator. During this time, I have had the pleasure of serving in a wide variety of roles, which have contributed to my passion for high-quality teacher practice. Below are some of these roles: High school science teacher New teacher mentor High school dean of students Elementary school principal Middle school dean of students Teacher support director Staff development director Educational services director I include these to give you a sense of where I am coming from and for you to hopefully have a “just like me” connection. I earned my Continue Reading
How School Administrators Build Learning-Focused Relationships Using Classroom Walk-Throughs
What is a walk-through? It depends on the school culture. It could be a 5-10 minutes, scheduled or unscheduled, informal observation. It is more intentional than a classroom visit, which can be more interactive and casual. A walk-through has a particular focus, usually grounded in a particular standard of practice. What is the value of a walk-through? Your presence in the classroom has great value to the students, teacher, and you as the instructional leader. In the beginning, you are establishing a routine of being present and getting a sense of the classroom climate and culture. You are communicating your Continue Reading
Top Ten Considerations For School Administrators Before Setting Annual Goals and Objectives With Teachers
A Bit of Context Many districts in California and some districts across the nation have teachers develop annual goals and objectives (G/O). As one might imagine, there are a wide range of expectations between districts. Here are a few: Some have every teachers create them every year, whether or not they are being formally evaluated, others have this expectation only for those teachers on the evaluation cycle. Some have the expectation that they will be developed collaboratively with the administrator and others do not. Some require the use of a variety of teaching standards (like the California Standards for the Continue Reading
The Lighter Side of Instructional Leadership
A Few Points to Ponder As You Continue on Your Instructional Leadership Journey… Being a school administrator can be overwhelming, especially when classroom observations are added to to the mix. Make every minute you are in classrooms count, without creating endless paperwork that there isn’t time to complete. Get started by reading How School Administrators Provide Meaningful Formative Feedback About Instructio Building consistent practice of classroom visits will help reduce teacher anxiety, especially when you start having learning-focused conversations about what you observed when you were there. A good place to start is with this posting: How School Administrators Build Learning-Focused Continue Reading
5 Steps to Dramatically Improve the Quality of Learning-Focused Conversations
Have you ever informally walked through classrooms and had teachers want to talk about what you observed? 1. Be aware of the six California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTPs) and accompanying elements. Simple, right? Know the overall focus of each standard and some general descriptors within the standards. The CSTP Placemat is a simple one-page reference of the standards and their elements. If you are able, print on a bright color (cardstock, if you are fancy) and display somewhere in your office for quick reference. Also, if you are from another state, use the language that your state/district has Continue Reading
School Administrators: Make Your Formative Feedback to Teachers Meaningful
Did you ever feel that your feedback to your teachers after a classroom observation may not have been meaningful? This article will help you to begin to build the skills needed to ensure that your feedback is evidence-based, clear, and targeted…in other words, MEANINGFUL. Why This Is An Important Skill to Develop It establishes a common language around teacher instructional practice for clearer communication about what is expected. It provides talking points for conversations around what was observed and what improvement in this area might look like. It helps to develop an unbiased language for written reports of observations and Continue Reading