TL;DR: Education is about building bridges, with teachers as bridge builders guiding students through their K-12 journey. Bridges need to be built between misunderstanding and understanding, dependence and self-regulation, learning for grades and lifelong learning, illiteracy and civic literacy, and one right answer to adaptability. A whole child education includes academic skills and additional aspects that prepare students for the … Read More
The Curse of Mount Rushmore
TL;DR: People in education can sometimes lose touch with what is most important. Remember who you are and why you went into the profession. Above all, stay true to your mission. Each year, new teachers, administrators, and superintendents are hired. School districts across the United States put their faith in individuals and hope they will support the students and staff … Read More
Learner Agency: Teaching The Art of Agility
TL;DR: Learner agency empowers students through student voice, choice, innovation, and authentic tasks, allowing them to take ownership of their learning. Teachers can create opportunities for learner agency by implementing strategies such as project-based learning, arts education, communication, problem-solving, and reflection. Learner agency enables students to set goals, reflect on their progress, and transfer their understanding in new situations, developing … Read More
5 Dysfunctions of a Professional Learning Team
TL;DR: All teams are potentially dysfunctional due to the fallibility of human beings, which can lead to frustration and fatigue among educators who collaborate and share resources. The five dysfunctions of a Professional Learning Team include curriculum clutter, fear of conflict, lack of trust, failure to communicate, and lack of a scoreboard. Overcoming these dysfunctions requires clarity in curriculum goals, … Read More
Landmines for Instructional Leaders
TL;DR: Instructional leaders must avoid common landmines in their role, such as prioritizing everything as important, lacking clarity in implementation plans, avoiding conflict, focusing solely on data instead of individuals, and dealing with curriculum clutter. To overcome these challenges, instructional leaders should provide clarity and prioritize effectively, embrace healthy conflict for curriculum improvement, balance data-driven decision-making with a focus on … Read More