Making the Shift from “Getting by” to “Getting BETTER”

Dana GoodierBlog, Leadership, Reflect Better, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Change your mindset from finishing the year by just getting by. Instead, recognize what you learned and how you’ve gotten better. Reflect on how you have improved this year, how you have learned from others, what you’ve learned from PD opportunities offered. Don’t go back to “just surviving” in education. Work together to be better together. Recent interview with … Read More

The Long View vs. The Short View

Steven WeberBlog, Leadership

TL;DR: Navigating a crisis requires a short view. It is time to refocus on the long view. In order to focus on the long view, educators need to begin with the end in mind, create a guiding coalition, identify a strategy for the first weeks of school, and focus on systems work vs. patchwork. “Leading through a crisis requires taking … Read More

Transformational Six: Ignite Student Understanding

Steven WeberBlog, Leadership, Lesson Planning

TL;DR: It is crucial for instructional leaders to put the focus on student understanding. Ignite student understanding by developing common formative assessments, analyzing current levels of achievement, setting achievement goals, and sharing strategies. Igniting student understanding will happen when teacher teams create lessons to address the needs of learners. Instructional leaders focus on student understanding. Schmoker (2005) wrote, “It starts … Read More

The Time is NOW for Compassionate Hiring

Brad HughesBlog, Leadership, Student Engagement

TL;DR: During the interview process, teacher candidates deserve compassionate conditions through which their competence and character may be revealed. Some ways to show compassion are: provide details before the interview, set a welcoming and positive tone at the beginning of the interview, make it visible that you are listening, close the interview by asking if the candidate has any questions … Read More

Connect Better with Voxer

Alex T. ValencicBlog, Edtech, Leadership, Reflect Better, Student Engagement

TL;DR: The diffusion of innovation is often used to describe the different phases of adoption of new technology. Voxer is not actually a social media platform but rather, a communication tool intended for a private group. You will learn how to get started with using Voxer. Tips and tricks on how to use Voxer efficiently will be shared. The Diffusion … Read More