I recently met with an exceptional group of first grade teachers for a follow-up session to a training on a new assessment system their district is implementing this year. The previous meeting had been a quick training on the basics of how to administer the assessment. They had asked some insightful questions in the initial …
And in schools all over America, students are forced to “learn” in a way that befits deficit model thinking. We make sure that students are doubled and tripled up in the subjects they are worst at. It is as if the sole purpose of schooling for many kids is just to make sure that they …
Lucy: “I’m so excited it’s Valentines Day and we have a party later.” Me: “Wow, you’re dressed up for Valentines Day today with a glittery pink T-shirt and your pink fingernail polish with glitter matches your shirt!” Lucy: “I am. My mom woke me up early this morning and she told me to come to …
Most of my teacher friends here in Texas are headed back to school sometime this week. There’s a lot of excitement mixed with a little dread. And that’s completely understandable. Before the name tags are printed and the bulletin boards are perfected, please take a few minutes to be as nurturing to yourself as you …
Holly Ray is the guest blogger for That Thing You Do! today. She has over 14 years of experience in grades K-12 in both public and private school–nine of those years in administration. I am so grateful that Holly is sharing about the importance of leading others through a change process. You can follow Holly …
A few months ago, I talked with a friend who is also an instructional coach and she was troubled by a district meeting she had attended. As she recounted the meeting, I kept thinking, “Wow, that’s a lot of emphasis in one day-long meeting on compliance.” I asked her how the other coaches in the …
This is a repost of Dr. Mary Howard’s guest post earlier this year. There is much to discuss about RtI and Mary is one of the best to lead that discussion. I’m so honored that Mary shared her thoughts here. Dr. Mary Howard and I have never met in person, but she has had …
A lot of teachers are winding down their summer 2017, but campus administrators, many of them, are already back at school. I’m reposting this great guest post by my friend, Christal Hollinger. It’s a perfect read for the few weeks before school reconvenes. Christal Hollinger is the guest blogger for today’s That Thing You …
This post generated a lot of interest when it first went live back in December. I’m re-posting this week in an effort to continue this very important conversation. Intervention must be thoughtfully designed for our most fragile readers. Much has been written about RtI. We have protocols and models, research-based practices and progress monitoring tools, …
So honored that Liesl James is sharing her wisdom about behavior here today for That Thing You Do! I’ve known Liesl for several years and now work on the same campus where she is the assistant principal. It’s an amazing thing to work with a campus leader that you are continually learning from each day. …
