Reading Braille and the Key to Better Reading
I’m learning to read. No, really. I’ve learned so much about learning to read while studying contracted braille for about two years now. While I may be able to read large print for…
Holistic Leadership, Thriving Schools—to Serve the Whole Child
“Waaaaiiiiit…this is practical,” exclaim the coaches I’ve trained in using Holistic Leadership Coaching. And, “Waaaiiitt…I can use this process again and again as my goals or roles or staff change,…
Are You Scaffolding or Proceduralizing?
I’m often asked to help professional learning communities (PLCs) develop common definitions of rigor. We start with a reading on what defines rigor and then rate sample tasks as high–…
This Child is Not a problem!
Do you ever feel like the pressure is on to be a perfect parent? Whether it’s all the “expert advice” in the headlines, one-upmanship on the soccer sidelines, or dire…
My Top Six Books from 2023
I love sharing and receiving book recommendations, although my to-read list is long enough. Why six top picks? To showcase three nonfiction and three fiction titles this time. But first,…
FREE Webinar for Educator Bandwidth Launch
The launch of my newest book Educator Bandwidth: How to Reclaim Your Energy, Passion, and Time, begins with a free webinar sponsored by the publisher ASCD on Tuesday, July 12,…
Protecting Teachers’ “Bandwidth”
In our article in the Summer 2022 issue of Educational Leadership, my colleague Ann C. Holm and I outline steps schools can take to better protect teachers’ “bandwidth” and sense of efficacy. Schools’ ability to do…
Doable Differentiation Workshop in Minnesota
When groups do this exercise, EVERY item is rated “best” and “worst” by someone. Join me at Learning Forward Minnesota on June 15 for Doable Differentiation–teaching around, not to–cognitive processes…
Research and Data? Teacher Wisdom? Yes, and…!
In Braiding Sweetgrass (2020), author and professor Robin Wall Kimmerer describe one of her students’ graduate thesis projects. The student was familiar with a disagreement in traditional knowledge about the most…
How About a Bill of Responsibilities?
“Your rights stop where your siblings’ rights start!” That was one of the dad-isms I grew up with as my parents guided my four brothers and me in sharing rooms,…