A few years ago, I was asked to deliver a keynote address to a group of reading coaches working in local schools. I created a presentation that focused on reading motivation, choosing books for students, strategy teaching and the importance of teacher language. I even involved social media and live participation. I was quite pleased with how it turned out and was looking forward to my session.

That all changed when I arrived.

I am a pretty positive person. I try to look for the silver lining, but if I am honest, I am much better at finding the silver lining for someone else than I am for myself. Can you relate?

The School Reform Initiative is a powerful resource for coaching and leading and their Compass Points protocol is worth sharing. The original Compass Points activity helps teachers learn about their preferences for working with others and how our collective preferences can impact our learning communities. If you have not yet explored this idea, I highly recommend you do so. It is a great way to get to know a group of people and how that information can support your coaching.

I know, I know. How could I possibly say ‘text rendering’ and ‘set hearts on fire’ in the same title? Because it’s possible. 

I’ve been privileged to have thousands of conversations with hundreds of administrators on the topic of literacy coaching and instruction. One particular conversation springs to mind and brings a smile to my face, even many years later.

After a think tank session where we created a vision and plan for the year, an elementary principal looked at me and said: “You know…other people look at you and see a kind, helpful face, but I see you as a walking, talking color-coded chart who instantly makes sense of the jumble of information in my mind.”