This may be the easiest and most versatile idea I have tried to engage teachers in discussion, reflection and collaboration during professional learning sessions. This incredibly simple activity requires no preparation, can be used in virtually any professional learning session, can be personalized to whatever content you are hoping to explore and is sure to spark thinking and discussion. Really. 

If you have read any of my other posts, you know how much I love sticky notes: big ones, small ones, colorful ones, plain ones, shaped notes, tall notes, short notes, every single kind of sticky note. I use them in lots of ways, but today, I’d like to share how I use sticky notes to create shared norms with a new group of educators, perfect for the beginning of the school year. It’s hands-on, colorful and gets teachers thinking in a hands-on-minds-on way. 

I cannot quite believe it, but I have been teaching at my University for over 16 years. And for all of those years, I’ve been working with teachers virtually part of our online literacy programs. I love creating online professional learning experiences, but my biggest challenge as an online instructor (and literacy coach!) has been to create a community of learners that has the same spirited feel of in-person communication.

I’ve tried all sorts of ideas and activities to come together as a community, but this one is a game-changer and I now use it to build teacher learning communities online and in person: Interactive Introductions with Google Slides.

Did you know I have a coaching secret weapon? I do. It’s my Quick Win Toolkit. And now, you can have one, too.

I love whimsy and one of the ways I bring a bit of whimsical fun to instructional coaching is by creating and happily sharing PD party favors. Wait. What?! Yes, PD party favors. Let me explain.

Let’s play a little game of word association. When you think of the phrase ‘professional development’, what word instantly comes to mind? No censoring! Maybe your word is exciting, productive or collaborative because you find professional development a privilege and joy to plan for. But maybe your word is time-consuming, frustrating or tiring because planning PD is challenging work. And here’s the thing: there’s likely more than one word that comes to mind, a duality of feelings toward creating professional development for teachers, and those feelings likely change over time.

Summer if officially here! I have so enjoyed bringing you a new coaching tool, activity or idea every Monday for the entire 2020-2021 school year, a year like no other. But now, it’s time for a collective rest, a bit of downtime and a whole lot of reading, writing and connections with family and friends. So, I’ve decided to take the month of July off from blogging and podcasting on The Coaching Sketchnote Book to do just that.

My very first position as an instructional coach was actually a coach of the coaches….and it was almost twenty years ago when no one was quite sure exactly what a coach was and what he/she did let alone what a coach of the coach did. So, what’s a new coach to do? Find support.  

Instructional coaches are constantly leading the learning of others: we create yearly visions for our work; offer professional development on chosen topics; partner with teachers in the classroom; and curate resources and materials to support teacher learning over time. We don’t just focus on the content of learning; we support teachers’ mindsets so they too feel supported and energized.

As coaches, we're often left to our own devices when it comes to our professional learning, which means that it can get swept behind the myriad of other roles and responsibilities we prioritize. However, to lead well, we have to remain lifelong learners ourselves, by growing, stretching, and changing as professionals.

I'm here to share a 4-step process to help you create a personalized learning plan for yourself. Grab a few quiet minutes, your favorite beverage, and a notebook—now, let's get started!

I have always been a voracious reader. Books were my friends in childhood (Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume), my therapists in my teenage and young adult years (Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman) and some of my best parenting tools (Junie B. Jones and the Sticky, Smelly Bus by Barbara Park). Books are woven into the very fabric of my life and I know many of you can relate.

Many educators use picture books to build a classroom community around shared texts and offer students mentor texts for their own writing, too. But what if we brought picture books into coaching and leading so teachers could experience the same?

Here’s one thing I know for sure: there is no such thing as balance. What did I say? There is no such thing as balance. I know, it is a strong statement, but I truly believe it and I am not alone.

One of my favorite inspirational videos comes from Kid President. It’s called A Pep Talk From Kid President to You and in it, Kid President gives us the kick-in-the-pants we need to reframe our thinking and brighten our spirits.

Kid President’s opening line is: I think we all need a pep talk.

My opening line for this blog post is: I think we all need an awe walk. =)

I don’t know about you, but I am a list person. In fact, I adore lists in all their splendor: lists on sticky notes, on notebook paper, on whiteboards, and even on digital devices. Why do I love them so? For me, lists provide a sense of purpose for my days. My list of tasks might be long, but acknowledging them and their importance to my day inspires me to complete them. Crossing the items off my list when they are completed gives me a sense of satisfaction. In fact, when I complete activities that were not on my list, I have been known to write them down just so I can cross them off. I imagine many of you can relate.

I have a confession to make: I am a fast reader. And sometimes, too fast. I devour books in the moment and savor their lessons, but less than one month later might have difficulty recalling the title to share with a friend. Actually, if I’m completely honest, I tend to do everything too fast and rush through moments that I would enjoy much more fully if I were just a bit more present. But, I’m working on it, especially in my reading life.

Earlier this week, I read an article by Jim Knight on the difference between professional development and professional learning. Now, I prefer the term professional learning because it’s not my job to develop teachers, it’s my honor to learn alongside them. But Knight’s value for BOTH professional development and professional learning really had me thinking.

I love planning professional learning for teachers. It is my absolute favorite part of coaching. Now, that wasn’t always the case, but once I started creating a coaching notebook for myself (the very blog you are reading!), I realized just how much of an art it really is.

Recently, I posted about thin-slicing data, particularly, thin-slicing student writing. Since then, some of you have requested additional ideas for reviewing assessment data, so this post is for you: Documentation Panels to Celebrate Growth.

This may be the easiest and most versatile idea I have tried to engage teachers in discussion, reflection and collaboration. I first learned of this idea from Julie Caroll, a fellow literacy coach from upstate New York. This incredibly simple activity requires no preparation, can be used in virtually any professional learning session, can be personalized to whatever content you are hoping to explore and is sure to spark thinking and discussion. Really. Here’s how it works:

If you are reading this post at the original date of publication, then you’re likely nearing the end-of-the-year stretch and might be in need of a few ideas to keep teacher morale, collaboration and learning strong. And if you’re not, then you’ll find today’s post is perfect for any time your teacher learning community needs a bit of a boost.

Early on in my career, I worked with an assessment coordinator who I respected a great deal. She showed me the value of working closely with student data and listening to what the data was telling me in addition to what I was seeing (and feeling!) in the classroom. She would jokingly say ‘Show me the data!’ mirrored after ‘Show me the money!’ in the Jerry McGuire movie.