January 2024

Curriculum and instruction complement one another. Picture a classroom where students are collaboratively putting content pieces together using a series of resources and experiences designed around their interests/questions. Students are spontaneously making connections to other experiences or content. In order for an educational program to successfully paint this picture, it must be anchored in high-quality instructional materials, implemented using a variety of research-based instructional practices, and flexible enough to be truly student-centered. 

Ensuring access to high-quality materials is essential for effective instruction. These are the base of an educatioanl program and what allows teachers to develop stronger pedagogy. Lessons, units and activities that were initially collaborateively developed and tested with pilot students typically are the best starting point. Oftentimes for logistical reasons, however, this process happens after adopting commonplace materials. Teachers then must collaborate to develop high-quality materials in real-time, which can be stressful, time-consuming, yet very impactful. Allowing teachers to collaborate in this process can increase the intial buy-in from teachers needed to execute the items effectively. 

That initial investment into the materials can be levereged to develop the instructional approaches that will most effectively help students. Generally speaking, effective instruction includes engagement, exploration, and explanation of content using relevant disciplinary skills. This will look different in every classroom. Skill in using the appropriate discourse moves, inquiry, and formative data to drive the direction of lessons real-time will develop over time with peer feedback and practice. Every classroom, however, should engage students in a broad problem or question, provide them with scaffolding and experiences that help them explore that problem/question, and prompt them to explain a potential solution or what they now know. This is how we learn. It takes curiosity, the mess of exploration, and the solidification of our mental models. 

The mess of learning also requires a significant amount of flexibility within a system Teachers will need the space to do what they do best: connect with students, assess where they are, and help them to develop the required knowledge and skills from their starting points. The ability of a teacher to pivot instruction is absolutely essential. It is not only a skill that the teacher develops over time, but also a key consideration when developing an educational program and evaluating teachers. It is essential for teachers to be able to quickly assess where students are and adjust instruction to meet their needs and/or engage them again. 

Although high-quality materials, a variety of a pedagogical approaches, and flexible are essential parts of effective instruction, it is my professional opinion that a supportive system is pivotal. Without support, maintaining effective instruction is nearly impossible. 

January 2024

As a person, excellent administrators are often humble, empathetic and driven. They start their days with a strong sense of purpose and end them in reflection. They are aware of their innate humanness and can relate to the feelings of others genuinely. These personal characteristics allow them to make well thought-out decisions, connect and collaborate with those around them, and maintain a broad vieew of their community. 

May 2022

In any classroom, you will find variations in personality, experience, and learning style. All of these differences affect what we percieve as a student's ability. It is i mportant to take each aspect of a student into account when trying to support their learning. In ordert o accomplish this complex task, I have two main approaches that I routinely utilize: Rapport and Differentiation. 

Building a rapport with each student is essential to being an effective teacher. It is important to build an open mentor-like relationship with students for them to present their intellectual vulnerabilities to you. As the late Rita Pearson once said, "Kids don't learn from people they don't like". Being "liked: in this sense is essentially being trusted. You have to bring your authentic self to your classroom in order to see your students and mitovate them. 

After building rapport and gaining insight about students, I am able to more effectively differentiate to meet their needs. This will look different for various types of activities, but some approaches I favor include using grouping strategies, choice boards, and specific scaffolding modifications. One favored modification is what I term a "prompting sheet". These are copies of an assignment/assessment on which I hav written organizational structures, references, or prompting questions to guide students. These types of support can be used for both students with IEPs and those who just need some extra scaffolding. If I happen to have a co-teacher for additional support, they become a key resource for differentiation as well. Collaborating with a co-teacher helps provide more support to all group levels during an activity. 

Although my classroom tends to look a bit chaotic to the untrained eye, what is really happening is a variety of needs being met in a variety of ways. It is important to ground this active classroom on trust so that students can be themselves and teachers can see and meet their individual needs. 

January 2024

In short, you give the right people, the right tools, at the right time to develop and support a culture of learning throughout your organization. People come first in education. Forming solid relationships within your community allows you to listen and respond to their needs. As a team, you can seek out the development opportunities and curricular materials that would be most beneficial both in and out of the classroom. 

January 2024

Leading requires humility and for you to recognize the humanity of those involved in and affected by systemic change. It is essential to truly listen and empathize with those going through the discomfort of change while also guiding them to discover or create solutions to the obstacles they will likely face along the way. Maintaining that solid community allows you all to grow together as you change your system to meet a collective vision.