One of the challenges instructional coaches face is deciding when to make a suggestion to a teacher. On the surface, offering suggestions seems like a straightforward way to support growth. However, knowing when to step in and how to approach these moments can significantly impact the effectiveness of the coaching relationship and the teacher’s professional […]

“Focusing on autonomy, mastery, and purpose helps my classroom be a place where both my students and I want to be. And that makes all the difference.” reported Mary Davenport, a high school English teacher. She shares her insights and examples as she is guided by the concepts of autonomy, mastery, and purpose from Daniel […]

I was introduced to the term Intellectual Humility listening to a Daniel Pink podcast. He defines it as being less certain about one’s views and more intellectually humble about what one knows and understands. It is a willingness to recognize that what you think and what you believe might be wrong. Pink suggests it not […]

 I recently read three pieces addressing student motivation by authors that I follow because they each trigger my thinking with their insights and examples: In an Education Week article , Alfie Kohn commented on the current interest in the “Marshmallow Studies” (past blog) and “Grit” (past blog ). He raised the concern that the enthusiasm […]

This week I was working with teacher leaders from a GA district who were studying with instructional coaches and administrators from their buildings. We examined teacher leaders’ roles in facilitating PLCs, building team cultures, and promoting a culture of coaching. One of the areas that emerged from our conversations was how to assist teachers in […]

In my use of backwards planning to gain student motivation, I am continually asking teachers to identify what student behaviors are needed to reach the student achievement that has been set as a goal. Very often they identify intrinsic motivation. When we take the next step in backwards planning, we have to examine “what teacher […]