(Guest Blog, Heidi Brittain) Heidi Brittain is the Instructional Coaching Programs and Services Coordinator at ESC Region 13 in Texas. I have had the privilege of working with Heidi and the coaches on her staff for several years as they support district coaches in the region. In recent blogs and podcasts, we’ve explored teacher dignity […]

When we enter a coaching conversation, we need to consider two layers. One is visible: the lesson design, the teacher’s actions, student participation, questions and responses, and evidence of learning. The other is less visible. It includes the teacher’s beliefs and assumptions, confidence and uncertainty, previous experiences, fears and concerns, values and intentions, sense of […]

Thomas McKenna, in his ASCD blog, Sensemaking in Science, describes how he, as a researcher, experienced firsthand what it means to pursue a question that genuinely puzzles you. He spent countless hours observing, collecting messy data, and wrestling with questions that had no clear answers. The process was iterative and uncertain. Initial observations led to new […]

If professional learning for educators is going to generate increased learning success for students, it needs to be an environment, not an event. Dr. Marisa Ramirez Stukey, co-author of, “Professional Learning Redefined: An Evidence-Based Guide,” shares key elements of effective professional learning and the necessary commitments needed from administrators, instructional coaches, and teachers. Visit The […]

It’s rather clear to most people that to be an effective coach one needs an appropriate mindset for investing in the growth of others and a set of listening and verbal skills for coaching conferencing. Less often considered are the mindsets and skills needed to gain from coaching input. We might label it as one’s […]

School leaders often express concern when teachers resist implementing a newly adopted curriculum with fidelity. The assumption is understandable: If we selected the program carefully, why wouldn’t teachers follow it? A recent Phi Delta Kappan article, “Educator Resistance to Curricular Control,” suggests we may be asking the wrong question. Instead of asking why teachers resist […]