Educational Blog
Signature Pedagogy Series, Part 3: Essential Signature Pedagogies in Science
The following article is a part of our Signature Pedagogies in the K-12 Classroom series. “Signature pedagogies,” as defined by Schulman in 2005, are “the types of teaching that organize the fundamental ways in which future practitioners are educated for their new professions” and they include three critical aspects: how to think, perform, and act… Read More »Signature Pedagogy Series, Part 3: Essential Signature Pedagogies in Science
4 Ways for Facilitators to Respond When Challenged in Training
In my career, I’ve been a teacher leader, a technology coach, an educational consultant, a professional learning coordinator, director of a virtual school, and a Director of Curriculum. I have presented on many, many topics to every level of teacher–from PreK all the way to PhD. I’ve had smooth sailing training sessions where everything went… Read More »4 Ways for Facilitators to Respond When Challenged in Training
Are You a True Instructional Leader? The Specific Actions of Building Leaders Who Raise Student Achievement
Strong instructional leaders make big impacts on student achievement outcomes (Marzano et al., 2005). They help lead the work to ensure a guaranteed and viable taught curriculum that is aligned with how students will be assessed. In schools with high numbers of students in gap groups (such as economically disadvantaged, English language learners, students receiving… Read More »Are You a True Instructional Leader? The Specific Actions of Building Leaders Who Raise Student Achievement
Thriving in Central Office: Transitioning from School to District Leadership
by John Caggiano There are two types of people who most frequently apply for central office curriculum leadership positions: those coming straight from the classroom and those with experience in school leadership. Both can experience a kind of “culture shock” as they realize all the ways that central office leadership is different from working in… Read More »Thriving in Central Office: Transitioning from School to District Leadership
Signature Pedagogies, Part 2: Types of Curriculum & How They Impact How We Teach
Signature pedagogies are the teaching models and activities that help students develop skills relevant to the discipline that represent the kinds of activities they would do in a profession related to that discipline (Schulman, 2005). For instance: students in science classrooms should be performing experiments using the scientific method; students in social studies classrooms should… Read More »Signature Pedagogies, Part 2: Types of Curriculum & How They Impact How We Teach
Signature Pedagogy Series, Part 1: Why “Good Teaching is Good Teaching” Can Be a Harmful Myth
When I hear the phrase “good teaching is good teaching,” I cringe. The statement is not false, but it is also not entirely true—and it can harm our young people by not properly preparing them for life beyond K-12 education. It is frequently made by an administrator justifying why they are able to effectively evaluate… Read More »Signature Pedagogy Series, Part 1: Why “Good Teaching is Good Teaching” Can Be a Harmful Myth
Acing Your Ed Leadership Interview
Hey there, aspiring educational leaders. You’ve made it to the interview! You’re amazing! Now you have to stick the landing with the interview. Interviews are high-stress situations, so you’re more likely to do well if you’ve practiced beforehand and some of these “tricks of the trade” are muscle memory. Here are some of the top… Read More »Acing Your Ed Leadership Interview
How Districts Can Balance Consistency with Teacher Autonomy in Curriculum: The Cookbook Method
Teachers need autonomy. They need space to use their expertise to make lessons that are appropriate for their specific students each academic year. But a district also needs a systematic guaranteed and viable curriculum; we cannot simply leave it up to luck whether a some students get quality learning experiences and others do not. The… Read More »How Districts Can Balance Consistency with Teacher Autonomy in Curriculum: The Cookbook Method
Why the Digital Revolution Hasn’t Revolutionized Education…And Four Things We Can Do About It
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow You’ve bought the most current and groundbreaking technology for your schools. You’ve done the training session for all your teachers. And yet, how often have you seen any of the following? When the Digital Revolution started, educational leaders rightly proclaimed that it had the power to make learning accessible for all… Read More »Why the Digital Revolution Hasn’t Revolutionized Education…And Four Things We Can Do About It
Wide Awake Presentations: 3 Better Ways to Share Information Than Reading Your Slides
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow You walk into a training session or a classroom and the first slides come up looking like this: …and the presenter starts to read aloud every. Single. Bullet. Inwardly, everyone in the audience groans and inwardly dies a little, knowing that they’re never going to get this hour of their lives back.… Read More »Wide Awake Presentations: 3 Better Ways to Share Information Than Reading Your Slides
Steps to Stand Out: Tips for Snagging an PreK-12 Job Interview
So you found your dream education job. Excellent! The first step, then, is to get yourself in the door to an interview. When dozens of applicants apply for a position, it can be hard to determine who to interview…and we do have to leave some people out of interviews because there are only so many… Read More »Steps to Stand Out: Tips for Snagging an PreK-12 Job Interview
Getting an Interview: What to Do (and Not to Do) in Your Cover Letter for K-12 Education
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow I read a lot of job applications from teachers, and here’s the thing: most teachers have very similar job duties and abilities. This means that if you want your application (for a teaching, admin, or any other position in education) to stand out, you need to take some important steps. In addition to… Read More »Getting an Interview: What to Do (and Not to Do) in Your Cover Letter for K-12 Education
7 Crucial Steps to Writing a Resume for a PreK-12 Education Leadership Job
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow So you’ve finished your coursework, gotten your endorsement, and are now hoping to get an educational leadership position in the PreK-12 world (I say that because there are very different standards when applying for a job in higher education where they love long CVs). A strong resume is going to be… Read More »7 Crucial Steps to Writing a Resume for a PreK-12 Education Leadership Job
Quick and Easy Connect/Do Activities for All!
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow So, you’ve read the article on the AbCD (Absorb & Connect/Do) Learning Cycle, and you want to get started. But how, you’re wondering, can you incorporate this into your classroom without taking a ton of extra time? We’ve got you covered. Below are several easy ideas to get students Connecting information to… Read More »Quick and Easy Connect/Do Activities for All!
Leadership Matters: Good Leaders Know When to Work…and When to Not
By Kate Wolfe Maxlow With the winter holidays right around the corner, it’s a great time to unwrap one of the best gifts you can give your direct reports: your occasional, purposeful absence. I learned this lesson the hard way the first time I had direct reports. As a new leader, I thought it was… Read More »Leadership Matters: Good Leaders Know When to Work…and When to Not
Engaging Classrooms: Rethinking Instructional Time in Education (AbCD Learning Cycle)
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow In this age of screens and 30-second clips, it’s vital that educators keep abreast of the current research on student attention spans and how we leverage our instructional activities so that they’re developmentally appropriate. There’s both an art and science to stretching students’ attention spans successfully. Enter then: the AbCD Learning… Read More »Engaging Classrooms: Rethinking Instructional Time in Education (AbCD Learning Cycle)
Engaging Classrooms: Are Students Engaged…or Just Compliant? Here’s how to tell and what to do about it.
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow Picture it: you’re teaching your heart out with your carefully crafted slideshow. MacKenzie, as usual, sits in the front of the room, nodding along eagerly. As you make another brilliant point, you see her furrow her brow thoughtfully and write it down. William, meanwhile, sits in the back row, digging through… Read More »Engaging Classrooms: Are Students Engaged…or Just Compliant? Here’s how to tell and what to do about it.
Engaging Classrooms: Why We Need More Arts in Every Classroom, Every Day
By Kate Wolfe Maxlow I can still sing the entire jingle from a Milky Way commercial that played non-stop on TV when I was five. I remember all of King Henry VIII’s wives from a coloring page activity I did when I was eight. I can name all of the states in alphabetical order because… Read More »Engaging Classrooms: Why We Need More Arts in Every Classroom, Every Day
Leadership Matters: Growth Mindsets…Do Our Actions Match our Words?
by Kate Wolfe Maxlow The term “growth mindset” is a well-worn phrase in education. Yet, sometimes we see schools where the staff talks a good talk about growth mindset, but certain actions or beliefs undercut the philosophy. It turns out, this can actually negatively impact the growth mindset of students. Why does this happen? Let’s… Read More »Leadership Matters: Growth Mindsets…Do Our Actions Match our Words?
Is Your Whole School Greater than the Sum of Its Parts?
Your brain is made up of tons of tiny neurons. None of these neurons have conscious thought, yet all together, they result in the works of Shakespeare, the compositions of Mozart, and the creation of the internet. How? This is the concept of emergence: when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts… Read More »Is Your Whole School Greater than the Sum of Its Parts?