Pause to Practice at the Cusp of Mastery

When is the best time to practice something? Should a teacher build in practice time at the beginning of the instructional period or would it be better to wait until later? Practice is appropriate and beneficial at many points in the school day, but it is particularly...

Do You Like Your Teacher?

It’s a first day of school ritual… peppering my daughter, Emily, with questions about her teachers. “Why do you like her?” On a scale of 1-5, how much do you like him?” She ponders…“a 4 I think.” I probe. ”Why, why a 4?” Emily ponders some more. “I don’t...

12 Good Questions…

School leaders are often asked to select teachers based on little more than an application and an interview. Interview responses are often poor predictors of future job performance. These 12 questions, however, can shed light on a dependable predictor of job success...
The Case for Coaching

The Case for Coaching

Skillful instruction drives student achievement. Simply stated, a teacher’s pedagogy (skill in the art and science of teaching) clearly and directly affects the rate and degree of student learning. Since pedagogy is a skill-set, not merely a knowledge base, it is best...
Developing the Artisan Teacher

Developing the Artisan Teacher

Here’s an overview to use as a resource for developing your skills to becoming a more dynamic, skilled teacher and a better practitioner of your craft!   Download Developing the Artisan Teacher