Leadership to ignite learning

Fun is Not a Four Letter Word

A friend and colleague of mine, Hannah Williams, told me of her experience conversing with classmates at an esteemed and unnamed east coast university. They were listing attributes of dream schools and Hannah said, “fun!” Her classmates all got slightly smirky looks on their faces, as one said (attitude intended here, folks): “Fun doesn’t sound ‘academic’ enough. We are worried people won’t take your school seriously.” Properly chagrinned, Hannah shifted her language to the n

Can Unequal be Fair?

This may sound like a no-brainer but when my kids were younger, I used the phrase “fair is not always equal” to justify unpopular parenting decisions. It seemed logical at the time and probably still maintains a modicum of reason in certain situations. But in the face of the many conversations about the shrinking middle class and America’s increasing income differential, the “fair is not always equal” argument becomes far more problematic and suggests far higher stakes than s

Do the Huddle!

How many of us have been in groups that struggled to complete a task that seemed more suited to individual work? How often have we tried to get students to collaborate around a task only to find that for every group that worked well together there was another that fell apart? There is no doubt that groups are challenging to manage, from the inside or the outside, but it does look like group work is here to stay. The Common Core suggests a renewed emphasis on group work as stu

Resourceful Schools: Doing More with Less

Here’s what we know: resourceful schools do more with less. In other words, they are successful regardless of the resources at hand and here’s why. Successful schools are focused. They do more with less by design. They limit their initiatives to a few strategic priorities (this is the “less” part) and make sure they are implemented deeply and fully (this is the “more” part). If you talk with staff at successful schools, you’ll find collective priorities. While this is common

Instructional Rounds: Not just a Repackaged Walkthrough

They’re the newest thing out of Harvard: Instructional Rounds. But aren’t they just walkthroughs repackaged? We think not. After years of working with those responsible for developing the instructional rounds protocol and facilitating a number of iterations across the country, we can say unequivocally that walkthroughs and rounds are not the same, nor should they be. Both procedures are designed to spark improvements in student learning and they can easily supplement one anot

Finding the T in Team

I read a blog the other day in which the author, in what I think was an attempt to discredit the value of collaboration, equated group-work to group-think. Even more interesting was this individual’s claim that promoting the opportunity for students to work alone and independently was a more innovative learning experience than one where students are asked (and taught) to be productive as a team. Where, I wondered, did this come from? Her assertion seems to fly in the face of

Be Quick but Don’t Hurry

It’s March Madness, with kids of all sizes playing their hearts out on the basketball court, passing, dribbling, and taking their best shots. Have you ever seen this passion in motion, with players dribbling down the court at breakneck speed toward the basket? Have you ever said to yourself, “slow down!” worried that the ball will get away from them? And then inevitably see just that happen? It does happen, of course, so much so that the late and legendary basketball coach Jo

What’s a Theory of Action and Why Do We Need One?

A wise colleague once noted that even the most researched strategy is no better than your best bet. However certain you may be, you’ll not truly know if it works until you try it. So until it’s proven – in your context, with your students, and with your teachers, it’s still at best (or worst) a guess. A theory. That’s my first point. That strategy is a guess and that there is some theory behind a decision to use one particular strategy over another, or at least there should b

Professional Development as Organizational Learning

Not to brag, but my colleageus and I are often told how much people appreciate our particular brand of professional development. My Instructional Rounds network members routinely claim their experiences to be the most powerful of their careers. My peers hear the same from our College Prepared Project participants, be they veteran teachers, central office administrators, or building leaders. Why is that? What makes professional development consistently effective? Although one

The Power of Silence

I spent a week last summer driving across the United States, contemplating along the way which of my experiences most influenced my practice. Through vast spaces of solitude, absent audio books and music, I found myself considering the power of silence. An introvert, I am no stranger to the practice of reflection as a cognitive tool, but as a leadership coach, facilitator, and presenter, silence was not something I would deliberately weave into my work. Silence seemed somethi

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