A few years ago, I had just started working with a new school. On my first day in the building, I asked the principal Mr. Dawes to take me on a walkthrough so that I could see the range of teaching happening in the building. Mr. Dawes took me to several classrooms and then I […]
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It’s happened to the best of us. We teach a lesson because the curriculum guide demands it. But we don’t find the lesson particularly interesting and we have a hard time finding ways to make it engaging to our students. We just can’t seem to “sell it.” We get through the lesson but the truth […]
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We spend a lot of time talking about how to motivate our students, but we hardly spend any time talking about out own motivation.And that’s a shame, because after working with thousands of teachers over the years, I’ve learned a really important truth about motivation:Unmotivated people can’t motivate anyone.Think about it. If you are exhausted, […]
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Are there some people you tend to click with while others just get on your nerves? Do you find it easier to motivate some people while others resist you…every…step…of…the…way?You may chalk it up to personality conflicts but there is something much more basic going on. It has to do with something I call Will Drivers.You […]
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Recently, I conducted a workshop for instructional coaches who wanted to learn more about how to promote and support rigorous instruction in their schools. I had about 150 K-12 instructional coaches at the training, and we started the day by looking at some classroom video footage. I asked the coaches to watch each five-minute slice […]
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Don’t you just hate it when you go to a workshop and learn a new technique, return home all excited to try it, only to find out that it won’t work with your curriculum, or your teaching style, or your district process?Me too.That’s why I work so hard to make sure that every resource we […]
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Okay, here’s another embarrassing story about when I first became an administrator. I only ask that you remember how naïve I was back then and please be kind.When I was a new administrator and eager to make an impact on the teaching and learning at my school. I thought that in order to exercise my […]
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There is a difference between traditional accountability and TRUE accountability.The best way I can explain it is that it’s kind of like the difference between a renter and an owner.You see, a renter lives in a home they do not own. Thus, they cannot paint a wall, adjust a light fixture, or make major repairs […]
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In my previous post, I shared my secret to planning interesting, engaging, meaningful learning experiences for my students that I can’t wait to teach.Oh yeah, They also helped cut my lesson planning time in half.I call them Rigor Triggers and in this article, I’m going to share with you what Rigor Triggers are and how […]
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Can I admit something to you?Years ago, in my early years of teaching, my district shifted to a more standards-based approach to lesson design.Whereas before, I would simply use those old blue planning books (remember those?) to map out my lessons, now I was required to use a lesson planning template and actually submit my […]
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