The teachers aren't the problem-it's the system that needs fixing. The missing element in 70 years of school reform is a surround-sound focus on High-Expertise Teaching. We could have it in any district, regardless of zip code, if we reengineered the twelve processes that impact teachers' knowledge and skill. A handbook for action and a persuasive case for making every school a reliable engine of constant learning, this book outlines the actions necessary to ensure High-Expertise Teaching reaches more children, more of the time. Informed by a substantial research base and decades of implementation, scholar-practitioner Jon Saphier presents the foundational elements of High-Expertise Teaching in this capstone work, along with A comprehensive plan for effective implementation to scale An assets-based approach to high expectations, culturally responsive teaching, and rigor Templates for re-engineering school- and district-based processes Guidance for leaders on honing their own skills to implement change Excellent teaching is complex and demanding, with challenges beyond what any teacher-preparation program can cover. That's why we must create a workplace environment that enables and prioritizes continuous professional learning about High-Expertise Teaching.
Transform classrooms and student performance with evidence-based, effective practices Two brains are better than one, as the saying goes, and this is especially true in education. Educators who employ effective collaboration and co-teaching greatly amplify student engagement, achievement, and growth, particularly for those learners needing extra support. Written by two of the nation's top experts in co-teaching, Connecting High-Leverage Practices to Student Success is an essential, reader-friendly guide for educators and instructional leaders who are passionate about creating truly inclusive classrooms where all students thrive- academically, behaviorally, socially, and emotionally. Inside, authors Melissa Jenkins and Wendy Murawski provide: Three clearly defined steps to build a strong foundation, leverage collaboration, and support students' growth A laser focus on high-leverage and evidence-based practices for general and special education that optimize educators' impact, including collaboration, instruction, assessment, and social emotional/behavior skills Seamless integration of practices within MTSS and RTI processes to meet the needs of all learners Countless and concrete samples, examples, tools, reflection exercises, and supplemental materials that enable you to move from theory to immediate instructional practice Positioning collaboration as the catalyst to maximizing high-leverage and evidence-based practices for the success of all students, this easy-to-use handbook belongs on the desk of every teacher working toward a truly inclusive environment.
A practical guide to teaching the way a child's brain learns best In this update of a bestselling classic, you will learn how to develop children's capacity and will to read. Each sequential chapter is practical, eye-opening, and exactly what you need to engage young learners, plan lessons, partner with parents, and align your PreK-3 classrooms to the science of learning and the science of reading. Gain the latest insights on: Brain development from birth to age eight, plus the skills to nourish it, age by age and grade by grade What the latest neuroscientific research now says about oral language acquisition The evidence base for practices such as read alouds, inventive spelling, and sustained silent reading Why vocabulary building must happen concurrently with phonological processing, decoding, fluency, spelling, and writing How to artfully combine explicit teaching of skills with playful, multi-sensory routines every day All aspects of memory are needed to develop successful readers. When we engage children's brains and build our teaching practices around what we know about how the human brain makes meaning, literacy learning makes more sense for children... and for us.
10 proven practices to help children thrive In a world that seems to grow more unpredictable and challenging by the day, how can we increase learning and joy for children while offering them much-needed support? Uncertainty and disruption have created a youth mental health crisis that requires all hands on deck. This urgently needed guidebook offers comprehensive and scientifically-grounded methods you can use to support young people's well-being, no matter what obstacles they face. Written by an expert with decades of experience in education, youth development, and social work, this timely and timeless resource includes: 10 practices that can prevent and address mental health challenges and enable young people to thrive Strategies for taking care of kids while also taking care of yourself Information on the most pressing issues youth face, from nurturing healthy relationships to building community and belonging Key takeaways and reflection questions for individual use and group discussion as well as "Try Now" sections with tips and tools that can be used immediately Providing essential information, practical advice, stories, and time-tested strategies to help kids live and learn, Whole Child, Whole Life is required reading for anyone who is working with, caring for, or raising young people.
The curiosity-stirring, can-do handbook for building inclusive cultures With one click we can make our camera lens switch from portrait to landscape, so why can't we find a simple way to broaden our perspectives on equity? Because human beings are wildly complex, for one thing. But this potent guide simplifies, providing concrete techniques for becoming expansive educators capable of engaging every student. Chapter assets include: Compelling research to support why it's urgent we embrace foundational fairness-and why even subtle words can have massive effects on students' sense of potential Questions and prompts that help you build inclusive thinking into your expectations of students, your feedback, grading, and approaches to discipline Activities, discussion frames, and debate structures that support students' exploration of complex topics Ideas for engaging staff, leadership, family, and the community in ways that reveal strength Social justice work is not "other;" it's not extra. It's student agency work. It's what keeps so many of us educators up at night, worried about why some of our learners aren't engaged. With this book, they will be engaged, because they will know you believe in their abilities, and now know how to show that every day.
Supporting the Development and Supervision of School Leaders
Harness the power of coaching to support professional educators. How can we construct professional development and supervision models that best serve the needs of adult learners? Building on the groundbreaking model outlined in the bestselling first edition of Blended Coaching, authors Bloom and Wilson outline a powerful set of strategies that can serve as a foundation for effective supervision. With a significant new focus on coaching leaders through issues of equity, this revised second edition provides a fresh approach to the professional development and supervision of education professionals, including: Explicit basic coaching strategies Elaboration of the Blended Coaching model, which addresses issues of professional practice, and social and emotional dispositions and skills An overview of coaching-based systems, pipelines, and tools for the development of school leaders Alignment to current professional standards for educational leaders Professional development resources for the development and implementation of Blended Coaching and Coaching-Based Supervision Exploding the myth that supervisors can't coach, this book provides the foundation of effective professional supervision by presenting a range of approaches that can be applied to the individual learning needs of education leaders.
40 Teaching Methods to Engage Students in Every Class and Every Subject, Grades 6-12
Tried and true teaching strategies to boost student engagement. Students need to be actively engaged to learn-intellectually curious, physically active, and emotionally involved in collaborative work that builds their capacity for empathy. What can teachers do to instill these elements in the classroom? Active Learning: 40 Teaching Methods To Engage Students In Every Class and Every Subject is the actionable tool every new and veteran teacher needs to construct dynamic learning experiences for students. This hands-on, easy-to-use guide features 40 carefully curated, high-impact teaching strategies that target learning tools, collaboration structures, reading and writing routines, assessment opportunities and more. It includes: Step-by-step teaching strategies that can be mastered quickly and implemented in any order Tools to help teachers identify the most pressing classroom needs and determine which methods to try first Nine instructional structures including essential questions, strategy groups, stations, and simulations Real-world examples, tips, templates, and other supportive resources that offer guidance for each method, identify common challenges, and detail next steps Whether tweaking your existing strategies or finding new moves that will quickly become your own, this is your go-to guide for designing active, engaging learning experiences for students.
The solution for preparing excellent school leaders is right in front of you. The best way to prepare aspiring leaders for principalship is to offer hands-on opportunities to develop the skills they'll need when they're in charge. Being a principal calls for originality, innovation, and the ability to work under pressure. Yet so few assistant principals and other aspiring leaders actually get to develop these competencies in meaningful ways that prepare them to lead a school with confidence. Leader Ready presents a framework that walks aspiring school leaders along the path to strong and independent principalship by using a mix of professional knowledge, modeling, coaching, guided experiences, and mastery experiences. Full of processes, action steps, and examples from the field, features include; A research-based plan for creating better conditions for aspiring leaders Guidance for achieving systemic professional growth throughout the school year Analysis of school-leadership standards to inform practice Voices of leaders, aspiring leaders, and experts from the field
Because high-level comprehension cannot be divorced from wide-ranging texts To be literate is to think through multiple perspectives, exploring diverse texts, and using the power of story to give students the life skills to discuss just about anything with critical curiosity. Critical Comprehension transforms this vital work into an accessible, three-step lesson process. Using picture books, multimodal texts, and thoughtfully framed questions, each differentiated lesson expands students' understanding of a text through: First read: the "movie read", during which the text is read without interruption Second read: The teacher poses questions that probe deeper meanings through interaction with the text to summarize, name and highlight issues, analyze and infer, to make more informed decisions about what to believe and what to question. Third read: Harnessing students' curiosities, the class revisits the text to talk back to theme, symbols, central idea, or social, cultural, historical influences at work on author and audience Popular media, classic novels, breaking news - the world's content is ready for students to absorb. But are we ready to help them read it well? Equipped with this resource, the answer is, Yes, we are.
