I haven't been writing much this school year, but I have been reading a lot! When I (re)started this blog in the summer of 2017, I started a Friday feature, but I couldn't keep up with it. I'm going to attempt to get that going again: Friday Favorite Finds. In these (semi weekly) posts, I … Continue reading Favorite Finds: Instructional Strategies
Author: Kristy L
#attitudeofgratitude
One year at Thanksgiving, when I was around 7 years old, I took the thanks part of Thanksgiving very seriously. I encouraged my older siblings and parents to express their gratitude around the dinner table. I took the opportunity to thank anyone and everyone involved in the creation of the feast before us--including the farmers … Continue reading #attitudeofgratitude
Organization Ideas for Instructional Coaches
Part I: Tap into Technology One of the biggest (among many) challenges for me in this new role has been creating an organization system. When in the classroom, I knew what I needed, where it needed to be, and how to set it up, but as a coach, I'm often on the go and I … Continue reading Organization Ideas for Instructional Coaches
How Instructional Coaches Can Help Teachers Focus: A Review of Stuart’s These 6 Things
I read a lot of PD books and blogs and Dave Stuart Jr’s blog has been on my feed for several years now. One of the main reasons: we have similar philosophies about teaching, but he has found a way to focus in spite of all the noise of education (and he explains things so eloquently!). We also like many of … Continue reading How Instructional Coaches Can Help Teachers Focus: A Review of Stuart’s These 6 Things
Lessons from my First Year as an Instructional Coach
This year I had the amazing opportunity--thanks to an extremely supportive administration team--to be a part-time instructional coach in the high school where I've taught for 9 of my 12 years. It was an exciting and enlightening year, to be sure. As much as I struggled, I feel so lucky to have been given this … Continue reading Lessons from my First Year as an Instructional Coach
Summer 2018 Goals- Professional & Personal
I don't know about you, but I swear, as soon as we are dismissed for summer I get a giant burst of energy. My brain is freed from all the clutter of the school year, so I'm ready to dive into that stack of PD reading and start learning all of the things I didn't have … Continue reading Summer 2018 Goals- Professional & Personal
Best of Writing Instruction from Loudenclear Blog
Okay, so it's day five of my seven-day writing challenge, and let's just face it, I'm pooped. Haha! So, to make today easier on myself, I'm going to share my top four writing posts (and one from Cult of Pedagogy that I wrote!). Top Writing Instruction Posts on Louden Clear in Education Writing Conferences: How … Continue reading Best of Writing Instruction from Loudenclear Blog
5 Excellent Resources for Teaching Poetry in Secondary English
I have slacked on teaching poetry this year. Big time. As in, we've barely even glanced at poetry. I knew that had to change during these last few weeks of school, so I started doing some research. Thanks to Pinterest, Instagram, and the many blogs that I follow, I have found a plethora of awesome … Continue reading 5 Excellent Resources for Teaching Poetry in Secondary English
The Perks of Procrastinating
I am constantly telling my students not to procrastinate. Plan ahead, I tell them. Do your work early, I preach. But truth is, when I procrastinate, I tend to do my best work. Anyone else? For example, I tried to plan for the last eight weeks of school before Spring Break, but I just couldn't … Continue reading The Perks of Procrastinating