The Food Network…Effective Teacher PD?
As a busy mom with a full time job that requires travel, I hardly have time to watch much television, but when I do, it’s always the Food Network. In fact, one of our favorite “Family Friday Fun Night” activities is for our kids to snuggle in bed with us and watch the fast paced […]
Put Growth Mindset into Practice via Precise Directions
“What looks like resistance, is often lack of clarity.” – Chip and Dan Heath Carol Dweck’s (2012) concept of growth mindset is all the rage in education these days. In case you aren’t familiar with it, the concept of growth mindset starts with the educator holding the positive presupposition that everyone wants to and can […]
Relationship Management 101: “Your students don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
There are few statements that so simply and succinctly communicate the critical role that a teacher’s investment in their students plays in securing trust and cooperation. Students can and will put forth their best effort to meet and/or exceed whatever expectations we clearly establish as long as they believe that we truly value and care […]
Record Yourself to Improve Your Practice
by Joe Gaston. Originally posted on Edutopia.org. “I took a speech class one semester when I was in undergraduate school. For our first assignment we had to give a short speech that the teacher videotaped. Our extended assignment was to watch the recording and critique our performance. That proved to be a very eye-opening experience […]
Ten Beliefs of High-Performing Educators
In the world of education, there are amazing teachers and leaders transforming classrooms and schools every day. On the other hand, there are just as many, if not more, failing at the very same mission, and often times working just as hard! It’s not luck, nor a secret to the success of the aforementioned, but […]
Raising My Children Using the No-Nonsense Nurturer® 4-Step Model
Often, while supporting coaches and principals in schools across the country, I am asked the question, “Kara, do you use the 4-step model at home with your own children?” My response is an overpowered and elated “YES”! My oldest son now tells me when that I can’t give him a consequence or reward when I […]
Guest Blog: How do Students Know You Care?
Building relationships with my students is the crux of the culture in my classroom. My students know that I love them deeply, and because of that love, I will accept nothing but their absolute best and I will push until we both feel like they have reached their best, and then perhaps a little bit […]
We Don’t Wait, We Narrate!
A short time ago, I had the privilege of supporting a Real Time Teacher Coach (RTTC) as she was conducting a Baseline Observation in a middle-school classroom for an upcoming RTTC session. During our time in the classroom, when pressing for 100% of her scholars’ attention, I remember hearing the teacher say, “We have almost […]
Guest Blog: One Classroom, One Teacher
I’ve previously written that student behavior is not personal. This is true. Pressure from students’ outside lives can erupt in class. Unprocessed grief can become disruption. Unfelt anger can become a refusal to participate. It’s important that we as teachers recognize the many external factors that can influence behavior inside a classroom. While students do […]
Building Relationships with Families
The education of children is a responsibility that must be shared by the teacher and families alike. We need to recognize what a powerful asset a parent or family member can be; what powerful components parents and guardians are to a child’s success. To work effectively, teachers need families to support their academic, disciplinary, and […]
