-
Recent Posts
Archives
Categories
Author Archives: sutterlearn
Pirates and Cowboys
Something bold, ironic, and beautiful is happening in our schools. National teacher satisfaction surveys are showing decreasing satisfaction with the career (not the work, mind you, the job). We could have predicted this just by listening to teachers’ desires and … Continue reading
Posted in Coaching, Leadership, Teachers
Leave a comment
Professional Learning Conception #4 – Data Analysis
One of my main concerns for teaching is the focus of student data that is increasingly being used to evaluate the quality of a teacher. I agree whole-heartedly that student performance information should inform how a teacher measures progress towards … Continue reading
Posted in Coaching, Professional Learning Conceptions, Teachers
1 Comment
Cut the Pendulum Strings and Jump Into The River
I’m looking for a new metaphor for educators. I’m tired of hearing, and using, the overly cliché, “…the pendulum is swinging back again”. Poet Audre Lorde said, “There are no new ideas. There are just new ways of making them … Continue reading
Posted in Coaching, Leadership, Teachers
Leave a comment
Professional Learning Conception#3 – Lit Review
So often I read professional articles or journals that really inspire and speak to me and my classroom needs. A well-written, divinely-timed article can literally change your practice, just by growing your thinking about instruction, or even philosophy of teaching. … Continue reading
Childlike
Once I could drive, I started taking my grandmother out for lunch every few weeks. During one of those visits, we spoke of the difference of childlike and childish, agreeing we both wanted to maintain the former into our adult … Continue reading
Posted in Parenting, Students, Teachers
Leave a comment
Book Review – The Dream Manager
Last week I read The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly. This business parable is set at a janitorial company facing huge turnover, as could be expected. The premise is that the frustrated general manager decides that the key to keeping … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, Leadership
1 Comment
Professional Learning Conception #2 – Peer Observation
One of the common things I’ve heard from teachers for years is that we want to “watch someone else do it”. This concept led me to a team-teaching model in my classroom so that I could have the daily experience … Continue reading
Posted in Coaching, Professional Learning Conceptions, Teachers
2 Comments
Professional Learning Conception #1 – Managing Curriculum
For clarity, I am broadly defining curriculum as the standards AND materials used for instruction. If you teach a curricular program in which lesson plans are provided, scripted, or otherwise laid out, there is still plenty of room for teachers … Continue reading
Posted in Coaching, Professional Learning Conceptions, Teachers
4 Comments
Defining Professional Learning
Understanding of professional development is not common. “PD” is about as broadly understood as “curriculum”. Both require conceptual clarification whenever we discuss them to be sure everyone in the conversation is talking about the same thing. Is PD the timeslot … Continue reading
Posted in Coaching, Professional Learning Conceptions, Teachers
1 Comment
Where Have You Been?
Actually it’s me who’s been absent. I knew I took a break from posting here, but didn’t realize that there are folks who look forward to reading my thinking. A handful of people have emailed or stopped me to ask … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Teachers
Leave a comment