Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud

Communicating With Your Youngster’s Teachers

Parent, teacher, and author Crystal Frommert, shares her thoughts on building the parent/teacher partnership from the parents’ perspective. That partnership is important to maximize a student’s success in school. When is a phone call or even a short visit at school a better choice than an email? Crystal also describes the changing parent role as your youngster moves from elementary to middle to high school age.

Find Crystal’s book here. 
Read more of Crystal’s articles here. 
Find Crystal on Twitter: @mrs_frommert

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Promoting Teacher Self Efficacy

“Self-efficacy is one psychological lens school leaders might use to support teachers, so they are able to effectively accomplish and sustain the work they love.“ (Sarah Caroleo)

As a Ph.D. student researching teacher capacity at Johns Hopkins University, Sarah shares findings indicating that weaker levels of teacher self-efficacy can relate to intensified feelings of burnout and demoralization. She shares strategies coaches and administrators can implement to support teacher self-efficacy.

Read Sarah's article, "Teachers Don’t Need More Self-Care. They Need Self-Efficacy" here. 
Email Sarah: scarole1@jhu.edu

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Broadening Coaching Opportunities to Increase Teacher Reflection

As John Dewey stated, “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” This is as true for educators as it is for our students. I was invited to explore teacher reflection through coaching with Cory Camp on the SIBME Coach Replay Show. Listen in on our reflections which hopefully will generate some of your own.

Watch the Video of the Conversation here. 
Read Michael Moody's article, "If Instructional Coaching Really Works, Why Isn’t It Working" here. 

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

Supporting Educators and Students as Innovators

Chief Innovation Officer for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Tim Fish, explores how school leaders can support the environment and opportunities for educators and students to be innovators. How does your mission and vision lead to innovation?  Tim describes innovation as "a disposition, a way of behaving, a way of seeing ourselves and the world aligned with our challenges and progress we are trying to make."

Listen to Tim’s Podcasts here. 
Contact Tim: fish@nais.org

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

Coaching and the Fear of Finding Out

The term Fear of Finding Out (FOFO) was initially used to describe the feelings of people who were afraid to seek medical advice even if suffering. One can be more comfortable not knowing. How does FOFO impact teachers’ reactions to opportunities for “finding out,” coaching observation, PLCs looking at student work, or data review meetings? Emotional intelligence strategies can assist in identifying the impact of the fear and implementing an action.

Read Justin Bariso's article, "What is FOFO and How Do You Fight it? How Emotional Intelligent People Deal With the Fear of Finding Out" here.

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

Teaching and Learning With Station Rotation

The use of learning stations can provide teachers and students at all grade levels increased options for differentiated learning with greater student agency. Catlin Tucker shares many specific station rotation strategies for handling issues around school schedules, class size, and management. Her knowledge around blended learning options expands the opportunities.

Find Catlin’s resources here. 

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

Teacher Agency in Professional Development Grows Engagement

Elementary principal, Haley Beavert, created a program trading required mandatory faculty meetings for optional learning opportunities. She identifies the strategy as an example of de-implementation. The program, called “Feed Your Brain,” has teachers organizing learning opportunities for professional development which has now expanded to other schools in the district.

Read Haley’s article, "Give Teachers Agency to Create Their Own Professional Development and See Engagement Grow"

E-mail Haley: haley.beavert@cps.k12.ar.us

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

Coaches Encouraging Teachers to Use Student-Led Discussions

With the right strategies, educators can support student-led discussions that foster deep critical thinking and empathy.  Student-led discussions can build students’ skills in analytical thinking and innovation; complex problem-solving; creativity, originality, and initiative; and reasoning and ideation. Tracy Hill and Alexis Wiggins, experienced teachers, instructional coaches, authors, and workshop leaders encourage school leaders to focus teachers on time for making meaning.

Email Tracy: tracyriyadh@gmail.com

Tracy's Twitter: twitter.com/tracyhillriyadh

Email Alexis: awiggins@ceelcenter.org

Alexis's Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexiswiggins

Read Alexis & Tracy's article, "6 Strategies to Bolster Student Led Discussions"

Read Alexis's book, "The Best Class You Never Taught"

Find the Spider Web Discussion Core Resources here. 

Visit the CEEL Center website and find more resources here.

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

 

 

Independent Risky Play is Important

Parents often receive messages about the dangers that might befall unsupervised children and the value of high achievement in school. They too seldom hear messages that if children are to grow up well-adjusted, they need ever-increasing opportunities for independent activity, including self-directed play and meaningful contributions to family and community life. These opportunities inform youth that they are trusted, responsible, and capable. With "risky" activities, students receive feedback that they can deal effectively with the real world.

Visit Play Outside Canada here.  

Read "All Work, No Independent Play Cause of Youth Declining Mental Health" here. 

Watch the video on Denmark's Forest Kindergartens here.

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

What Are You Seeing Students Doing

“Are we giving students answers to questions they haven’t asked and solutions to problems they have never encountered?” Author and consultant with an expertise in blended learning options, Catlin Tucker, explores bringing relevance, curiosity, and inquiry into our students learning opportunities. She describes "onboarding" students to learning opportunities.

Find Catlin’s resources here. 

Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!