Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud

Some Strategies for Facilitating PLCs

Professional Learning Communities don’t automatically produce collaboration or impact. They often require skilled facilitation to keep the focus on high quality learning for all students and teachers. A facilitator provides the structure, prompts, and emotional conditions that help members engage deeply, share openly, and turn reflection into meaningful next steps. How can facilitators plan for the beginning, middle, and end of PLC sessions?

Listen to the podcast on PLCs at Work with Mike Mattos and Anthony Muhammed here.

Read Jamil Zaki's article, "Every Team needs a Super Facilitator" here. 

Read Elizabeth Doty's article, "End your meeting with clear decisions and shared commitment" here.

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Replacing a Punishment with a Connection

What payoffs are possible if students, who were assigned to serve detention, had the option to take a two -hour hike in the woods with a guidance counselor instead? High school counselor, Leslie Trundy, shares her experiences with the” hike as detention” plan. Trundy, guides the hikes including a stop with a view, a snack, and a short poem focused on starting anew. Consider what you want students to learn from your management and discipline programs.

Read the NPR article, "At this school, kids given detention can choose a hike instead" here.      

Email Leslie: ltrundy@rsu1.org

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Encouraging Teacher Participation in PLC’s

What are the compelling "whys" for teachers to invest their time and vulnerability in professional learning communities?  How do professional learning communities differ from professional working communities? When are teachers meeting as a franchise vs meeting as a team with shared accountability? Shared goals and accountability for success are keys to effective PLCs.

Read "Professional learning vs. PD: The distinction matters" here.

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“Leader-Full” Classrooms and Schools

What would be the benefits of ALL students being taught and coached to develop leadership skills?Maureen Chapman and James Simons, authors of, "Leaders of the Class," share the needs, benefits, and processes for students to leverage motivation, perseverance, communication, and collaboration. Consider how to build stronger, healthier relationships with students as they discover their potential as purposeful, impactful leaders.

Educators grow their own leadership skills as they develop other’s leadership.

Visit Maureen and James' website here.    

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Finding Awe While Learning

I heard about a great experience illustrating awe in learning that was shared by a group of middle school students and their teacher in Grand Island, New York. They joined me on this podcast sharing their reflections and insights. As you hear their story consider where these elements of Awe appeared:

• Awe occurs when we experience something much larger than ourselves
• Awe leads to the need to reframe one’s understanding of the world.
• Awe often brings forth emotions of humility, gratitude, and compassion.
• Awe is linked to prosocial behavior: people are more likely to help others after experiencing awe.

Connect with the teacher, Lora Randles: lorarandles@gicsd.org

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Coaches Words That Empower

How do the words teachers hear from school leaders, instructional coaches and peers provide an uplift and motivation? Are there time that the words teachers hear create a subtle source of stress, confusion, or disengagement? Our language can be a vehicle through which expectations, emotions, and commitments are transmitted.  What we say—and just as importantly, what we don’t say—can directly influence teacher growth, agency, and energy. Consider how your intentional language can empower your coachees, team members and staff, fostering a culture where trust, clarity and motivation thrive.

Read "Empowering Others Through Words," from Phoenix Perform here.

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

Making Feedback Matter

How do you ensure your students are reading your feedback, digesting it, and using it to improve? Alexis Wiggins explores the connections between reflection and feedback. She shares her personal experiences around revision-based assessments, AI possibilities, and modeling her use of feedback from student surveys.

Read Alexis’ article, "Feedback That Matters" here.

Watch the "Austin’s Butterfly" video here.

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Observing and Coaching Classroom Management

Some instructional coaches are starting the year with teachers who are new to the profession—and some with teachers who are entering the classroom without any teacher education background. What do these teachers believe defines classroom management, and where should a coach begin?

Many instructional coaches are also hearing highly experienced teachers say, “I’ve never had a student like this before.” How does a coach respond?

A. Keith Young, author of The Instructional Coaching Handbook and Confident Classroom Management Moves Card Deck, shares insights and strategies for both teachers and coaches. Consider the skills and strategies that require intentional practice and constructive coaching feedback.

Visit the Confident Classroom Management Blog here.

Email Keith: keith@akyconsulting.com

Visit Keith's Website.

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Haste Could Make Waste — Or Worse

In coaching—whether you’re supporting a teacher, leading a professional learning team, or working with a school leader—listening is foundational. And yet, in the name of productivity, efficiency, or simply staying on schedule, we can too easily slip into haste. Listening with haste can be worse than not listening at all. When you respond to people too quickly, they’re likely to feel frustrated, demeaned, or unimportant. Coaches having a strong sense of what a teacher “needs” may rush a conversation—finishing sentences, jumping to solutions, or interpreting questions as pushbacks. Missing crucial signals and undermine trust.

Read the Harvard Business Review post, "Are You Really A Good Listener" here.

Listen to the Podcast with Christine Miles, "What’s It Costing You to Not Listen" here.

Listen to the "Radical Listening in Coaching" podcast here.

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

 

Supporting Teachers in Turbulent Times

Jennifer D. Klein, the author of, "Taming the Turbulence in Educational Leadership: Doing Right by Learners Without Losing Your Job," shares the need for leaders to support teachers who frequently struggle with false dichotomies like knowledge vs skills or play vs academics. Teachers and leaders often feel isolated and threatened in their efforts to prioritize what learners need most.  Change work requires engagement from a place of courage not of fear. What beliefs and values build your courage to do right by learners?

Connect with Jennifer and find her book here.

Visit Jennifer's LinkedIn.

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