Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud

Leading Like a Coach

School principal and author of "Leading Like a Coach," Matt Renwick, promotes school leaders working with a community in which each member contributes their strengths and ideas to improving instruction. He explores five key elements from his book.

Create confidence through trust.
Organize around a priority.
Affirm promising practices.
Communicate feedback.
Help teachers become leaders.

Visit Matt’s website. 
Find Matt on Twitter @ReadByExample
Find Matt's book, "Lead Like a Coach" here.

Podcast for Teachers: Reflection as an Element of Co-teaching

Teachers, Colin Donelle and Jon Binschus, share the development of a teaching partnership that implements elements of peer coaching into their planning, teaching, & debriefing process.
Reflection is continually increased throughout the process. The role of vulnerability and trust are explored.

E-mail Colin: cdonelle@aisgz.org

E-mail Jon: jbinschus@aisgz.org

Find Colin on Twitter: @ColinDonelle

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Focus On People Rather Than Subjects

What do we see and hear in a school when people are the focus rather than subjects? Why is now a critical time for a people focus? Leaders need to see teachers as people and all educators need to see students as people. Steve explores these concepts with Stephen Dexter, an upper school principal at an American international school in Croatia.

Contact Stephen: stephen.dexter@aisz.hr

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Deciding: I Do, We Do, You Do or You Do, We Do, I Do?

Why is the gradual release of responsibility model a strong instructional strategy at times for certain learning outcomes and particular students? How can the model negatively impact certain learning outcomes or particular students at other times? Instructionally agile teachers read their students engagement in learning adjusting to maximize learner outcomes.

Read Doug Fisher's article, "Effective Use of the Gradual Release Model"

Read the article, "Why “I do, we do you do” is Not Always Best Practice for Teaching Math"

Watch Mike Flynn's video, "Flipping The I Do, We Do, You Do"

Listen to Steve and Dr. Amanda Jensen's podcast episode, "Rough Draft Math"

Engaging Teachers in Labsite Learning

Labsite Learning responds to teachers’ requests for professional learning that is collaborative, relevant to their specific students, allows for quick application and happens during the school day. Curriculum specialist, Dani Fry, provides an explanation and a planning process based on her implementation experiences.

Read Dani’s article, "A Collaborative Model for PD" here. 
Email Dani: dani_fry5@yahoo.com
Find Dani on Twitter: @danifryIC

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

Podcast for Parents: Youngsters Knowing When and How to Effort

How do we decide the value or motivation of an investment of effort? How young do youngsters conduct a cost/benefits assessment of effort? What role can parents and caretakers play in having learners assess their effort. Steve explores the impact of time, repetition/practice, patience, and practicing after success.

Read the U of T article here. 

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

What Do Teachers Need Us To Learn?

Steve’s earlier podcast on the disappointing findings from research on data review meetings impacting teacher learning and change triggered this conversation with instructional coach and math consultant, Nikki Szajkowski. Nikki shared that curriculum changes need to include administrators asking, “what do teachers need us to learn?” For teachers to receive supportive feedback, leaders need to be clear on the "look for's" and "listen for's" in desired student learning production behaviors and the teacher actions designed to generate that student engagement.

Read Steve's blog, "Coaches Time in Data Review Meetings" 
Find Nikki on Twitter: @nikkiskimath
Email Nikki: nikki@mathforunderstanding.com
Visit Nikki's website.

Podcast for Teachers: The More the Rigor, the More Students Move

Experienced teacher, curriculum director, coach and teacher trainer, Tracy Ocasio, shares her thoughts on the importance of students being engaged in rigorous learning. Key to the design of teaching is clarity in knowing the critical desired outcomes of instruction which are sometimes hidden in a curriculum’s laundry list. Rigor has a focus on understanding which frequently extends beyond getting the correct answer.

Contact Tracy: drtracyocasio@icloud.com

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

Do We Have Real Professional Learning Communities?

Jeff Utecht, from Shifting Schools, invites Steve to a conversation around the purpose and practice of professional learning communities. As you listen in, make your checklist of the indicators that are the strengths of your PLCs and identify any elements you’d like to change or strengthen. Are your PLC’s building teacher individual and collective efficacy and agency?

Listen to Steve's episode with Jeff here.
Visit the Shifting Schools website.

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

Parents Cultivating Empathy

Empathy has been described as being at the heart of what it means to be human. It is the capacity to imagine what another person is feeling without feeling it yourself as well as the capacity to reflect the feeling of the other person back to him or her. Empathy is an important life skill. This podcast contains some specific ways parents can support youngster’s continuous development of increasing depth of empathy.

5 Tips to Cultivating Empathy
Expressions of Empathy in Medical Consultations
Developing Empathy, an Important Success Skill

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