
Articles For Leaders
Thank You For an Incredible Year!
As we close out a year of delivering the very best of Jill’s tips and tricks into your inbox every week, we just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for all of your continued support! Because of you, we can continue Jill’s legacy of supporting educators across the...
Why Accelerated Reader is So Misused in the Classroom | For Teachers & District Leaders
I’ll admit it: I have concerns about accelerated reader. Now, don't shoot the messenger! Just consider the following: Accelerated reader doesn't track skills. If you're using it to figure out whether kids are growing skill wise, it's not equipped to give you that...
Don’t Take Their Word For It | For Teachers, Coaches, & Principals
When I go into classrooms to demonstrate a lesson, teachers can be really quick to tell me, “Oh, this particular kid is special ed, or this particular kid doesn't like to talk out loud.” Sometimes even the kids try to regulate me! If I call on a certain student...
How to Build Trust with Teachers | For Coaches, District Leaders, & Team Leaders
Whether you're an experienced coach or brand new to the job, we all need some tricks of the trade that allow us to build relationships with teachers. Here are three that I think will serve you well: Have a process for coaching! A lot of the struggle that...
Why Reading Interventions Usually Fail | For Teachers, Coaches, Principals, & District Leaders
When reading interventions fail, or don’t work like we want them two, experience has taught me that it’s usually for two main reasons. Today I want to share those reasons with you so that you don’t stumble into the same pitfalls! Its focus is too broad. The...
Why I’m Leary of the Walk-to-Read Model | For Teachers, Principals, & District Leaders
Today I want to offer three things to think about when considering using the “walk-to-read” model. If you’re unfamiliar, walking to read is when you group like-skilled kids together - above, on, and below benchmark, and you teach them at that level until they reach...
Does More Time Lesson Planning = Better Lessons? | For Teachers, Coaches, & Team Leaders
Four ways that you can differentiate coaching for teachers in the classroom!
Balancing Informative and Narrative Text | For Teachers, Coaches, & Team Leaders
Four ways that you can differentiate coaching for teachers in the classroom!
Four Ways to Differentiate Classroom Coaching | For Coaches, District Leaders, and Team Leaders
Four ways that you can differentiate coaching for teachers in the classroom!