I have gotten behind with my newsblogs because I’ve been out in schools supporting school leaders as they collect Inclusion Rounds data. That process has been exciting, but the best part what the amazing teaching that I witnessed. I just have to share with you what I saw!

Have you ever been around a teacher who finds joy in everyday life? I remember my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Postles. She really enjoyed teaching; she thought learning was fun; she really loved us kids. And we knew it every day!

Whether you are a teacher, a parent, a spouse, an administrator or an Inclusion Coach, you may find yourself smack-dab in the middle of an opportunity to coach somebody. You see an opening for her to grow, but she clearly is NOT COACHABLE.

At the beginning of the year, do you check with other teachers to get their perspectives on your class list? I think this is a universal practice that we’ve been doing as far back as I remember.

But are we getting the most value from other teachers’ perspectives? What questions do we ask?

Well, it was my first Twitter Chat. I’ll declare it a success because of what I learned!

How did I get here?

Sometimes life gives you unexpected opportunities…

In early March, I attended a Women’s Junior League Leadership Conference. Throughout my career, I have embraced education sponsored leadership offerings; I was curious what I could learn from the business world. I wasn’t disappointed. Women leaders expanded my view of what it means to lead.

When we hear the term “mentor,” most of us conjure up an image of an older, wiser person who has positively impacted our lives. For me, it was Art Nierenberg, founder of Breakthrough Disability. He was twenty years older than me and so much wiser! He organized breakthrough workshops that were amazing opportunities to learn how to have a bigger impact in the lives and conditions of individuals with disabilities.

Are your students in charge of their own success?

Who is responsible for your students’ success?

Over the last ten years, as I’ve been in hundreds of classrooms as an Inclusion Coach, I’ve talked with teachers and watched their student interactions.

If you really want to learn, find a coach!

Does your school use coaching services to support professional learning?

I have worked with several districts that employ instructional coaches, literacy coaches, and math coaches. Recently, I’ve started to ask, “Why not Inclusion Coaches?”

In Search of…the special hearted….

Looking for courageous educators committed to transforming large-scale special education systems.