While working with Renee Kimberly opened up her mind (and the minds of her students) to many ideas and helped her explore her own writing and transfer it to her students. Renee helped Kimberly’s writing process as both a writer, and as a teacher of writing and made writing enjoyable for everyone.

Modeling thinking through reading (saying the words, saying them fluently and dramatically, and thinking about them) as a community not only models ways in which readers comprehend texts through their thinking patterns but also promotes the connectedness we long for during a global pandemic and bonding among the entire community. 🌈

Like many, Kristi’s school had to move classes to online remote learning. While some students thrived in an online environment, for others, being outside of a classroom setting proved difficult for students and teachers alike, making it harder than ever to connect with one another, and the teaching material. Kristi found herself struggling to feel prepared for this new teaching format but remained steadfast in her goal of teaching differently to impact her students.

The new calendar year provides an opportunity for teachers to do a mini-re-launch, similar to the beginning of the school year. This is a time of transition after an extended period away from the classroom. Students will need a refresh of classroom routines and rituals to help ease them back into learning. We should anticipate a slower start while still ready to re-acquaint students with simple habits that nurture independent readers.

When Lou Mardesich, Community of Schools Administrator in San Pedro, California, felt that his curriculum didn’t offer kids choice, he sought out the help of Renee to develop strategies for student-centered and empowered learning. Lou wanted to offer kids more choice in their learning through independent reading and writing strategies.

The key to a successful school year is a well-thought-out plan. A well-designed plan will help keep you organized throughout the year, as well as encourage the use of engaging and exciting material for students to interact with on a regular basis. My 5-step plan for building a framework for a jam-packed, full-of-learning, stellar year is designed to build opportunities into your calendar and notice how both you and students flourish!

In this blog post, I offer a step-by-step process for you to try so that you can experience a successful pathway to achieving your goals. While you can set goals any time of the year, new beginnings—like a new calendar year, a new school year, or a new season—tend to be good markers. Goals tend to give us a bit more grace and room to pivot. They’re something to work towards, and they require a process. Of course, we always aim to reach our goals, but if we don’t, we can at least say we inched closer to them when we’ve stuck with a plan.

Believe.

Believe in yourself.

Believe in your teammate.

Believe in the students.

Believe in the caregivers.

Believe in the community.

John Hattie’s research (on research) consistently shows that the biggest impact on student learning is total teacher efficacy – believing that you impact learning and that your entire team impacts learning.

Be a goldfish.

Live in the moment.

Learn in the moment.

Teach in the moment.

Bounce back. Keep going. Move forward.

Being a goldfish prevents a hypocritical mindset. Being a goldfish means we are living our learning. Being a goldfish sets us up to fail forward – learning lessons from both the expected and unexpected challenges and opportunities.

Last week, we talked Ted Lasso’s Biscuits with the Boss. At Read Write Think with Renee, we call that time: Ten Minute Meets. We’re continuing that convo this week with some quick tips on how to fire up that time together - and sustain it over time.

One of the benefits of a Ten Minute Meet is they’re brief. In fact, the KEY to their success is keeping them brief. Perhaps because they are brief, they are easier to commit to and maintain consistently throughout the year, whether that’s once a month or every other month. The point is – it’s more than once. In order to truly be thinking partners – you want to brainstorm, explore, dream, try things out, return with outcomes, recalibrate, reflect, try again.

I’ve managed to immerse myself in Ted Lassoisms - and make some good connections between this new television legend and the work we do together in schools and classrooms.

I’ve got a few pieces of advice for you to consider this month as a new year takes shape and you’re craving some fun and fresh ideas.

This week: We’re talking Biscuits with the Boss

I’ve moved a lot. Whether I’ve bribed a group of friends or hired a company most of my moving boxes have been…books! Have you ever tried moving boxes of books across the country and back..and then again? I am fully aware that I don’t NEED one more book and yet, I just can’t help myself – especially when I’m visiting a new town.

Recently I’ve had the opportunity to support educators as they think through and prepare for the launch of the school year – albeit, a launch like none before. Along with many uncertainties, a question we are all asking is, “How do I build a classroom community in a virtual classroom?”

At our home we love to make things and we look forward to the process of making things. We also love to spend as much time as possible outside. So when the weather was warm enough to venture outside my daughter RK wanted to take her watercolor paints outside. We enjoyed painting the driveway.

Collaborative systems create a unified community that helps adults—and students—become the best version of themselves. Great systems leverage team strengths and model for students the importance of teamwork—listening, negotiating, planning, setting deadlines, and learning and working together.

Many of us do not manage our time well. Ouch. I know that hurts. But it’s true. We lose a lot of valuable time discussing items that don’t merit discussion. Consider this: What items does your team need to improve your information-passing protocol, and what items are you shaping, moldling, revising, or creating that require a discussion of all your brains to make them collaborative and clear.

“This is a hectic time of the year…” I hear that more often than not when I meet new teams of educators. Regardless of when on the calendar that meeting occurs, here’s what you might overhear from a typical first (or second, or 53rd) meeting: “Hi, nice to meet you. It’s really busy around here. We have [insert something] coming up and we’re running behind.”

In this blog takeover by Brooke Geller, she shares the lessons she learned while running in Central Park. Including the power of knowing one’s limitations, working together and helping others become the best version of themselves. Regardless of where you are in your journey as an educator, transformation also occurs when you apply what you are learning about yourself to seek out mentors.

Let’s start the season with giving…to YOU! This month we are thinking through how to give the gift that keeps on giving, literally, to you – as we bust a few myths around self-care. I recently met fellow female entrepreneur Rachel Hatteberg Walt, founder of Craftingood. Rachel’s work inspires each of us to use our creativity to have fun, cultivate compassion for ourselves, and in return, our families, and our communities both locally and globally.

We’re that family. The one that offers anything but candy on Halloween Trick or Treat night.

Why? Have you read about all of the damage sugar does to our bodies? I know it tastes good and all but I’m really just looking out for your overall well being. Not buying it? Well, it’s true.