What do all the "look-fors" I pay attention to in classrooms have in common? They capture the complexity of instruction vs. reducing teaching down to a behavior or a score. More: open.substack.com/pub/readbyex...

Principals: Trying to visit classrooms, only to get pulled back to the office as soon as you leave? Join me for a free webinar on December 4, where I share the processes I used to be present with teachers and students. RSVP --> luma.com/m6om1q8n @middleweb.bsky.social @corwinpress.bsky.social

New: OBSERVING INSTRUCTION WITH A CURIOSITY MINDSET. The question isn't whether principals should observe classroom instruction, says coach Matt Renwick. "It's whether we can observe it with curiosity rather than judgment." #edusky @readbyexample.bsky.social www.middleweb.com/52832/observ...

The phrase "design for the edges" is about creating more inclusive and welcoming spaces for all students. It asks that we think not about what the average person needs, but what people at the margins need. open.substack.com/pub/readbyex...

When a school struggles, do staff blame poverty? Attendance? "Those kids"? The story a school tells about itself shapes everything—and leaders are the chief storytellers. How to change the narrative: open.substack.com/pub/readbyex...

Two things students want, need, and appreciate when at school: 1. Teachers/staff care about them. 2. Teachers/staff expect great things of them. #pbisforum

Reading screeners and diagnostics are lagging data. They are a product of a) how engaged students are as readers and b) how they see themselves as readers. Isolated skill-based interventions for students ignores the root cause of why they are not succeeding as readers.

Three measures of a reader

AI-assisted reading comprehension

One of the best ways to recommend a book is to be seen reading the book. Other readers want to know what has you so engaged. You are leveraging FOMO in a healthy way.

MW Substack 032: ALL KINDS OF LEADERSHIP Has keeping our schools on course ever been more challenging? We've gathered some of our most insightful and encouraging articles about school & teacher leadership. #edusky #edleadershipchat @readbyexample.bsky.social middleweb.substack.com/p/mw-substac...

Four Questions to Challenge Your Reading Beliefs open.substack.com/pub/readbyex... #edusky #edchat

"Research indicates that kids who are exposed to more than two hours a day of recreational screen time have worse working memory, processing speed, attention levels, language skills and executive function than kids who are not." www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/o...

Sketchnotes from Crucial Influence training this week. Excited to bring these ideas to regional schools!

The Leadership-Reading Brain open.substack.com/pub/readbyex... Is literacy a tool for empowerment or oppression in your school? #edusky #edchat #cpchat #educoach

What if principals spent only 10% of their classroom time evaluating teachers and 90% actually coaching and supporting instruction? Imagine the influence. #cpchat #educoach

Without Trust, Professional Learning is Just Compliance Theater open.substack.com/pub/readbyex...

The news cycle wants us anxious and reactive. An antidote: read. Just wrote about why books matter during challenging times. Reading is balm, habit, and resistance. When we say yes to books, we say no to urgency traps. open.substack.com/pub/readbyex... #edusky #elachat #cpchat #educoach

"the pursuit of wisdom is impossible without engaging with (and challenging) uncomfortable ideas." www.nytimes.com/2025/04/19/o... via @nytimes.com

"What I've learned is that it's easy to keep busy in just about any job. What's difficult is to discern what I should be focused on at the moment while ignoring everything else that I've committed to or been assigned." @middleweb.bsky.social #edusky

Are you not seeing the promised results from a recent literacy initiative? Try this journaling activity: Fill in the blank: “We can work smarter and not harder by _____________.” Keep writing with this line thinking until you arrive at a unique insight. Share it with a trusted colleague. #edusky

“You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” ― Ray Bradbury

Urge Congress: Save Public Media protectmypublicmedia.org/rsc-calls/ @baldwin.senate.gov @markpocan.bsky.social

“If you don’t read fiction,” Verghese said, “my considered medical opinion is that a part of your brain responsible for active imagination atrophies.” news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...

Reading is the main event in schools, often at the expense of writing. I think part of this comes from the perception that reading is easy to measure, at least from a phonics-first approach. Conversely, writing presents as more of a process and involves the inherent messiness of creativity.

There’s no science of reading without the art of teaching readers.

Feedback is most effective when it goes both ways. When everyone positions themselves first as a learner and are willing to regularly examine the beliefs they hold about literacy instruction, collective practice improves. open.substack.com/pub/readbyex... #edusky #edchat #cpchat #educoach

10 Things I Learned About Trust as a Literacy Leader open.substack.com/pub/readbyex...

The #1 thing teachers want from leaders is to be recognized and affirmed for their work. They also want feedback on how to improve. But trust and relationships between the leader and the teacher must first be established. #edusky

School leaders being present in classrooms is part of a healthy accountability system for everyone, including and especially principals. It's not about supervision—it's about building genuine trust through thoughtful, consistent engagement. #cpchat #edusky open.substack.com/pub/readbyex...

Teachers as Leaders: Five Ways to Create the Conditions for Change #edusky #educhat #educoach #cpchat Part 1: choiceliteracy.com/article/teac... Part 2: choiceliteracy.com/article/teac...

“At the end of the day, there is an end of the day. Thus choosing when to care less versus when to care more lies at the heart of living an efficient but fulfilling daily life.” - John Maeda, The Laws of Simplicity

Stop trying to fix teachers. Start giving them the tools, the time, and the support to thrive. #edusky

Three ways I see school leaders using A.I. to augment their work: - Virtual assistant - outsource basic tasks - Thought partner - explore possible decisions, promote reflection - Data analyst - synthesize lots of info to find patterns to inform school improvement What are your thoughts? #edusky

Considering a move from teaching to administration? Here are a few considerations (from a long time administrator) as you pursue this rewarding career: open.substack.com/pub/readbyex... #edusky #cpchat

Really good thought piece for folks asking themselves this question. "Administration is not just a position move within education. It’s an entire shift in role, almost another profession." #edusky

Should I become an administrator? open.substack.com/pub/readbyex... #edusky #cpchat Administration is not just a position move within education. It’s an entire shift in role, almost another profession.

A student's engagement with reading is an outcome of several conditions teachers create in classrooms: - Voice and choice in what to read - Access to high quality literature - Time to read + support - A community of readers The common thread: Trusting and empowering readers

"Factories in China produce nearly 80 percent of all toys and 90 percent of Christmas goods sold in America." www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/b...

Low-tech meets high impact! Discover how The Coach's Notebook by @readbyexample.bsky.social can transform your coaching practice with something as simple as a notebook. Learn more on #CorwinConnect: ow.ly/T3mX50VmkTO

For the last four weeks, I have been sending out a "Monday Morning Memo": a brief strategy email to help literacy leaders start their week on a positive note. Takes 1-2 min. to read. This week: Be a Noticer, Not a Judger open.substack.com/pub/readbyex... #edusky #cpchat

Tomorrow I will be sharing about the best time for school leaders to start visiting classrooms here: readbyexample.substack.com (hint: it's not next school year) #edusky #educhat #cpchat

My wife's love language (mine too): "Which book would you like me to buy for you?"

The Monday Morning Memo #3: Auditing Your Classroom Instruction open.substack.com/pub/readbyex...

Less Teaching, More Learning open.substack.com/pub/readbyex...

Have We Been Thinking About A.D.H.D. All Wrong? www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/m... Key takeaways: - Medication reduces symptoms but doesn't improve learning. - Environment and context are just as important as medication. - The benefits of medication don't typically last over time.

"The best intervention is a good book." - Stephanie Harvey #edusky