In this episode, I sit down with my long-time friend, educator, and co-author of Understanding By Design (UBD), Jay McTighe. In our conversation Jay shares the origins of UBD and its evolution over time, emphasizing its focus on fostering deep understanding in students through backward design.

Have a listen as we discuss the collaborative work of Jay and Grant Wiggins, co-author of UBD, and the importance of open-minded discourse in educational development.

Jay clarifies common misconceptions about UBD and highlights its adaptability to diverse learning needs, promoting inclusivity and engagement in the classroom.

We explore practical strategies for implementing UBD, including the role of instructional coaches in supporting teachers and the importance of alignment between goals and assessments.

Jay closes the episode with reflections on the enduring relevance of UBD in today's rapidly changing world, and he underscores its role in equipping students with essential skills for lifelong learning.

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In today's episode I have the opportunity to visit with Suzanne Dailey once again. She was a guest on our podcast last year as well as a presenter at TLC 2023 in Orlando. Not only am I happy to have her on the show again, but she will return to present at TLC 2024 in New Orleans with a session titled "Strategies to Support Joyful Leadership".

Suzanne Dailey is an instructional coach in the Central Bucks School District where she works with over 600 elementary teachers and 9,000 students. She is Nationally Board Certified, a fellow of the National Writing Project, and has a masters degree in reading. Suzanne is also the author of Teach Happier this School Year: 40 Weeks of Inspiration and Reflection and the host of the popular weekly podcast, Teach Happier.

Today, Suzanne shares her thoughts and research on happiness, specifically how life is so much more than just happiness. Happiness, she says, is not an "either or" situation; it's an "and" situation. When you look at it that way, you can fully live life and experience all of it.

We also discuss the crisis of happiness that is happening in schools right now and two specific practices everyone can do to become happier. Listen in as she gives us some practical advice and three Rs to implement daily.

In this conversation you'll learn how paying attention to the things we are grateful for and how focusing on health and happiness can help us be a resource for other people.

Suzanne also provides tips for coaches to persevere and be a service to others, as well as what you should and shouldn't do when you are coaching someone that is going through difficult times.

Finally, learn about her recent research into which teachers are in need of the most support these days, and what you can do to be an effective coach.

Interested in learning how System Support can make an impact on your district, click here.

Want to learn more about what Instructional Coaches should do to foster powerful improvements in teaching, click here.

I'd love to hear your feedback about my weekly Coaching Conversations. Please consider leaving a rating or review and subscribing to our channel.

In this episode of Coaching Conversations I am joined by one of ICG's consultants, Christina Ortega. Christina is an experienced instructional coach and coordinator of math and science.

I had the opportunity to work with her and several coaches last year as part of a study where we looked at a year in the life of a coach. She taught me a lot about what people were dealing with, successes and challenges, in the moment as she was coaching. It was an incredibly unique learning experience that I'm grateful for.

In this episode, Christina talks about the power of being a learner and why being a continuous learner is a critical part about being a coach. She and I revisit what it was like to be in the study last year and how it taught her about the importance of pausing and reflecting.

Tune in to hear Christina's perspective on the rewarding and gratifying work that is instructional coaching, while also embracing the scary moments and giving space to success stories.

Christina and I also touch on the following key aspects of coaching:

• Role Clarity
• Aligning a Coach's Role to the Goals of the School and District
• What it means to be an advocate for yourself
• Coaching questions, tips, forms, tools, and activities that will help you on your journey
• TLC - Christina's perspective as an attendee last year and what she's excited about presenting this year!

To learn more and join the institute, click here.

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I'd love to hear your feedback about my weekly Coaching Conversations. Please consider leaving a rating or review and subscribing to our channel.