Our Blogs

Many thanks to our inspirations for this months’ blog: Hartford High School, North Branford Intermediate, Kent Center School, Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Suffield High School, Sarah Noble Intermediate And the child-inspired The Ninth Night of Hanukkah in celebration of the “shamash.” Last week, I (Amy) probably joined thousands who tried to hang holiday lights […]

The zodiac offers us a perfect metaphor these days. The heat and light from the sun are waning as it is leaving the sign of Libra, moving away from the sign of balance between the head and the heart and harmony represented by scales.  Each of our coaching conversations are bookended with, “How are you?” […]

“A fair wind and a following sea together create the very best conditions to get where you want to go.”  2020 has been a tumultuous sea and we are definitely not on a pleasure cruise…more like a three-hour tour that goes on forever. We have all missed our learners. The connection we experience with their […]

This week, we lost one of our heroes, Sir Ken Robinson. He believed, “the purpose of education is to help young people understand the world around them and engage in the world within them” and that instruction in our schools must enable students to develop the competencies to achieve these goals. The current world around us […]

Educators are furiously working to finalize reopening plans for different scenarios–imagining how to address everchanging physical and logistical needs. In last month’s blog, we reminded you to find time to “fill your buckets” to ready yourselves to fill others’ buckets when schools reopen. But, this has proven really difficult for many who are now forgoing […]

Summer is finally here! But, this summer is like none other as the school year has been like none other, and we now find ourselves preparing for a highly uncertain upcoming year. So the question is, “How can we use our valuable summer months to ready ourselves for what is ahead?”  Hopefully, at some point […]

The finish line is in sight. Time away from computer screens, your children playing outside, barbecues, beaches…. In the past few months, “You have reimagined your limits. Set your sights higher and you have gone further than you have before…a statement of passion– commitment. It is a test of physical toughness and mental strength.” You […]

*This month, as we all need levity and we have had a good bit of extra time, we have included a scavenger hunt within our blog. Search out our 7 intentional references to song lyrics for a chance to win free books.   We have had some crazy weather recently, and friends continue to text us […]

Hello friends. We have spent the week much like all of you personally and professionally adapting to our new and surreal normal. Patrick has spent time consoling his son who is suffering through the reality that his final months of high school, prom, senior night, and potentially even graduation may be missed. We are trying […]

*Original post appeared in Corwin Connect – February 17, 2020 How to Ensure Teachers Receive Learner-Focused Feedback You are amazing, a superhero. Every day you get up to make a difference, and every day you do. In some way, every day, you are a teacher and a learner–maybe a few minutes ago or yesterday, or it will […]

We are just a few weeks into our new year…so are you excited and inspired about having 20/20 vision this year? Or are you feeling like the confetti is long gone, credit card bills have arrived, and it’s like the holidays and break never happened? At the start of the new year, we always take […]

Who doesn’t love presents? As we get older, we find we are giving fewer material items and frequently gifting “experiences” to each other and friends like concert tickets, homemade vouchers, or spa visits. Of course, we all love the immediate satisfaction of putting on a new sweater or playing with a new gadget, but we […]