As August approaches, I use this time to reflect on my professional learning experiences over the last twelve months. Working at a nonprofit that supports college and career readiness for students across the country, the cycles of learning and professional learning opportunities vary from working in the K-12 sector. I use the month to think…
Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast Munch, munch, crunch crunch. That is the sound of your new school initiative being eaten alive by your school’s culture. Without combining work on strengthening culture into any new initiative, the work is often doomed to failure. Many school leaders jump into new initiatives with the thought that they can…
Munch, munch, crunch crunch. That is the sound of your new school initiative being eaten alive by your school’s culture. Without combining work on strengthening culture into any new initiative, the work is often doomed to failure. Many school leaders jump into new initiatives with the thought that they can implement new things easily and…
Becoming a Learning Team Northern Region An affiliate of Learning Forward, a national organization dedicated to promoting rich professional learning opportunities for all educators Learning Teams can use the tools and strategies to: 1. Understand the value and importance of collaborative learning to improve teaching and learning; 2. Launch a learning team cycle with five…
As district administrators walked into a recent meeting, the facilitator overheard several familiar comments, “I hope this ends early, being in district two nights in a row—I’m exhausted.” While another administrator was heard saying, “I can catch up on my emails during this meeting”. For the past 4 years, admin meetings were either non-existent or…
Chores A chore can be defined as an unpleasant but necessary task. Too often, this is how many educators would describe their professional development and professional learning community meetings. When professional learning is relevant and personalized, it no longer feels like a chore. When professional learning community meetings help teachers increase student learning, they no…
Welcome to Learning Forward New Jersey! We are a network of education practitioners from all over the state of New Jersey who are dedicated to planning and delivering the highest standard of professional learning. We strive to help every educator in New Jersey engage in professional learning every day so every student achieves. Whether we…