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Steve Barkley

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Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Administrators and Teacher Leaders Teaming Up to Mentor New TeachersBy pairing an administrator with a systems-level view and access to resources with a teacher leader deep in classroom expertise and credibility, a school-based mentor program added support to teachers new to teaching or new to the school. Their partnership sent a message that mentoring isn’t something done to teachers—it’s something we do together. "The most meaningful growth happens when learning is collective and public, not private or evaluative." Read Tim's article,"How Administrators and Veteran Educators Can Team Up to Mentor New Teachers" here. Email Tim: tmontalvo5119@bcsdny.org ...

2026-02-1234 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Observing Classrooms With The Wonder of LearningPaul Magnuson shares what his feedback to teachers sounds like after he quit trying to point out weaknesses and trying to show that he knew what those weaknesses are; after he quit sitting across from younger teachers telling them what to do. Hear what he can share by picturing himself standing side-by-side with teachers, staring out across an education horizon that is messy, multi-faceted and fabulously intriguing. Experience how teachers find appreciation from his observation. Find Paul on LinkedIn here. Visit Paul’s website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud pod...

2026-02-0534 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Creating a Culture of Open Classroom Doors and Informal Collegial FeedbackMany educators know that some of the best, most relevant professional development can happen when teachers observe other teachers instructing their students. But in many schools, there’s rarely time set aside for peer observation. Erika Kersey, the principal of Greenville Elementary School in Virginia and two teachers share how they created structured, low-stakes opportunities for teachers to learn from each other. Read Erika's Edutopia article, "How to Create a Thriving Drop-In Culture" here. Email Erika: ekersey@fcps1.org Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com...

2026-01-2930 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Powerful Learning Through Entrepreneurial OpportunitiesI have been a long-time promoter of engaging students in real-life (project-based) opportunities. That’s driven from my own experiences as a 4-H participant in my elementary and high school years and having observed teachers and students tackling powerful learning through doing live event projects. Those experiences generated my interest to learn more when I was introduced to The Society of Childhood Entrepreneurs. Leah Ellis shares how even young elementary students can learn important life skills as entrepreneurs. Visit The Society of Childhood Entrepreneurs website here. Find Leah's book, "Sparks to Stars: The Story of Ast...

2026-01-2217 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Educators Thriving is Key to Students ThrivingThe authors of, "High Five to Thrive: 5 Proven Practices to Unleash Your Passion for Teaching" share their strategies to assist teachers to experience thriving in teaching. Their strategies tackle these issues: A loss of purpose - Is the passion that once fueled you fading? A feeling of hopelessness -Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, it’s not enough? Unhelpful mindset patterns - Do you ever notice that your automatic thoughts negatively shape your view of yourself, your students, and your classroom environment? Neglecting the mind-body connection - the essential link between your thoughts, emotions, and p...

2026-01-1546 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Knowing Students Builds ConnectionsTim Smyth, a high school teacher, shares his strategies for regularly surveying his students to build valuable connections. Hear some of the questions and approaches that tap information about his students. Tim has experienced knowing students better, having students know him, and at times knowing students who need emotional help. Instructional coaches can use Tim’s voice to spark teachers’ thinking about the possibilities. Tim started this process as a professional growth plan - that might be a great option for other teachers. Read Tim’s article here. Find the blog on the 4S’s interview...

2026-01-0823 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Building Student Learning PerseveranceHave you witnessed this in your classroom or had teachers share it as a coaching request? "When the cognitive load rises, many students default to learned- helplessness or passive habits. I see it in the quick, 'I don’t get it' before they have engaged with the problem, in the immediate search for confirmation rather than justification, and in the quiet waiting for me to circulate rather than making an initial attempt.” Science teacher-leader, Colin Simpson, shares his observations and strategies implemented to build student learning approaches. Connect with Colin here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkl...

2025-12-1829 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaching Facilitation Skills for PLC LeadersWith effective facilitation, individual PLC members come together combining each one’s unique strengths to promote optimal team performance. Without effective facilitation PLC conversations often stray without a focus and disappoint PLC members concerning the payoffs for their invested time. Angela Buckingham and Elena Sammon share strategies for building PLC leaders facilitation skills and model coaching conferences with PLC leaders. Contact Angela & Elena: coachingcollectivepower@gmail.com Find Angela & Elena's workshop resources here. Read Steve’s Blog, "Super Facilitation: Maximizing PLC Benefits" here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iT...

2025-12-1144 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Observing and Coaching with a Focus on Student Learning Production BehaviorsWhen a teacher is planning a learning activity, what’s the movie that’s running in their mind? Are they mostly seeing what they are doing as a teacher or what their learners are doing? When teachers, like athletic and performing arts coaches, focus on the student learning actions they modify instructional moves as soon as recognizing that the needed learning behaviors are missing. Coaches can observe and build coaching conferences around student learning production behaviors. Listen to Becca Silver’s Podcast here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit...

2025-12-0416 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Building the Culture We Want and the One That Students NeedThe authors of "Intentional Influence: Harnessing Cultural Mapping to Build Commitment," share their insights that enable leaders to reflect, explore step-by-step processes, and take concrete actions to impact culture and learning across their "spheres of influence.” By employing Cultural Mapping, leaders can create a personnel map of influence and thus support hidden flow of influence, and apply a strategic approach to increase commitment to organizational goals and scale initiative implementation. Their process is applicable for leaders at all levels. Email Bobby Dodd: robertdodd43783@gmail.com Email Ben Johnson: ben.johnson80@gmail.com Visit th...

2025-11-2040 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Some Strategies for Facilitating PLCsProfessional Learning Communities don’t automatically produce collaboration or impact. They often require skilled facilitation to keep the focus on high quality learning for all students and teachers. A facilitator provides the structure, prompts, and emotional conditions that help members engage deeply, share openly, and turn reflection into meaningful next steps. How can facilitators plan for the beginning, middle, and end of PLC sessions? Listen to the podcast on PLCs at Work with Mike Mattos and Anthony Muhammed here. Read Jamil Zaki's article, "Every Team needs a Super Facilitator" here. Read Elizabeth Doty's art...

2025-11-1314 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Replacing a Punishment with a ConnectionWhat payoffs are possible if students, who were assigned to serve detention, had the option to take a two -hour hike in the woods with a guidance counselor instead? High school counselor, Leslie Trundy, shares her experiences with the” hike as detention” plan. Trundy, guides the hikes including a stop with a view, a snack, and a short poem focused on starting anew. Consider what you want students to learn from your management and discipline programs. Read the NPR article, "At this school, kids given detention can choose a hike instead" here. Email Leslie: ltrundy@rsu1.org

2025-11-0628 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Encouraging Teacher Participation in PLC’sWhat are the compelling "whys" for teachers to invest their time and vulnerability in professional learning communities? How do professional learning communities differ from professional working communities? When are teachers meeting as a franchise vs meeting as a team with shared accountability? Shared goals and accountability for success are keys to effective PLCs. Read "Professional learning vs. PD: The distinction matters" here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-10-3016 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud “Leader-Full” Classrooms and SchoolsWhat would be the benefits of ALL students being taught and coached to develop leadership skills?Maureen Chapman and James Simons, authors of, "Leaders of the Class," share the needs, benefits, and processes for students to leverage motivation, perseverance, communication, and collaboration. Consider how to build stronger, healthier relationships with students as they discover their potential as purposeful, impactful leaders. Educators grow their own leadership skills as they develop other’s leadership. Visit Maureen and James' website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to fi...

2025-10-2336 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Finding Awe While LearningI heard about a great experience illustrating awe in learning that was shared by a group of middle school students and their teacher in Grand Island, New York. They joined me on this podcast sharing their reflections and insights. As you hear their story consider where these elements of Awe appeared: Awe occurs when we experience something much larger than ourselves Awe leads to the need to reframe one’s understanding of the world. Awe often brings forth emotions of humility, gratitude, and compassion. Awe is linked to prosocial behavior: people are more likely to help others after ex...

2025-10-1625 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaches Words That EmpowerHow do the words teachers hear from school leaders, instructional coaches and peers provide an uplift and motivation? Are there time that the words teachers hear create a subtle source of stress, confusion, or disengagement? Our language can be a vehicle through which expectations, emotions, and commitments are transmitted. What we say—and just as importantly, what we don’t say—can directly influence teacher growth, agency, and energy. Consider how your intentional language can empower your coachees, team members and staff, fostering a culture where trust, clarity and motivation thrive. Read "Empowering Others Through Words," from Phoenix...

2025-10-0911 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Making Feedback MatterHow do you ensure your students are reading your feedback, digesting it, and using it to improve? Alexis Wiggins explores the connections between reflection and feedback. She shares her personal experiences around revision-based assessments, AI possibilities, and modeling her use of feedback from student surveys. Read Alexis’ article, "Feedback That Matters" here. Watch the "Austin’s Butterfly" video here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-10-0240 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Observing and Coaching Classroom ManagementSome instructional coaches are starting the year with teachers who are new to the profession—and some with teachers who are entering the classroom without any teacher education background. What do these teachers believe defines classroom management, and where should a coach begin? Many instructional coaches are also hearing highly experienced teachers say, “I’ve never had a student like this before.” How does a coach respond? A. Keith Young, author of The Instructional Coaching Handbook and Confident Classroom Management Moves Card Deck, shares insights and strategies for both teachers and coaches. Consider the skills and stra...

2025-09-3036 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Haste Could Make Waste — Or WorseIn coaching—whether you’re supporting a teacher, leading a professional learning team, or working with a school leader—listening is foundational. And yet, in the name of productivity, efficiency, or simply staying on schedule, we can too easily slip into haste. Listening with haste can be worse than not listening at all. When you respond to people too quickly, they’re likely to feel frustrated, demeaned, or unimportant. Coaches having a strong sense of what a teacher “needs” may rush a conversation—finishing sentences, jumping to solutions, or interpreting questions as pushbacks. Missing crucial signals and undermine trust. Read th...

2025-09-2540 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Supporting Teachers in Turbulent TimesJennifer D. Klein, the author of, "Taming the Turbulence in Educational Leadership: Doing Right by Learners Without Losing Your Job," shares the need for leaders to support teachers who frequently struggle with false dichotomies like knowledge vs skills or play vs academics. Teachers and leaders often feel isolated and threatened in their efforts to prioritize what learners need most. Change work requires engagement from a place of courage not of fear. What beliefs and values build your courage to do right by learners? Connect with Jennifer and find her book here. Visit Jennifer's LinkedIn.

2025-09-1832 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Supporting Emotional and Social Well-Being for School Staff and StudentsThe Executive Director of Counselling in Schools, Kevin Dahill-Fuchel, explores the environments needed for students to thrive in school and survive in life. A key to that environment is a staff that can manage their emotions personally and be resilient so that they support students authentically. What role do instructional coaches and school leaders play in supporting teachers’ emotional safety and relationships? How is SEL foundational to schools and classrooms and not an add-on? What should we be celebrating and where should we have an urgent focus? Connect with Kevin and find his resources here. Su...

2025-09-0431 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Belonging - Honoring Each StudentEvery educator sends signals to students that, consciously or unconsciously, determine who experiences belonging—and who doesn’t. When students perceive they do not belong, they are at risk for a host of adverse consequences. Conversely, when students feel a sense of belonging, it can lead to an abundance of positive personal, social, and academic outcomes. How can instructional coaches and school leaders support teachers in identifying unconscious actions that interfere with our intended message of valuing each learner? How can we intentionally plan actions that nurture a community that embraces differences? In Powerful Student Care...

2025-08-2138 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Start the School Year with Awe, Wonder, and CuriosityResearch tells us that awe increases motivation and connection to learning, enhances critical thinking and careful information processing, encourages empathy and prosocial behavior, and supports creativity. What’s the plan for teachers and students first days of school? Are you more likely to hear ‘wow” and “awe” or “ Oh, no.” Explore some possibilities. Find Steve's book "WOW! Adding Pizzazz to Teaching and Learning, Second Edition" here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-08-1411 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Students and Teachers Maximizing the Value FeedbackFeedback doesn’t create learning by itself—learning happens when students reflect on, act upon, and integrate feedback into their work. Teachers don’t cause student achievement. Students do. Our role as educators is to design environments, tasks, and relationships that enable students to produce the learning behaviors that generate achievement. One of those critical learning behaviors is knowing how and being willing to use feedback. Instructional coaches and coaching leaders are supporting teachers to build opportunities for students to profit from feedback, they should be looking to create the same opportunities for their feedback to be profita...

2025-08-0719 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaching Teacher LeadersInstructional Coaches and school administrators should be continuously mapping out how they support teacher leaders in their schools. Teacher leaders at grade levels or department chairs for curriculum, along with teachers leading programs or projects and those serving as mentors to new staff are all key to a school reaching its mission and vision of maximizing student success. Too often, there is no plan for the development of critical leadership skills and mindsets that are necessary for teacher leaders to support continuous teacher growth for a school staff. That lack of planning and process, I believe, also communicates a...

2025-07-3117 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Plan for Playfulness, Connection, and FlowPlanning for the start of a new school year, we should intentionally design for playfulness, connection, and flow—the elements that are core to fun and joy. It’s not just about better lessons— but better experiences. Experiences that students will remember, that teachers will find energizing, and that build both engagement and joy. Whether it’s a surprise horse outside a classroom window or a red-carpet moment for staff, fun has the power to transform not just how we feel—but how we learn, connect, and grow. Watch Catherine Price’s TED talk here. Hear the entire...

2025-07-2416 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaching Conversations that Promote Coachability"Coachability is a crucial mindset that builds individual and teacher efficacy and thus student success. Coaching conversations should have a human connectedness built on hope, trust, gratitude, strength, and purpose." (Jennifer Fraser, 2025, Leading with Hope and Kindness) Listen for human connections in a sample coaching pre-conference. [podbean resource="episode=" type="audio-rectangle" height="200" skin="1" btn-skin="104" auto="0" share="1" fonts="Helvetica" download="1" rtl="0"] Read the article, "Leading With Hope and Kindness: 5 Ways to Be a Better Leader" here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to...

2025-07-1711 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Preparing Students for Their FutureListen as an experienced post -secondary professor and Dean of Computing and Data Science shares her insights as she assumes the position of the Head of School at a 7-12 independent school, the New England Innovation Academy. Dr. Durga Suresh-Menon provides a definition of innovation and discusses the need for curriculum and instruction to be continuously relevant. How do students prepare for what comes next? How do staff engage in the learning that supports their work with student? Email Dr. Suresh-Menon: durga.suresh-menon@neiacademy.org Learn more about the New England Innovation Academy here.

2025-07-1025 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Instructional Systems Feedback: A “Moneyball” ApproachPatrick Mongrain, an experienced teacher and teacher coach, shares a message comparing the use of data to drive smarter decisions in the movie Moneyball to providing teachers with data to analyze their instructional classroom moves. He describes the role of 8 high level strategies such as building community and relationships, providing opportunities to respond, and positive and corrective feedback. Too often clearly defined instructional skills that are key to instructional strategies are not identified or coached. Email Patrick: pmongrain65@comcast.net Watch "The Why of the 8 practices" here. Learn about the EdChanger Pro App h...

2025-07-0331 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaching, Leading, and Learning From Gen-Z TeachersDr. Meagan Booth, the Supervisor of Employee Relations at Knox County Schools in Tennessee, explores our need to learn about and from our Gen-Z teachers. She suggests the need to move from “just trust me” leadership to “here’s what you can expect” leadership providing consistency and transparency that build trust and respect for Gen Z. How do we make mental health “a way of being” to create systems that promote a switched focus from surviving to thriving? Read Meagan's article, "Gen Z Isn’t Lazy: Let’s Rethink What We Expect Of New Teachers" here. Email Meagan - ...

2025-07-0126 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Learning Through Listening and Creating: Podcasts in the ClassroomTeachers looking for a strategy to increase students’ engagement in learning and instructional coaches looking to support those teachers can find ideas and encouragement from Katie Brooks. She shares her experiences that led her to say: "By making podcasting a part of my ELA curriculum, I’ve seen students finally comprehend complex materials, have a blast learning and using their creativity, and take ownership of their learning in a way that traditional assignments don’t always allow. Students who struggle with traditional tasks have become more invested in their learning when given the opportunity to express themselves throug...

2025-06-1218 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud A Path to Standards-Based GradingHear a principal’s firsthand experience in facilitating a staff’s implementation of standards-based grading. Explore some of the “bumps” and how they worked through them. “There were bumps everywhere. We shifted the ground between kids and families’ feet. Most of us go through school with the same grading systems our parents did. This was no different. We had to explain what, why, and how. We also had to share that we weren’t demeaning the education or grading expectations that adults had as kids. We were simply trying to evolve.” The goal - authentic mastery.

2025-06-0532 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Planning for Impact: Why Goals Alone Won’t Do The JobIts that time of year when many school administrators and teacher leaders are engaged in setting school improvement goals focused on increasing student learning. But goals alone aren’t enough. Real change happens when we identify and support the behaviors that lead to those goals: the consistent learning behaviors students will need to be engaged in, the teacher actions that are most likely to generate those student learning production behaviors, and the leadership actions that will support teachers in implementing those actions. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to...

2025-06-0320 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Trust-Based ObservationsMost school leaders and teachers give a rather low rating to the value of teacher observations regarding increasing teacher effectiveness and thus student learning. Many find the process actual interfering with building a trusting learning culture in a school. Craig Randall, the author of "Trust-Based Observations: Maximizing Teaching and Learning Growth," has developed a transformative model of teacher observation that focuses on strengths and building differentiated trusting relationships with each teacher; creating work environments where teachers feel safe, embrace taking risks, and experimenting with new practices. The result is a schoolwide culture of trust and care extending throughout the...

2025-05-2232 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Why Focus on Deeper Learning for All StudentsWhat is deeper learning and how does it meaningfully engage students, preparing them for success beyond the classroom? How can teachers incorporate deeper learning into their classrooms? Dr. David Reese, from Defined Learning, explores these topics and identifies the six critical competencies that are important to all students’ for success. These competencies are often framed within the context of future-ready skills, which also include creativity, citizenship, and character. Find David's blog post, "Why Deeper Learning? 6 Competencies EVERY Student Needs to Succeed" here. Email David: david_reese@definedlearning.com Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Pon...

2025-05-1529 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Professional Development That Impacts Teacher Learning and Student SuccessWhat should teachers expect from school leadership in the support of teacher growth? What expectations should school leaders have of teachers in their investment in professional growth? Katherine Hamilton, vice president of programs for Ensemble Learning explores these questions with Steve. Designing for teachers as professionals is key to generating educator learning that impact student success. Visit the Ensemble Learning LinkedIn page here. Visit the Ensemble Learning website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-05-0837 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaching Teachers to Fail SuccessfullyJust as students benefit from developing a positive, growth-oriented approach to failure, teachers thrive when they are supported in the same way. Instructional coaches and administrators can play a critical role in fostering this mindset. Teachers need opportunities to embrace challenges, experiment with new ideas, and persist through setbacks, in a safe environment. Too often, professional learning focuses on delivering strategies and best practices without acknowledging the discomfort and vulnerability that come with trying something new. Explore seven keys to “successful failure.” "A Moment of Perspective," Christina (Kiki) Peterson "Why Failing Well is the Key to S...

2025-05-0114 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Teacher Leaders in PLCsChad Dumas, the author of, The Teacher Leader Handbook: Simple Habits to Transform Collaboration in a PLC at Work, explores the mindsets, skills and strategies that generate team collaboration. Chad describes the important mindsets of “Seeing in others what they don’t yet see in themselves,” Being humble with a posture of learning, and "Spreading the contagion of joy." How should school leaders support teacher PLC leaders? Find "The Teacher Leader Handbook: Simple Habits to Transform Collaboration in a PLC at Work" here. Find the free downloadable reproducibles here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkle...

2025-04-3033 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaching to Leverage HardinessHow do coaches assist teachers in reframing stress from something to be managed to a catalyst for growth and improvement? How can understanding the roles of commitment, control, and challenge build teachers’ hardiness? Highly experienced coaches, Lana Cecil and Angela Buckingham, share the application of Stein’s and Bartone’s work in Making Stress Work for You to Achieve Your Life Goals to the work of instructional leaders and coaches. Contact Angela: angela.buckingham@esc13.txed.net Contact Lana: lana.cecil@esc13.txed.net Find the Coaching Strategies and Coaching Questions for Hardiness here.

2025-04-1733 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud A District’s Focus on Inspiring and Creating Joyful ExperiencesWhat happens when a school system makes four promises as their mission: joy, connection, growth, and success and consider joy as the lead to the others happening? "If we want people to be present, engaged, and thriving, joy can’t be an afterthought. It must be a priority." (George Philhower, Superintendent Eastern Hancock Schools in Indiana) Hear about their summer Joy Jam conference for educators. Visit the Eastern Hancock Schools website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-04-1023 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Building Coachability for Myself and Others“Coachability is not just teachability. It’s not just a willingness to learn. It’s a willingness to unlearn and change. Coachability is a moral capacity that allows a person to accept feedback, acknowledge faults, limitations, and deficiencies, and to act on that new information.” (Timothy Clark) As instructional coaches and school leaders, we can play a big role in shaping culture of coachability. We do it through the way we listen, the questions we ask, and the tone we set when offering feedback. Find Timothy Clark's article, "Are You Coachable?" here. Subscribe to the Ste...

2025-04-0313 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Situating Responsibility With Students: Enhancing LearningBarbara Smith, the editor of Urgent Care for Schools: Situating Responsibility as an Engaging Way for Students to Transform School Cultures, explores providing meaningful, memorable, and fulfilling learning experiences by situating responsibilities with learners. From her experiences in public, independent, charter, and international schools, Barbara explores expanding the student identity to include that of becoming service providers, injustice responders, action researchers, designers, apprentices and teachers. Visit the ZPD website and connect with Barbara here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-04-0129 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Radical Listening in CoachingHow can coaches’ use of radical listening generate teachers’ reflection and increase a sense of teachers’ empowerment? Examine some of the obstacles to and strategies for radical listening from the work of Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener and Christian Van Nieuwerburgh authors of Radical Listening: The Art of True Connection. As coaches, when we resist the urge to jump in with comparisons, advice, or quick fixes—and instead, lean into radical listening—we communicate trust, respect, and belief in the teacher’s capacity. Listen to the Podcast, "Mastering Coaching and Leadership | Robert Biswas-Diener | Craig Dowden, PhD" here. Subscribe to...

2025-03-2715 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud A Thriving School Culture Through a Path of Student and Teacher ResponsibilityFrom her career as a teacher and school leader in public, independent, and international schools and having opened three new schools, Barbara Smith proposes the importance of situating responsibility with students and teachers. She describes why change is urgent and needs to be transformative. Just as teachers need to be facilitators of student responsibility to create their learning, school leaders need to be facilitators of teachers’ responsibility. Time and space for teacher collaboration and learning is a key. Connect with Barbara & visit the ZPD website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on i...

2025-03-2028 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaches Listen to Guide Self DiscoveryWhat skills do coaches practice to communicate being fully present in coaching conversations? How do those conversations support a growth-oriented environment where teachers feel valued, heard, and empowered to take ownership of their professional learning? Consider your use of questions and paraphrases in coaching. Find "The Leader's Guide to Coaching in Schools: Creating Conditions for Effective Learning, by John Campbell and Christian Van Nieuwerburgh here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-03-1318 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Building Coaching Skills and a Coaching CultureRory Courlander, IFC Certified Coach, high school administrator, and experience learning and teaching coach, explores building a coaching culture from no coaching to an embedded collaborative coaching culture. He and Steve discuss coaching skills and coachability. Find Rory’s Coaching Culture Continuum and connect with him on LinkedIn here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-03-0635 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Supporting Teachers in Supporting Students’ High PerformanceHow do instructional coaches and instruction leaders support teachers in maximizing students’ high performance? How should we be preparing teachers to identify possible indicators of high talent and to create opportunities for talent and giftedness to flourish? Steve Arnold, the Head of Gifted and Talented at GEMS Education explores these questions and identifies the importance of adaptive teaching verses siloed differentiation. What should teachers know about the neuroscience of learning? Email Steve: steve.arnold@gemseducation.com Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-02-2727 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Sharing the Listening Path with StudentsListening is a crucial skill for students to develop for school and life success, yet we rarely purposefully approach a plan for students to learn the skills. Christine Miles, the creator of The Listening Path highlights the why and how for teachers to provide students the tools and practice to develop their listening capabilities. Consider the impact of a listing culture on classroom dynamics and student engagement. Visit The Listening Path website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-02-2519 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Why Invest in PLCsTime spent in PLCs should produce increased student learning. Listen in on thoughts from several experienced school leaders who have interacted with Steve and shared indicators that suggest your PLCs are on the right track or might need modifications to increase their impact on student learning. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-02-2018 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Building a Co-Constructed SchoolHow can a focus on teacher agency, strategic planning, and professional growth transform a school into a thriving ecosystem where leaders, teachers, parents, and students create dynamic, inclusive, and purpose-driven learning communities? School leader and the author of The Co-Constructed School, Ann Lautrette, shares her experiences, research, and case studies that demonstrate the processes and rewards of building a community of empowered collaborators. [podbean resource="episode=x7r3a-17fb31b" type="audio-rectangle" height="200" skin="1" btn-skin="104" auto="0" share="1" fonts="Helvetica" download="1" rtl="0"] Listen to the previous podcast "Guiding Teachers to Build Co-constructed Classrooms" here.

2025-02-1328 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Seeking and Building Students’ High-Level TalentWhat role do teachers play in generating opportunities for the key elements of high performance: deliberate practice, motivation/inspiration, and master coaching? Steve Arnold, the Head of Gifted and Talented at GEMS Education illustrates teachers’ roles. He identifies the impact of the "required curriculum" and teachers’ options like the use of disruptive questions. Contact Steve Arnold: steve.arnold@gemseducation.com Visit the GEMS Education website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-02-1126 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Pushing Through: Embracing Growth Through Discomfort"I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough.” (Marissa Mayer) How do administrators, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders foster such a mindset? Research on psychological safety underscores the importance of creating an environment where individuals feel secure enough to take risks, make mistakes, and reflect without fear of judgment or blame. In education, this principle is vital for f...

2025-02-0619 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Creating Joyful Transformational ExperiencesFor young children, curiosity and questions abound. Adults are often interested in learning connected to their lives, jobs, and hobbies. Somehow though in between those times the joy of learning may be lost as curiosity is replaced with isolation. Dr. Jennifer Gallagher, superintendent of Long Beach School District, NY, explores how to focus on nurturing more joy in learning in our schools. What is the necessary core knowledge for students and how quickly is it changing? How do we bring relevance to required curricula? What should we be exploring and creating as post-secondary options? Email Jennifer: jgallagher...

2025-01-3026 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Teachers Building Purposeful ConnectionsThe author of "Purposeful Educator Connections," Marcela Andrés, explores strategies to deepen relationships with students, stay connected to your educator purpose, and improve classroom culture. She provides 5 Key Principles that empower teachers to build trust, inspire learning, and transform classroom environments. Find Marcela's book, "Purposeful Educator Connection" here. Visit the designEDegagement website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-01-2821 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Listening: The Power of Understanding to Connect, Influence, and SolveChristine Miles, the author of, "What’s it Costing You to Not Listen," shares insights on how as coaches and school leaders we need to move beyond active listening. Listening to understand is critical in building relationships and trust with those we coach. Christine identifies how our listening and questions assist a coachee in telling their story which increases our understanding. Connect with Christine and visit her website here. Find Christine's book, "What Is It Costing You Not to Listen: The Power of Understanding to Connect, Influence, Solve & Sell" here. Subscribe to the St...

2025-01-2323 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud While Coaching Others, We Learn"Managers who coach their employees report that they grow personally by becoming more vulnerable, self-aware, and empathetic. They learn to trust their employees, solicit feedback to improve their management, and in doing so improve job satisfaction and joy in their work." Dr. Nina Morel, Executive Director of Coaching and Leadership Development at Lipscomb University explores how leaders grow from coaching. She illustrates the necessary mindset and skills for effective coaching. Visit & Connect with Dr. Morel on her website. Read "Six principles of Leadership Coaching" (Center for Creative Leadership) here. Subscribe to the...

2025-01-1625 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Strategic Steps to Accelerate Student Learning"The field of education has more research than ever before, yet teachers do not have the time to filter through that research to determine which strategies have the greatest impact,” - Sherry St. Claire. That thought initiated St. Claire’s work featured in Intentional Instructional Moves: Strategic Steps to Accelerate Student Learning. She sifted through the research to uncover the most impactful classroom strategies and broke them into intentional steps so teachers can move efficiently from theory to practice. She and Steve explore three of many areas addressed in the book: classroom management, differentiation, and assessment. Vi...

2025-01-1421 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Should I Make a Suggestion?Deciding if or when to make a suggestion to a teacher during coaching conferences is a question that as coaches we continually ponder. I consider it a question to be answered during the coaching conference. The key is TIMING. Is the teacher ready (interested in) considering a suggestion. How can a coach read timing and increase the likelihood of the right timing? Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2025-01-0917 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud AI for Student-Centered Learning: Customizing Learning Pathways For Every StudentJosh Ecker and Erin Cummings, from the Ed Tech and Learning Design Team at Chester County Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania, explore AI’s current and future potential for the personalization of students pathways to success. They explore ways that school leaders and instructional coaches support teachers’ AI learning through PD, modeling, and policy. Student AI Literacy is all discussed. Visit Chester County’s AI Support site here. Email Josh Ecker: joshe@cciu.org Email Erin Cummings: erinc@cciu.org Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit B...

2025-01-0224 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Schools That Build RelationshipsMarcela Andres, the CEO of designEDegagement and author of a post titled, "Moving Beyond Compliance: Building Relationships in Education," joined the podcast to share her experiences and recommendations for building connections with students. "Educators need to see students as individuals with unique backgrounds, dreams, and potential- despite challenges they may be facing. When we know students that way they can amaze us by starting to take charge of their own education.” Marcela explores her work generating relationships within the school, with parents, and among the greater school community. Visit the designEDegagement website here. Subscribe to the...

2024-12-1920 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaching With Intention for Instructional GrowthSherry St. Clair, the author of Intentional Instructional Moves: Strategic Steps to Accelerate Student Learning, shares her work identifying the research behind instructional strategies with the potential to elevate student learning and save teachers time. Sherry breaks the strategies into intentional steps so teachers can move efficiently from theory to practice. Instructional coaches and school leaders will find her work helpful in supporting the educators that you coach. Visit Sherry's website here. Email Sherry: Sherry@reflecttolearn.com Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to f...

2024-12-1222 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud AI-Powered Assessment: Moving Beyond Traditional TestingIn what ways can AI be a teacher’s assistant? How do you keep a "human touch" in the AI assessment process? How can AI empower students as they request assessment feedback? Josh Ecker and Erin Cummings from the Ed Tech and Learning Design Team at Chester County Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania examine these and additional questions with Steve. Visit Chester County’s AI Support site here. Email Josh Ecker: joshe@cciu.org Email Erin Cummings: erinc@cciu.org Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visi...

2024-12-1023 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Leading From the Middle: Principals and Teacher LeadersBoth principals and teacher leaders lead from the middle, feeling pressure and demands from a system level and a classroom and community level. Dr. Katie Pekel, the director of Educational Leadership at the University of Minnesota, joins Steve to explore instructional leadership. They examine the need for administrators to guide the evaluation, supervision, mentoring and coaching of teachers. The role of instructional coaches and their work with school leaders is discussed. Read the article, Rochester Public Schools Aims to Remake Principals From Managers Into ‘Head Teachers’ here. Email Dr. Katie Pekel: kpekel@umn.edu Subscribe t...

2024-12-0526 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Building Real Student EngagementHow do teachers shift the focus from passive learning to active exploration, challenging students to think critically, solve complex problems, and apply their knowledge in authentic contexts. Experienced educator and CEO of WhyMaker, Liz Gallo, explores promoting deeper understanding by immersing students in meaningful tasks that mirror the challenges they’ll face outside the classroom, ultimately leading to stronger academic outcomes and skill development. Project based and career ready strategies are explored. Visit the WhyMaker website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new ep...

2024-11-2621 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Exploring Depth of Knowledge Teaching and LearningThe author of Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning, Erik Francis, joins Steve to examine what teaching and learning for depth of knowledge (DOK) looks like. Francis describes ways to support staff with ways to use DOK for differentiating based on the demands of standards and building upon the strengths and successes of students. Visit the Maverik Education site here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-11-2139 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Leaders Responding to Staff Social and Emotional NeedsDr. Maggie Broderick who serves as a faculty lead for Social Emotional Learning at National University converses with Steve around the need to develop schools where staff and students build emotional well-being and develop interpersonal skills. What teacher dispositions are crucial? What roles do instructional coaches and leaders play in creating learning environments that are equitable, inclusive and emphasize student social-emotional well-being? Email Dr. Maggie Broderick: mbroderick@ncu.edu Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-11-1822 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Providing Effective Professional DevelopmentLiz Gallo, the CEO of WhyMaker, joins the podcast to explore the planning, delivery, and follow up of effective professional learning. Often, the knowing doing gap is caused by insufficient support for teachers as they experience the learning dip during the implementation of new instructional practices. Visit the WhyMaker website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-11-1421 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Posing Good Questions to Promote Student Inquiry"Phrasing and posing a good question can be just as complex and difficult as the process of answering. It involves critical, creative, and reflective thinking from both students and educators."(Erik Francis) As the author of Inquiring Minds Want to Learn: Posing GoodQuestions to Promote StudentInquiry, Francis explores strategies for how questions can set the stage for student engagement and learning. He shares the power of the questioning stems, "How do you_________? How can you _________? And How could you__________?" Visit the Maverik Education site here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud po...

2024-11-0540 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Building Coaching with a Student FocusWhether you are exploring the value (return on investment) of instructional coaching from the school board, central office, school principal or teacher perspective, an increase in student success must be central . Steve shares insights from his experiences with each of these perspectives with Kim Coffino on the @coachbetter podcast. Listen to the entire CoachBetter podcast here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-10-3115 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Encouraging Teaching in TeamsWhile teaching in a team has always had benefits, today it is a requirement. The complexity of desired outcomes we are looking to produce can no longer be accomplished with the skills and resources of an individual. Almost all other industries and professions have recognized how employees and customers are best served by teams while schools have continued placing individual teachers in classrooms with sole responsibility for student success. Consider why instructional coaches and school leaders should be working to build and support teaching teams. Watch "Teaching in Teams (What Schools Could Be)" here. Subscribe...

2024-10-2411 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Teachers Responding to Students’ Human NeedsWhat do students need their teacher to know and be able to do to address social and emotional learning? Dr. Maggie Broderick, the faculty lead for Social Emotional Learning at National University explores this question and others with Steve. She explores the issue that “where a teacher lives and works”, impacts the approach to social emotional teaching. What’s possible in a school that doesn’t have SEL curriculum or resources? Email Dr. Maggie Broderick: mbroderick@ncu.edu Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new epis...

2024-10-2218 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Professional Learning Communities at WorkTwo authors of Learning by Doing (Fourth Edition), Mike Mattos and Anthony Muhammad, discuss the powerful impact of PLCs. They define a PLC as an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. The discussion explores shifts in the fundamental purpose of PLCs, the use of assessment, responses when students don’t learn, teachers’ work, focus, school culture, and professional development. It offers an insightful dialogue. Contact Anthony: newfrontier21@comcast.net Contact Mike: mikemattos@me.com Subs...

2024-10-1743 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Leadership Planning for Teams to FormWhile teams naturally build cohesion and effectiveness over time, it is possible to accelerate the team-building process. Research suggests that deliberate interventions, such as setting clear goals, establishing trust, and providing structured opportunities for collaboration, can help teams move through the stages of team process faster and reach the “performing” stage more quickly. Consider intentional strategies that focus on establishing trust, clarity, and alignment early on, to speed up the development of high-functioning teams. Watch Patrick Lencioni's video here. Find Mitchel Resnick's "Projects, Peers, Passion, Play" here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud...

2024-10-1014 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Building Professional Growth Plans That Increase Learning ImpactListen in on a conversation as a school leader shares his experiences working with colleagues to continually increase teacher learning for student learning though professional growth plans. The process continually developed from year to year as insights were gained, and hypotheses were formed and implemented. Follow up with James Penstone on LinkedIn here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-10-0327 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud The Purpose When Teachers Meet?Understanding the desired outcome of a meeting is key to teachers knowing the participatory behaviors that are most productive. Everything being called a PLC interferes with participants being able to focus on the educator learning in true PLCs that leads to increased student success. In professional learning communities, purposeful teacher learning around how to increase student achievement is the focus. Teachers are collaboratively asking, "What do the students need us to learn?" Listen to the podcast on PLCs with Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey here. Find Chris Jensen's guest blog, "Teaming and Workflow" here. ...

2024-09-2618 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud A Strategy for Increasing Student Thinking: Visually Random GroupsClassrooms with less monologue and more dialogue are key to increasing student thinking and student learning. Peter Liljedahl recommends teachers using a strategy that publicly, randomly groups students. The students visually seeing the groups form is an important element. When having these random groups work at easy erase vertical boards, engagement and thinking increases. Students seeing each other’s work and the teacher seeing and hearing student thinking around the room all add opportunities for increased engagement in problem solving. Mindshift: How to Get Kids Thinking Instead of Mimicking in Math Class Find Lau...

2024-09-2410 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud PLCs as Achievement TeamsSteve Ventura, co-author of "Achievement Teams: How a Better Approach to PLCs Can Improve Student Outcomes and Teacher Efficacy," identifies Achievement Teams as a structured, collaborative model that helps educators improve teaching practices and student outcomes through data-driven decision-making. Collective Teacher Efficacy supports that working together can have a greater impact on student achievement than working individually. The role of instructional coaches and principals in support of Achievement Teams is also explored. Visit Steve's website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-09-1930 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Teacher Leaders Building TrustIf teachers in PLCs are to function as teams, taking shared responsibility for student success, vulnerability is critical. A teacher needs to place his students’ work and his instructional practices on display for colleagues to share in structuring a plan to increase student success. Teaching needs to be a public act for the trust of teams to be developed. Peer coaching among PLC members can provide the opportunity for vulnerability and trust building to occur. Read "Can You have Trust Without Being Vulnerable?" here. Read "The Connection Between Vulnerability and Trust in Teams" here. ...

2024-09-1207 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Teachers Teaming - Sharing WorkflowTeaming and sharing workflow allow teachers to leverage each other's strengths, reduce redundancy, and build a supportive community, all of which contribute to lower stress levels. Teaming can increase a sense autonomy by providing teachers with a collaborative environment that supports shared decision-making, allows for flexibility in implementation, and fosters professional growth. Find Dr. Chris Jensen's book, "Triage Your School: A Physician’s Guide to Preventing Burnout" here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-09-1010 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaches Supporting Teachers’ Focus on GoalsWhether you are an instructional coach, administrator, or teacher leader planning and supporting the growth of colleagues or designing your own personal improvement plan consider how to maintain momentum and push through the learning dips with implementation intentions, connections to beliefs and values, and a network of colleagues who provide reminders Visit John Cambell's website & find his book, "3 Ways to Help Sustain Commitment Towards Goals" here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-09-0610 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaching New TeachersHow do instructional coaches address the mentoring concerns and needs of new teachers? Joellen Killion, senior advisor to LearningForward and international consultant to educational leaders addressing professional learning for student success, joins Steve to explore the mentoring elements of instructional coaching. They examine how instructional coaches and administrators can plan for novice teachers’ transitions from learning the “ways of the school through mentoring” to seeking “personal growth for increased student success” through coaching. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-08-2927 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Messages You Want Students to Hear Early & Have Reinforced Throughout the YearTeacher messages are foundational to building strong, positive relationships with students. These relationships are critical for creating an environment where students feel supported, motivated, and capable of achieving success. When students trust and feel connected to their teachers, they are more likely to engage deeply in their learning, take academic risks, and ultimately achieve success. Read Moments of Genuine Connection (MGCs) – DSJR Student Motivation Guide from Dave Stuart here. Watch Dave's video, "What are Moments of Genuine Connection?" here. Read Daniel Yeager's "Wise Critiques Help Students Succeed" here. Subscribe to the Steve...

2024-08-2712 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Guiding Through Change: Yourself, Teachers, and TeamsDr. Kim Richardson describes that change is inevitable and manageable. As coaches and school leaders we need to be competent in guiding ourselves and others during change. Kim describes the need for emotional intelligence and resilient leadership. Knowing people are unpredictable requires coaches to observe and communicate. Change is a process not an event. Contact Kim https://drkimleadership.com/ Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-08-2235 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Consistency in Classroom Management Could Imply That One Size Fits All"While teachers use interventions to allow students to catch up with their learning results and use differentiation to make sure that learning tasks are appropriate, when it comes to behavior we often default to consistency as a panacea." -(Dave Whitaker) Consistency is built when students sense the teacher’s usual, expected teacher behavior. Flexibility emerges when the teacher changes from that approach in response to a situation or individual student’s needs. Explore verbal structures teachers can use across a continuum of giving, sharing, or keeping the decision-making voice in a classroom. Read "Consistency – or may...

2024-08-1321 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud An AI Summit for Schools and CommunitySt. Cloud School Superintendent, Laurie Putnam and director of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment, Donna Roper, share their experience hosting an AI Summit that included about 200 local and national educators, business leaders, community partners and state legislators. They considered how we should respond to make our education systems relevant to the workforce and future needs and how a cross-section of stakeholders together can improve education policy. Read the article on the Summit here. Connect with Laurie and Donna here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to...

2024-08-0822 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Helping Teachers See Hope and Possibilities With Their StudentsFormer classroom teacher, school administrator, and district-level leader, Angie Freese, works with educators as a facilitator, coach, practitioner, and mentor. She empowers educators’ efforts to interrupt antiquated and ineffective practices that only work for some to generate sustainable growth and performance for all. Angie is the founder of the Meant for More Collaborative, an organizational network committed to rejuvenating school systems by igniting creativity, inspiring hope, and investing in the power of human connection. Being a "meant for more leader" requires being grounded in the ideas of authenticity, bravery, and dignity. Find Angie's book, "Meant for More" he...

2024-08-0129 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud What Do You Want Students to Learn Through Your Classroom Management Approach?As the start of a new school year approaches, it’s a great time for teachers to consider how their approach to classroom management not only impacts their classroom environment for content learning but also what students learn from being part of that classroom management plan. Questions to consider as you reflect on your classroom plan are included. "Every move we make in classroom management is a lesson. Kids are watching us and they’re learning.” -Dr. Carla Shalaby Watch Dr. Shalaby’s Presentation here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or...

2024-07-3016 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Leaders Modeling the Use of FeedbackZak Cohen, a highly experienced school leader with a strong belief in "leading by example," shares his process for collecting feedback from teachers regarding his leadership competency and supportiveness. He turns that feedback into a hypothesis for improvement and requests feedback on his hypothesis. In this process Zak models the curiosity and vulnerability that teachers need as they look to grow from student feedback. Read Zak’s article, "Leading By Example as a School Leader" here. Visit Zak's website here. Find Zak on Twitter & LinkedIn. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out L...

2024-07-2531 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud An Educator’s Hippocratic OathRobert Landau, education futurist and strategist, discusses establishing a hippocratic oath for the educators. Such a pledge would bind us to ethical, equitable, and progressive educational practices that place students' growth and welfare at the core of everything we do. "The traditional Hippocratic Oath is a pledge taken by physicians to uphold specific ethical standards and prioritize the wellbeing of their patients. Similarly, applying an oath to education emphasizes the importance of ethical behavior, responsibility, and a commitment to the wellbeing of students and relationships with all learners built on trust.” Visit the Two Roads Education website he...

2024-07-1827 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Classrooms Built on Dignity, Authenticity, and ConnectionAngie Freese, author of Meant for More: Real Talk About Classrooms Built on Dignity, Authenticity, and Connection, explores her belief in educators’ potential. She supports educators to create classrooms where students can be brave, assured, and confident in their learning pathway. In this podcast she highlights authenticity, connection, curiosity, voice, resilience, and grace. Find Angie's book, Meant for More here. Email Angie: angie@meantformorementum.com Connect with Angie on LinkedIn. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-07-1626 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Building Teacher Growth Plans That Impact Student SuccessTammy Jochinke, The Director of Teaching, Learning and Innovation, at the Dubai American Academy, created a process for 240 teachers to design professional growth plans based on a hypothesis from asking the question, "What do my students need me to learn?” Tammy shares the importance of focusing on student success with teacher autonomy and curiosity. Teachers were supported in PLC groups and a colleague who served an impact partner. Contact Tammy: t.jochinke_daa@gemsedu.com Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-07-1129 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Students Setting Goals and Developing PlansStudents’ abilities to set goals, plan for success, and systematically collect feedback are critical to school and life success. Starting the school year teaching these processes (at all grade levels) can set the stage for increased student success throughout the year and beyond. This podcast shares important elements to build into your plans for effective goal setting and identifies how a middle school team collaborated with a physical education teacher in teaching and coaching goal-setting and planning for success. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to fi...

2024-07-0211 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Coaching From the School Improvement PlanDr. Karen Johannesen, a highly experienced school leader, writer, and organizational change consultant explores the role of professional development and coaching in school improvement plans that positively impact student success. She believes that when schools support teachers with well-designed and rich professional learning, those teachers create the same type of rigorous and engaging opportunities for students. Her book, "Coaching for Multilingual Student Success" brings the work of school-based and district based coaches to life. Find Karen's book, "Coaching for Multilingual Student Success" here. Visit Karen's website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Ou...

2024-06-2730 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Making Magical Ripples Towards a Coaching CultureTo what extent should building coaching into the culture of the school be a desired outcome of instructional coaches’ and administrators’ responsibilities? How can an instructional coach plan for and assess progress even when administrator support or system expectations are not present? Many schools experience ongoing changes in staff and teams, which can seem overwhelming for coaches who feel they lack the time, stability, or support to create real change. In these cases, I suggest that coaches focus on creating a ripple effect by enhancing individual teachers’ coaching experiences and increasing coachability. Watch Simon Sinek's video...

2024-06-2116 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Assessment as a Verb for PLCsExplore how teachers working in PLCs can use a verb approach to assessment and error analysis to collaboratively focus on shared accountability for ALL students’ success. This process of assessment as a verb, combined with collegial exploration of the information the assessing produced, aligns with my favorite PLC question: "What do the students need us to learn…..?" Teacher learning is key to increased student learning. That collegial learning builds teacher collective efficacy. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

2024-06-1814 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Leading Schools That Move Students From Access to SuccessExperienced teacher, head of school and the author of "The Landscape Model of Learning," Jennifer D. Klein, describes how schools build learning communities where students belong and thrive because they are supported for their experiences, gifts, and challenges. How do coaches with school leaders guide teachers to explore understanding learners as fully as we can, supporting learners’ aspirations and goal setting with multiple pathways of learning? How do leaders model for teachers similar learning communities that we desire for students. Connect with Jennifer to learn more: blogs, videos, books here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Pon...

2024-06-1334 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Confidentiality in CoachingConfidentiality in a coaching program can be complicated. For many teachers, knowing that coaching conversations are confidential makes it easier for them to explore what really matters. At the same time, school leaders want to build an environment of trust where the issue of confidentiality becomes increasingly less important. Teachers and leaders becoming teams focused on the common goal of students’ success created a sense of MY results are OUR results. How do coaches work with the complexity of confidentiality? Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find ne...

2024-06-0616 min

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Students Documenting LearningExplore how teachers and students can be empowered with the implementation of student documented learning. Jennifer D. Klein, teacher, administrator, and author of "The Landscape Model of Learning: Designing Student-Centered Experiences for Cognitive and Cultural Inclusion," provides examples across grade levels. Her concrete examples illustrate the how as well as the “why” benefits. When students take accountability for documenting their learning, motivation often increases, and important life skills are practiced. Connect with Jennifer to learn more and find her blogs, videos & books here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit...

2024-06-0429 min

Read by Example

Read by Example Podcast: A Conversation with Steve BarkleyI spoke with Steve Barkley, educational consultant and coach, for his podcast Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud (found here).We discussed:* The importance of instructional leadership,* Balancing evaluation with professional learning, and* The five strategies from my book Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. (Corwin, 2022).Thank you for listening!PODCAST TRANSCRIPTSteve [Intro]: 00:00 Hello, and welcome to the teacher edition of the Steve Barkley Ponders Out loud podcast. The complexity of teaching is both challenging and rewarding. And my curiosity is peaked whenever...

2022-04-1728 min