At the beginning of the year, do you check with other teachers to get their perspectives on your class list? I think this is a universal practice that we’ve been doing as far back as I remember.

But are we getting the most value from other teachers’ perspectives? What questions do we ask?

Well, it was my first Twitter Chat. I’ll declare it a success because of what I learned!

How did I get here?

Sometimes life gives you unexpected opportunities…

In early March, I attended a Women’s Junior League Leadership Conference. Throughout my career, I have embraced education sponsored leadership offerings; I was curious what I could learn from the business world. I wasn’t disappointed.

Women leaders expanded my view of what it means to lead.

When we hear the term “mentor,” most of us conjure up an image of an older, wiser person who has positively impacted our lives. For me, it was Art Nierenberg, founder of Breakthrough Disability. He was twenty years older than me and so much wiser! He organized breakthrough workshops that were amazing opportunities to learn how to have a bigger impact in the lives and conditions of individuals with disabilities.

Are your students in charge of their own success?

Who is responsible for your students’ success?

Over the last ten years, as I’ve been in hundreds of classrooms as an Inclusion Coach, I’ve talked with teachers and watched their student interactions.

If you really want to learn, find a coach!

Does your school use coaching services to support professional learning?

I have worked with several districts that employ instructional coaches, literacy coaches, and math coaches. Recently, I’ve started to ask, “Why not Inclusion Coaches?”

In Search of the special hearted….

I’m looking for courageous educators committed to transforming large-scale special education systems.

Which do you see?

I discovered this drawing on social media and stopped to reflect. Pause a moment to notice what each sees in the other.

Which do you empower?

We all look toward the future and ask “What if?” But the thinking behind the question makes a huge difference in our outcomes.

What message would YOU give to families of transitioning youth?

Who says you can’t go back?

Last Saturday, I was the keynote speaker at the Baltimore County Transition Expo in Timonium. It’s been 20 years since their last Transition Expo, and I was probably there. Deja vu!