On my recent trip to Mississippi, Braxton S., a high school principal, showed off his Together System. Yowsa, look at that fancy Weekly Worksheet on the front page! More to come on this baby later. For now, I want to showcase what I was really intrigued by – the...
Talla Tells Us. . .Charlotte-Mecklenberg’s Meeting Matrix
I’ve been spending a lot of time with Charlotte-Mecklenberg Schools these days (see here, here, and here), and I keep learning more and more! So of course, when I spied this District Meeting Schedule on Talla R.’s workspace during a recent session, I had to find out...
Author Interview: Paula L. White’s SHAPE – and a Giveaway!
You know I love a good author stalking (see this one, this one, this one, this one, AND this one). And now it’s time to introduce you to yet another! I first met Paula L. White when doing work with New Jersey’s Priority Schools a few years back. I was super impressed...
Making the Most of Classroom Volunteers
I am not traveling this week, and so I booked a slot to volunteer in my daughter’s first grade classroom. I know I’ll be put right to work! But. . . sometimes volunteers are more work! With a little bit of planning and communication, classroom volunteers – whether...
First, I Cried – And Then I Made a Spreadsheet
Yes, you heard that right. First I cried and then I made a spreadsheet. Friends, I will not bore with you with the details of my recent childcare debacles, but let’s leave it at this: We are unexpectedly between full-time babysitters for a not insignificant period of...
Sharks, Squirrels or Butterflies: Shared Language for Emergencies
Stop Before You Spin can be a really, really hard move to pull off, especially if everyone around you holds differing opinions about what constitutes an emergency! We need a system here, people, and boy, oh, boy, am I excited to share my most recent discovery with...
Thoughtful Teacher Appreciation Ideas
Though 2016’s Teacher Appreciation Week has been emblazoned on my calendar since, well, one year ago, it still crept up on me all too quickly amidst the book release and other things. Fortunately, my kids and I got our acts together last Sunday and created these gift...
Back After Baby
So you’ve been on maternity leave for a few months now, or maybe even a full year, but now it’s time to go back to work. I get a lot of questions from working mamas, so off I went in search of practical tips for easing back into a structured school schedule after the...
Book Giveaway Contest & Author Interview with Elena Aguilar
Elena Aguilar is one of the best authors in the education business. I love her fresh take on coaching AND we recently bonded over what kinds of healthy foods we pack in our suitcases as PD road warriors. Elena has me topped with her travel water filter and...
Cloi’s Opening and Closing Routines
I met Cloi, a wonderfully Together first-grade teacher, at a recent training here in DC. From the moment we met, I was drooling over her Together Tools. There is much to share, but I honed in on her paper-based Weekly Worksheet with a focus on her ROUTINES. Here’s a...