Learning Through Uncertainty

In this episode of Coaching Through Uncertainty, Mansfield ISD Area Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction Brandon Johnson (Mansfield, TX) talks about the initial shock and resulting responses to the COVID Pandemic in what he calls The Year of Empathy. Mr. Johnson discusses how he has lead through COVID by establishing a caring community where both Teachers and Students are given a voice and a sense of community. To be successful in this day and age of distance and remote learning, he stresses the need to challenge educators to re-make their classes in the way they would envision them to be. Download to hear how he engages with students to discover what they want and need for their own educational development.

In this episode of Coaching Through Uncertainty, Hattiesburg Public School District Instructional Technologist Dr. Will Deyamport III (Hattiesburg, MS) discusses the importance of effective, simplified technology in enhancing learning experiences especially within a hybrid classroom setting. Dr. Deyamport seeks to enable a pre-k through 12th grade school district to conduct classes for both in-school and remote students. With the certainty that technology impacts pedagogy, he seeks to give instructors the right tools to enable and enhance their teaching. Listen to learn how he advocates for technological innovation without allowing teachers or students to get lost in complexity.

In this episode of Coaching Through Uncertainty, Pennsylvania Principal Tara Desiderio (Wescosville, PA), highlights how she and her school chose to see opportunities during the current COVID Pandemic. She stresses the necessity of reaching out to parents and students in order to train, support, and improve both student learning and parental involvement. Additionally, the ebullient Desiderio discusses how her staff not only supported the parents and students, but also increased teacher training with online assets, close contact, and responsive support. Listen to hear how she helped build new resources, fostered learning, and built community spirit both in and out of the school building.

Kyle Pace

In this episode, Digital Learning Coordinator for Lubbock-Cooper ISD (TX) Aaron Rogers (@Aaron_Teach) shares how their Digital Learning team is multiplying themselves through video to offer in-the-moment coaching for teachers providing on-demand learning.

Dr. Katie Novak (@katienovakudl), Facilitator for Professional Learning in Groton Dunstable School District (MA) and internationally renowned author and consultant, offers her advice for coaching and facilitating professional learning in these continually evolving and uncertain times. Katie reminds us, while circumstances may change, the goal of high-quality instruction must remain center-focus; formats (virtual, in-person, synchronous, asynchronous) will be flexible but high-quality instruction and core content standards will always remain constants.

Dr. Henry Turner (@turnerhj), principal of Newton North High School (MA), is no stranger to navigating complexities of culture, challenging conversations, and demonstrations of learning -- academic as well as social-emotional. In this episode, Henry describes the importance of honoring student identity, elevating cultural awareness, and encouraging student energy to activate student voice and equity.

In this episode, principal Victor Tam (@PrincipalTam) of San Francisco's Edwin & Anita Lee Newcomer School (CA), describes how his childhood experiences attending school as an immigrant shaped his desire to be an educator and his commitment to ensuring equitable and inclusive representations, acknowledgements, environments, and most importantly, hope-filled supportive relationships for marginalized students.

In this episode, McMinnville (OR) High School principal Dr. Amy Fast (@fastcrayon), shares how her close-knit community uses empathy interviews and hope as an intentional strategy to redefine learning environments (space and time), climates, and opportunities.