Peter DeWitt is the founder and CEO of the Instructional Leadership Collective. A former public school teacher and principal, he now facilitates professional learning in the United States and abroad based on the content of many of his best-selling educational books. Former superintendent Michael Nelson is a frequent contributor to this opinion blog. He is the co-leader of ILC and a former superintendent who has been an educator for more than 40 years.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Opinion
How a Sense of Safety Shapes Student Learning and Behavior
Our brains are constantly scanning the environment to see if it's safe, and that has a big impact on student learning.
Professional Development
Opinion
How to Engage Educators When Leading Professional Development
The further removed a leader is from the classroom, the harder it is to turn training into practice. One PD facilitator has advice.
School & District Management
Opinion
How to Become a Self-Aware School Leader
Those in leadership positions sometimes default to “this is how I do things” thinking, but that disposition can be harmful.
Leadership
Opinion
How Self-Aware Are You as a Leader?
There are two types of self-awareness—internal and external—and they are both vital to a leader's success.
Curriculum
Opinion
Should Curriculum Teach Students to Obey or to Improve Society?
If educators are focusing on priority standards, they’re missing the big picture of curriculum-based teaching.
Professional Development
Opinion
Is Turnkey Training for Educators Really Effective?
Just because teachers attend a one-day session doesn't necessarily mean they can turn around and train others.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Opinion
Middle School Students Face a Trifecta of Challenges. Here's How to Help
Adolescents, often desperately, want to fit into their social groups, and that can sometimes prove harmful.
Professional Development
Opinion
Give Teachers Agency to Create Their Own Professional Development and See Engagement Grow
How one principal turned the stress of COVID and its fallout into a learning and community-building opportunity for teachers.
School & District Management
Opinion
How Changing District Culture Improved Math Scores
Professional development, relevant data, tutors, and student engagement were all in play.
Professional Development
Opinion
Revisiting Educator Collaboration: We Should Think Differently About How We Form Teams
Effective teams need to consider three essential elements, which are highlighted in this blog.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
What I Learned About America's Enslavement of People Shaped My District's DEI Efforts
Before he could make his school more welcoming, a superintendent explains how he had to challenge his own perceptions first.
Professional Development
Opinion
Attending a Professional Learning Session? Many Educators Don't Know Why
It’s hard to develop a shared commitment when you don’t even know why you’re in the room.
Teaching
Opinion
5 Reasons Educators Take On Too Much
Educators feel overworked, but what if they needlessly contribute to that burden?
School & District Management
Opinion
How to Address System Change in Education
Awareness of what's occurring outside of school can be beneficial—or a hierarchical hell in the wrong hands, Michael Fullan says.