By Frank Zaremba, first published by Real Clear Education, February 15, 2017
To “truly work together and provide the best possible instruction for students, we found that we had to begin with scheduling.” Unexciting but crucial, a focus on teachers’ schedules to create flexibility and prioritize planning time led to high academic growth for exceptional children, Multi-Classroom Leader Frank Zaremba writes. Read More…
Opportunity Culture® Educator Columns
A Teacher’s Smart Advice for Serving Students’ Emotional Needs
By Gregory Lawson, first published by Real Clear Education, January 20, 2017
“To the students, enrichment time equaled instructional fun.” Multi-Classroom Leader Melissa Wilbert shares a creative way she and her team of teachers were able to optimize their planning time, while still providing students with an opportunity to learn. Read More…
Teacher Collaboration Time That Students (Yes, Students) Love
By Melissa Wilbert, first published by Real Clear Education, December 20, 2016
“To the students, enrichment time equaled instructional fun.” Multi-Classroom Leader Melissa Wilbert shares a creative way she and her team of teachers were able to optimize their planning time, while still providing students with an opportunity to learn. Read More…
For Truly Personalized Learning, I Had to Try, Try Again
By Lori Treiber, first published by Real Clear Education, November 23, 2016
“I introduced them to many ways to learn and the skills to be self-sufficient learners. The course evolved to most benefit students.” After 26 years of teaching, Lori Treiber challenges her traditional teaching style by becoming a blended-learning teacher who kept refining her new methods. Read More…
Getting the Recipe Right for Teacher Leadership
By Cyndal Brenneman, first published by Real Clear Education, October 18, 2016
“I saw the trust that we built continue to grow—cooking up not just better working relationships but strong student achievement.” Multi-Classroom Leader Cyndal Brenneman describes the important parts of an effective Multi-Classroom Leadership model, including building trust and administrative support. Read More…
My Unexpected Journey to Teacher Leadership
By Kristen Duffy, first published by Real Clear Education, September 20, 2016
“I felt honored, but also had uneasy, “wow, could I really do this?” thoughts. This was a big shift from teaching students to leading veteran teachers.” Kristen Duffy wasn’t expecting to become a multi-classroom leader, but after seeing the results, it is an experience that she wouldn’t trade. Read More…
Opportunity Culture® Columns on Real Clear Education
Opportunity Culture multi-classroom leaders, blended-learning teachers, elementary school subject specialists, and principals are contributing to a monthly series of columns on RealClearEducation.com. These pioneering educators have been critical to refining the Opportunity Culture initiative and materials that support the creation of an Opportunity Culture, aimed at meeting our collective, ambitious goals to reach all students with excellent teaching consistently and provide outstanding career opportunities for teachers, too.
“What Is My Job, Anyway?” Teacher Hindsight From a Multi-Classroom Leader
By Kristin Cubbage, first published by Real Clear Education, May 16, 2016
“My job is to ensure that every single one of my students, in all eight classes, has the most effective teacher standing up front each day, because our students deserve that kind of dedication to their lives.” After three years as a multi-classroom leader, Kristin Cubbage has a deeper understanding of her role and its impact. Read More…
Want Veteran Teachers to Learn New Things? Show Them Some Love
By Sharon Archer, First Published by Real Clear Education, April 20, 2016
“An MCL must coach experienced teachers carefully—observe, be subtle yet insistent, use the power of positive presupposition, and be ever-present.” Multi-Classroom Leader Sharon Archer challenges the notion that veteran teachers are unable to incorporate or adapt to new teaching techniques.
Raising My Teacher Voice to Save My Job—and My Students’ Success
By Karen Wolfson, First Published by Real Clear Education, March 15, 2016
“I wanted to spread the word about my job—and now, with positions like mine under threat at my school, I needed to find my voice.” After seeing huge academic results and increased teacher satisfaction, Multi-Classroom Leader Karen Wolfson finds her voice to advocate for Opportunity Culture models to continue despite administrative and district changes.