509 Reflections and Connections (New Coach Edition)

In this episode of Restart Recharge, we welcome Kaitlyn Frederick, an instructional design coach here at Forward Edge, who shares her unique perspectives on coaching, drawn from her experiences in both K-12 and the corporate world. Kaitlyn discusses the importance of creative marketing and truly listening to teachers' needs. She also provides innovative ideas such as “DoorDash PD,” offering teachers a choice of snacks and self-guided professional development delivered to their classrooms, and “Tech Talks,” designed to connect with teachers and assess their technology needs.

Coaches Camp
Professional development designed specifically for instructional coaches, like you!
Join us in Cincinnati – July 28th – 29th
or Virtually – July 22nd – 24th

NEW! The Core of Coaching Framework
Want to drive lasting impact? Get your copy of the Core of Coaching framework and transform your coaching approach. Click the link to learn more!
http://www.forward-edge.net/coreofcoaching

Podcast Team
Hosts – Katie Ritter & Matthäus Huelse
Producer – Celine Thomas
Editing Team – Ben Glasure
Social Media Team – Grace Brown

508 Getting AI Ready this Summer with Gemini

In this episode, we are excited to have Alex Melin, an instructional design coach from Forward Edge, share insights on AI in education, specifically exploring Google’s Gemini and its advanced features like gems, canvas, and deep research. Discover practical applications of AI for coaches, teachers, and educational leaders to enhance student learning and teaching efficiency. Learn how to start integrating AI tools in your everyday tasks and maintain human connections in the tech-driven world. This episode is packed with information to recharge your coaching batteries and get you excited for the new school year!

Coaches Camp
Professional development designed specifically for instructional coaches, like you!
Join us in Cincinnati – July 28th – 29th
or Virtually – July 22nd – 24th

Podcast Team
Hosts – Katie Ritter & Matthäus Huelse
Producer – Celine Thomas
Editing Team – Ben Glasure
Social Media Team – Grace Brown

507 Inside Elementary Literacy Coaching – Part 2

Join Katie Ritter and Matthaeus Huelse as they take a closer look into elementary literacy coaching with guest Jaclynn Krella. Explore how AI is being integrated into K-6 classrooms, the challenges faced, and effective strategies for planning and enhancing lesson engagement. Learn from Jaclynn's insights on cross-curricular approaches, supporting non-ELA teachers, and the impact of video recording in teaching. Discover top tips for instructional coaches, emphasizing efficiency, creating opportunities, and the powerful use of video recordings. Perfect for instructional coaches, curriculum specialists, and teachers seeking innovative ways to enhance their professional learning. Connect with Jaclynn and uncover new strategies to recharge your coaching batteries.

Coaches Camp
Professional development designed specifically for instructional coaches, like you!
Join us in Cincinnati – July 28th – 29th
or Virtually – July 22nd – 24th

Podcast Team
Hosts – Katie Ritter & Matthäus Huelse
Producer – Celine Thomas
Editing Team – Ben Glasure
Social Media Team – Grace Brown

506 Inside Elementary Literacy Coaching

Join Katie Ritter and Matthaeus Huelse as they turn their focus to elementary literacy coaching and welcome Jaclynn Krella, a seasoned educator with a Master's in Education and a structured literacy dyslexia specialist certification. Jaclynn shares her extensive experience as a classroom teacher, reading interventionist, and literacy coach supporting over 100 teachers. Dive into how she collaborates with teachers, sets student-centered goals, utilizes technology for observation, and analyzes impactful student data to enhance instructional practices. Whether you're a tech coach, literacy coach, or an education enthusiast, this episode offers valuable insights and practical approaches to effective coaching.

Coaches Camp
Professional development designed specifically for instructional coaches, like you!
Join us in Cincinnati – July 28th – 29th
or Virtually – July 22nd – 24th

Podcast Team
Hosts – Katie Ritter & Matthäus Huelse
Producer – Celine Thomas, Matthäus Huelse
Editing Team – Ben Glasure, Matthäus Huelse
Social Media Team – Grace Brown

Announcing the Renewal of the Prestigious ISTE Seal for Edge•U Badges!

Edge•U Badges Achieves the ISTE Seal!

We are thrilled to announce that Edge•U Badges has once again received the prestigious ISTE Seal! This marks the third time our platform has been recognized for its high-quality design and commitment to supporting best practices in teaching and professional learning.

Edge•U is a powerful, instruction-focused professional learning system that adapts to the needs of educators. Edge•U builds teacher capacity and directly impacts student learning in the form of microcredentials (badges).

About the ISTE Seal

According to the report by International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), “The ISTE Seal serves as a mark of high-quality product design for solutions that enable and guide high-quality learning. By choosing to demonstrate their commitment to supporting best practices for teaching and learning, these products show a purposeful and meaningful dedication to practical usability, digital pedagogical implementation, and the ISTE Standards. With a focus on user experience, product usability, and the most essential elements of instructional technology today, the ISTE Seal provides a set of criteria and simple indicators to guide educators, students, and technology directors toward the very best products on the market.”

By earning a Seal, ISTE verifies that this product:

Promotes critical technology skills
Supports the use of technology in appropriate ways
Incorporates digital pedagogy and the learning sciences
Addresses key elements of tech usability, user experience and user interface
Aligns to ISTE Standards in specific way

Read ISTE’s Current Report On Edge•U!

The best way to learn about Edge•U is to schedule a demo!

Schedule Today!

505 Exploring NotebookLM for Productivity and Collaboration

Join hosts Katie Ritter and Matthaeus Huelse as they explore the highly-talked-about tool, Notebook LM, on this episode of Restart Recharge. Special guest Bryson Min-Ryan, Assistant Director of Learning and Development, shares his insights on how instructional coaches and adult learners can leverage Notebook LM to enhance productivity and collaboration. Discover its unique features, including customized AI-powered experiences, interactive AI-hosted podcasts, and collaborative tools that benefit educational settings. Perfect for instructional coaches, curriculum specialists, and administrators looking to boost their teams' efficiency with streamlined technology.

Find Bryson on LinkedIn!
Bryson Min-Ryan

Coaches Camp
Professional development designed specifically for instructional coaches, like you!
Join us in Cincinnati – July 28th – 29th
or Virtually – July 22nd – 24th

Podcast Team
Hosts – Katie Ritter & Matthäus Huelse
Producer – Celine Thomas, Matthäus Huelse
Editing Team – Ben Glasure, Matthäus Huelse
Social Media Team – Grace Brown

504 Transitioning out of the Classroom

Join us as we discuss the transition from classroom teacher to instructional coach with our very own, Grace Brown. Grace, an instructional coach here at Forward Edge, shares her journey from teaching high school English to becoming a curriculum innovator and instructional design expert. This episode explores the challenges and adjustments teachers face when leaving the classroom, offering insights and tips for those considering a similar path. Grace discusses both the positive shifts and the unexpected difficulties of her new role, while offering valuable perspectives on maintaining professional autonomy, building a supportive network, and understanding the importance of perseverance and confidence. Whether you're an instructional coach, curriculum specialist, or someone eyeing an admin role, this episode provides a wealth of knowledge and community for educators at all stages of their career.

Find Grace on her Socials

Coaches Camp
Professional development designed specifically for instructional coaches, like you!
Join us in Cincinnati – July 28th – 29th
or Virtually – July 22nd – 24th

Edge•U Badges
Edge•U is an anytime, anywhere professional learning platform made for teachers by teachers!

Podcast Team
Hosts – Katie Ritter & Matthäus Huelse
Producer – Celine Thomas, Matthäus Huelse
Editing Team – Ben Glasure, Matthäus Huelse
Social Media Team – Grace Brown

503 The Core of Coaching Framework

In this episode of 'Restart Recharge,' Matthaeus Huelse and Katie Ritter introduce the Core of Coaching Framework. Special guest Brooke Conklin shares insights into developing this comprehensive framework that guides coaches through building relationships, implementing sustainable changes, and initiating organizational shifts. Learn how to measure impact, utilize data, and foster systemic change within school environments. Tune in to discover valuable tips and how you can implement the Core of Coaching Framework as an instructional leader, a single coach in a district, or anyone who want to systemically impact teaching practices.

Click here, to learn more about the Core of Coaching Framework and to get your own copy:

http://www.forward-edge.net/coreofcoaching

Follow Brooke on X/Twitter
@brookeconklin19

Coaches Camp
Professional development designed specifically for instructional coaches, like you!
Join us in Cincinnati – July 28th – 29th
or Virtually – July 22nd – 24th

Podcast Team
Hosts – Katie Ritter & Matthäus Huelse
Producer – Celine Thomas, Matthäus Huelse
Editing Team – Ben Glasure, Matthäus Huelse
Social Media Team – Grace Brown

502 Instructional Sync: Aligning Admin and Coaches for Success – Part 2

Join us as we jump back into part two of our discussion on aligning instructional coaches and administrators. In this episode, we explore specific activities and strategies from a recent collaborative workshop designed to enhance communication and clarity in roles. We discuss key activities such as establishing communication cadences and brainstorming ways coaches can support broader district goals. Hear firsthand insights from guests Tyler Erwin and Torie Mollett on the impact of these strategies and the subsequent steps to strengthen the coach-admin relationship. Tune in to learn valuable tips and recharge your coaching battery!

Follow Tyler and Torie on their Socials!
Twitter/X – @edtechtyler, @ TorieTeaches

Edge•U Badges
Edge•U is an anytime, anywhere professional learning platform made for teachers by teachers!

Coaching Network
We empower coaches with a holistic approach to implement practical skills and strategies that creates a wave of lasting change with the educators in their schools. We work to improve learning by being right there with you, on the ground, and in schools every day.

Podcast Team
Hosts – Katie Ritter & Matthäus Huelse
Producer – Celine Thomas, Matthäus Huelse
Editing Team – Ben Glasure, Matthäus Huelse
Social Media Team – Grace Brown

The Core of Coaching Framework

As instructional coaches, our main goal is to make a difference in the lives of teachers and students every day. But we want to have a lasting effect. When we work with a teacher, we don’t want them to make a small change for one lesson or one unit and then never use that skill or tool again. We want to create sustainable change that spreads across the department, the school, and the district. We want to build a culture of learning and coaching that helps every educator be the best they can be without losing the drive to constantly improve.

But how?

This is where the Core of Coaching framework comes in. Developed by Dr. Katie Ritter and Brooke Conklin, and based on years of coaching experience and research, the Core of Coaching provides an approach to driving systemic change in instructional practices across a school or district.

As a coach, the Core of Coaching can help you clarify and define your coaching role, provide a blueprint for your own professional growth, and can help you both improve your collaboration with teachers and administrators and assess your impact.

It also serves as an excellent companion to any coaching model you’re already using. Do you follow Jim Knight’s Impact Cycle? The Google 5-Step Coaching Cycle? Are you a tech coach who focuses on ISTE’s Standards for Coaches? Great! The Core of Coaching framework is not a new model or structure for how you do your job on a daily basis. It’s simply a new way of looking at the daily job of a coach and of expanding your impact and reach as a coach and is flexible enough to work with any existing model.

Again, how?

The Core of Coaching is built around three domains: building relationships, sustainable change, and organizational shifts. Each domain is described in detail with key skills, critical behaviors, and action steps for coaches.

The true magic of this framework is that third domain: Organizational Shifts.

As Roxi Thompson, Lead Instructional Technology Coach for Peoria Unified District in Arizona, put it,

“When I got to domain three…I thought [it] really spoke to what is missing in some of the other things that are put out for coaches – that bigger organizational shift piece.”

Working within this third domain ensures that the change and growth the coach is fostering are more than just one time, small changes. Creating sustainable change means that the daily work of the coach is supporting a larger vision and building a culture of coaching and learning. This requires the coach to work closely with school leadership and to align coaching with school and district policies and initiatives.

Beyond the three domains that build the Core of Coaching, the framework also defines Key Performance Indicators to assess the effectiveness of coaching within each domain.

How can you measure the success of relationship building, sustainable change in teacher practice, or creating organizational shifts?

The framework gives you all of this, AND then tools for maintaining your success in each domain through a discussion of Feedback Loops.

In the end, the goal of the Core of Coaching is not to completely change the work that we as instructional coaches do, but to take what we’re already doing and help us embed that work into the fabric of the school culture. It’s to remind us that coaching is more than just providing feedback to teachers, but rather it’s about building and supporting a community that values continuous improvement, collaboration, and reflection. It’s about creating a space where everyone – coaches, teachers, administrators, and students – can learn, grow, and thrive.