April, 2020
Greetings!


In these times of uncertainty, we are all novices doing the best we can to learn and apply new skills - in all areas of our lives. Remember, to take care of yourself so that you are able to take care of others.

We hope you'll join us for a check-in and a conversation about what good teaching looks like in the virtual world on April 23. Register below.


In health,
Webinars
Join Jon and Deb on Thursday, April 23 at 2:30pm EST
Jon and Deb will continue the discussion of virtual pedagogy - specifically, what elements of good teaching best translate to the online world.
April 9th Webinar Recording and Resources Available
Thanks to all who joined us on Thursday, April 9 for a discussion about how to best meet the needs of our students in this unprecedented time.

A recording of the webinar and a link to resources can be found here .

We intend to keep updating the resources, so send along anything you've found helpful to Leah Levine at levine@RBTeach.com.

NEW BOOK
The Superintendent's Work with Principals
Improving Instruction and Achieving Results
By Pia Durkin
The Superintendent’s Work with Principals: Improving Instruction and Achieving Results  balances the expansive work of the school superintendent with prioritizing the most important leverage points to increase student achievement. This book presents candid, realistic, and valuable “go-to” resources for dealing with the range of responsibilities that comprise the work of high-level leaders.  Using a framework to help analyze a leader’s assets and barriers to spending productive time in classrooms, Pia focuses on her own work supporting, coaching, and supervising principals toward higher performance in working with the educators they lead. The strategies, tools, and examples within the book will clearly resonate with those who currently serve as superintendents, district leaders, and principals, as well as with those aspiring to take on these complex roles, and with the boards and programs who are charged with selecting them . 
Praise for the Book

As someone who never aspired to be a superintendent, I read this book wondering if it would make me rethink my reluctance. It did. Pia Durkin’s account of her two superintendencies is compelling because it shows the pivotal role of district leaders in choosing and coaching principals, pushing past mediocrity, and relentlessly focusing on the quality of classroom instruction and teacher teamwork. The two most refreshing aspects of this book are actual case studies with the names of real schools and principals and feedback conversations in working with them. This is a book for superintendents, principals, school board members, and anyone interested in schools that are effective for all students. 

- Kim Marshall, Creator of the Marshall Memo, Co-Author (with Jenn David-Lang) The Best of the Marshall Memo, Book One


The Superintendent’s Work with Principals will be extraordinarily helpful to those working as superintendents, those aspiring to the position, along with principals and leaders working throughout public education. Practical, intense, cohesive, and challenging—it is all right here stressing the balance between core values and context. Pia Durkin’s work and those who worked with her make the superintendent’s practice come alive and remind us that improved teaching that leads to better results for all students is always, always, always the center of our work: it is why we do what we do. 

- John McDonough , Retired Superintendent of Boston Public Schools
Open Enrollment Opportunities
Full details here .
Studying Skillful Teaching (6 days)
Instructor: Deb Reed
7/6, 7/7, 7/8, 7/9, 9/22, 10/21

Analyzing Teaching for Student Results (7 days)
Instructors: Rick Rogers, Pat Wiedel, and Deb Reed
7/13, 7/14, 7/15, 7/16, 9/23, 10/19, 12/4, plus site visit

Adult Professional Culture (6 days)
Instructors: Rick Rogers and Jon Saphier
7/21, 7/22, 9/30, 10/26, 12/10, 1/13

ATSR Refresher: Strengthening Instructional Leadership in Observing and Analyzing Teaching for Student Results
(1 day)
Instructor: Laura Cooper
6/23 or 8/12

Skillful Teaching Module: Principles of Learning (1 day)
Instructor: Deb Reed
9/12

Instructor: Sue McGregor
Fall Dates TBD

Making Student Thinking Visible Online Course
RBT's Professional Resources
Research for Better Teaching (RBT) is a professional development organization dedicated to improving classroom teaching and school leadership. Founded in 1979 by Jonathon D. Saphier, RBT works to strengthen organizational culture and to institutionalize the study of teaching within schools and throughout school districts. 

Our expertise in teaching is complemented by the realization of the need for skillful leaders and that data offers us one of the most powerful levers educators have to improve student achievement. This expertise is embodied in RBT’s publications, products, professional development programs, and consulting to apply a focused, coherent, and systemic approach.

RBT offers a comprehensive array of professional development products and courses in Skillful Teaching, Skillful Leadership, and Skillful Data Use .

  • Review our other text books here.
  • Review our articles and additional resources here.
  • Review our comprehensive video library here.
  • Review our course offerings here.