Can you believe we're already halfway through 2020?! ☀️ Read on to learn why educators everywhere are going crazy for Bitmoji classrooms, how you can build a professional learning network outside of your organization, a few support complexities that ICs must honor when building professional relationships, and more. Enjoy!

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Behind the Scenes of #BitmojiClassrooms

The Evolving Learner Team extols the perks of virtual Bitmoji Classrooms for creating fun and engaging spaces for students that showcases a teachers' personality.

" Teachers everywhere are finding that these spaces are creative outlets that have been described as 'creative and fun,' 'something different,' and even 'therapeutic'! Students are highly engaged with a more dynamic and personalized platform- these spaces are a far cry from a daily work checklist!"

Coaching Classroom Management

Steve Barkley offers three verbal strategies that teachers can use to create an environment with more consistency, direction, and flexibility.

"Consistency and flexibility are observable in outstanding teachers' classrooms. Students know what to expect from the teacher. There is a calmness generated from consistent expectations that the teacher has for students and the students have for the teacher. . . . Consistency is built when students sense a usual, expected teacher approach. Flexibility emerges when the teacher changes from that approach in response to the situation or individual student's needs."

Turn Your PLC into a PLN

Greg Jung encourages educators to expand their access to resources outside of their organization by joining online professional learning networks, especially on Twitter.

" The best professional learning, in my opinion, happens in a Twitter chat. . . . The people that join in these chats come from all sectors of education. Teachers, instructional coaches, technology coordinators, administrators, well known speakers, and people that hold doctorates and masters degrees in some realm of education are all part of these chats. Everyone is welcome at the Twitter education table. I have never felt judged or criticized by any of my answers or responses. Everyone has a common goal of seeking information on what is best for our students."

Developing a Theory of Action

Elena Aguliar explains what a "theory of action" is, its benefits for organizations, and some steps for creating one.

" A theory of action helps us be intentional. In the process of creation, we're pushed to articulate why we're taking a set of actions and to name the results and impact we expect. When a group collaborates on creating a theory of action, this pushes them to play out a strategy. . . . A theory of action can help members of a team align their actions to a larger plan."

Understanding Adults

Matthew Kelly shares six complexities of support that ICs must honor when building professional relationships with peers—all from Michelle Harris's recent webinar.

"In education, resistance often looks like compliance. Educators may agree to do something, but then revert to doing what they were doing before. This is because we all need autonomy. . . . People aren't motivated by other people's goals. Sometimes, we are motivated by other people's successes, but we need to have thought and autonomy around our own masterable goals."

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