“I don’t want our conversations to be about strategies, I want them to be about practices.”
And this is probably that best summary of my discussion with Dr. Mary Howard. Every word Dr. Howard says is fueled with passion and insight. I can’t tell you how much fun I had bringing this two-part episode to you all.
In this episode, we continue our discussion about Fearless Learning, and how she is helping educators find that zone of fearlessness through Good 2 Great Twitter chats (#G2Great), as well as other tools for educators.
Dr. Howard’s insight into how to lead conversations among educators is the highlight of this talk. We spend so much time talking about agenda items, that we never, or rarely, get to the ‘why’ we do what we do, and what that should look like in our classrooms. It’s my hope that every educator who listens to this episode, teacher or admin or academic coach, brings back some of her ideas to inspire their fellow teachers to do what they do best…learn and inspire others to do the same.
About Dr. Mary Howard:
Dr. Mary Howard is known throughout North America as a leading expert in literacy, presenting seminars as an independent consultant and for the Bureau of Education and Research (www.ber.org) in all fifty states and across Canada. Mary has worked with countless educators to create a research-based literacy program grounded in the current brain research.
An educator for more than forty years, she combines years of classroom experience as an elementary grade 1-6 special educator, grade K-12 reading tutor, reading specialist and Reading Recovery teacher with a multitude of experiences as a reading consultant, university reading instructor, professional storyteller, author and nationwide lecturer. Her blend of research and practical application has led many to describe her as a teachers’ teacher, demonstrating a clear understanding of the realities of the classroom by translating research into practice.
Mary’s seminars are fast-paced and inspiring, filled with engaging strategies that can be immediately implemented into the existing curriculum. Her no-nonsense approach provides teachers with a deeper understanding of the learning process in order to transform the teaching process into a powerful tool to maximize the potential of every child.
