Beth Pandolpho

Beth Pandolpho is an instructional coach and has taught English at the high school and college level for over 20 years. She is passionate about supporting teachers in developing a classroom culture with a strong social and emotional foundation in order to create powerful learning experiences.

Her work is grounded in the belief that the path to improving education lies in listening to the unique needs of each school—its leaders, teachers and students. All sessions with Beth are customized based on conversations with school leaders in order to most effectively meet each school’s needs.

Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature at the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in reading at Adelphi University, and a supervisory certification for curriculum and instruction at Rutgers University. She received training in the art of storytelling at the Moth Teacher Institute, and she is currently pursuing continuing education in diversity, equity, and inclusivity as well as teaching for critical consciousness.

She has written for Education Week, Educational Leadership, and The New York Times Learning Network and is a frequent contributor to Edutopia. Beth’s first book with Solution Tree is I’m Listening: How Teacher-Student Relationships Improve Writing, Speaking, and Listening. Her second book is currently in press.

A visual representation of virtual student learning

Relationships: First and Always

Categories: Instruction, Pandemic Response and Educational Practices, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), Student Engagement

In the spring of 2020, I published my very first book, I’m Listening: How Teacher-Student Relationships Improve Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening in which I poured everything I knew about teaching and learning.

And Then, The Pandemic
Suddenly, everything I wrote in this book seemed wholly inadequate for the emerging challenge of teaching during a pandemic. The pile of my newly printed books remained untouched, as instead teachers (including me) searched for books and articles that promised best practices and solutions for virtual learning. As an instructional coach for grades 6-12, I immersed myself in tutorials for digital tools that held the promise of perhaps an easier yet still productive school year for our students and teachers.

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