Nathan Lang-Raad

Nathan Lang-Raad/a>, EdD, is a speaker, author, and professional-learning facilitator. Throughout his career, he has served as a teacher, assistant principal, director of elementary curriculum and instruction, university adjunct professor, and education strategist.

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Coaches creating trust

How Coaches Can Create Trust in Difficult Environments

Presenter linkNathan Lang-Raad
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Categories: Instruction

Based on Everyday Instructional Coaching

Instructional coaches start off at a disadvantage when teachers associate the coach’s role with change at the classroom level. Even inside a positive culture, if people think you, as a coach, might be attempting change to the structure of norms, defenses go up. But if teachers work in a climate where they feel instructional coaches are trying to help them and learn alongside them, and when coaches transparently share their own flaws and weaknesses in teaching, teachers will open up to their coaches. Read more

Balancing introversion and extroversion to avoid over-collaboration

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3 Ways to Prevent Over-Collaborating

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Categories: School Improvement

In my book, Everyday Instructional Coaching, I emphasize the important role instructional coaches play in facilitating effective collaboration. As educators, we continually demand collaboration for our students and consistently schedule team meetings and planning sessions. We have to ask ourselves, “What is the purpose of collaboration?” Is it to check a box for the principal, truly be productive, or meet pre-established goals? We have placed a high value on collaboration, but at what cost?

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Creativity, Teamwork, Problem Solving, Communications, Critical Thinking

Transforming Education—From the Perspective of the Classroom, the School, the District, and a Publishing Partner

Presenter linkChris WeberPresenter linkNathan Lang-Raad
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(Note: This post is co-authored by Chris Weber and Nathan Lang, and guest authors Jason Anderson and Weston Kieschnick.)

Now, more than ever, serving all students means equipping them with the skills and attributes necessary to succeed in the world. The Economist Group (2014), for example, reports that the top-five skills that employers seek in potential candidates are (1) problem solving, (2) team-working, (3) communications, (4) critical thinking, and (5) creativity. These skills represent more than the lofty ambitions of the 4 Cs of the 21st century; they represent the reality of today’s societies and economies and must increasingly and immediately be heavily represented within classrooms and schools. Read more